What Is Chiropractic Care?
 Chiropractors are the best known and most widely used alternative therapy today, chiropractic focuses on the nervous system to help treat a variety of problems involving bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
A chiropractor is a primary care practioner. This means their scope of practice is larger than a massage therapist or physiotherapist. Typically you can expect your chiropractor to combine the best treatments available for your given condition.
A chiropractor will primarily use their hands to treatment a patient and create better movement and balance. Or you may find that other therapies may be used in combination to provide you the best care. The aim is to improve posture as well as the function of nerves, joints, and muscles.
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How Does Chiropractic Work?
A chiropractor takes a structural, nutritional, and emotional approach to health care. The chiropractor aims to gently restore the natural and delicate balance that exists in all healthy individuals.
To do this, a chiropractor examines the bones of the vertebrae, and locates those that do not move properly or are out of alignment. These areas, called subluxations, can cause pain and dysfunction not only in the surrounding nerves and muscles, but also in the internal organs located within the body at the same level as the subluxation. Chiropractors treat subluxations by adjusting the vertebrae (and the associated muscles, tendons, and ligaments) gently with their hands.
Chiropractors perspective on health and disease emphasizes two fundamental concepts:
- the structure and condition of the body influences how the body functions and its ability to heal itself; and
- the mind-body relationship is instrumental in maintaining health and in the healing processes.
Although chiropractors share much with other health professions, its emphasis and application of philosophy distinguishes it from modern medicine. Their philosophy gravitates toward a holistic ("total person") approach to healing which combines elements of the mind, body and spirit and maintains that health depends on obedience to natural laws, and that deviation from such laws can result in illness.
Chiropractic Philosophy includes:
- emphasis on patient recuperative abilities rather than surgery
- recognition that dynamics exist between lifestyle, environment and health
- understanding the cause of illness in order to eliminate it, rather than simply treat symptoms
- recognition of the centrality of the nervous system and its intimate relationship with the capacities of the human body
- balancing benefits versus risks of clinical interventions
- recognition of the primary importance of monitoring progress closely through appropriate diagnostic procedures
- a patient-centered, hands-on approach focused on influencing function through structure
- focus on early intervention emphasizing timely diagnosis and treatment of conditions that are wholly functional and reversible
Chiropractic philosophy blends an effective combination of conviction, critical thinking, open-mindedness, and appreciation of the natural order of things. Chiropractors focus on the establishment and maintenance of a relationship between patients and their environment which is most conducive to functional well-being.
What You Can Expect
After reviewing your medical history, the chiropractor will ask you about your general health and conduct a thorough physical examination, which will include orthopedic and neurological evaluations. The session might include a review of past X rays and new ones may be requested. The course of treatment will likely include a series of adjustments to help realign your spine, neck, or other problem areas.
The chiropractor may ask you to lie down on a padded massage-type table for spinal adjustments or you may be seated on a stool or in a chair that allows access to your back. You may remain fully clothed or be asked to undress and wear a hospital gown.
Before beginning any manipulation, the chiropractor should explain exactly what the process involves. Typically, chiropractic is performed using very little force, although techniques vary. As the chiropractor applies pressure to your spine, you may hear (and feel) a popping sound, like a knuckle cracking. You should not feel any serious discomfort from the adjustment, however. If you do, it is important to let the chiropractor know immediately. Many patients find the experience of chiropractic treatment quite relaxing. Afterward, most describe feeling reduced pain, less tension, and more flexibility in the areas that were adjusted.
Most chiropractors combine spinal adjustments with adjunct therapies such as physiotherapy, massage, heat or ice treatments, rehabilitative exercises, acupuncture, cranial manipulation, and nutritional counseling.
An initial visit usually lasts at least an hour. Subsequent visits may take only 10 to 30 minutes. Sometimes one session with a chiropractor is all that is required to relieve pain. For an acute problem, an average course of treatment involves three to five visits per week for two to four weeks.
Chiropractors generally have working relationships with M.D.s and D.O.s (doctors of osteopathy) and will refer you--often to an internist or a neurologist--if your condition persists and further testing or treatment appears necessary.
Health Benefits
It has been shown to be a particularly useful treatment for the relief of acute (or temporary) low back pain. In 1994, the United States Agency for Health Care Policy and Research recommended chiropractic manipulation as a safe initial form of treatment for acute low back pain in adults. The agency urged most patients to try conservative treatment such as chiropractic first, before opting for more aggressive measures such as drugs and surgery.
Chiropractic care can also ease pain in the mid-back and neck, and in the joints of the arms, hands, and legs. Although scientific research has not conclusively prooved its effectiveness, many people report that chiropractic provides relief from the pain of migraine and other headaches, muscle spasms, and nerve inflammation that can cause numbness and tingling.
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