Why Chiropractic?
There is nothing mysterious about chiropractic. It is a natural method of health care that focuses on treating the causes of physical problems and injuries, rather than just the symptoms.
Chiropractic is based on a simple but powerful premise: With a normally functioning spine and surrounding muscles, your body can heal itself. That is because the brain and spinal cord (which is protected by the spine), is the main pathway of your nervous system, which in turn controls every feeling, movement, and function throughout your body. When the nervous system is impaired by an injury, stress, or illness, it can cause muscles, joints, and organs throughout the body to function poorly. This is why the spine is so important in maintaining pain free, good health. Your spine is designed to support your weight and protect your spinal cord, the vital link from your brain to the rest of your body. Since your spinal nerves affect all parts of the body, problems in your spine can cause other problems as well.
Your spinal nerves affect all parts of the body. Vertebrae are the bones that are within the spine and can become misaligned, irritating your spinal nerves or causing muscles to stretch unevenly. Facet joints, where vertebrae connect, can lock up, causing neck and back pain. Nerves that carry messages from the brain to the rest of your body can become irritated, pinched, or stretched, especially during injuries from auto accidents. This can cause pain, numbness, or tingling in your neck, back, arms, or legs. Discs act as cushions between vertebrae and when injured can bulge or rupture. This may put pressure on nerves or the spinal cord, leading to pain, numbness or tingling in your neck, back, arms or legs. Muscles and ligaments that support the spine can become stretched, torn, or out of balance causing movements of the spine to become restricted.
Because chiropractic treats the underlying causes of these problems rather than just relieving symptoms, your body's natural healing processes work for you.
The chiropractic approach is to locate and help correct misalignments of the spine that may cause interferences to the nervous system causing the body not to function properly. These misalignments are corrected with gentle adjustments of the spine. Adjustments are a term that describes manipulative techniques to the vertebrae to restore normal position and motion to the spine. Adjustments can improve your spine's balance, mobility, and strength, while relieving pain and stiffness.
Numerous government and private studies have found that not only is chiropractic care the preferred and most effective form of initial care for spine related injuries and problems, it is the safest.
Chiropractic is based on a simple but powerful premise: With a normally functioning spine and surrounding muscles, your body can heal itself. That is because the brain and spinal cord (which is protected by the spine), is the main pathway of your nervous system, which in turn controls every feeling, movement, and function throughout your body. When the nervous system is impaired by an injury, stress, or illness, it can cause muscles, joints, and organs throughout the body to function poorly. This is why the spine is so important in maintaining pain free, good health. Your spine is designed to support your weight and protect your spinal cord, the vital link from your brain to the rest of your body. Since your spinal nerves affect all parts of the body, problems in your spine can cause other problems as well.
Your spinal nerves affect all parts of the body. Vertebrae are the bones that are within the spine and can become misaligned, irritating your spinal nerves or causing muscles to stretch unevenly. Facet joints, where vertebrae connect, can lock up, causing neck and back pain. Nerves that carry messages from the brain to the rest of your body can become irritated, pinched, or stretched, especially during injuries from auto accidents. This can cause pain, numbness, or tingling in your neck, back, arms, or legs. Discs act as cushions between vertebrae and when injured can bulge or rupture. This may put pressure on nerves or the spinal cord, leading to pain, numbness or tingling in your neck, back, arms or legs. Muscles and ligaments that support the spine can become stretched, torn, or out of balance causing movements of the spine to become restricted.
Because chiropractic treats the underlying causes of these problems rather than just relieving symptoms, your body's natural healing processes work for you.
The chiropractic approach is to locate and help correct misalignments of the spine that may cause interferences to the nervous system causing the body not to function properly. These misalignments are corrected with gentle adjustments of the spine. Adjustments are a term that describes manipulative techniques to the vertebrae to restore normal position and motion to the spine. Adjustments can improve your spine's balance, mobility, and strength, while relieving pain and stiffness.
Numerous government and private studies have found that not only is chiropractic care the preferred and most effective form of initial care for spine related injuries and problems, it is the safest.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is chiropractic?Chiropractic is a branch of the healing arts based upon the understanding that good health depends, in part, upon a normally functioning nervous system (especially the spine, and the nerves extending from the spine to all parts of the body). "Chiropractic" comes from the Greek word chiropraktikos, meaning "effective treatment by hand." Chiropractic stresses the idea that the cause of many disease processes begins with the body's inability to adapt to its environment. It looks to address these diseases not by the use of drugs and chemicals, but by locating and adjusting a musculoskeletal area of the body which is functioning improperly.
What conditions benefit from chiropractic care?Although chiropractic is used most frequently to relieve low back pain, studies have found it to be effective for a variety of conditions, such as migraine headaches, neck and shoulder pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, and infantile colic.
Does Chiropractic hurt?Under normal circumstances, adjustments don't hurt. The patient may experience a minor amount of discomfort during the adjustment which lasts only seconds.
Is Chiropractic safe?Chiropractic adjustments or manipulations are extremely safe. The risk factor is estimated to be in excess of one million to one.
What kind of education and training do doctors of chiropractic have?Chiropractors receive an education that emphasizes neuromuscular diagnosis and treatment. Preparation for the practice of chiropractic is concentrated on three areas of learning; basic training in the biological and health sciences (anatomy, physiology, histology, biochemistry, clinical and radiological diagnosis); specialized training in the chiropractic discipline (theoretical studies, practice, diagnosis and applications); and extensive clinical training.
Have any studies been published showing what chiropractic is effective for? Several studies have documented the effectiveness of chiropractic in relieving back pain. More recent studies have shown chiropractic to be effective in treating infantile colic and migraine headaches.
What can I expect on my first visit?The first thing a chiropractor will do is ask you about the health complaints about which you are chiefly concerned. The DC will also ask about your family history, dietary habits, other care you may have had (chiropractic, osteopathic, medical, etc.), your job, and other questions designed to help determine the nature of your illness and the best way to go about treating the problem.
A physical examination will be performed in accordance with your DC's clinical judgment, which may include x-rays, laboratory analysis and other diagnostic procedures. In addition, a careful spinal examination and analysis will be performed to detect any structural abnormalities which may be affecting or causing your condition. All of these elements are important components of your total health profile, and vital to the doctor of chiropractic in evaluating your problem.
What other services do you offer besides chiropractic?Our office offers a variety of alternative health treatments, including acupuncture, aromatherapy, homeopathic formulas, herbal medicine, Chinese medicine and nutritional consulting.
What conditions benefit from chiropractic care?Although chiropractic is used most frequently to relieve low back pain, studies have found it to be effective for a variety of conditions, such as migraine headaches, neck and shoulder pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, and infantile colic.
Does Chiropractic hurt?Under normal circumstances, adjustments don't hurt. The patient may experience a minor amount of discomfort during the adjustment which lasts only seconds.
Is Chiropractic safe?Chiropractic adjustments or manipulations are extremely safe. The risk factor is estimated to be in excess of one million to one.
What kind of education and training do doctors of chiropractic have?Chiropractors receive an education that emphasizes neuromuscular diagnosis and treatment. Preparation for the practice of chiropractic is concentrated on three areas of learning; basic training in the biological and health sciences (anatomy, physiology, histology, biochemistry, clinical and radiological diagnosis); specialized training in the chiropractic discipline (theoretical studies, practice, diagnosis and applications); and extensive clinical training.
Have any studies been published showing what chiropractic is effective for? Several studies have documented the effectiveness of chiropractic in relieving back pain. More recent studies have shown chiropractic to be effective in treating infantile colic and migraine headaches.
What can I expect on my first visit?The first thing a chiropractor will do is ask you about the health complaints about which you are chiefly concerned. The DC will also ask about your family history, dietary habits, other care you may have had (chiropractic, osteopathic, medical, etc.), your job, and other questions designed to help determine the nature of your illness and the best way to go about treating the problem.
A physical examination will be performed in accordance with your DC's clinical judgment, which may include x-rays, laboratory analysis and other diagnostic procedures. In addition, a careful spinal examination and analysis will be performed to detect any structural abnormalities which may be affecting or causing your condition. All of these elements are important components of your total health profile, and vital to the doctor of chiropractic in evaluating your problem.
What other services do you offer besides chiropractic?Our office offers a variety of alternative health treatments, including acupuncture, aromatherapy, homeopathic formulas, herbal medicine, Chinese medicine and nutritional consulting.
