We have found that all our prospective patients have a number of questions that they have regarding their choice of chiropractic health care.
In this section we have endeavoured to anticipate these questions and provide you with the answers.
There appears to be four main questions common to all our prospective patients. Which also happen to be the hardest questions to give definitive answers to:
- 5. What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic (literally translated as "done by hand") is a science, art and a philosophy. It is based on the scientific fact that your body is a self-regulating, self-healing organism. This is called Homeostasis. All of your body’s functions are controlled by your brain, via your spinal cord, and nerves.
The bones of the spine protect and maintain the communication pathways of the spinal cord and nerves. If any part of the nervous system is impaired, it can cause problems in any of the body's tissues and organs. Chiropractors refer to this as "Vertebral Subluxation Complex". Vertebral, meaning the bones of the spine. Subluxation, meaning a misalignment (spinal dysfunction). And Complex, meaning consisting of more than one part. The art of chiropractic comes partially from the skill needed to reduce Subluxations and to restore the normal movement.
Chiropractic is the science of locating these Subluxations in the spine, the art of reducing their impact to the nervous system, and our philosophy is that of working with the natural systems built into our bodies.
- 6. What to expect on your first visit?
The first thing a chiropractor will do is ask you about the health complaints about which you are chiefly concerned. You will also be asked about your past medical history, accident history, family history, dietary habits, other care you may have had, and your job type.
Other questions might be asked to help determine the nature of your problems and the best way to go about caring the problem. A gentle physical examination will be performed in accordance with your chiropractors clinical judgment. Following these, clinical assessment may include x-rays and other diagnostic procedures.
In addition, a careful spinal examination and analysis will be performed to detect any structural abnormalities which may be affecting or causing your condition. Once your chiropractor has identified the problem, care will be outlined and we can begin by way of adjustments. The adjustment is usually given by hand or 'activator' instruments, and consists of applying gentle pressure to the areas of the spine that are out of alignment or that do not move properly.
Chiropractors use many sophisticated and varied techniques, and the specific procedure to be used will be determined and explained to you following your assessments. Under normal circumstances, adjustments don't hurt. The patient may experience a minor amount of discomfort during the adjustment, which lasts only seconds. Adjustments are extremely safe.
- 7. What is a slipped disc?
The first part of the answer to this question is that, technically, a disc can't 'slip'. The disc is a pad of cartilage-type material situated between spinal bones. It acts as a shock absorber and spacer between the bones. It has a thick pulpy centre surrounded by outer layers of fibrous tissue, somewhat like the layers of an onion.
When it all works properly you can bend and twist easily. Because of the way each disc is attached to the vertebrae above and below by hundreds of little fibres, a disc cannot 'slip'. However, injury to the spine can cause discs to tear, bulge, herniate, or worse, rupture. This can be quite painful, as the soft centre of the disc leaks, and can put pressure on the adjacent nerve roots and spinal cord. Over the years, chiropractic care has been reasonably successful with control of this type of injury, so a 'short trial of care' may delay or even avoid a back surgery.
- 8. What is a pinched nerve?
Even though this expression is commonly used for spinal problems, a pinched nerve (or compression injury) is actually fairly rare. Researchers suggest that only about 10% of spine related problems are caused by direct pressure of a bone on nerve tissue! When it happens this may lead to numbness, burning, or 'pins and needles'.
Most people don't actually have a "pinched nerve." Most frequently, their nerves are irritated. This is caused when alterations to the spinal curves or muscle tension lead to a nerve being rubbed, scraped, or stretched. Another way the nerve can be hurt is by malfunctioning spinal joints which forms a part of vertebral subluxations.
- 9. What is an adjustment?
Chiropractors adjust the movement of the spine with the intent of restoring a more normal movement pattern and nerve function. The series of methods that have been developed, researched and refined over the last century are generally bundled together as chiropractic technique, and individually are referred to as adjustments.
A Chiropractic adjustment is a specific force, applied in a specific direction, to a specific joint. It requires a high degree of training and skill to learn the art of an adjustment, and good knowledge of the science involved in the human body to know where to apply an adjustment, help relieve the pressure on the foot arch and stabilize your gait and posture helping you to achieve greater levels of health and wellness.
- 10. Is everybody adjusted the same way?10. Is everybody adjusted the same way?
- Each person is unique. In the same way, each spinal problem is unique. It is therefore necessary to develop individual courses of care. The recommendations developed for each person are based upon years of training and experience. While visits may seem similar, each patient's care is uniquely different from every other patient as the type, style and frequency of adjustment varies with the individual's anatomy, specific needs and speed of healing.
- 11. Why check babies & children?
- The simple fact is that children who receive regular chiropractic care have far fewer childhood illnesses, and develop into healthier, happier adults. If a child is free of subluxations which interfere with normal nerve function, he/she will have the best possible chance to function and develop to 100% of his/her potential.
- 12. What makes the sound during some adjustments?
- Lubricating fluids separate the bones of each spinal joint. Some adjusting methods can produce a sound when the gas and fluids in the joint shift. It is much like opening a bottle of champagne or removing a suction cup. There is no friction of the bones.
- 13. What conditions benefit from chiropractic care?
- Although chiropractic is used most frequently to relieve low back pain, studies have found it to be effective for a variety of conditions, such as migraine headaches, neck and shoulder pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, and infantile colic.
- 14. Does Chiropractic hurt?
- Typical chiropractic adjustments do not hurt. The patient may experience a minor amount of discomfort during the adjustment which lasts only seconds in an effort to correct misalignments and / or "fixations" in the spine that are causing pain or other symptoms and may have been present for years. Any discomfort you may have following your first few adjustments can be compared to the soreness you have after a hard workout at the gym.
- 15. What kind of education and training do doctors of chiropractic have?
Before entering Chiropractic college, one must complete, at a minimum, a 2 year pre-professional study with many chiropractic colleges and universities requiring a 4 year undergraduate basic science degree. Chiropractors receive a post-graduate education that includes evaluation and care for the entire body with special emphasizes on neuromusculo-skeletal diagnosis and treatment.
Preparation for the practice of chiropractic is concentrated on three areas of learning; basic training in the biological and health sciences (anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, biomechanics clinical and radiological diagnosis); specialized training in the chiropractic discipline (theoretical studies, practice, specific technique, diagnosis and applications); and extensive clinical and practical training with patients.
- 16. What is the treatment like?
- The Chiropractic "adjustments" are short gentle thrusts delivered to specific areas of the spine or other joints. These adjustments correct misalignments, reduce joint fixations, and improve mobility and flexibility of the spine or extremities and relieve pressure on sensitive irritated tissues which in turn helps reduce the pain and other symptoms such as nerve "pinching".
- 17. How long will it take?
Each patient is different. Some people have had their problem for a long time, and others have only recently begun to experience their pain. Depending on the severity and duration of the conditon and its underlying causes, you may be under care for as little as 2 weeks or as long as 3 months or more. Again, it depends on the nature of the condition, what the x-rays show, what the exam findings were, your overall health and fitness level, and how you respond to care.