Answers
to common questions about chiropractic:
o What is Chiropractic?
o How Does Chiropractic Work?
o What Is An Adjustment?
o Are All Patients Adjusted The Same Way?
o Can I Adjust Myself?
o Can I Speed The Healing Process?
o Why Do Children Need Chiropractic Care?
o Am I Too Old For Chiropractic Care?
o Do I Have a Slipped Disk?
o How Long Will I Need Chiropractic Care?
o Once you start going, do you always have to go?
What is Chiropractic?
Each of us is designed to be healthy. Chiropractic care helps restore optimum health.
Chiropractic is based on the scientific fact that your body is a self-regulating,
self-healing organism. These important functions are controlled by the brain, spinal cord
and all the nerves of the body. The skull protects the delicate tissues of the brain. The
moving bones of the spine protect the vulnerable spinal cord and nerve roots. If the
nervous system is impaired, it can cause malfunction of the tissues and organs throughout
the body. Doctors call this the Vertebral Subluxation Complex. "Vertebral",
meaning the bones of the spine; "subluxation", meaning less than a total
dislocation; "complex", meaning consisting of more than one part. Chiropractic
is the science of locating offending spinal structures, the art of reducing their impact
to the nervous system, and the philosophy of all things natural.
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How Does Chiropractic Work?
Today's chiropractic doctor looks for the underlying nervous system involvement 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 interference's 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 interference's 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.
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What Is An Adjustment?
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 delivers 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.
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Are All Patients Adjusted The Same Way?
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 muscle tension to the base of the skull. Other patients may be
experiencing numbness and tingling in their fingers, when the actual problem is in the
neck or shoulder. 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.
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Can I Adjust Myself?
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.
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Can I Speed The Healing Process?
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 your appointments
and follow your chiropractic doctor's recommendations for optimum results.
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Why Do Children Need Chiropractic Care?
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.
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Am I Too Old For Chiropractic Care?
Regardless of your age, chiropractic care can help improve mobility and maintain vitality.
Dr. Winchell's oldest patient is 102 and he has been going to Chiropractors for over 90
years.
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.
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Do I Have A Slipped Disc?
Discs do not "slip", however like the shock absorbers on your car, they can leak
or rupture.
Technically, a disc can't "slip". The intervertebral disc is a pad of
cartilage-type material situated between spinal bones. Each disc serves as a connector,
spacer, and shock absorber for the spine. A soft, jelly-like center is contained by outer
layers of fibrous tissue. Healthy discs help allow normal turning and bending. Because of
the way each disc is attached to the vertebrae above and below, a disc cannot
"slip". Trauma or injury to the spine, however, can cause discs to tear, bulge,
herniate, or worse, rupture. This can be quite painful, as the soft center of the disc
leaks, putting pressure on the adjacent nerve roots and spinal cord. While results cannot
be guaranteed, many patients have avoided needless surgery or a dependency on pain pills,
by choosing chiropractic care for their disc-related health problem.
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How Long Will I Need Chiropractic Care?
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. Most patients find
that periodic chiropractic checkups help keep them in tip-top shape. Those who are active,
have stressful jobs, or want to be their very best, find that a schedule of preventive
visits is helpful in the maintenance of good health. Some patients seek chiropractic care
only when their ache or pain becomes unbearable. While this style of "crisis
management" is usually more costly and time-consuming, our office stands ready to
help all patients, reach their health goals. How long you decide to benefit from
chiropractic care is always up to you.
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Once you start going to a chiropractor, do you always have to go?
No. Patient's are encouraged to choose from one of three types of care.
If you want relief of symptoms, choose relief care for a short-term program. If you want
to correct the cause of your symptoms at the source, choose corrective care. Spinal
problems, neglected since early childhood, may require ongoing supportive care for optimum
spinal function. If you want to prevent problems from occurring, choose preventive
maintenance care. In this program, you plan regular checkups to stay as healthy as
possible and prevent problems from occurring as a result of untreated misalignments.
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