ABOUT CHIROPRACTIC

The Goal of Chiropractic

Because chiropractic care is primarily applied to the spinal region, many individuals incorrectly assume that chiropractors treat only back and neck ailments. While we do quickly and effectively eliminate back and neck pain, it's not the only goal. The objective is to restore and optimize human health. In fact, according to a statement from The Association of Chiropractic Colleges, "The purpose of chiropractic is to optimize health."

What Is Chiropractic?

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 and 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."

Doctors of Chiropractic medicine (D.C.s) adjust the spine with easy, manual thrusts to move the spinal vertebrae back to their normal positions. A chiropractor will sometimes also adjust the joints of the neck, arms, and legs. Spinal adjustments may relieve a spectrum of ailments such as headaches, certain types of migraines, menstrual cramps, allergies, asthma, stomach disorders, spastic colon, and arm, hand, and leg pain that's due to dysfunction of the neck or lower back. Some patients with asthma and emphysema turn to chiropractic care to release tension in the chest. Research is helping to determine if manipulation of the neck helps the ears drain properly, thus alleviating otitis media -- the ear infection that plagues children.

How Chiropractic Differs

There is a significant and very important difference between the way chiropractors and medical doctors approach health ailments.

When evaluating and caring for patients, chiropractors take a holistic approach, which includes, identifying and correcting the cause(s) of the patient's health ailment. In contrast, the medical approach tends to focus more on the treating the symptoms of a condition rather than focusing primarily on the actual cause(s).

Chiropractors believe that correcting the cause of the problem provides significant long-term benefits over only treating the symptoms.

How Chiropractic Works

You may be wondering... how can the same chiropractic care which effectively improves my back pain also optimize my health? The answer can be found by looking into the relationship between the spine and the nervous system. As you may already know, the nervous system is the master controller of all living cells, tissues and organs, orchestrating and coordinating all cellular functions. The spinal column encases the nervous system (spinal cord and nerve roots) and is responsible for its protection.

Because of this intimate relationship, biomechanical and structural problems in the spinal column can irritate parts of the enclosed nervous system. This irritation can result from noxious inflammatory biochemicals released during tissue injury or may result from direct mechanical pressure. In either case, the functioning of the nervous system is negatively influenced as is

the functioning of the cells, tissues and organs which are supplied by the affected nerve(s).The resulting ailment(s) depends on the cells, tissues and organs affected as well as the extent of nervous system compromise.

In short, because the body's innate recuperative powers are affected by and integrated through the nervous system, correcting spinal abnormalities which irritate the nervous system can lead to a number of favorable results in patients suffering from various, seemingly non-spinal health conditions.

What Chiropractors Do

Practically speaking, chiropractors are primarily concerned with locating and correcting vertebral subluxations. A vertebral subluxation is a complex of functional and/or structural and/or pathological articular (joint) changes that compromise neural integrity and may influence organ system function and general health.

Using a number of unique and highly refined skills, the chiropractor checks the patient's spine for any misalignments, fixations or other abnormalities (vertebral subluxations). If subluxations or other abnormalities are detected, the chiropractor will generally apply a gentle force in a corrective manner to the affected spinal area. Chiropractors use many specialized techniques to identify and correct these spinal abnormalities and optimize overall health. In addition to spinal adjustive techniques, soft tissue techniques such as massage, dietary and nutritional counseling, physical therapies, and lifestyle modification programs are commonly employed.

What Happens during a Chiropractic Examination?

A chiropractor will take a medical history, conduct physical, neurological, and orthopedic examinations. Chiropractic physicians spend a considerable amount of time assessing posture, examining the spine, testing reflexes, joint motion, and muscle strength. X-rays and other diagnostic images are often used to locate vertebral dysfunction and to rule out disorders like tumors or fractures, which require the attention of other healthcare experts. 

What Training Do Chiropractors Have?

Chiropractors are licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. A rigorous course of study is necessary to receive a degree of Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.). According to the American Chiropractic Association, there are over 60,000 D.C.s practicing in the United States. All state licensing boards require two to four years of undergraduate education, and completion of a four-year chiropractic college course.

Doctors of chiropractic are uniquely trained in structural health and are highly skilled in spinal manipulation.

When you visit a doctor of chiropractic, you will know that your doctor is qualified to perform the procedures skillfully and safely and that your chiropractor is concerned about your health and wellness.