Can Chiropractic Help You?
March 24, 2009
People have been turning to chiropractic health care for over a century. They have sought treatment for a wide variety of ailments, from migraines to heel pain. The following is a brief summary of circumstances where chiropractic is an appropriate health-care choice.
You have been in an accident
Trauma can cause spinal misalignments in the body which can in turn distort your structure and irritate your nerves, bones, ligaments and discs. Any accident, no matter how minor, can create nerve-damaging misalignments. We can give you a spinal check-up to ensure that your spine is free from these health-compromising changes and to prevent any long-term damage.
You have a sports- or work-related injury
When a subluxation has been caused by repetitive stress or overuse at work or play, spinal nerves may be impeded. This may in turn negatively affect one’s range of motion, strength, reflexes, endurance, and, ultimately, performance. Chiropractic can help your body restore normal nerve function and help you get back to your peak in both play and work.
You are simply in pain
Interruption of proper nerve flow, for whatever reason, can eventually lead to pain, disability, and an overall decrease in the quality of life. You don’t need to live with it— we can help you get to the root of the problem, set your body up to heal, and restore your health.
You are pregnant
The additional weight and stress on the framework of the body during pregnancy can cause pain in almost any part of the body. Because pregnant women are often reluctant to take any over-the-counter and prescription pain relievers, they often turn to chiropractic care to help alleviate pains associated with pregnancy. In addition, we can also offer lifestyle (especially nutrition and exercise) advice specific to the expectant mother.
You have a “little one”
Babies and children grow quickly, and their muscles, ligaments, and bones develop rapidly. A jump, tumble, or fall can jar the body, affect the spine (and possibly the nervous system), and then go undetected for years. Even simple factors, such as a heavy backpack or an ill-fitting car seat, can have negative effects on a child’s health.
With these things in mind, it’s evident that babies and children have much to gain from chiropractic care. Regular spinal exams can provide corrective and preventive care for “little ones,” as well as peace of mind for the parent.
Parents of small children also have much to gain. We can offer advice regarding how to pick up and carry a child and, for post-partum mothers, an assessment of any structural changes that may have occurred during pregnancy, labor, and/or delivery.
You have a “big one” (i.e., a teenager)
Teenagers’ bodies are also growing at a rapid rate. This, combined with the fact that teenagers often think they are invincible, sets them up for a wide range of physical problems.
Imagine your teenager hearing from someone other than you the benefits of proper diet, exercise, posture, and other good lifestyle habits! With regular visits to your doctor of chiropractic, your “big one” will have a body that is structurally and functionally sound, and head start on a life of good health.
You are in your “Golden Years”
There are numerous physical problems associated with aging, and drugs and surgery are often prescribed to treat these problems. There is little, if any, attention paid to actually fixing these problems— and little or no emphasis on preventing them.
But you need not succumb. Chiropractors understand the effects of aging and have been helping folks deal with the aches and pains associated with aging for decades. As with other patients, we diagnose the ailment, determine what’s causing it, and then choose from a variety of gentle therapeutic techniques to alleviate it.
We can also guide you through simple changes in your lifestyle (e.g., diet, exercise, stress management) that can greatly improve the quality of your life. Old habits are hard to break, but it’s never too late to start healthy habits.
You feel fine
Even if you feel as though you’re operating at 110% or better, chiropractic can help you maintain your desired level of health and fitness. You may currently have spinal irregularities that exhibit no symptoms whatsoever. However, problems may arise in the future.
Just as regular maintenance visits are recommended for your car, and regular dental cleanings and check-ups are recommended for your teeth, regular chiropractic check-ups can help detect and prevent spinal stress or joint disorders.
In short, chiropractic health care is a smart choice for most everyone, at any time-you’ll stay healthier longer, and the time and energy (and money!) saved due to your preventive efforts can be spent on things that are fun to do. A better quality of life awaits you.
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How Does Chiropractic Work?
January 17, 2009
Chiropractic doctors practice natural, drugless, non-invasive health care and rely on the body’s ability to self-heal. Sounds ideal, but just how does it work?
We look at the whole picture
Like other health-care providers, we follow a standard routine to gain information about the patient. We consult, review the case history, conduct a physical examination, and we may request laboratory analyses and/or x-rays.
Unlike other health-care providers, however, chiropractic physicians also conduct a careful analysis of the patient’s structure and pay particular attention to the spine. We also ask you about your life— Do you eat well? Exercise at all? How do you deal with stress? Do you have children? What do you do for work? And so on.
We seek the origin of the problem
Using this information, a diagnosis is made. Included in the diagnosis is the probable reason for your pain or discomfort. It is important to note that chiropractors seek the origin of the illness in order to eliminate it-we do not simply treat the symptoms.
If your roof is leaking, do you simply catch the drips in a bucket for years on end, or do you repair the roof to prevent it from leaking? Similarly, if the migraine headache you’ve had all week is being caused by misaligned vertebra and an irritated nerve, do you continue to take pain killers indefinitely, or do you realign the vertebra to prevent the pain? You get the picture.
Chiropractors have a term for misalignments: subluxations. A vertebral subluxation is a misalignment of the bones that protect the spinal cord. It’s a leak in the roof. Or a kink in the wiring of your nervous system.
The severity of the subluxation can vary, and there are a number of potential contributing factors that can be physical, emotional, mental, or chemical. The subluxation can be caused by any number of incidents, from birth trauma to an auto accident to simple repetition or over-use.
Then we help you fix it
When a subluxation occurs, a chiropractor can correct the misaligned bone and allow it to return to its proper position. This procedure is appropriately called an adjustment, and the adjustment enables the body to heal. The leak is fixed. The wiring is fixed. Information is flowing again.
To keep the wiring fixed and the information flowing, several adjustments over a course of time may be necessary, in addition to massage, physical therapy, stretching exercises, or strengthening exercises. In the chiropractic world, keeping the problem fixed and preventing its reoccurrence is just as important as the initial remedy.
Another important aspect of chiropractic care is this: the patient’s improvement is the responsibility of both the doctor and the patient. You will be active in your own care-this is essential in optimizing the care you receive.
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What Is Chiropractic?
January 17, 2009
According to The Association of Chiropractic Colleges, “chiropractic is a health care discipline which emphasizes the inherent recuperative power of the body to heal itself without the use of drugs or surgery. The practice of chiropractic focuses on the relationship between structure (primarily the spine) and function (as coordinated by the nervous system) and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health.”
Origins
The “founding father” of chiropractic, Dr. D.D. Palmer, developed a theory that spinal misalignment caused nerve pressure or irritation which in turn caused various ailments. He realized that the structure and condition of the body influenced how the body functioned and its ability to heal itself, without the use of drugs or surgery.
This simple philosophy has healed people and has prevented unwanted injury and illness for over a century! But to fully understand the chiropractic perspective, one must learn a bit about the nervous system, or how our bodies are “wired.”
Our wiring
The nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. The brain is divided into sections and stores and receives an incredible amount of information. But this information needs a way to get in and out. Nerves provide a pathway for this information to travel, and the spinal cord is made up of bundles of these nerves. The spine both houses and protects the spinal cord.
Nerve dysfunction can result from any number of factors, such as falls, accidents, stress, tension, or over-use. These events can alter our “wiring” and create pain or discomfort in our bodies.
Getting to the source
Doctors of chiropractic are trained to locate the source of the pain or discomfort— it may actually be far from the actual location where the symptom is occurring— and then we correct or adjust the joints in the body and set it up to heal on its own.
Of course, the type of correction or adjustment employed by the chiropractor depends on the condition being treated, but you get the main idea. The important thing to remember is that chiropractic success occurs by addressing the source of the problem, not just masking the symptoms.
Holistic efficiency
Because helping the body heal itself involves many facets, chiropractors also provide lifestyle advice to help prevent illness and injury. Diet & nutrition, fitness, ergonomics, and other areas in your life contribute, or diminish, your overall health. By making the right choices, one can live a life full of wellness and vitality.
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