Chiropractic FAQ
Is chiropractic effective?
Chiropractic helps to remove postural imbalances and structural
misalignments that can accumulate in our bodies over time. Chiropractic
works by restoring your own inborn ability to be healthy. For your body
to remain healthy, your nervous system must function well. For your
nervous system to function well it must be free of interference. By
restoring spinal function with Chiropractic adjustments, nerve
interference by misaligned vertebrae is removed, thus allowing optimal
nervous system function and improved health.
Why should I see a Chiropractor?
Seeing a chiropractor is not only for back pain and neck pain.
Chiropractic care is an excellent way to keep your body at its peak
performance through nutrition, adjustment and overall wellness. In
addition, chiropractic care has been known to help a wide range of
conditions from fibromyalgia to diabetes.
What is Subluxation?
When a vertebrae becomes misaligned or moves out of its normal position,
this is referred to in the chiropractic profession as a subluxation.
Subluxations can be caused by a wide range of issues ranging from a
minor slip or bump to a car accident or any sudden trauma. When a
vertebrae is subluxated, it begins to put pressure on nerves, blood
vessels and everything around it. This pressure comes with a price. The
subluxation interrupts the natural pathways that the messages sent from
the brain need to be clear in order to be completed properly.
How does chiropractic care work?
Chiropractic is an overall way of looking at the human body. It's based
on the idea that the body is self-sustaining and self-healing. The body
is in essence completely controlled by the brain through its connection
via the spinal cord and the vast networks of nerves that make up the
body. When this system is not functioning at its peak, the overall
performance of the human body is lacking.
In the chiropractic world, drugs and medicine are not utilized as a form
of treating a patient. While supplementation and nutrition are almost
always a part of the bigger picture, drugs and prescriptions can be
viewed as band-aids to treat symptoms rather than going to the source
and treating the real problem.
While it's often perceived that the chiropractor is solely here to treat
back and neck pain, this is simply a small piece of what the profession
really is capable of handling. Chiropractors not only treat soft and
hard tissue problems such as sciatica and joint pain, but are largely
called on to deal with more significant issues. Some of these issues
include fibromyalgia, allergies, insomnia, headaches and many more.
What is a chiropractic adjustment? Is it safe?
Adjustments, or manipulation as they're sometimes referred to is the
minor movement of vertebrae in the spine. The objective of this movement
is to realign vertebrae that have moved out of place for a number of
reasons ranging from normal daily activity to trauma such as a car
accident.
When these vertebrae are out of place, it has an overall systemic effect
from muscular to the central nervous system. Without proper alignment
and flow of all nerves and systems in the body from the brain, we can't
function at our peak.
An adjustment is often a pressure from the chiropractor utilizing the
hands or an instrument to move a vertebrae back into place. This happens
with a quick movement and is often without discomfort. You may hear a
noise that sounds like you're cracking your knuckles referred to as
joint cavitation. It is the release of gases such as oxygen and nitrogen
from the joint.
What can I expect from my visit to a chiropractor?
Going to the Chiropractor is a new experience for many of us. Maybe
we've heard through a friend or have done some research online. It's
possible that you are just fed up with living in pain and it's time to
do something about it. In either case, your first visit to the
chiropractor will really be about getting to know the chiropractor and
discussing your history, current condition and goals.
What results can I expect from treatment?
Chiropractic is based on the idea of removing imbalances both structural
and postural in an effort to allow our body to heal itself. For this
to happen the network of nerves and signals from your brain, down your
spinal cord, to the network of nerves must be allowed to flow freely
without any interruption. Chiropractors have the ability and skill to
remove these interruptions or misalignments and allow the body to
perform as it was meant to.
If you've ever been in a car accident, played a sport, fell down or just
bumped into something too hard, it's very possible that you are not
functioning at your best due to a misalignment. While there are many
potential mechanical or structural causes for misalignment, there are
also chemical reasons. For instance, if you smoke or drink excessively
or even just have a poor diet, the chemical issues in your body can
eventually cause underlying conditions and disease to appear.
Allowing a chiropractor to get you back on track both chemically and
structurally will bring your body back to the proper state it should be
in to perform at its peak.