Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic is based on the concept that good health arises, in part, from a healthy nervous system and proper skeletal alignment.
Although many different chiropractic styles exist, all focus on the relationship between the spine and the nervous system. Through manual adjustments to the spine and other joints, chiropractic treatment may affect a wide variety of bodily functions. The goal is to support the body's own healing systems, toward health and balance.
Why Should You Consider Chiropractic Treatment?
- Chiropractic care is especially useful for pain conditions, such as back or neck pain, and headaches.
- Chiropractic is a primary choice for pain resulting from accidents or health conditions affecting skeletal structures.
- When done by a trained, licensed and experienced chiropractor, chiropractic treatments are quite safe.
- Chiropractic care may be useful in a wide variety of disease conditions, including digestive complaints and stress-related disorders.
- Chiropractic works very well in complement to other therapies, including acupuncture, massage, and herbal treatment.
Basic Chiropractic History
The term chiropractic is from Greek words meaning "hand action," describing well the hands-on adjustments that are at the foundation of chiropractic care. D.D. Palmer established this health care practice in 1895.
It is based on the concepts that:
- Health is a product of the body's own self-healing abilities.
- The skeletal system, as the framework upon which all other body functions take place, is a profoundly important part of good health.
- Misalignment of the skeletal structure interferes with the nervous system, which controls nearly every function in the body.
The basic concepts and hands-on adjustments that are the hallmark of modern chiropractic are ancient in origin. For over two thousand years, in China, India and Greece, doctors used adjustments of the skeletal structure to influence health. One such system, Chinese Tui Na and "Bone-setting," is still practiced.
Patients who choose chiropractic treatment largely suffer from pain-related health conditions. Low back pain, neck pain, repetitive stress injury, and headache are common complaints in every chiropractor's office.
What is Subluxation?
Subluxation occurs when the spinal vertebrae move out of a normal position in relation to other vertebrae, creating pressure and irritation of the spinal nerves. Spinal nerves, emerging between the vertebrae, are the "root nerves" of the nervous system, the network by which the brain communicates with much of the body. Irritation of these nerves causes interference with the electrical signals passing through them, leading to pain or dysfunction in the part of the body controlled by that nerve.
Chiropractors also use the terms vertebral subluxation (VS) and vertebral subluxation complex (VSC), to refer to this misalignment. Subluxation, as a theory of health, is somewhat controversial in the chiropractic community and opinions vary widely on its clinical application.
What are the Benefits of Chiropractic Care?
Research shows that proper maintenance of your musculoskeletal system is important to your health. We suspect that pain in the joints caused by a reduction of normal joint motion is a common reason for many non-surgical musculoskeletal problems. Most chiropractors address these problems with spinal manipulation, exercise, and other types of active treatment. A reputable chiropractor will teach you how to maintain your musculoskeletal system through exercise, good posture, and good lifting techniques. He or she will also describe good health habits, such as the elements of a healthy diet. Your chiropractor will focus on helping you prevent future episodes of pain and disability, rather than suggesting that periodic, ongoing adjustment of your spine alone will solve your health problems. A good chiropractor will evaluate your condition and inform you of your progress at each visit.