Understanding Chiropractic Care Through Frequently Asked Questions

Millions of people turn to chiropractors each year for alleviation of pain and other health related problems. Even though the field of chiropractic care has been around for more than a century, there are many people who have never been to a chiropractor or do not understand what a chiropractor can do for them.

Here are some answers to the most commonly asked questions on the subject:

What is chiropractic care?

The chiropractic field was founded on the idea that manipulations of the spine can cure and prevent many aches, pains, and disorders. Chiropractors find joint and vertebrae that are out of place or "subluxated" and adjust the spine so that everything is once again in its proper alignment.

Is it safe to be adjusted by a chiropractor?

The good news is that yes, it is safe to be adjusted by a chiropractor. This field has prided itself on using natural and alternative health treatments, especially those that are noninvasive and do not involve medications. It is also interesting to note that chiropractors pay only a fraction of what medical doctors pay for malpractice insurance.

Is the method of adjustment the same for all patients?

No. The doctor will typically take some x-rays of the spine to look for displaced vertebrae in the spine as well as several other possible spinal issues. Taking the results of the x-rays and the symptoms described by the patient, the doctor will tailor the treatment plan to the needs of each individual case.

There are even unique treatment plans for children. Those in the chiropractic field believe that birth can be a major cause for spinal trauma in infants, warranting a quick check. Older children can also benefit from spinal manipulations when they are complaining of a myriad of other health concerns.

Is chiropractic care safe for pregnancy?

It is generally considered safe for pregnant women. Lower back pain is a very common complaint for expectant mothers regular chiropractic care can help ease that pain and even put the body into a better position for labor. Pregnant women should get permission from their physicians before trying any new treatments or adjustments.

Can back surgery patients benefit from chiropractic care?

Yes, and in fact, regular spinal manipulations after back surgery can help avoid future back surgeries. As it is today, almost 50 percent of back surgery patients who do not undergo any other treatments will experience a repeat of former pain and symptoms in the following years, requiring more surgery. Chiropractic care can reduce this possibility and may even help people with back pain to find relief without any surgery at all.

Can chiropractic care cure all health problems?

No. Not all health conditions are directly related to the spine and its alignment, like cancer and diabetes for example. Yet chiropractic care can be surprisingly effective for so much more than just back pain.

It can reduce and cure many conditions associated with the nerve system function such as neck and back pain, headaches, stress reduction and conditions such as sciatica. If you, or your family, suffer from any of these conditions, its time you tried out this alternative medical therapy.

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Chiropractic Services and How They Help Remedy Back Pain

Over the past years, chiropractic has emerged as one of the most commonly utilized health care techniques, and its field has been more widely recognized by medical organizations, particularly in the United States and Canada, as well as in Australia. Despite the many debates on whether chiropractic should be classified as a legitimate medical discipline or a form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), it is seen to be most effective in treating and managing back pain.

Overview of Chiropractic

The principle of chiropractic is anchored on the belief that a person's overall health condition is heavily dependent on his musculoskeletal structure. Thus, if his spine is properly aligned, a person will less likely experience headaches, neck and back pains, and other conditions associated with his musculoskeletal system. Chiropractors, then, advocate the use of noninvasive and nonsurgical techniques in dealing with said conditions. Instead of resorting to expensive, and sometimes traumatic, medical "under-the-knife" procedures, chiropractors employ manual and hands-on adjustment and manipulation of the spine, as well as certain joints and soft tissues to diagnose, treat and prevent musculoskeletal-related conditions. Because of this approach, chiropractic is often mistaken for physical therapy and even for general massage services.

It should be noted that chiropractors must first undergo a formal and professional degree and training in chiropractic before being able to provide services to patients. Some areas even require chiropractors to secure a license from the government. While they are authorized to adopt manual techniques, however, they are not allowed to prescribe medicines to their patients. Instead, they can only refer their patients to medical specialists such as an orthopedic or a sports medicine doctor.

Chiropractic Services

A typical chiropractic clinic or center offers services that care for patients experiencing pain or discomfort in musculoskeletal regions, namely, the back, neck, head, arms and legs. While chiropractors focus more on treating said conditions, they also diagnose the cause of the pain and recommend a short-, medium-, or long-term program to address the same, depending on the nature and gravity of the patient's condition. Some chiropractors also offer on-site or home services for patients who can no longer travel to their clinic. Still, other chiropractors set up a free consultation hotline where they respond to chiropractic-related queries from individuals.

Management of Back Pain

Among the many conditions that chiropractors are able to manage, back pain seems to be the most common complaint of their patients. The question now is: How do chiropractors effectively treat back pain?

First, the chiropractor administers a detailed physical examination of the patient and takes into account his previous medical conditions, ailments or operations. After getting a clear and holistic picture of the patient's need, the chiropractor then maps out a treatment plan, which can either be a manual manipulation of the spine or of the muscles, or a combination of both. Spinal manipulation aims to enhance the structure and function of the spine and nerve systems, while chiropractic mobilization targets muscles and joints to improve movability and the motion capacity of the body. To ensure that all factors that may be contributors to back pain are eliminated or mitigated, chiropractors likewise give nutritional advice, and if necessary, recommend an exercise or rehabilitation program.

Since chiropractors do a hands-on technique, their manipulation is said to be more direct and zeroed in on the problem area. It is for this reason that chiropractors' services are often more cost-effective and sometimes even faster-acting than drugs, pain relievers and pain killers, or any other traditional medical procedure.

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Purpose of a Chiropractic Adjustment

This may seem like a self-evident topic. Well it's not. The Chiropractic profession cannot even agree on the purpose of an adjustment. There is the fundamental, basic purpose that has been around since 1895 (the inception of Chiropractic) which has not changed, deviated or strayed from its first day. Then there are the fads, the misconceptions, and the attempts to fit nicely into the Medical model.

The most common misconception is that a Chiropractic adjustment is solely for the elimination of symptoms; such as neck pain, back pain, headaches, etc... Although Chiropractic is highly effective at helping to relieve these symptoms, this misconception usually stems from the fact that much of the population does not understand the Nervous System. They believe that nerves only carry messages of pain to the brain. That is obviously not the case. If it was, then there would have to be something other than the brain controlling all of your organs and chemical reactions going on within the body. Simply not so!

The second misconception was perpetuated by early Chiropractors themselves. They actually believed that a Chiropractic adjustment was the cure-all for all diseases. This was in part due to the overwhelming number of "conditions" that seemed to get better under Chiropractic care; and in part due to the frustration directed towards much of the Medical community and their treatment of symptoms, neglecting the "entire person" in many cases. This is obviously just as wrong as the belief that Chiropractic is only for neck and back pain, because many times other things are needed as well to get sick people well. Such as proper nutrition, exercise, rest, and even Medical intervention. Other times, however, a person may have been "sick" for too long for even the body's inborn healing ability to overcome the damage done by years of disease or neglect. Or even for medicine to undo the damage. (i.e.. terminal cancer, people that have had multiple heart attacks, etc).

So what is an adjustment for? Well, when you remove all of the misconceptions and the fads, you are left with one simple fact. A bone in your spine out of place (Vertebral Subluxation), will always have a detrimental effect somewhere in the body due to interference in the Nervous System. This is because structure ALWAYS affects function. Example: If you change the structure of a boat in the water by putting one oar in, the boat will go around in circles. If you put a spoiler on a car, it makes the car more aero-dynamic. If you tie a string around your aorta (the largest artery in your body), blood flow will lessen or stop completely. Structure always changes function. If a vertebral bone is out of place - then it will restrict the communication between the brain and some distant part of the body. ALWAYS! If you remove the interference by removing the bone (vertebrae) from the nerve or spinal cord (this is a Chiropractic adjustment), you once again change the function - in this case improving it. The body's inborn intelligence is once again allowed to control and co-ordinate all bodily functions so that the body can adapt itself to the external and internal environments; survive and prosper.

It comes down to one simple fact; the body will ALWAYS function better without a vertebral subluxation than with a vertebral subluxation. That goes for any and every person with a spine and a Nervous System. Everyone knows that if you do not brush your teeth and get them checked regularly your chances of good oral hygiene are not good. What is more important - your teeth or your spine? When was the last time you had your spine checked?

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Chiropractic Care for Runners: Things Worth Knowing

No matter whether you want to lose weight or just want to stay fit, running is a great form of exercise. Just an hour of rigorous running is more than enough to stay in shape. Of course, you need to build your stamina over a period of time, so you can do more on the track. Runners often make mistakes with regards to their form, and injuries are not uncommon either. If you are a runner, you should consider seeing a chiropractor. In this post, we will talk about a few aspects that are worth paying attention to.

Types of Injuries

As a runner, you may face two kinds of injuries - overtraining injuries and traumatic injuries. The latter is related to an accident or an unexpected trauma. For example, if you fell on the track while running, you may end up with a sprained knee or a broken bone. On the contrary, injuries that are related to overtraining are more common. In this case, you may have pain in your knee, ankles, feet and other parts of the body, just because you ran more than your body could take. Most serious runners have a tendency to push themselves, and therefore, injuries related to overtraining is more common.

Do I need a Chiropractor?

A running chiropractor specializes in treating injuries that are common to runners. Many sports chiropractors may also offer treatment and help for runners. They know the mistakes that you might be making on the track, especially if you have frequent injuries. Also, they can help in treating injuries that are related to unexpected trauma or accidents. Chiropractors use a number of different techniques and varied types of manual adjustments, which are extremely useful in reducing pain and overall body stress. You will see a vast difference in your form and fitness with regular sessions, especially if you choose to visit a clinic every couple of weeks.

Knowing The Benefits

As a runner, you may get a number of benefits by visiting a chiropractor. They help in reducing the stress and physical strain that the body undergoes during runner. They also guide runners on avoiding the mistakes related to the form, so that they don't get injured on the go. Also, running chiropractors are great at reducing the recovery time after a traumatic injury. As required, they may use a number of alternative therapies, so that the body starts healing on its own, but without being heavily dependent on medicines and drugs. Chiropractors help runners in doing better, even when they are not in the best of their form.

If you want to know more about chiropractic care for runners, you should make an appointment with a leading clinic in your area to know more. Don't shy away from asking questions when you meet your chiropractor for the first time.

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Carpal Tunnel Help Without Surgery!

Dr. Pazdel explains how chiropractic care can be of benefit for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and avoiding surgery. Chiropractic care extends throughout the entire body, not just the spine.

See more at http://www.pazdelchiropractic.com

What Causes Insomnia? - Dan Kwartler

What keeps you up at night? Pondering deep questions? Excitement about a big trip? Stress about unfinished work? What if the very thing keeping you awake was stress about losing sleep? This seemingly unsolvable loop is at the heart of insomnia, the world’s most common sleep disorder. So what is insomnia? And is there any way to break the cycle? Dan Kwartler details the science of insomnia.

Lesson by Dan Kwartler, animation by Sharon Colman.

Chiropractic: An Important Ingredient to Health and Wellness

The art and science of the practice of Chiropractic has been around for over 100 years and can be a valuable tool for the person seeking improvement in health and wellness. Chiro- is derived from the Greek word for hand and praktikos - meaning the practice of or practical. Generally speaking Chiropractic focuses on finding small misalignments in the spine or vertebral column termed subluxations (luxation is a complete dislocation) and aligning the relationship of one vertebrae to the next one. These subluxations or misalignments in the spine are commonplace and can happen due to posture or chronic repetitive movements as well as acute pathology, injury and even pregnancy.

Chiropractic has over the last hundred years become mainstream moving from Eastern philosophy to becoming a part of Western medicine. Fundamentally, traditional Western medicine had treated the disease or pathology or symptom from the outside in with computer diagnostic equipment, medications and surgery. In contrast, Chiropractic is based on diagnosing the underlying cause of the disease or symptom with the premise that the central nervous system and related sympathetic and parasympathic system controls all body functions and operates like a computer program. The nervous system is comprised of nerve pairings which are split to perform their respective functions. Each pairing is split into a sympathetic branch to the muscles for fight or flight instincts as well as a parasympathetic branch for rest and digestion functions.

With a general understanding of the history and philosophy of Chiropractic let us now look at how this discipline can be used to assist in the achievement of improving and maintaining health and wellness. Few if any of us are fortunate enough to get through this life without experiencing spine or extremity misalignments. These misalignments can come as early as the birthing process! Then from toddlers through school age adolescence it is rare to not be involved in accidents such as falls, sports accidents, car accidents, poor sleep and sitting postures. As we get old enough to work there becomes more opportunity for postural imbalances and work and auto accidents. Then as we age into hopefully better health habits we face new obstacles in the form of arthritis and generally decreased activity. The list of who can benefit from Chiropractic is a simple answer...everyone can to some extent. How much one can benefit and how often treatment is required depends on many factors including age and acuteness or age of condition.

Chiropractic is by nature not a treatment of conditions but rather an alignment of the body to heal itself by being able to function as efficiently as possible. With that being stated however, patients have increasingly chosen Chiropractic to improve and at times alleviate symptoms such as headaches, back pain, shoulder pain, knee pain as well as helping with arm and leg pain and numbness, disc problems and much more.

Most importantly Chiropractic should be considered as a resource in achieving and maintaining an optimal state of health and wellness. Chiropractic has become a leader in alternative medicine and natural healing. With much criticism by Western medicine and western model insurance companies, Chiropractic has had to prove its necessity through word of mouth for much of the past hundred years.

Starting with the champion San Francisco 49er's of the 1980's Chiropractic became introduced into the NFL with documented positive outcomes for the star players of the team. Many of the players were in fact documented attributing Chiropractic to helping prolong their careers. Today it is commonplace for all sporting teams from high school to professionals to have Chiropractic be a part of the healthcare team.

Health and wellness therefore requires a combination of considerations to achieving optimal function. Chiropractic can be used effectively to achieve and maintain efficiency as well as assist following any occupational or environmental stressors that create injury, postural or nerve imbalances. Remember, do all you can to achieve health and wellness...the quantity and quality of your life depends on it. Best wishes.

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