What is Chiropractic?

Chiropractic is a branch of the healing arts which is 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.

The conditions which doctors of chiropractic address are as varied and as vast as the nervous system itself. All chiropractors use a standard procedure of examination to diagnose a patient's condition and arrive at a course of treatment. Doctors of chiropractic use the same time-honored methods of consultation, case history, physical examination, laboratory analysis and x-ray examination as any other doctor. In addition, they provide a careful chiropractic structural examination, paying particular attention to the spine.

The examination of the spine to evaluate structure and function is what makes chiropractic different from other health care procedures. Your spinal column is a series of movable bones which begin at the base of your skull and end in the center of your hips. Thirty-one pairs of spinal nerves extend down the spine from the brain and exit through a series of openings. The nerves leave the spine and form a complicated network which influences every living tissue in your body.

Accidents, falls, stress, tension, overexertion, and countless other factors can result in a displacements or derangements of the spinal column, causing irritation to spinal nerve roots. These irritations are often what cause malfunctions in the human body. Chiropractic teaches that reducing or eliminating this irritation to spinal nerves can cause your body to operate more efficiently and more comfortably.

Chiropractic also places an emphasis on nutritional and exercise programs, wellness and lifestyle modifications for promoting physical and mental health. While chiropractors make no use of drugs or surgery, Doctors of chiropractic do refer patients for medical care when those interventions are indicated. In fact, chiropractors, medical doctors, physical therapists and other health care professionals now work as partners in occupational health, sports medicine, and a wide variety of other rehabilitation practices.

What Can I Expect on My First Visit to a DC?

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 judgement, 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.

An "adjustment," as doctors of chiropractic use the term, means the specific manipulation of vertebrae which have abnormal movement patterns or fail to function normally. Doctors of chiropractic spend years learning motion palpation (the art of examining by movement or touch) and other forms of spinal examining procedures, so that they can administer specific and appropriate spinal adjustments.

Once the DC has identified the problem, he/she will begin care by way of these adjustments or "manipulations." Particular attention will be paid to that area of your spine where a spinal derangement or "subluxation" has been detected. The adjustment is usually given by hand or "activator" type instruments, and consists of applying pressure to the areas of the spine that are out of alignment or that do not move properly within their normal range of motion.

Doctors of chiropractic use many sophisticated and varied techniques, and the specific procedure to be used will be determined and explained completely to you following a careful evaluation of your radiographs and physical findings.

Under normal circumstances, adjustments don't hurt. The patient may experience a minor amount of discomfort during the adjustment which lasts only seconds. Adjustments or manipulations are extremely safe. The risk factor is estimated to be in excess of 1 million to 1.

Additional Benefits of Natural,
Drugless Chiropractic Care

(More than Relief of Headaches and Low Back Pain!)

Far too many people still believe that chiropractic care isn't necessary unless they're suffering excruciating headache or low back pain. The millions who do receive regular adjustments and have a natural, healthy lifestyle know that chiropractic can resolve their back pain, and more and more may also be learning about the potential non-musculoskeletal benefits.

Typical observations that chiropractors see in their patients include:

• Better athletic performance
• Faster, more complete recovery from injuries
• Better nervous system function - which controls every aspect of your body
• Better immune system function - fight off disease naturally
• Healthier moms - easier pregnancy and delivery
• Healthier babies - less in-utero constraint and subsequent scoliosis
• Healthier kids - less ear infections, asthma, bed-wetting, etc.
• Healthier adults - more energy and productivity
• Healthier seniors - better balance, less likelihood of falling that often causes hip fracture
• Overall natural vitality

The beneficial effects of chiropractic adjustment of the spine were demonstrated in a recent study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. Twenty consecutive patients from each of 87 Swedish chiropractor's offices (1,504 total patients) completed questionnaires within two weeks of previous treatment. The questionnaires documented numerous reported improvements in non-musculoskeletal symptoms, including:

• Easier to breathe (98 patients),
• Improved digestive function (92 patients),
• Clearer/better/sharper vision (49 patients),
• Improved circulation (34 patients),
• Less ringing in the ears (10 patients),
• Acne/eczema better (8 patients),
• Dysmenorhea (painful menstruation) better (7 patients), and
• Asthma/allergies improved (6 patients).

The number of spinal areas adjusted was also related to the number of positive reactions. Fifteen percent of patients reported positive reactions after having a single area adjusted; 35% of patients reported positive reactions after having four areas adjusted. Overall, 23% of chiropractic patients reported experiencing positive changes in symptoms that were not musculoskeletal in nature.

Have you experienced non-musculoskeletal benefits following chiropractic care, and if so, have you told your doctor of chiropractic? Always report any reactions (good or bad) you experience during or following an adjustment.

Reference: Leboeuf-Yde C, Axen I, Ahlefeldt G, et al. "The types and frequencies of improved non-musculoskeletal symptoms reported after chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy." Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Nov./Dec. 1999: Vol. 22, No. 9, pp 559-64.

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