“What is chiropractic care?” is one of the most often asked questions we receive. As well as “What do chiropractors do?” These are excellent questions, and we will attempt to answer them in this little piece. Chiropractors are experts in the spine, just as cardiologists are experts in the heart and dentists are experts in teeth.
The spine serves two purposes. The first thing it does is support us by keeping us upright. Our posture refers to the support it offers. The second function is to surround and protect our spinal cord. This is significant since our spinal cord is fundamental to almost everything we accomplish.
The brain governs all of our body’s processes. This is how it works at its most basic level. It accomplishes this by communicating down the spinal cord and out through the nerves, which reach all of the critical organs and tissues.
Those organs and tissues rely on that energy or communication system to keep us alive and healthy. However, whether the stresses in our lives are sudden, severe, or traumatic, or whether they are minor, such as habits, routines, or how we sit at an office desk, the individual bones of our spine might begin to shift or limit themselves. This may cause them to feel out of place. Subluxations occur due to these stresses. When that happens, your spine gets out of alignment, losing its natural curvature. This can affect your body’s natural way of communicating within itself.
A subluxation is a partial dislocation of the body’s joints. Many seek chiropractic care for joint subluxations that cause severe pain and suffering. A subluxation can happen to anyone at any age. Even children are vulnerable to subluxations caused by being picked up or gently pulled by their caregivers. Subluxations can develop in many different parts of the body. It is when a bone is out of alignment and not in its proper place.
A chiropractic adjustment, also known as spinal manipulation, is a treatment in which trained experts (chiropractors) apply an abrupt yet regulated force to the spine with their hands or a small device. The goal of chiropractic adjustment is to improve physical function and spinal motion in your body. The goal is to restore a joint’s bones to their original, natural fit. It may just require one adjustment (where the adjustment “sticks”), or it may take several.
Most people think of a chiropractic adjustment used on the back and neck region. However, there are other areas that we work on too. These areas are things like shoulders, knees, and hips, to name a few. As chiropractors, we look at your body as a whole and adjust where we see a subluxation. We don’t treat the area of pain, but we treat the entire body to find the root of the pain.
Like most medical professionals, a chiropractor will question you about your problem, check your medical history, conduct a physical exam, and maybe use medical imaging to help arrive at or confirm a diagnosis. When you arrive, we will assess your stance or posture and have you lie down at our table. This could be face up, face down, or sideways. It will be determined by what sublimations we find. The force required to perform an appropriate adjustment can vary depending on the problem/diagnosis, as does your position on the table (face-down is usual). The controlled, directed thrust may necessitate the use of two hands and is intended to extend the joint’s natural range of motion. This aids in the healing of the subluxation.
You may need to return several times to achieve the desired results.
Even though we have seen thousands of people’s lives altered by chiropractic care, we know you came to this post for a broader perspective, and we are delighted to share it. Why are we competent to speak on this topic? Because our clinic at Elevate Spinal Care sees hundreds of patients each week without incident or injury. We also spoke with many other well-managed clinics across the country with a long track record of safety. Nonetheless, we understand you might have concerns about chiropractic care. It’s natural to be concerned about the safety of any medical procedure you’re considering. We advocate for taking charge of your health, which includes asking the proper questions of your healthcare providers.
At Elevate, we are committed not just to your complete healing through chiropractic therapy but also to empowering you with information so that you may make the best health decisions possible. When looking to improve your health and stay healthy, you need to include chiropractic care in your routine. While some people will need to see us for multiple visits, some will simply need to be on a maintenance plan.
Chiropractors are experts at detecting and correcting subluxations. The intentions and goals are to restore that communication pathway so you can function at your full potential. If you have back, neck, or joint issues, you might want to give us a call. This holistic approach to your health comes with very little risk. Medical doctors might have told you that you need knee or hip surgery. However, if you haven’t seen a chiropractor, you might want to get our opinion. We help many patients avoid costly and painful surgery with our holistic approach to medicine.
That’s what we like to do around here, help patients. We’ll be here if you’re interested in checking us out. We are happy to explain the process. We hope to see you soon.