Chiropractic
THE GOAL OF CHIROPRACTIC CARE
The goal of chiropractic care is to help the patient find pain relief in a natural manner, while also working to restore mobility and flexibility in any joints that may be suffering from inflammation or strain. It focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal and nerve systems and the effects of these disorders on one’s general health.
The body’s structure and function are reciprocally interrelated. Doctors of Chiropractic (DC) focus on the body as a unit—body, mind and spirit—and through physical manipulation help to restore the body’s self-healing with attention on self-regulation and health maintenance.
Chiropractic services are used most often to treat common musculoskeletal complaints, including but not limited to back pain, neck pain, pain in the joints of arms or legs and headaches. And while back pain may be the most common reason patients seek the expertise of a chiropractor, chiropractic techniques accomplish far more. They help patients with acute or chronic issues—including migraines, neurological disorders and improper function of the nervous system resulting from car accidents, sports injuries, heredity and other causes.
Decreased energy, disease and chronic pain impact and reduce one’s participation in life. Through the adjustment of the spine and body, there is a release of potential energy and vitality, which travels through one’s nervous system. The nervous system is an energetic power supply for every cell, tissue, muscle, organ and system in the body. It controls and coordinates every function of your body. With a healthy nervous system, you can experience more energy, vitality, health and the capacity to live and develop.
Chiropractic care is the third-largest primary health care profession, surpassed in number only by doctors of medicine and dentistry. Doctors of Chiropractic treat an estimated 50 million Americans annually. The evidence strongly supports the natural whole-body and cost-effective approach of chiropractic services for a variety of conditions.
Chiropractic care, as it is often practiced today, is a mechanistic approach to health largely directed toward the relief of musculoskeletal pain. And for this it is very effective. Often forgotten, however, are the benefits derived from chiropractic care intended to allow the unencumbered flow of vital force throughout the body.
When a joint doesn’t work the way it is supposed to or it is misaligned, causing interference to the nervous system, it can benefit from a chiropractic adjustment.
One of the most common and well-known therapeutic procedures performed by doctors of chiropractic is the adjustment, sometimes referred to as “spinal manipulation.” The purpose of the adjustment is to restore joint function by manually applying a safe, specific controlled force into joints that have become too tight and restricted in their movement with a decreased range of motion. Adjustment and manipulation of the affected joint and tissues restores mobility, thereby alleviating pain and muscle tightness, allowing tissues to heal from the inside out.
Another common condition is the misalignment or dislocation of the vertebrae, shoulder, patellar (kneecaps) and elbow. In each instance it will require proper adjustment.
“The doctor should look well into the spine, for many diseases have their origin in vertebral displacements.” ~Hippocrates, The Father of Modern Medicine
Tissue injury is another condition that can be caused by a single traumatic event, such as improper lifting of a heavy object or through repetitive stresses, such as sitting in an awkward position with poor spinal posture for an extended period of time. In either case, injured tissues undergo physical and chemical changes that can cause inflammation, pain and diminished functions for an individual, including one’s nervous system.
The most common soft tissue injuries are muscles, tendons and ligaments. These injuries often occur during sports and exercise activities, but sometimes simple everyday activities can cause an injury. Sprains, strains and contusions—as well as tendinitis and bursitis—are common soft-tissue injuries, often referred to as “subluxation.”
The Benefits of an Adjustment:
- By correcting the subluxation, the body stops the inflammatory processes at the joints and at the nerve root with symptoms lessening and/or disappearing.
- The adjustment corrects the biomechanics, increasing the mobility of the joints thus decreasing accelerated wear and tear and degenerative changes or accelerated aging of the spine.
- Perhaps the most important benefit of the adjustment is by correcting the subluxation. The communication between the brain and the tissue is improved, resulting in optimum function and an optimum chance for health and longevity of that tissue, thus preventing disease processes down the road.
- By correcting multiple subluxations, the adjustment stimulates the nervous system, which results in a better overall immunity thus giving the body the best chance for optimal health, function and longevity.And, finally, life without vitality is a compromised existence. Vitality is having the capacity to live and grow—to develop physically, mentally and emotionally. Restoring one’s health through chiropractic care is one step towards achieving and maintaining it!
