Chiropractic
Chiropractic is a natural form of health care that utilizes the technique and art of adjusting misalignments in the spine and at the base of skull to realign any improper vertebrae or boney structures causing a subluxation. The term subluxation will be used often so to further explain a “Vertebral Subluxation” occurs when the misalignment is just less than a total dislocation. All Vertebral Subluxations are critical in chiropractic because they are the impact point of which the Chiropractor needs to focus their technique of adjusting. Furthermore, when the subluxation occurs components both throughout the body and in the spine experience a direct complex. The components are categorized into five parts: The bone, nerves, muscle, tissue, and chemical components.
The bone, or the osseous component, is the first trigger of interference due to poor range of motion, degeneration, or most common misalignment. Second, the nerve component, is very problematic because even a minimal amount of pressure applied to a nerve could have a significant impact on the connecting muscles and the designated function of the nerves themselves. The nerves in the spine are top priority. That leads to the third component, the muscle. The muscles have a key impact on preventing subluxation’s by holding the vertebrae in place; however, the muscles can also experience the effect of the subluxation because the nerves directly control the muscles. Fourth, and an unfortunate component that relies on all the above are the soft tissues such a ligaments, tendons, fascia and organs . The soft tissues are the sensitive softer parts of the body that become inflamed. Arthritis, and bursitis are common conditions associated with these tissues. Finally, the last component is the chemical component otherwise known as biochemical abnormalities. Chemical changes can be minimal or massive depending on the body part affected. Understanding now the basic chain reaction of events that occurs from a misaligned vertebrae validates why the science of chiropractic is so valuable.
Understanding Chiropractic
What is an adjustment?
An adjustment is a corrective force that is applied by the Chiropractor into the dysfunctional joints i.e “subluxations” in a very specific manor to restore the proper joint biomechanics and restore nerve function as well as decrease pain . The Chiropractor has been trained for precise detection of these Vertebral Subluxations by thorough physical examination. The chiropractor will sometimes utilize on site digital X-ray technology to better understand the true condition of the boney structures. Once the chiropractor is through with the initial examination the first actual adjustment will be applied if determined to be beneficial. To be adjusted the chiropractor will position themselves above the abnormal vertebrae and apply a certain amount of pressure in a specific direction to gently move the vertebrae back into the correct position restoring its range of motion and restoring nerve function. Chiropractors have been trained on multiple adjusting techniques and each person will receive a unique adjustment depending on their own individual circumstances.
Searching for what others have missed
Just like any medical office we start our process much the same way, by gathering as much information as we can. You never know what conditions can be genetic and passed down from generation to generation. Our Doctor is well trained to make sure Chiropractic is a safe treatment for your symptoms. She is qualified to recognize red flag symptoms that warrant referral to a different specialized health care provider. After gathering information from a new patient, a thorough examination is performed by the Doctor. We pursue the cause of your condition by looking first to the spine, identifying subluxations causing decrease nerve flow from your brain to every cell in your body.
There are over 100 Chiropractic Techniques, in our office, we sometimes use more than just one at a time to help each patient heal. Some of the ones we use are:
Diversified
Gonstead
SOT
Thompson
Activator
Cox-Flexion Distraction
Crainal Sacral
Webster
Extremity
Arthro-Stem
Chiropractic Biophysics (CBP)
Pediatric
SOT (Sacral Occipital Technique)
Is it safe to be adjusted?
Safety to a chiropractor is top priority. To become a certified Doctor of Chiropractic each individual is required to pass the National Chiropractic Board Examinations. The board consists of four separate sections and each section has been designed to test the individual’s technique, knowledge, and safety necessary to perform a healthy and safe adjustment. A four year Bachelor’s degree is required before obtaining an additional four year Doctorate in Chiropractic.
In addition to the physical safety precautions practiced daily, and the high level of training, chiropractic offers the natural pain relief instead of using medications such as muscle relaxers, pain medications or any substance that could cause dependency. The goal too, is to avoid any major invasive surgeries unless no other alternative is possible.