IS CHIROPRACTIC CARE SAFE?
In the words of the New Zealand government’s inquiry, chiropractic care is “remarkably safe.” Chiropractic has an excellent safety record. It is the result of a conservative approach to health that avoids invasive procedures or addictive drugs. A thorough case history and examination help reveal areas of the spine that may be causing nervous system malfunction. This information will be used to determine the best course of care for each patient. Chiropractic care is a natural approach to better health that is proven safe and effective.
WHY DO CHILDREN NEED CHIROPRACTIC CARE?
The birth process may be one of the most traumatic events of our lives. Even so-called “natural” birthing method can stress a still developing spine. The result in irritation to the nervous system can be the cause of many newborn health complaints. Colic, unexplained crying, poor appetite, breathing problems and allergic reactions can often be traced to nervous system dysfunction caused by a malfunctioning spine. Many parents have their newborns checked for the Vertebral Subluxation.
Dr Godfery Gutmann,a German medical researcher, discovered that more than 80% of the infants that he examined shortly after birth were suffering from injuries to the cervical spine (the neck), that caused all types of health problems. This condition, which could be labeled traumatic birth syndrome, is not new. A researcher, J.M. Duncan, measured the amount of force it would take to severely injure a baby’s neck during delivery. He found that 90 pounds force was enough to cause stillbirth, while less than that would cause the spinal joints to sprain. He stated, “This is not what most obstetricians would consider a great force”.
Later learning to walk, ride a bicycle, and other childhood activities can cause spinal problems. While a bandage and some comforting words can help a skinned knee, the unseen damage to the child’s spine is the unique domain of a chiropractic doctor. Many childhood health complaints that are brushed off as “growing pains” can often be traced to the spine. Regular chiropractic checkups can identify these problems and help avoid many of the health complaints seen later in adults. Naturally, chiropractic adjusting procedures are modified to a child’s spine. Treatment for children is appropriate to their size and needs. Spinal adjustments for children are different from adjustments for adults. Your chiropractor places very gentle pressure on the spine of children to correct problems and help allow the spine to develop properly. As with adults, your child should feel little or no discomfort. Children usually respond quickly to light adjustments and other chiropractic treatment. Most parents report that their children enjoy their chiropractic adjustments and seem healthier than other children.
ARE SYMPTOMS GOOD OR BAD?
Symptoms are the body’s way of telling you that you have a problem. In many cases, symptoms are good. It is the body trying to heal itself. For instance, a fever is the body trying to fight infection. If you have a low grade fever (i.e. 99 degrees), you may have a viral infection, whereas a high grade fever (102 degrees and above) usually indicates a bacterial infection.
Your body knows that a low grade fever will usually kill off a viral infection and a that a bacterial infection generally requires a higher fever. Therefore, taking aspirin or fever-reducing medication is probably NOT a good idea since reducing your fever could very well mean that you’ll be sick longer. Vomiting, diarrhea and coughing are other examples of the body trying to heal itself.
In these instances, the body is trying to eliminate the toxin. If you are vomiting or have diarrhea, it is important that you replace the fluids by drinking a lot of water, but taking something to stop the vomiting or diarrhea within the first 24 hours could allow the bug to thrive. Many cough syrups have alcohol, which may give you other problems, so therefore, allowing the cough to eliminate the “bug” is usually a good idea.
Chest pain can be considered a good symptom in that the body told you that there was a problem, but in that instance, you should get to the hospital as quickly as possible as you might be experiencing a heart attack. Pain is generally a good symptom. It is the way the body tells you that you have a problem.
Many people ignore the pain as they think it will just go away. Or, they take an analgesic such as Tylenol or Advil. Analgesics cover up the symptom like a Band-Aid, they don’t fix the problem. And, many times, taking an analgesic can make the problem worse as it lulls people into a false sense of security.
They think that if they can’t feel the pain, then they are OK and go about doing their regular activities. Pain tells us what we can and cannot do. Cutting off the pain signal may cause us to aggravate the problem. Whether you have “good” symptoms or “bad” symptoms, having a good relationship with a natural health provider is good advice. It’s important to know the difference between a medical emergency and your body’s natural healing process.
HOW IS CHIROPRACTIC DIFFERENT THAN MEDICINE?
Chiropractic does not focus on the SYMPTOMS of a problem, as medicine often does. Rather, chiropractic works to remove the CAUSE of the problem, which in turn will reduce or eliminate the associated symptoms.
For example, say you have a headache (symptom).
You decide to take an aspirin to relieve the pain (symptom). Even if the pain is relieved, have you truly treated the CAUSE? Was the CAUSE a lack of aspirin in your body?
Of course not! What you have done is akin to taking the batteries out of a blaring smoke detector in your home! The symptom is gone (that annoying sound), but the CAUSE of the symptom (the fire!!!!) still exists.
By treating the true CAUSE of the symptom, which is the vertebral subluxation, many times headaches and other such symptoms remiss.
Another problem with using medications is that ALL of them have side effects, and over 200,000 people in the U.S. alone die each year from the “proper” use of prescription or over-the-counter medication (Journal of the American Medical Association).
There are times when medication may be needed as a last resort, but it is all-to-often used as a primary treatment for symptoms. Additionally, surgery is a costly and often ineffective means of treating disease. For example, did you know that over 50% of low back surgeries in the U.S. fail within one year, leaving the patient the same or worse than before the surgery?
By working to restore the normal function of the body, chiropractic can often help to prevent the need for drugs or surgery. This is done safely and effectively on patients from newborns to the elderly. Also, chiropractic is concerned in maintaining the optimal health of the body, so it is a true system of HEALTH CARE.
Medicine is more often a system of SICK CARE you only go when you are sick with symptoms. By keeping the body free from nervous system interference, the body is much less likely to exhibit symptoms or sickness. Think of it this way you don’t wait for the engine in your car to blow up before you change the oil! Why wait until you are sick to do something about it? Wouldn’t it be easier to avoid the unhealthy state and associated symptoms in the first place?
