Why Chiropractic?
Prevention
Chiropractic care allows the body to function correctly. It is a scientific fact that your brain, spinal cord, and the rest of your nerves control every aspect of your body. Any imbalance in your spine can cause an adverse effect to the overall health of you and those around you, such as your family. If Chiropractic care starts at birth, you can achieve a higher level of health and wellness throughout life, naturally!
Vitality
Chiropractic care has been helping families have vital lives for over 100 years. Vital health expression is the result of a properly aligned spine, a healthy lifestyle and a positive mental attitude. Families want safe and natural health care solutions. More and more people are choosing Chiropractic care FIRST, because it makes good sense. No other form of health care is safer. Chiropractic is a great choice for family vitality in the new millennium.
Performance
On the job, on the track, on the court or anywhere, Chiropractic improves human performance. Chiropractic patients experience a higher level of performance and stamina in all areas of life, as their bodies function optimally from the inside out. You deserve to be your best. Why not experience life at the top of your game? Try Chiropractic today and feel the difference.
Quality of Life
Our lives are a direct result of the decisions we make. Because health is not a given, we must make decisions that impact our health every day. Chiropractic improves the quality of life. Your health is your responsibility and your health decisions WILL affect the quality of your life. Helping you maximize your health is the goal of Chiropractic.
Practice, Education, and Training
The chiropractic adjustment of the human spine usually is administered by hand, although several mechanical adjustment techniques have been developed. Specialized adjusting tables routinely are utilized by the doctor of chiropractic, which assists the practitioner to perform the adjustment precisely and effectively. Appropriate force is applied to the improperly aligned spinal segment through a carefully administered directional thrust, moving the segment back into its correct or improved juxtaposition with the vertebra above and/or below.
The safety of chiropractic is evident by those who are properly informed. An excellent summary statement on the safety of chiropractic appears in a special commission report published by the Government of New Zealand Report in 1979: ‘The conspicuous lack of evidence that chiropractors cause harm or allow harm to occur through neglect of medical referral can be taken to mean only one thing: that chiropractors have, on the whole, an impressive safety record.
Why Chiropractic
How do I know if I have a problem that can be helped by chiropractic?
The study of chiropractic is unique and the training a chiropractor receives to specifically correct functional problems of the spine is unique to the chiropractic profession. A doctor of chiropractic goes through curriculum as rigorous as the one required for a general medical practitioner. The major difference in the training of a D.C. and an M.D. is the method of treatment rendered to the similarly diagnosed conditions. As a result only a chiropractor is really able to tell you whether or not chiropractic can help you. Doctors of chiropractic are trained to correct or restore misaligned vertebrae by a procedure called a "spinal adjustment." The areas of misalignment that are treated are referred to as "subluxations." Subluxations are a slight dislocation or misalignment of two adjoining segments of the spine aka "vertebrae."
What does a doctor of chiropractic do?
Chiropractic has a different role in the health care system than the medical model that many people are accustomed to. The medical approach emphasizes the repairing of the body through external means. Chiropractic is different. It is different because it does not use the outside-in approach of fixing a body with drugs or surgery. Chiropractic focuses on correction and restoration of health through more natural means. Chiropractic is based on the scientific fact that the spine and nervous system are directly linked to health. The brain is protected by the skull and the spinal cord is protected by the 24 moving bones of the spine. Nerve impulses flow from the brain, down the spinal cord, and to every organ and tissue in the body. Nerve impulses respond back to the brain to confirm that the body is functioning properly. If there are problems with the function of these movable spinal bones a variety of symptoms and pain syndromes can arise. A chiropractor looks to the spine and possible neurological involvement to determine the cause of the patients’ symptoms. If necessary chiropractors also will refer patients to other health care professionals. A chiropractor corrects the mechanical problems in the spine and thereby alleviates the interference with the nervous system. When these mechanical problems are corrected the patients’ body is able to heal itself, without drugs or surgery. The body has been created with the ability to self-regulate and to self-heal. These functions are controlled by the brain, spinal cord, and the other nerves of the body.
Why Should I Go?
Researchers tell us that over 80% of the general population will suffer from one of the great variety of vertebrogenic disorders for certain periods of their life. Vertebrogenic disorders mean disorders of the body that are caused in whole or in part by spinal faults.
In addition to pain and discomfort in the neck and back, these disorders include tension headaches, migraine headaches, dizziness, neuralgia, pain in the shoulders and arms, certain types of pain in the chest and abdomen, pain in the hips, knees and legs (sciatica), disc disorders, certain digestive disorders and problems with menstrual cycles. The connection between these seemingly unrelated conditions and the spine is that the nerves, which serve all areas of the body, can be irritated directly or indirectly by spinal disorders.
Even people suffering from arthritis find great relief with chiropractic care.
Frequently spinal problems start in childhood, years before clinical symptoms appear. Identified early, most of these disorders are reversible, and it is for this reason that spinal examinations for children are imperative.
· Are you suffering from lower back pain? Or, do your headaches never seem to go away?
· Have you been injured at work or in a car accident and are having trouble dealing with the pain?
· Are you active in sports, but after the game have stiff joints and shooting pains?
· Are you pregnant with an aching back?
· Are you in your Golden years and having trouble enjoying retirement because those aches and pains are getting in the way?
· Are you concerned with the health of your whole body, and are looking for a different approach to health care?
· Are you concerned with your newborn's or child's long term well being and growth?
· If you answered yes to any of these questions, You should visit your local chiropractor.
· Every day in Canada, over 120,000 people receive treatment from Doctors of Chiropractic.
· Your chiropractor is a doctor with over 7 years of university education in the art of hands-on healing.
Chiropractors use a combination of treatments for your condition. They are specialists in using exact, gentle manipulations of your spine to make you feel great. Chiropractic treatment also includes diet and exercise programs to get you back into tip-top shape.
Myths About Chiropractic
Chiropractic care is safe, comfortable, and benefits everyone - including infants, the elderly, and pregnant women.
Question: I was told I should see a chiropractor, but I'm nervous about it. I mean, what exactly are chiropractors?
Answer: Chiropractors are doctors who practice the art of healing by adjusting, or manipulating, the spinal column. A healthy, well aligned spinal column moving with full range of motion allows the nervous system to perform properly, which is vital because it controls every function of your body. To be licensed, chiropractors must have completed three years of university followed by four years at a chiropractic college.
Question: Does it hurt to get your spine adjusted?
Answer: Not at all. Chiropractic adjustments are comfortable and safe for the whole family, from infants to pregnant women and the elderly. For hundreds of thousands of Canadians, visiting a chiropractor is just routine - like regular dental check-ups.
Question: Do physicians recommend chiropractic care?
Answer: Most do, and many physicians are being treated by chiropractors themselves.
Question: If I go to see a chiropractor, will I be expected to keep going?
Answer: That's entirely up to you. Some people only want to be treated for a specific pain or illness, and when the symptoms disappear they stop going. Others use chiropractic care to fully correct the underlying cause of the symptoms and to remain feeling really well. Like a car, your body has constant stress and wear, and it benefits from a 'tune-up'. However, which treatment approach you want is always your choice.
Question: Doesn't it cost a fortune?
Answer: No. Many of the pain-killers and drugs you buy to treat pain and illness cost more than chiropractic care. Yet chiropractic care treats more than the symptoms of poor health, it treats the underlying cause. It also helps to restore and maintain good health - without using any drugs.
The Chiropractic Philosophy
The chiropractic perspective on health and disease emphasizes two fundamental concepts:
1. the structure and condition of the body influences how the body functions and its ability to heal itself; and
2. the mind-body relationship is instrumental in maintaining health and in the healing processes.
Although chiropractic shares much with other health professions, its emphasis and application of philosophy distinguishes it from modern medicine. Chiropractic philosophy gravitates toward a holistic ("total person") approach to healing which combines elements of the mind, body and spirit and maintains that health depends on obedience to natural laws, and that deviation from such laws can result in illness.
Chiropractic Philosophy includes:
· emphasis on patient recuperative abilities rather than surgery
· recognition that dynamics exist between lifestyle, environment and health
· understanding the cause of illness in order to eliminate it, rather than simply treat symptoms
· recognition of the centrality of the nervous system and its intimate relationship with the capacities of the human body
· balancing benefits versus risks of clinical interventions
· recognition of the primary importance of monitoring progress closely through appropriate diagnostic procedures
· a patient-centered, hands-on approach focused on influencing function through structure
· focus on early intervention emphasizing timely diagnosis and treatment of conditions that are wholly functional and reversible
Chiropractic philosophy blends an effective combination of conviction, critical thinking, open-mindedness, and appreciation of the natural order of things. Chiropractic focuses on the establishment and maintenance of a relationship between patients and their environment which is most conducive to functional well-being.
Flexion-Distraction Therapy - What is it?
Flexion-Distraction, (F/D) is a gentle, chiropractictreatment procedure utilized for back and neck pain. Flexion-Distraction is a safe alternative to back surgery for those 95% of patients whose conditions do not demand surgical intervention. The doctor is in control of the treatment movements at all times.
Flexion-Distraction is utilized for many conditions such as:
· Failed Back surgical Syndromes
· Disc Herniation/Ruptured Disc / Bulging Disc / Herniated Disc
· Sciatica / Leg pain
· "Whiplash" injuries
· Stenosis
· Arm Pain
· Neck Pain
· Failed course of Steroid Injections
· Chemical Radiculitis
· Spondylolisthesis
· Headache
· Transitional segment
· Many more conditions….
How does Flexion-Distraction Work?
For Disc related conditions:
- Increases the intervertebral disc height to remove annular tension on the annular fibers and nerve by making more room and improving circulation.
- Allows the nucleus pulposus, the center of the disc, to assume its central position within the annular fibers and relieves irritation of the spinal nerve.
- Restores vertebral joints to their physiological relationships of motion.
- Improves posture and locomotion while relieving pain, improving body functions, and creating a state of well-being.
For Non-Disc related conditions:
Patients with other conditions causing back pain (facet syndrome, spondylolisthesis, sprain/strain, scoliosis, transitional vertebra, sacroiliac restrictions and misalignment,certain types of spinal stenosis), Flexion/Distraction provides all of the above benefits plus the ability to place the spinal joints into normal, painless movements so as to restore spinal motion without pain:
- The posterior disc space increases in height.
- F/D decreases disc protrusion and reduces stenosis.
- Flexion stretches the ligamentum flavum to reduce stenosis.
- Flexion opens the vertebral canal by 2 mm (16%) or 3.5 to 6mm more than extension.
- Flexion increases metabolite transport into the disc.
- Flexion opens the apophyseal joints and reduces posterior disc stress
- The nucleus pulposus does not move on flexion. Intradiscal pressure drops under distraction to below 100mm Hg. On extension the nucleus or annulus is seen to protrude posterior into the vertebral canal.
8. Intervertebral foraminal openings enlarge giving patency to the nerve.
Does Chiropractic Really Work?
Absolutely! Here are some findings from studies done by researchers including chiropractors,orthopedic surgeons and other medical professionals...
Harvard Medical School Health Letter September 1980 "Chiropractic treatment of low back pain, which affects 75 million Americans, is superior to the standard regimen administered by medical doctors, a major British study has concluded. Chiropractic almost certainly confers worthwhile, long-term benefit in comparisons with hospital outpatient management," said Dr. T.W. Meade, a British medical doctor who headed the study conducted at 11 hospitals and chiropractic clinics.
Federal Medical Study Endorses Chiropractic for Back Pain - (U.S. Agency for Healthcare Policy and Research)
December 8, 1994 - a panel of 23 doctors headed by Dr. Stanley Bigos, MD, Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, studied 2900 medical articles on low back pain. Their conclusions were that "Chiropractor's manipulation of the spine was more helpful than any of the following: traction, massage, biofeedback, acupuncture, injection of steroids into the spine, back corsets and ultrasound." Surgery was beneficial in only 1 out of 100 cases.
Migraine Headaches Gone!
In Australia, the federal government commissioned a study to determine if chiropractic care was effective in treating migraine headaches. 85 patients who had suffered from migraines for an average of 19 years were divided into three groups. One group received chiropractic treatment, and the other two groups received traditional medical therapy. All three groups reported some relief, but the chiropractic group reported superiority on all levels studied!
The RAND Corporation Study
RAND, the world renowned "think tank," in conjunction with the UCLA Department of Medicine, completed a multidisciplinary study in 1991 and found that spinal manipulation is appropriate for the majority of acute low back pain. This two-year RAND study concluded that chiropractic management is safe, effective, and surprisingly well documented in numerous research articles. Paul Shekelle, MD, director of the RAND study, mentioned: "I would say that there's considerably more randomized controlled trials which show benefit for this (chiropractic care) than there is for many other things which physicians and neurosurgeouns do all the time."
Reduction of Disc Prolapse by Manipulation
Mathews and Yates (1969) studied the effect of manipulation on the reduction of lumbar disc prolapses. Results of this study suggested that small disc protrusions were diminished in size when patients had manipulation as a treatment. The authors concluded that "treatment by manipulation relieved the symptoms of lumbago and repeat epidurography showed that the prolapses were reduced in size."
Women's Health
Oh, the joys of pregnancy! Baby blankets, booties and bottles abound in anticipation of the new little bundle. Unfortunately, so do fatigue, swelling, and aches and pains. But before reaching for an over-the-counter pain reliever, take heed: Researchers have found that some pain relievers can induce miscarriage.
Researchers interviewed 1,055 pregnant women immediately following conception and up to five months into their pregnancies. (Miscarriage is defined as a natural abortion that occurs prior to 20 weeks gestation.) Participants were asked about their prenatal use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including inbuprofen, naproxen, or combination thereof (i.e., Advil, Motrin, Naprosyn); drugs containing aspirin (i.e., baby aspirin, Alka Seltzer, Excedrin, Soma); and paracetamol (acetaminophen)-containing drugs (i.e., Tylenol products, Theraflu, Triaminic, Vicodin).
Results: The study concluded that NSAID use was associated with an 80 percent increased risk for miscarriage; the association was even higher if NSAIDs were used around the time of conception or if use lasted for longer than one week. The use of aspirin was associated with a similar outcome; however the use of acetaminophen was not associated with increased risk, regardless of timing and duration of use.
Pregnant women can ease their pain and discomfort in ways that do not involve taking pills. A doctor of chiropractic can recommend a course of therapy that can help alleviate many of the aches and pains associated with pregnancy discomfort.