Chiropractic FAQ
What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic is based on the scientific fact that your body is a self-regulating, self-healing organism. These important functions are controlled by the brain, spinal cord, and all the nerves of the body. The skull protects the delicate tissues of the brain. The moving bones of the spine protect the vulnerable communication pathways of the spinal cord and nerve roots. If the nervous system is impaired, it can cause malfunction of the tissue and organs throughout the body. Chiropractic doctors call this the Vertebral Subluxation Complex. Vertebral, meaning the bones of the spine. Subluxation, meaning the less than a total dislocation, and Complex, meaning consisting of more than one part. Chiropractic is the science of locating offending spinal structures, the art of reducing their impact to the nervous system, and a philosophy of natural health care based on your inborn potential to be healthy. How Does Chiropractic Work? Chiropractic works by restoring your own inborn ability to be healthy. When under the proper control of your nervous system, all the cells, tissue, and organs of your body are designed to resist disease and ill health. The chiropractic approach to better health is to locate and help remove interferences to your natural state of being healthy. A common interference to the nervous system is the 24 moving bones of the spinal column. A loss of normal motion or position of these bones can irritate or impair the function of the nervous system. This can disrupt the transmission of controlling nerve impulses. With improved spinal function there is often improved nervous system function. Your chiropractic doctor can help remove any interference that may be impairing normal health. Since the primary focus of your care is improved nervous system function, chiropractic can have a positive effect on many health conditions not normally thought of as "back" problems. What Do Chiropractic Doctors Do? Helping to restore proper spinal biomechanics and improved nervous system function begins with a case history. This gives the chiropractor a background about your health, such as surgeries, accidents, the onset of your condition, and other details affecting your current health. After reviewing your history and discussing your specific problem, thorough orthopedic, neurological, and chiropractic examination is performed. X-rays may be taken to uncover structural and functioning problems associated with the spinal column. These examinations help identify areas of spinal malfunction and resulting nervous system deficit. The findings of these examinations are explained and a plan of chiropractic adjustments may be recommended. Progress is monitored with periodical examinations and follow-up reports. Since the word "doctor" comes from the Latin word meaning teacher, regardless of your chiropractic doctor's unique clinical approach, he or she has a strong commitment to patient education. What Is An Adjustment? A Chiropractic adjustment is the art of using a specific force in a precise direction, applied to a joint that is fixated,"locked up", or not moving properly. This adds motion to the joint, helping the bones gradually return to a more normal position and motion. The purpose of this safe and natural procedure is to permit improved spinal function, improved nervous system function, and improved health. There are many ways to adjust the spine. Usually the doctor's hands or a specially designed instrument delivers a brief and highly-accurate thrust. Some adjusting methods are quick, whereas others require a slow and constant pressure. After years of training and clinical experience, each chiropractic doctor becomes highly skilled in the delivery of a variety of adjusting approaches. Can Chiropractic Help Children? Absolutely yes! Since most subluxations are the result of birth trauma and childhood falls and accidents, it is imperative that a DC examines a child. Otherwise, a child may not be able to reach their full health potential and suffer from what many consider minor childhood ailments and chronic health problems as an adult. Many spinal conditions and health disorders can potentially be prevented at an improvement under chiropractic care, including middle ear infections, asthma, infantile colic, and involuntary bed-wetting. Since chldren most often yield the most dramatic results and respond much quicker than adults, as they have not had problems with their spine for a very long time, the goal of Dr. Melissa Perotti is to focus on children, as well as adults. It is simply a matter of informing parents about the benefits of having their child's spine examined at an early age, in order to insure a healthy and active future. How does chiropractic care work? The nervous system is a key part of your body. It is the communication system between your brain and all of your body's muscles, organs and tissues. For your body to remain healthy, your nervous system must function well. For your nervous system to function well, it must be free of interference. The spine is the most common site of nervous interference because nerves travel from the spinal cord through openings on either side of the spine to get to all of your cells and organs. Each of us is born with the ability to heal and recover from illness. Our bruises heal, cuts mend and common colds are overcome. Your nervous system regulates this inborn healing ability. Think of your brain as a central command post sending and receiving information through telephone wires (your nerves), which branch out to connect all areas of a city (your body). A short circuit in a wire cuts off communication just like misalignments in your spine can put pressure on the nerves. This pressure interferes with your nervous system, affects your ability to self-heal and may prolong injury or illness. The customized care you receive from your chiropractor can help to improve your posture, muscle balance and mobility. It can also restore the integrity of your nervous system and get rid of pain quickly, so you can get back to feeling good today! Regularly a dentist checks our teeth, an optometrist checks our eyes and a doctor checks our blood pressure and heart. Yet, we take the spine - a crucial component of our body - for granted. Call your family's chiropractor today because regular checkups of your spine can help you maintain better health. Subluxations most often occur in response to the daily stresses placed on our bodies. Common things such as emotional stress, poor posture from sitting in front of a computer or standing at a workstation for a long time may lead to subluxations. Car accidents, improper lifting or work injuries are other common causes of VSC. Many health problems, including subluxations, are subtle in the early stages of development. In the same way that a cavity or heart problem can be overlooked before causing pain or other warning signs, a spinal problem may develop and exist for years before causing difficulties. To detect the possible onset of a VSC, your chiropractor will conduct a thorough examination, including a detailed history, orthopaedic, neurological and postural evaluations, and possibly an X-ray (radiographs) if he or she deems these to be necessary to fully assess your condition. Your chiropractor is uniquely qualified to recognize and diagnose spine related injuries. He or she is the only Doctor with specialized training to correct spinal problems and their multiple effects. Every health procedure, from taking aspirin to giving blood, involves a level of risk. Chiropractic adjustments are among the safest of all health care interventions because they are non-surgical, drug-free and present an extremely low risk. And they work! Becoming a chiropractor is a demanding and highly rewarding path that includes a minimum of 4,500 hours of intense academic study including classroom learning, clinical science and internship training. During the course of their training, he/she will have studied the following three areas: |
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