What is Chiropractic? Chiropractic locates and removes a severe form of spine and nerve stress, a condition that puts pressure on nerves, unbalances your body, lowers your resistance to disease and weakens you: the vertebral subluxation complex.
What does a Chiropractor do? The doctor of chiropractic analyzes your body for vertebral subluxation using his/her hands and other analysis tools, and then corrects or re- moves any spinal nerve stress using various spinal adjustment techniques.
How do we get spinal nerve stress (subluxations)? From stress. It may occur in infancy from a difficult birth or from childhood falls. Later in life, emotional tension or stress can gradually dam- age your spine or violent injuries from automobile accidents or sports can suddenly knock you “out of whack”.
Who is affected by subluxations? Nearly everyone eventually gets spinal nerve stress. It is a “hidden epidemic” and it is for that reason that we all need to have our spines checked for this condition by a doctor of chiropractic every once in a while, just as we get our eyes, teeth and blood pressure checked.
When was the first chiropractic patient treated? Modern chiropractic began in 1895 when Dr. D.D. Palmer performed the first chiropractic “spinal adjustment” on his deaf janitor, Harvey Lillard. Lillard’s hearing returned and Palmer thought he had discovered a cure for deafness. But as patients with digestive troubles, sciatica, menstrual trouble, migraine headaches, epilepsy, heart problems, back pain and many other conditions responded to spinal care, Palmer realized that he had discovered something more far-reaching indeed
Assuming I’m going to take chiropractic treatments, how are they performed? Chiropractors work with the bones and nerves of the spinal column and spinal cord respectively. Chiropractors spend years of highly specialized training in order to locate where misplaced spinal vertebrae are impinging the nerves which travel down the spinal cord and out through the spinal column to the muscles, organs and glands of the body. After locating the vertebrae impinging the nerves (subluxations), a chiropractor uses various specialized techniques to replace the misplaced vertebrae and thus release pressure on the nerves. That is called a spinal adjustment.
What are some of the conditions commonly treated by chiropractic? All kinds of conditions are treated with chiropractic care, such as colds or ear infections, PMS, spinal or disc problems, arthritis, insomnia, stress, vision problems, headaches, allergies, bedwetting, colic, high blood pressure the list is long! And yet, please remember, the goal of chiropractic treatment is not the treatment of disease but rather the enhancement of health through the reduction of spinal nerve stress (vertebral subluxation complex).
The above list may seem long as though chiropractic were a panacea. The truth is that most textbooks list over two hundred diseases. Please be mindful of the fact that chiropractic care is not like one drug used for one condition, but on the contrary, it is a complete healing art within itself, concerned with the systems of the body such as nervous, circulatory, digestive, respiratory, eliminatory, reproductive, hormonal, musculoskeletal etc., and seeks to correct health problems within those systems.
Can I receive chiropractic treatments if I’m under medical care? Absolutely. Having your spinal nerve stress corrected is important no matter what other type of care you’re receiving. You can have your spinal column checked for vertebral subluxations by a doctor of chiropractic and still visit a doctor of homeopathy, naturopathy, osteopathy or medicine, M.D.’s and other healers cannot tell if you’re suffering from spinal nerve stress (vertebral subluxations) and are not trained in correcting it.
In Chiropractic are there other significant factors besides vertebral adjusting? Yes, there are five laws to obey for those who desire health and longevity:
- Proper nutrition
- Adequate rest
- Moderate exercise
- A positive mental attitude
- Proper nerve supply
No matter what disease or condition you have, you can benefit from a healthy spine. Spinal health can be as important for your overall healing as proper nutrition. Are you and your family carrying the silent killer, the vertebral subluxation complex, in your spines? Only a chiropractic spinal checkup can tell. Among the many things contributing to your health— the quality of the air, food and water you take in; how you handle emotional stress; your inherited weakness and strengths; your use of drugs; exercise; and relaxation—a healthy spine is absolutely essential. In some people it is a major factor and can make the difference between a life of health, strength and vitality or a life of disease, weakness and disability.