Questions & Answers       

 

What’s the difference between feeling good and being healthy?

You can be healthy and still not feel well.  Throwing up after eating improperly prepared food is a healthy response.  Yet, we’ve been taught to judge how healthy we are by how we feel.  Proper function of every part of your body (controlled by the nervous system) is the key to health.

 

Can Chiropractic care prevent back surgery?

Consider surgery only after more conservative methods are explored.  Certain types of spinal trauma, combined with years of neglect, may make chiropractic ineffective. Yet, many potential back surgery patients find chiropractic care helpful in improving the function of the spine not permanently affected by surgery.

 

Should you be adjusted if you’re pregnant?

Any time is good time for a better functioning nervous system.  Adjusting methods are always adapted to a patient’s size, weight, and condition.  Pregnant mothers often find chiropractic adjustments reduce lower back discomfort and lessen the complication of delivery. More on pregnancy and chiropractic

 

Do chiropractors work with children too?

Yes. Since significant spinal trauma can occur during the birth process, many parents have their children and newborns checked for the Vertebral Subluxation Complex.  Adjusting procedures are adapted to a child’s spine.  Children can experience the same improvement in overall health as adults do, but usually faster.  This may also help prevent problems often seen later in adults. More Information on children and chiropractic.

 

How long does it take to start feeling better?

Children respond quickly.  Adults may take longer because many spinal problems are the result of years of neglect.  As with any healing process, every person’s progress is slightly different.  A patient’s lifestyle, diet, exercise, and kept appointments all affect their progress.

 

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.

 

Are Doctors of Chiropractic licensed like other doctors?

Yes. Doctors of Chiropractic receive about the same number of accredited classroom hour as Doctor of Medicine receive.  After successfully passing a National Board Examination and rigorous government examination, doctors are licensed to practice, using the title of Doctor of Chiropractic and the initials of D.C. at the end of their names. More info on chiropractic education.

Does chiropractic work for all types of health problems?

No.  However, chiropractic care is successful with a wide variety of health problems not necessarily considered back problems.  Because the spine is a nervous system conduit for almost the entire body, improved nervous system function can affect tissues and organs away from the spine itself.  With a more normal nerve supply, the body’s own natural healing capacity can be improved.

 

Does everyone get subluxations?

Yes.  Spinal malfunction is a common health problem due to stress, long periods of sitting, and many activities we consider normal.  Fortunately the body can correct many of these spinal problems on its own.  Yet, often the only way to eliminate the Vertebral Subluxation Complex is by specific spinal adjustments to restore more normal function and remove nervous system interference.

 

What is the Vertebral Subluxation Complex?

The Vertebral Subluxation Complex has five parts that describe the malfunction of the spine, nervous system, muscle, soft tissue, and the rest of the body due to abnormal motion and position of individual spinal bones.  The detection, treatment, and prevention of VSC make chiropractic unique in the health care sciences.

 

Why do I need to keep coming back so often?

The muscles and ligaments that support your spine may have become used to supporting your spine incorrectly.  Retraining these tissues can be a time-consuming process.  Since Doctors of Chiropractic lifestyle significantly improves your ability to resist disease and improve the healing process.

 

What kind of research is going on in chiropractic?

Study after study has confirmed the success of chiropractic for many neuromuscular skeletal problems.  Today, genetic research conducted at a major medical research facility suggest the chiropractic lifestyle significantly improves your ability to resist disease and improve the healing process.  http://www.jvsr.com/index.asp   

 

What’s the difference between a Doctor of Chiropractic and an Osteopath?

Osteopaths may use drugs, surgery, and occasional basic manipulative procedures.  Doctor of Chiropractic base their treatment on the detection, correction, and prevention of the Vertebral Subluxation Complex.  They use specific spinal adjustments to improve spinal function and reduce nerve interferences, relieve pain, and improve overall health.

 

Why don’t Medical Doctors and Doctors of Chiropractic get along?

Many do, however differing ideas as to the nature of health, the cause of disease, misunderstandings, and economic competition have often resulted in discord.  Today there is better cooperation as patients recognize the need for both medical and chiropractic doctors in the healing arts.

 

Why do I have to keep being adjusted?

Many spinal problems in adults are the result of a lifetime of spinal neglect.  Retraining adult muscles that have grown accustomed to supporting the spine incorrectly take time.

 

What is an adjustment?

A specific chiropractic procedure using carefully directed and controlled pressure to restore spinal bones to a more normal position and motion.  Normalizing the position and motion of spinal bones eliminates the Vertebral Subluxation Complex and allows the body to begin the healing process.

 

How many ways can the spine be adjusted?

There are hundreds of different ways to restore normal spinal position and motion, reducing or eliminating the Vertebral Subluxation Complex.  Your doctor has carefully researched and selected several of these techniques and become very proficient in their delivery.

 

Are all patients adjusted the same way?

No.  The Doctor of Chiropractic evaluates each person’s spine and develops an individual course of treatment based on years of training and experience.  Your treatment is delivered with practiced precision and may seem the same from visit to visit, however, it is unique from the treatment other patients receive.

 

What is the sound I hear when the doctor adjusts my spine?

It is the sound of fluid and gas moving in the spinal joint as it returns to its normal position.  It often sounds much louder to you because sound travels so easily up the spinal column to your ears.  Not all adjustments create this sound, so the effectiveness of an adjustment should not be judged by the presence or loudness of the sound.

 

Are subluxation always painful?

Not always.  The body is highly-adaptive and can accommodate some spinal distortion without pain.  However, damage to the spine is cumulative.  The degenerative effects of uncorrected spinal problems worsen with time.  Generally pain doesn’t  result until there is incident to which the body can no longer adapt.  Ill health, fatigue, and many other disorders can occur long before the presence of pain or other obvious symptoms.