Chiropractic services are provided on a pro-bono basis for active duty military, veterans and their legal dependents. Chiropractic is the leading alternative treatment for musculoskeletal pain and injuries.
It is based on the idea that misalignment of the spine can cause illnesses. It was founded by Daniel David Palmer in 1895.
What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractors are primary care health practitioners who diagnose issues with your spine, muscles and joints and treat them without drugs or surgery. Founded in 1897 by Daniel David Palmer, Chiropractic is a science, art and philosophy that studies the structure of your body and how it functions.
Its core belief is that the spine, when properly aligned, helps your nerves relay messages throughout your body effectively. The chiropractor looks for misalignments in your vertebrae, which are called subluxations. These can cause pressure on your nerves, limiting their effectiveness.
Besides spinal manipulation, a chiropractor may also use adjunctive therapies such as ultrasound (sound waves that create a massaging effect), electrical muscle stimulation, heat therapy and traction to reduce stiffness. These therapies help you heal faster by increasing blood flow to your joints and soft tissue, which also relieves pain and stiffness. Most people who go to a chiropractor seek relief from back pain, neck pain, headaches and joint stiffness. However, many other ailments can be treated by a qualified chiropractor, including asthma, allergies and mental health problems.
How is Chiropractic Helpful?
Chiropractic is a patient-centred, non-invasive, hands-on health care profession focused on your spine, muscles, joints and nervous system. A regulated doctor of chiropractic can diagnose problems related to your davis spine institute and treat them without drugs or surgery. They can also prevent recurrence of pain and improve function.
Chiropractors believe in the body’s amazing ability to heal itself. They focus on identifying and correcting the cause(s) of health conditions, rather than just treating the symptoms. This helps patients get back to doing what they love.
When spinal bones, called vertebrae, move out of alignment, it can interfere with the nervous system and limit how the brain sends messages to the rest of the body. A spinal adjustment removes these interferences, helping your brain and body communicate better.
Many chiropractors use a variety of treatment methods to help you feel your best, including massage, ultrasound and low-level laser. Research has shown that spinal manipulation can help ease back and neck pain, and can also lower your need for opioid pain relievers. Adjustments have even been shown to decrease infant colic by improving what’s known as the gut-brain connection.
Are Chiropractors Doctors?
While chiropractors certainly have a lot of education and deserve our respect, they are not medical doctors. Doctors have a broader scope of practice, can perform surgeries and prescribe medication. The primary difference between medical doctors and chiropractors is the diagnosis and treatment of your condition.
Chiropractic care does not involve the use of drugs, but instead relies on adjustments and rehabilitative exercises to help the body heal itself. Chiropractors are also trained to offer nutritional and lifestyle advice, which can help prevent illness and injury.
Before becoming a chiropractor, you must complete nearly 4 years of undergraduate studies, including courses in sciences like biology, chemistry, psychology and physics. This is followed by a 4- to 5-year chiropractic graduate program. During this time, you will learn how to diagnose and treat musculoskeletal conditions such as back pain and neck pain and nervous system disorders like headaches. Chiropractors cannot prescribe medicine or surgery, but they can refer you to a medical doctor if necessary. They can also work alongside medical doctors to provide care for musculoskeletal issues and relieve symptoms caused by other health problems.
What is a Chiropractic Adjustment?
Chiropractic treatment focuses on spinal misalignments to improve motion, decrease pain and help the body heal itself. Chiropractors use a range of techniques to adjust the spine, including spinal manipulation, which involves a controlled thrust applied to a joint, often to a vertebra. This can improve motion and alignment, decrease nerve irritation, inflammation and pain.
In addition to spinal manipulation, chiropractors may also use other types of manual therapy such as soft-tissue massage (a technique called mobilization), muscle stimulation with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and exercises/stretches. They can also offer advice on diet, weight and general health.
Spinal adjustments are typically made while you lie facedown on a padded chiropractor table. You may hear cracking sounds as the chiropractor moves your joints. While many people feel better after their chiropractic sessions, these improvements are likely due to a neurophysiological effect and tend to be temporary. Chiropractors also often adjust extremity joints like the knees, feet and wrists. In addition, some practitioners use grade 1 to 4 mobilizations, which don’t involve a thrust and are performed within a joint’s natural range of motion.
What is a Chiropractic Treatment?
Chiropractors are health care professionals that focus on the nervous and musculoskeletal systems. They believe that misalignments of spinal joints interfere with a person’s nervous system and cause many different health conditions, including back pain.
Their treatment includes hands-on manipulations of your muscles, bones and joints. These manipulations help align your spine and reduce pain. They also teach you stretches and exercises to help manage your symptoms. They may also use hot and cold therapy, massage and acupuncture.
In addition to these treatments, chiropractors can prescribe specialized strengthening and stabilizing exercises. These exercises can decrease pain, muscle deterioration and prevent new or recurring injuries.
Many people seek chiropractic treatment because of neck or back pain, but it can also treat a wide range of other health issues. Chiropractors can diagnose issues and treat them without medication or surgery, improving your overall health and quality of life. If you’re considering chiropractic, consider asking your primary care doctor for a referral or doing some research on the profession to find the right one for you.