What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic a natural approach to primary health care. It is the art, science and philosophy of realigning vertebrae (bones) that are out of alignment in the spine to restore function in the nervous system.
Every function in the human body (circulation, breathing, elimination, etc.) is controlled by a complex system of nerves. If the impulses of this network are transmitted normally to and from the brain without interference, the body will be at its optimum performance and able to ward off disease to the best of its ability. If these nerve impulses are stopped or interfered with, the area this nerve supplies will malfunction and/or become diseased. When a vertebra in your spine becomes misaligned (subluxated), it can cause nerve interference.
Chiropractic is the only profession that utilizes gentle spinal adjustments to remove nerve interference so that the body can heal itself. Chiropractors focus on the spine and the nervous system to correct problems throughout the body.
HOW CAN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AFFECT MY HEALTH?
The nervous system is the area of the body that controls and coordinates all the functions of your organs. It is connected to every organ, tissue and cell in your entire body. When you feel hot or cold, feel a feather running across your arm, feel someone pinching your cheek, it is the nervous system working. When you take a drink, it is the nervous system that allows you to move your arm up and down and gives you the ability to taste what you are drinking. The organs could not function without the nervous system.
The nervous system is controlled by the brain. The brain tells your nerves how to function. The brain communicates with the spinal nerves through the spinal cord. The nerves pass through the vertebra, or spinal bones through a little hole. The autonomic nervous system is responsible for the functioning of the organs. This system communicates by nerves that run on top of the spinal column and join with nerves that go to the various organs (and glands). If the nerve gets interfered with in any way, (i.e. subluxation [see explanation of subluxation under FAQ's], muscle spasm on nerve, severing nerve), the organ, tissue or cell most likely will have a decreased function.
The lack of function may be imperceptible to the conscious mind. Or you may experience a symptom such as numbing, tingling, or pain. When the nervous system is interfered with, it reduces the bodies natural healing process. Removing the interference to the nervous system is the job of the Chiropractor. By removing this blockage, not only does the pain usually subside, but many people also noticed a change in the way their organs are functioning. Reports of decreased headaches, decreased menstrual cramps, elimination of stomach pain or irritable bowel syndrome, decreased allergies or sinus headaches, elimination of asthma-symptoms are all common observations by chiropractic patients. This process is called an adjustment.
WHAT CAUSES SUBLUXATIONS?
WHAT IS A SUBLUXATION?
A subluxation is a vertebra in the spine which is out of alignment causing interference to the spinal cord or spinal nerves or both. Furthermore, Vertebral Subluxations interfere with the vital communication between the brain and the cells, tissues, organs of the body, which travels over the spinal cord and spinal nerves. The body, with Vertebral Subluxations, is more susceptible to aches, pains, disease and an inability to function at its optimum.
Subluxations can be caused by three different types of stress:
1. Emotional Stress: According to research, the #1 cause of subluxation in America today is emotional stress. Emotional stress is often due to our lifestyle and also from pressure created from society. Emotional stress can result from family problems, financial difficulties and work or school related problems. It is important to understand that emotional stress can cause tension in your muscles, which in time can pull vertebrae(s) out of alignment.
2. Physical Stress: Physical stress can be caused by accidents, sports injuries, falls, other trauma, bad posture, repeated movements that gradually wear down your body parts and difficult birth. Although vertebral subluxations are the most common forms of interference with nerve messages, they are by no means the only ones. Broken bones, arthritis, tumors, direct pressure (when your legs or arms ‘go to sleep’), neurological diseases such as muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, polio and cerebral palsy can also damage nerves.
3. Chemical Stress: Chemical stress can be caused by chemical addiction (drug intake) or from being over medicated or being exposed repeatedly to industrial chemicals.
HOW DOES CHIROPRACTIC WORK?
This is where the chiropractor comes in. At the heart of chiropractic is the art of Adjustment. The doctor applies a gentle force to the spine that unlocks the vertebrae (bone) that is out of alignment. Once the vertebrae are in alignment, the body can restore its normal nerve function. Your doctor of chiropractic has gone through four academic years of chiropractic training, after undergraduate college, to learn human anatomy, physiology, and radiology in depth. All for the sole purpose of learning how, when ,why ,and where to apply that gentle force called Chiropractic Adjustment, and to help you, the patient, prevent your subluxation from recurring.
HOW SHOULD I FEEL AFTER AN ADJUSTMENT?
Different people have different reactions depending on their condition (i.e. presence of swelling and inflammation), the amount of time the condition has existed and the person’s degree of sensitivity. Many people however will feel the following:
1. Peace and relaxation: After an adjustment you may experience a feeling of deepening peace and relaxation. This relaxed feeling may last for the rest of the day or the week and may lead to deep refreshing sleep. Others have at times felt a warm feeling flowing to various parts of their bodies which is very soothing. Some feel very energetic and do all their chores or business that day with a light, happy feeling.
2. Relief of symptoms: Others may find that their symptoms have begun to disappear, that the problems that they came to the chiropractor for have begun to lessen after the first visit. And, there are some people who feel no difference after an adjustment. That does not necessarily mean that they are not benefiting from their adjustments, it just means that they’re not feeling any external reaction.
3. Overall improvement: As you continue your chiropractic care and your spine and nervous system continue to release deep seated stress, you may begin to notice better balance, smoother movement, and as a result, more energy. Increased awareness of your spine, its movements, areas of tightness and/or restrictions. Awareness of your body stress. More emotional relaxation. You may spontaneously change your eating habits, feel an increased desire to exercise, go for walks or become more sensitive to your work and leisure.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
How quickly you respond to chiropractic care can vary greatly, though most people feel immediate improvement. Spinal problems, neglected since early childhood, may require ongoing supportive care for optimum spinal function. These long-standing problems are often associated with muscle weakness, soft tissue damage, and degenerative changes to the spine. Most patients find that periodic chiropractic checkups help keep them in tiptop shape. Those who are active, have stressful jobs, or want to be their very best, find that a schedule of preventive visits are helpful in the maintenance of good health. Some patients seek chiropractic care only when their ache or pain becomes unbearable. While this style of “crisis management” is usually more costly and time-consuming, our office stands ready to help all patients, regardless of their health goals.
ARE ALL PATIENTS ADJUSTED THE SAME WAY?
The doctor evaluates each patient’s unique spinal problem and develops an individual course of care. The resulting recommendations are based upon years of training and experience. Some patients who complain of headaches, may actually have a lower back problem that is causing a compensation reaction at the base of the skull.
Other patients may be experiencing numbness and tingling in their fingers, when the actual problem
is in the neck. Every patient presents a uniquely different spinal pattern. Patients notice that their chiropractic care is delivered with confidence and precision. Each visit builds on the one before.
And while visits may seem similar, each patient’s care is uniquely different from every other patient
HOW OFTEN SHOULD I GET A SPINAL ADJUSTMENT?
Actually, not all adjusting techniques produce the sound associated with “popping knuckles.” Some techniques create no sound at all, some a little. Many techniques, however, do create the sound of
a spinal “release.” What causes this noise? The mystery may have been solved by a British research team that took x-ray movies of people “popping” their knuckles.
The sound appeared to be caused by gas rushing in to fill the partial vacuum created when the joints were slightly separated.
DO I HAVE TO SEE A CHIROPRACTOR FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE?
As with any healthy lifestyle choice, it is always best to continue for a lifetime. Would it make any sense to begin working out, getting into shape of your life, feeling the best you have in years and then to stop? If you begin to eat a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables to get your body working at its optimum physical and mental state, would it make sense to stop and go back to eating chips and soda? Once people achieve health, it makes sense to maintain it. However, it is always up to you how much you want to benefit from chiropractic care.
CAN I ADJUST MYSELF? WHO NEEDS CHIROPRACTIC CARE?
Since a chiropractic adjustment is a specific force applied in a specific direction, to a specific spinal joint, it is virtually impossible to adjust oneself. It is possible to turn or bend or twist in certain ways to create a “popping” sound, like the sound that sometimes accompanies a chiropractic adjustment. Unfortunately, this type of joint manipulation is usually counterproductive, often making an already unstable area of the spine even unsteady. Adjusting the spine is not for amateurs! The best way to enjoy the healthful benefits of chiropractic is to receive adjustments from a Doctor of Chiropractic. Even your doctor must seek out the services of another colleague to help restore and maintain proper spinal function.
WHO NEEDS CHIROPRACTIC CARE?
Everyone can benefit from modern, safe, effective, and painless chiropractic care. In our office, we use chiropractic techniques, which are extremely effective for everyone including the elderly and infants.
