Frequently Asked Questions

Chiropractic is a health care discipline which emphasizes the inherent recuperative power of the body to heal itself without the use of drugs and surgery. It is a health science that is concerned with the proper function of the nervous system as it relates to the body as a whole.

Chiropractors do not prescribe drugs or perform surgery. Instead, they try to ensure that the nervous system is free to function at its best. Chiropractors understand that the body regulates its various mechanisms through a delicate balancing process that depends on the nervous system to communicate information between the brain and other organs. When something interferes with that communication — subluxation results — pain and illness result.

The most common problem that can cause interference in the nervous system is misalignments of the spinal column. Chiropractors correct these misalignments to restore proper nerve function so that the body can heal itself naturally. We are working with the immune system and not against it and aiming not just for health, but also for resistance to disease. The chiropractic approach to healthcare is holistic, stressing the patient’s overall health and wellness. It recognizes that many factors affect health, including exercise, diet, rest, environment, and heredity.

The Chiropractic philosophy is based on the following belief statements:

• All bodily functions are connected and the healing process involves the entire body.
• A healthy nervous system, particularly the spine, is the key to a healthy body.
• The spinal cord carries information throughout the body and is responsible for all bodily functions including voluntary movements (such as walking) and involuntary functions (such as breathing).
• When the systems of the body are balanced, it is called homeostasis.
• Disorders of the bones, muscles, and nerves can disrupt homeostasis and increase the risk of disease and other health problems.
• When body systems are in harmony, the human body has the remarkable ability to maintain health and heal itself.

According to the World Health Organization, “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

You know what pain is when you have it. Pain is not consistent with optimal health. Most of us believe good health is not feeling pain or discomfort. And it’s not until we experience a traumatic event, serious illness or pain that interferes with our life, causing us to stop work or delay our plans that we finally pay attention and seek help. For many people, severe pain or disease is the only reason to take time from their life to focus on their health.

Subluxations are an indication of a need for chiropractic care. Your brain and body can handle an enormous amount of stress. Beyond a certain point, your system becomes overloaded. The combined effect of a variety of stresses and the inability of the nervous system to deal with them can produce vertebral subluxations.

These subluxations result in a persistent misalignment of the spinal vertebrae. The resulting interference disrupts the nervous system’s natural ability to assemble and sort out neurological instructions. Like a computer, if the input (messages to the system) is distorted, then the output (messages from the nervous system to the body cells) will also be distorted.

The term subluxation means minor misalignment. However, the effects on the human body as a result of a subluxation on the upper cervical spine can be far from minor. In the simplest of terms, a subluxation is when one or more vertebrae (bones in your spine) move out of line and create pressure on spinal nerves. Spinal nerves are the nerves that come out from the vertebrae in your spine. Pressure on the nerves can cause interference with the signals traveling through them — leading to numerous health-related problems.

The birth process is often the cause of your child’s first subluxation. A very soft and undeveloped spine of an infant can suffer trauma during delivery. It is estimated that as much as 80 lbs of pulling pressure can be exerted to remove a baby from the birth canal. Then, as children grow up and become more adventurous, the number of injuries to their spines become countless. The repeated falls as children learn to walk, the running, jumping, twisting, bumping, and falling all over the place while playing in the yard or on an athletic field will often cause your child to become subluxated. However, often children do not show any signs or symptoms of being subluxated until later on in life.

Symptoms may occur as soon as a vertebral subluxation is present. In most instances, however, a person may have vertebral subluxations for many years before the cumulative effect on the body or mind is sufficient to produce a symptom. Often we are not aware that a subluxation is present unless a chiropractic examination is conducted.

It is well documented that the nervous system is the center for all your thoughts, feelings, memory, learning and consciousness. Nerves control muscle tension, blood vessel openings, glandular functioning, pain, touch, hearing, sight, taste, temperature and other extra senses. Nerves connect both your inner and outer worlds. All your organs receive a nerve supply from your spine. Since your spinal column houses and protects your spinal cord, as well as serves as attachment sights for all your muscles, it is vital to your overall well-being to maintain a properly aligned spinal column. Chiropractic is the only profession who specializes in maintaining a well-balanced spine and nervous system simultaneously.

The spine is a dynamic structure central to health. The spine is made up of a stacked set of bones called the vertebra. Ligaments bind the vertebra together, muscles attach to the bony extensions of the vertebra, and a complex system of blood vessels nourishes the spine. Between each vertebra are cartilage pads called discs, which act as shock absorbers and distributors for the demands we put on the spine. The spine forms the protective housing for the spinal cord, which begins at the brain stem (back of the skull) and extends like a “hot” wire down the length of the spine.

Ultimately, the spinal cord sends out nerve branches that send and receive signals from every cell in the body. The spine is a living and active structure, even when the body appears to be absolutely still. Nerves fire signals to and from the brain. Ligaments actively help the brain monitor where we are in space. Muscles work to stabilize the body in a field of gravity. Although this activity can slow down during sleep or rest, it never stops.

The chiropractor sees the spine as a series of motor units, each called a spinal joint complex. Each joint complex is composed of sets of two bony vertebra, the disc between, and the ligaments, muscles, tendons, fascia, blood vessels, and nerves.

An adjustment is a specific, highly-accurate thrust used to reduce the effects of subluxations and restore normal movement patterns in the spine. Once the chiropractor has identified the problem, she will begin care by way of these adjustments. Doctors of chiropractic spend years becoming experts on adjustments to help your body “right itself”, naturally.

After an adjustment, most clients report a sense of well-being and ease. After all, if adjustments weren’t pleasant, our clients wouldn’t return for the multiple visits needed to retrain their spine! Everyone can benefit from adjustments. Newborns, infants, children, seniors and even back surgery clients can get adjusted. Adjustments are tailored to your size, age and health issues. Adjustments are extremely safe.

Rather than lying down, chiropractors want x-ray views showing your body in a weight-bearing position. Both visible light and x-rays consist of photon particles conveyed over electromagnetic energy. When carefully controlled, this energy can be used to reveal the internal structure of the body. Chiropractors find these pictures extremely helpful for the following:

• Provide a structural record of your spine.
• Rule out cancer, disease or other pathologies.
• Locate fractures or other signs of trauma.
• Identify evidence of long term spinal decay.
• Confirm other examination findings.