FAQ
What is Subluxation?
Vertebral subluxation is a mis-alignment of one or more spinal vertebrae which interferes with the spinal cord and/or spinal nerves. Such subluxations are caused by physical, mental, and chemical stress.
The purpose of the nervous system is to control and coordinate the function of every system, organ, tissue and cell in the body, thus maintaining a 100% state of health and wellbeing. The nervous system is responsible for sending messages to and from your brain, keeping communication open between the “boss” (your brain) and all of the hard workers (your body and its systems). A subluxation can alter or prevent the flow of impulses from the brain to the rest of your body. Over a period of time, vertebral subluxation can cause “dis-ease,” or lack of health because it prevents your body and its various systems (nervous, respiratory, circulatory, digestive, immune, etc.) from performing at their highest potential
Does it hurt to get adjusted?
No. Chiropractic adjustments feel great. When you allow the vertebrae in your spine to return to their proper position, you will notice much less stress and tension. In the beginning you may feel minor discomfort similar to when you begin working out.
What is a chiropractic adjustment?
A spinal adjustment is a special procedure your chiropractor uses to correct or relieve your vertebral subluxation complex. Your chiropractor spends years mastering this procedure. There may be many subluxations in your spine and consequently you may receive many adjustments. On some days there may be no subluxations and you will receive no adjustment.
Why should I return if I’m feeling fine?
How you feel is not always a good indication of how healthy you are; in fact you may feel fine while life-threatening vertebral subluxations (spinal distortions) are damaging your body. We’ve all seen people looking like death warmed over who “feel fine”. They are walking targets, waiting for disease to strike before they decide to do anything about their health. They “feel fine” but they have no energy; they “feel fine” but sleep poorly; they “feel fine” but are tired, have aches and pains, headaches, or backaches. Too many people who “feel fine” have sudden heart attacks, strokes, debilitating pain, or are diagnosed with a serious disease such as cancer.
Why wait for something to go wrong before you attend to your health? It may be too late if you wait for symptoms to appear.
There are three phases of Chiropractic care:
1. The Acute Phase – In this phase you may be in a state of discomfort or pain; people often visit a chiropractor when they’re in this phase.
2. Reconstructive or Spinal Healing Phase – In this phase you continue to go to your chiropractor because you need continued corrective care in order to strengthen and heal. Individuals in this phase may find that nearly every time they come in for a spinal checkup their spine is out of alignment.
3. Health Maintenance Phase – Now your spine is holding its adjustments; you come in every so often for a spinal check up and possible adjustment. Think of this in the same way you think of a car tune-up every few thousand miles.
What is chiropractic?
Chiropractic is the science, art & philosophy of locating & correcting vertebral subluxations through gentle, specific chiropractic adjustments thus allowing your body to function at it`s optimum potential.
Is chiropractic care safe?
Yes. Statistics prove that chiropractic care is one of the safest types of healthcare in the world. You only need to compare the malpractice premiums paid by chiropractors to those paid by medical doctors. Doctors of Chiropractic pay only a small fraction (approx. 1/20) of the price medical doctors pay in malpractice premiums. 250,000 people will die this year as a result of bad medicine, making this the third leading cause of death in the United States of America (The Journal of The American Medical Association, JAMA; Vol.284, July 26, 2000). Of the millions of people receiving chiropractic adjustments, each year, only a handful will even make a complaint.
Why do my children need chiropractic care?
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 80lbs 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. Chiropractic care offers your child a more responsive body, a more balanced flow of energy and overall increased performance as she/he passes through their windows of development. A subluxation free child also minimizes the risk of future health challenges.
Why should I continue chiropractic care if I don’t have any symptoms and feel better?
Just because symptoms disappear, does not mean your subluxations are corrected. Most of the practice members seen in our office have spinal degeneration (decay) which has taken years to develop. The trauma of the birth process, slips, falls, accidents and countless other stresses over the course of your lifetime adversely affect the health of your spine. The longer you wait to have your spine checked by a chiropractor, the longer it will take to correct your subluxations. However, how you choose to use chiropractic care is ultimately up to you. It has been our experience that those who stop care when they are “feeling fine” return with the same health challenge(s) which brought them to our office in the first place…only it`s usually gotten worse. On the other hand, those practice members who commit to long-term, wellness chiropractic care, find their health challenge(s) rarely return and they enjoy a higher quality of life & health.
What education is required to become a Chiropractor?
Chiropractors attend four-year academic institutions where they receive the same amount of classroom instruction or more as one would in a medical school program. The courses of study for a Doctor of Chiropractic focus on anatomy, physiology, chemistry, neurology, orthopedics, and various other health and biological sciences. In addition, Chiropractic training includes an internship in which the student doctor assists in caring for patients in a clinical setting under the direct supervision of professionals. After graduating from Chiropractic College, a new Doctor must pass national board exams and state license exams before he or she is allowed to practice in that state.