What
Is Chiropractic?
The
Goal of Chiropractic
How
Chiropractic Works
What
Chiropractors Do
How
Chiropractic Differs
The
Benefits of Chiropractic
What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic is a health care discipline which
emphasizes the inherent recuperative power of the body to
heal itself without the use of drugs and surgery.
The practice of chiropractic focuses on the
relationship between structure (primarily the spine) and function
(as coordinated by the nervous system) and how that relationship
affects the preservation and restoration of health.
The
Goal of Chiropractic
Because chiropractic treatments are primarily
applied to the spinal region, many incorrectly assume that
chiropractors treat only back and neck ailments.
While we do quickly and effectively eliminate
back and neck pain, it's not the only goal.
The objective is to restore and optimize human
health. In fact, according to a statement from The Association
of Chiropractic Colleges, "The purpose of chiropractic
is to optimize health."
How
Chiropractic Works
You may be wondering... how can the same chiropractic
treatment which effectively treats my back pain also optimize
my health? The answer can be found by looking into the relationship
between the spine and the nervous system.
As you may already know, the nervous system
is the master controller of all living cells, tissues and
organs; orchestrating and coordinating all cellular functions.
The spinal column encases the nervous system (spinal cord
and nerve roots) and is responsible for its protection.
Because of this intimate relationship, biomechanical
and structural problems in the spinal column can irritate
parts of the enclosed nervous system.
This irritation can result from noxious inflammatory
biochemicals released during tissue injury or may result from
direct mechanical pressure.
In either case, the functioning of the nervous
system is negatively influenced as is the functioning of the
cells, tissues and organs which are supplied by the affected
nerve(s).
The resulting ailment(s) depends on the cells,
tissues and organs affected as well as the extent of nervous
system compromise.
In short, because the body's innate recuperative
powers are affected by and integrated through the nervous
system, correcting spinal abnormalities which irritate the
nervous system can lead to a number of favorable results in
patients suffering from various, seemingly non-spinal health
conditions.
What
Chiropractors Do
Practically speaking, chiropractors are primarily
concerned with locating and treating vertebral subluxations
(nerve impingement syndromes).
A vertebral subluxation is a complex of functional
and/or structural and/or pathological articular (joint) changes
that compromise neural integrity and may influence organ system
function and general health.
Using a number of unique and highly refined
skills, the chiropractor checks the patient's spine for any
misalignments, fixations or other abnormalities (vertebral
subluxations). If subluxations or other abnormalities are
detected, the chiropractor will generally apply a gentle force
in a corrective manner to the affected spinal area.
Chiropractors use many specialized techniques
to identify and treat these spinal abnormalities and optimize
overall health.
In addition to spinal adjustive techniques,
soft tissue techniques such as massage, dietary and nutritional
counseling, and lifestyle modification programs are commonly
employed.
How
Chiropractic Differs
There is a significant and very important
difference between the way chiropractors and medical doctors
approach health ailments.
When evaluating and treating patients, chiropractors
take a holistic approach which includes identifying and correcting
the cause(s) of the patient's health ailment.
Correcting the cause of the problem provides
significant long-term benefits over only treating the symptoms.
The
Benefits of Chiropractic
Short-term and regular chiropractic care have
a number of benefits including:
spinal
and extremity pain relief
headache
relief
increased
mobility and range of motion
decreased
stiffness and muscular spasms
arthritic
joint pain relief
increased
joint health
increased
performance and energy
increased
sense of well being and relaxation
increased
balance and coordination
reduced
degeneration and risk of injury
enhanced
tissue healing
decreased
tissue inflammation
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