Today's chiropractic doctor looks for the underlying nervous system involvements that can be the cause of many health problems.
Chiropractic works by restoring your body's own inborn ability to be healthy. When under the proper control of your nervous system, all the cells, tissues and organs of your body are designed to resist disease and ill health. The chiropractic approach to better health is to locate and help remove interferences to your natural state of being healthy.
A common location of interference to the nervous system is the 24 moving bones of the spinal column. A loss of normal motion or position of these bones can irritate or impair the function of the nervous system. This can disrupt the transmission of controlling nerve impulses.
With improved spinal function there is often improved nervous system function. Your chiropractic physician can help remove interferences that may be impairing normal health. Since the primary focus of your care is improved nervous system function, chiropractic care can have a positive effect on many health conditions not normally thought of as "back" problems.
Chiropractic works because you are a self-healing, self-regulating organism controlled by your nervous system. Millions of instructions flow from you brain, down the spinal cord and out to every organ and tissue. Signals sent back to the brain confirm if your body is working right. Improper motion or position of the moving bones of the spine called subluxation can interfere with this vital exchange by irritating nerves and compromising the function of affected organs and tissues. Specific spinal adjustments can help improve mind/body communications. Health often returns with improved nervous system control.
Chiropractic adjustments usually involve a quick thrust that helps add motion to spinal joints that aren't moving right. Some methods use the doctor's hands, an instrument, a special table or the force of gravity.
There are hundreds of ways to adjust the spine.
A chiropractic adjustment is the art of using a specific force in a precise direction, applied to a joint that is fixed, "locked up", or not moving properly. This adds motion to the joint, helping the bones gradually return to a more normal position and motion. The purpose of this safe and natural procedure is improved spinal function, nervous system function and health.
There are many ways to adjust the spine. Usually, the doctor's hands or specially designed instruments deliver a brief and highly accurate thrust. Some adjusting methods are quick, whereas others require a slow and constant pressure.
After years of training and clinical experience, each chiropractic doctor becomes highly skilled in the delivery of a variety of adjusting approaches.
Regardless of the adjusting technique, chiropractic care is tailored to each patient's age, condition and spinal problem.
The doctor evaluates each patient's unique spinal problem and develops an individual course of care. The resulting recommendations are based upon years of training and experience.
Some patients who complain of headaches may actually have a lower back problem that is causing a compensation reaction at the base of the skull. Other patients may be experiencing numbness and tingling in their fingers, when the actual problem is in the neck. Every patient presents a uniquely different spinal pattern.
Patients notice that their chiropractic care is delivered with confidence and precision. Each visit builds on the one before. While visits may seem similar, each patient's care is uniquely different from every other patient's.
Actually, not all adjusting techniques produce the sound associated with "popping knuckles." Some create no sound at all, some a little. Many techniques, however, do create the sound of a spinal "release." What causes it? The mystery may have been solved by a British research team that took x-ray movies of people "popping" their knuckles. The sound is caused by gas rushing in to fill the partial vacuum created when the joints are slightly separated. Remember the popping is not the bones rubbing together, they are separated by the joint space.
Yes. A New Zealand government study found that adjustments are "remarkably safe." By avoiding drugs and risky surgery, chiropractic care enjoys an excellent track record. A thorough exam can identify the rare person for whom chiropractic care might be unsuited. Compare the statistics. Adjustments are about 100 times safer than taking an over-the-counter pain reliever.
Chiropractic care is safer than back surgery, muscle relaxers and even common aspirin!
In the words of the New Zealand government's inquiry, chiropractic care is "remarkably safe".
Chiropractic has an excellent safety record. It is the result of a conservative approach to health that avoids invasive procedures or addictive drugs.
A thorough case history and examination help reveal areas of the spine that may be causing nervous system malfunction. This information will be used to determine the best course of care for each patient.
Chiropractic care is a natural approach to better health that is proven safe and effective.
No. Only the spinal joints that are "locked up" receive adjustments. This allows weakened muscles and ligaments to stabilize and heal.
The desire to pop the neck or back is caused by tension from a jammed or fixated vertebra, which causes another part of the spine to compensate by moving too much and "popping" a lot. The jammed part should be adjusted by a chiropractor so that the rest of the spinal column will balance and stop being so movable and noisy. If you do not know the correct direction the bone needs to be moved back into place, you may be moving it out of place, not in place.
Cracking or popping your neck gives relief for a while, but soon the urge to pop or crack reappears because the cause of the spinal tension hasn't been corrected. The bone needs to be moved back into the correct position before permanent release is given.
You cannot effectively adjust yourself.
Since a chiropractic adjustment is a specific force, applied in a specific direction, to a specific spinal joint, it is virtually impossible to adjust oneself.
It is possible to turn or bend or twist in certain ways to create a "popping" sound, like the sound that sometimes accompanies a chiropractic adjustment. Unfortunately, this type of joint manipulation is usually counterproductive, often making an already unstable area of the spine even more unsteady. Adjusting the spine is not for amateurs!
The best way to enjoy the healthful benefits of chiropractic is to receive adjustments from a Doctor of Chiropractic. Even your doctor must seek out the services of another colleague to help restore and maintain proper spinal function.
Chiropractors have Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) degrees granted from chiropractic colleges. Medical doctors have (M.D.) degrees granted from medical colleges. Chiropractic education and medical education are similar in some respects and different in others because chiropractors do not prescribe drugs and medical doctors do not correct the vertebral subluxation complex (spinal nerve stress). A graduate chiropractic doctor take approximately 370 more class hours of study then does a graduate medical doctor.
After undergraduate studies, today's chiropractic physician completes an additional four-year curriculum of over 4,500 college classroom hours of health sciences.
Today's Doctor of Chiropractic is well educated. The science of chiropractic requires a special emphasis on anatomy, physiology, pathology, neurology, biomechanics, X-ray, spinal adjusting techniques and related subjects. This demanding curriculum prepares chiropractic doctors to locate the Vertebral Subluxation Complex and help correct the resulting nervous system dysfunction.
To graduate with a Doctor of Chiropractic degree, each candidate passes the demanding National Board Examination. Then, doctors apply to a governmental or professional licensing board and pass a still more difficult test before being granted the privilege to practice in each state.
A chiropractic education never ends. Most doctors complete postgraduate instruction for license renewal and to stay current on the latest scientific research. Dr. Ungar has several post-graduate certifications.
Proper rest, exercise and good nutrition are especially important during the healing process.
While there aren't any shortcuts to speed your body's natural healing process, there's a lot you can do to give yourself the best chance of a quick recovery.
Learn proper sitting and lifting methods. Specific exercises may be suggested to help retrain the muscles that support your spine.
Proper rest is an important aspect of the healing process, too. Get the appropriate amount of rest your body needs, and avoid sleeping on your stomach.
During the healing process, proper nutrition is more important than ever. Make sure you get balanced meals, and if you're overweight, now would be a good time to slim down and reduce unnecessary stresses to your spine.
Perhaps most important of all, keep you appointments and follow your chiropractic doctor's recommendations for optimum results.
Chiropractic has been shown to be helpful with scoliosis and many other so-called "normal" childhood health problems.
Since significant spinal trauma can occur at birth, many parents have their newborns checked for Vertebral Subluxation Complex.
Later, learning to walk, ride a bicycle and other childhood activities can cause spinal problems. While a bandage and some comforting words can help a skinned knee, the unseen damage to the child's spine is the unique domain of a chiropractic doctor.
Many childhood health complaints that are brushed off as "growing pains" can often be traced to the spine. Regular chiropractic checkups can identify these problems and help avoid many of the health complaints seen later in adults.
Naturally, chiropractic adjusting procedures are modified to a child's spine. Most parents report that their children enjoy their chiropractic adjustments and seem healthier than other children.
Regardless of your age, chiropractic care can help improve mobility and maintain vitality.
More and more people are consulting chiropractic doctors, especially in their later years. With growing concerns about over-medication and the side effects of combining various prescription drugs, safe, natural chiropractic care is growing in popularity.
Restoring better spinal function can help improve mobility, vitality, endurance and appetite. Many patients report improvement with arthritic symptoms and other chronic ailments often associated with the aging process.
The adjusting technique used by your doctor will be modified for maximum comfort and results.
As we get older and wiser, the simplicity and effectiveness of chiropractic care becomes more and more obvious.
Periodic chiropractic checkups, like brushing and flossing, getting regular exercise, and eating wholesome foods is part of a healthy lifestyle.
Spinal problems, neglected since early childhood, may require ongoing supportive care for optimum spinal function. These longstanding problems are often associated with muscle weakness, soft tissue damage, and degenerative changes to the spine.
Not Always. A subluxation or spinal nerve stress is like a dental cavity- you may have it for a long time before symptoms appear. Symptoms are usually the last thing to come in the progression of a problem. That's why periodic spinal check-ups are so important. Although it may be possible to know you have spinal nerve stress or subluxation, it is rarely possible to be sure you don't. An occasional spinal check-up is always a good idea.
There are three basic causes of subluxations. Physical causes could include slips and falls, accidents, repetitive motions and improper lifting. Emotions such as grief, anger, and fear can cause subluxations. Chemical causes could include alcohol, drugs, pollution and poor diet.
You can have subluxations and not even know it. Like the early stages of tooth decay or cancer, subluxations can be present before warning signs appear. The results of a thorough examination can show the location and severity of subluxations you may have,
It depends on the adjusting technique your chiropractor uses. Sometimes the initial adjustment is preceded by a relatively brief initial visit, case history and evaluation. At other times it may take a few hours or even a few days of evaluation and spinal analysis, which may include orthopedic tests ( bone ), neurological ( nerve ) test, physical examination test, spinal analysis, x-rays, CAT scans, MRI scans, bone scan, blood tests ...
Newborns should receive a spinal check especially after difficult or traumatic births. A double blind study shows that birth trama is linked to spinal cord pressure which is associated to SIDS ( sudden infant death syndrome ).
No. If it were, there'd be a lot less sick people around and we chiropractors wouldn't get patients who last saw a chiropractor " a few years ago when my back went out." I believe in wellness care which stresses keeping health and not waiting for symptoms to hit. When your body is in a wellness state it is possible to get used to feeling more balanced, less stressed, and more energetic as a result of periodic chiropractic care. You may become more sensitive to your body and know when you've "lost" your adjustment.
Spinal stress will continue to build up as before, without release. The spine that is not kept in line will begin degenerating. My goal is to maintain your body at it optimum state of wellness, not just to wait for symptoms.
No. Chiropractic deals with the spinal column, nerve system, meninges and bony structure. Massage therapists deal with muscle tension, circulation, and body fluid drainage. Massage therapists care and chiropractors care complement each other and in many cases work together for patient health.
Yes. Today chiropractors have privileges in many hospitals. The presence of D.C.'s in hospitals is a welcome beginning toward inter-professional cooperation and therefore better patient care.
In a majority of cases the answer is a resounding "Yes." I use a technique called Cox distraction which is over 95.6% successful in treating lumbar disc problems with out surgery.
Yes. It's an unfortunate fact that 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 known as "Failed Back Surgery Syndrome." Chiropractic may help prevent repeated operations. A study done by Dr James Cox show that patient having " Cox distraction technique " after surgery had a better surgical outcome.
After the break heals, yes. In fact, a broken bone forms a callus or bone scar when it heals that is stronger than the rest of the bone which should dispel any concerns about the safety of an adjustment. People who have had broken bones need chiropractic check-ups because accidents usually cause spinal subluxations. Many spinal fractures benefit by chiropractic management while the fracture is healing.