Look how far chiropractic has come, "it’s not all about your back"

Chiropractors are well known for adjusting the spine and restoring alignment to the body. While chiropractors are the spine authorities, they use other methods to treat the body as well.  Chiropractors also treat disorders and ailments which have nothing to do with the spine. Chiropractors seek to understand and treat the patient through a total wellness approach. In addition, recent discoveries in medicine are supporting  chiropractic care as an avenue to treat multiple afflictions.

Diet and Nutritional Counseling
In the spirit of a total wellness approach; chiropractors are specifically trained in diet and nutritional counseling. It is no secret that a healthy diet and balanced nutrition are the foundation of good health. Chiropractors design nutritional programs that are specific to your needs. These programs are designed to improve overall health, encourage weight loss, and decrease the effects of chronic conditions, such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, etc. Chiropractors take nutritional counseling a step further than dietitians do, as they understand the effect that each nutrient has on the muscles, joints, and limbs.

Lifestyle Modification Counseling

"Health is a state of complete physical mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."
~World Health Organization, 1948

Health is more than the absence of sickness. Health refers to a person’s total lifestyle, as lifestyle choices have a substantial impact on your short and long term health. Even small unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as smoking a few cigarettes each time you drink, can have long term effects on the heart and lungs; not to mention the affect of the alcohol on the liver! Excessive stress can also rob the body of sleep and deplete the body of nutrients. Your chiropractor offers lifestyle modification counseling to create a realistic plan of action that will enable you to kick the bad habits.

Therapeutic Exercise
Chiropractors utilize strengthening exercises as a total approach to treating back, neck, leg, arm, and shoulder problems. The exercises are designed to alleviate pain while strengthening the muscles and joints. Therapeutic exercise also aims to increase range of motion that may have been lost due to the injury and decrease the risk for new injuries. The chiropractor works one on one with the patient to ensure that they are performing the exercise correctly, and the patient then performs the exercises at home. Performing the exercises as prescribed will decrease healing time dramatically.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the most prevalent occupational health problems today. Millions of people are afflicted each year with carpal tunnel syndrome.  With 1 out of every 3 homes having a computer, the number of cases is expected to increase. Pressure on the median nerve, which is located just below the wrist, causes the condition. Activities such as typing and using a computer mouse put direct pressure on the nerve.  A chiropractic adjustment to the affected area is an effective treatment option.

Colic
Colic primarily affects infants and it characterized by ongoing crying for no apparent reason. It is typical for an infant with colic to pull in their arms and legs toward their bodies and scream as though they are in severe pain, when in fact they are not. Parents of children with colic deal with a tremendous amount of stress and they are never sure how to help their child, as nothing provides relief. Colic is usually gone by the time the child is 3 months old. Despite the brief time the child has colic, to a parent, it seems like an eternity.

While the cause of colic has not yet been established, there are several factors that contribute to the condition. An irritated nervous system and spine are two of the contributing factors. As the child goes through the birth process, it is not uncommon for the baby to have subluxations in the neck and back that can irritate their delicate nervous system. Gentle pediatric spinal adjustments will produce a rapid improvement in the condition. Diet also contributes to colic, with cow’s milk believed to be the main contributor. Spicy foods, alcohol, and other dairy products also contribute to colic. Again, your chiropractor is qualified to offer nutritional counseling to analyze the mother’s diet, which has a direct impact on a child who is breastfeeding.

TMJ
TMJ refers to the inflammation or the temporomandibular joint that connects the mandible to the skull. Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ) causes frequent and severe headaches. TMJ causes tightness in the neck muscles, low blood sugar, stress, and high blood pressure. TMJ also causes tension, cluster, and migraine headaches. The disorder can be treated by a dentist, neurologist, or a chiropractor. Chiropractic is the least invasive and most effective treatment for TMJ. A series of chiropractic adjustments will realign the joint and reduce the inflammation.

These are only a sample of the services that chiropractic medicine treats.  Many people are surprised to learn the total scope that chiropractic medicine covers. By the time this article is written, new chiropractic applications will be discovered. Chiropractic medicine has something to offer just about everyone, not just people with back pain.