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What is chiropractic?
Is chiropractic new?
How does the Doctor of Chiropractic help?
Can a person who had back surgery see a
chiropractor?
Why do chiropractors take x-rays?
Is a good work-out the same as getting
adjusted?
What is a chiropractic adjustment?
Does chiropractic hurt?
What causes the sound during an adjustment?
Are all patients adjusted the same way?
Is chiropractic safe?
Can I adjust myself?
Can I tell if I have a subluxation?
Is chiropractic care addictive?
What type of education do chiropractic doctors
receive?
Does chiropractic work for all types of health
problems?
Do I Have To Keep Coming Back For Treatments?
Why do I have to come back so
often?
How long does it take to begin feeling better?
I was feeling fine yesterday, but today I am much
worse, why?
Is it OK to see a chiropractor if I'm pregnant?
Is chiropractic appropriate for children?
How safe is chiropractic for a child?
When should I take my child to a chiropractor?
How effective is chiropractic care for
children?
How can chiropractic care help an older child who
is not ‘sick’?
What if my child has a health problem that does
not respond to chiropractic care?
What is chiropractic?
Chiropractic is a conservative and natural
healing art and science that concentrates on keeping people well. While
chiropractic is an American science more than 103 years old, its basic
wellness premise dates back to spinal “manipulations” first used by
Hippocrates, the Father of Healing in the 4th Century B.C.
Doctors of chiropractic do not treat symptoms,
though this may be the initial reason why a patient comes to a
chiropractic office. What the doctor of chiropractic does is attempt to
get to the root cause of a health problem. The primary focus of
chiropractic is the detection, reduction, and correction of spinal
misalignments (known as subluxations) with resultant nervous system
dysfunction.
The spinal column houses a critical part of the
body’s nervous system, the spinal cord, which is responsible for the
transmission of nerve impulses or messages to and from the brain. This
free flow of nerve impulses is necessary to allow the body to function
properly. A spinal malfunction (subluxation) can interrupt this flow of
information and affect the body’s nervous system causing pain, muscle
and organ dysfunction, and other imbalances.
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Is chiropractic new?
Not at all. In fact, chiropractic care has been
around and practiced safely for over 100 years, and, in fact,
manipulation as practiced by chiropractors, has been documented as being
performed in ancient Greek and Egyptian times.
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How does the Doctor of Chiropractic help?
The doctor of chiropractic, through a procedure
called an adjustment, helps restore misaligned vertebrae to a more
normal position, thus allowing the nerves to properly communicate with
the rest of the body and let the body heal itself – safely and
naturally.
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Can a person who had back surgery see a
chiropractor?
Yes. It's an unfortunate fact that up to half of
those who had spinal surgery discover a return of their original
symptoms months or years later. They then face the prospect of
additional surgery. This too common occurrence is know as "Failed Back
Surgery Syndrome." Chiropractic may help prevent repeated back
surgeries. In fact, if chiropractic care is initially, utilized
back
surgery can often be avoided in the first place.
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Why do chiropractors take x-rays?
Chiropractors take x-rays to reveal the internal structure and alignment
of the spine. We are also concerned about
underlying disease processes
and disorders of the spine such as spinal deterioration, arthritis of
the spine, abnormal development, bone spurs, disc disorders, tumors and
spinal curvature. X-rays also provide a blueprint for correcting the
spine back to optimal health and alignment.
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Is a good work-out the same as getting
adjusted?
No. Exercise is an important part of good health,
yet without normal spinal function a physical workout merely puts
additional wear and tear on improperly functioning spinal joints.
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What is a chiropractic adjustment?
A chiropractic adjustment is the art of using a
specific force in a precise direction, applied to a joint that is
subluxated, "locked up," or not moving properly. The purpose of this
safe and natural procedure is to eliminate interference to the nervous
system, improving spinal function and overall health. "Gentle spinal
adjustments boost your body's immunity"
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Does chiropractic hurt?
If the area involved is sensitive, the point of
the body that we adjust can be sore for a moment. Usually, people with
acute conditions feel relief within minutes of their adjustment. Most
often there is no pain whatsoever, and most patients look forward to
their adjustments.
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What causes the sound during an adjustment?
Actually, adjustments do not always produce a
sound. Often, however, adjustments do create the sound of a spinal
"release," or "popping" sound. The sound is caused by gas
rushing in to
fill the partial vacuum created when the joints are slightly separated.
This sound is painless and totally harmless.
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Are all patients adjusted the same way?
No. The doctor evaluates each patient's unique
spinal problem and develops an individual course of care. Each
chiropractic adjustment builds on the one before. The resulting
recommendations are based upon years of training and experience. Each
patient's care is uniquely different from every other patient.
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Is chiropractic safe?
Yes. Chiropractic has an excellent safety record.
It is the result of a conservative and natural approach to health that
avoids invasive procedures or addictive drugs. As
proof, one merely has
to compare malpractice rates between chiropractors and other health care
professionals. Chiropractors' malpractice premiums are a small fraction
of those for medical doctors.
A recent study concluded that injury related to
chiropractic adjustment was less than 1.25 incidents per million
treatments. It is interesting to note serious complications from aspirin
ingestion were 3,000 per one million patients. Chiropractic was deemed
one of the most conservative forms of
intervention available today.
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Can I adjust myself?
No. Since a chiropractic adjustment is a specific force, applied in a
specific direction to a specific joint, it is virtually impossible to
adjust oneself correctly and accurately. It is possible to turn or bend
or twist in certain ways to create a "popping" sound that sometimes
accompanies a chiropractic adjustment. Unfortunately, this type of joint
manipulation is usually counterproductive, often making an already
unstable spine even more unstable, and can sometimes be dangerous.
Adjusting the spine is not for amateurs!
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Can I tell if I have a subluxation?
Not always. A subluxation is like a dental
cavity--you may have it for a long time before symptoms appear. That's
why periodic spinal checkups are so important. Although it may be
possible to know you have a subluxation, it is rarely possible to be
sure you don't. Regular spinal checkups are always a good idea, and they
promote good health from the inside out.
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Is chiropractic care
addictive?
No. If only it were, there would be more healthy people around and
chiropractors would not get patients who last saw a chiropractor "a few
years ago when their back went out." It is possible to get used to
feeling more balanced, less stressed, and more energetic as a result or
regular chiropractic care. Chiropractic is not addictive, however, good
health is.
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What type of education do chiropractic doctors
receive?
Doctors of Chiropractic are well educated.
Chiropractic education and medical education are similar in many
respects and different in others because chiropractors do not prescribe
drugs or perform surgery, and medical doctors do not correct vertebral subluxations. After graduating with a Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.)
Degree, each candidate passes the demanding four part National Board
Examinations. Then, doctors apply to a governmental or professional
licensing board and pass a still more difficult test before being
granted the privilege to practice. A chiropractor's education, however,
never ends. Most doctors complete regular postgraduate instruction for
license renewal and to stay current on the latest research and
adjustment techniques.
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Does chiropractic work for all types of health
problems?
No, however chiropractic care is successful with
a very wide variety of health problems not necessarily considered "back"
problems because of improved nerve system function. With a normal nerve
supply the body's natural healing capacity can improve a variety of
health problems.
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Do I Have To Keep Coming Back For Treatments?
You may have heard the notion that once you go to
a chiropractor you have to keep going back. Before we answer that
question, ask yourself how many times you have visited a dentist? Like
most people, you've probably gone dozens of times. Why? Quite simply, to
prevent your teeth from literally rotting out of your head.
Once we have eliminated your pain and
rehabilitated the injured tissues we do recommend that you maintain a
schedule of periodic spinal checkups. Like your dentist and like many of
the medical experts are now recognizing, prevention is the key to
reducing recurrences of existing health conditions and minimizing new
injuries in the
future.
So the answer is yes, we want you to keep coming
back, but just periodically. Periodic chiropractic care minimizes spinal
and nerve stresses, reduces recurrences of old injuries, prevents new
injuries from developing, minimizes degenerative processes, which
enhances overall health and wellness.
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Why do I have to come back so
often?
Healing is a process. There is no process that
doesn't take time. A good comparison would be to think of chiropractic
treatments like orthodontics of the spine. For your body to correctly
heal and repair itself, a care plan including regular treatment and
check-ups is necessary.
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How long does it take to begin feeling better?
Everybody is different. But one thing is always
the same, the longer you put off going to seek help, the longer it
takes. This is due to the body's own healing processes of attempting to
fuse joints through arthritis when the problem is not addressed.
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I was feeling fine yesterday, but today I am much
worse, why?
This relates to the fact that healing is a
process. One or two chiropractic treatments will not correct the problem
although you may feel immediate relief. It takes a series of treatments
over a period of time for the healing process to take place.
Although
chiropractic care is great for pain relief, the ultimate goal is to
correct the cause of the pain not just the pain. This will reduce the
likelihood that the pain will reoccur.
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Is it OK to see a chiropractor if I'm pregnant?
Anytime is a good time for a better functioning
nerve system. Pregnant mothers find that chiropractic adjustments
improve their pregnancy and make delivery easier for themselves and
their baby. Adjusting methods are always adapted to a patients size,
weight, age, and condition of health.
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Is chiropractic appropriate for children?
Yes. Chiropractic’s drugless and preventive
approach to good health makes it perfectly appropriate for infants,
children, and teenagers. Chiropractic is licensed in all 50 states of
the U.S. for the care of children of all ages.
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How safe is chiropractic for a child?
Chiropractic is one of the safest forms of
children’s health care. A chiropractor does not adjust a baby or a child
the same way as he or she adjusts an adult. A baby’s spine is very
supple during the first few months of life, so the doctor of
chiropractic applies only a slight pressure to make an adjustment. For
older children whose spine is still made of mainly cartilage, slight
pressure followed by a gentle push is all that is required to put the
vertebra back in place.
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When should I take my child to a chiropractor?
When you want to give your child a head start in
good health and all the benefits of a conservative, drugless approach to
health care, you should take your child to a chiropractor. It is
important to have a chiropractic exam during the first year of a child’s
life as spinal trauma can occur during birth, as well as from tumbles
while learning to sit up or walk. Improper lifting and carrying can also
contribute to spinal stress.
Your child’s spine grows almost 50% in length
during the first year. This is equivalent to a six-footer growing to
nine feet in just 12 months! It’s this kind of tremendous
growth and
developmental changes which make a complete chiropractic examination so
important in the early stages of a child’s life. If there is a problem,
the earlier it is corrected the less likelihood there is of it becoming
a chronic or more serious problem later in life.
Doctors of chiropractic believe it’s much more
important to prevent diseases than wait till some disease occurs.
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How effective is chiropractic care for
children?
Chiropractors have been providing safe and
effective care for children for more than 103 years. Without efficacy,
parents would have long ceased to seek out a doctor of chiropractic for
their children. A 1992 survey showed that the most common conditions for
which children visit a chiropractor are: earaches, neck pain, check-up,
headache, upper respiratory, low back pain, allergies, asthma, enuresis,
and thoracic pain. Other reasons are ADD and ADHD, colic, tort Collis,
insomnia, growing pains, and persistent crying in infants.
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How can chiropractic care help an older child who
is not ‘sick’?
Chiropractors do not treat diseases, they help to
correct spinal misalignments that can cause health problems. Through
regular adjustments, counseling on proper nutrition, exercise, and
posture, the chiropractor can help you raise a child who is structurally
and functionally sound.
The number one “illness” in children is
accidents. You may not realize it, but youngsters take numerous tumbles
-- learning to ride a bike, or even just jumping and running
around. If
your child takes part in athletic activities, the “sack” of a
quarterback could twist a young spine, pitching a ball can throw a
vertebra out of alignment. These underlying injuries, if left
uncorrected, can cause serious problems as the child grows into
adulthood.
Doctors of chiropractic can do more than correct
these problems. They can also help improve performance on and off the
field by helping the body to function at its optimum level, naturally,
and without drugs.
What if my child has a health problem that does
not respond to chiropractic care?
Doctors of chiropractic are trained to
recognize
complex health problems. Their primary obligation is the welfare of the
child. It is the position of the ICA Council of Pediatrics and its
parent organization, the International Chiropractors Association, that
when the doctor of chiropractic or any doctor reaches the limits of
their skill and authority that they are “ethically and morally bound to
make patient referrals to practitioners in other fields of healing when
such referrals are necessary to provide the highest quality of patient
care.”
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