| 1. |
What is chiropractic? |
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Chiropractic is the science, art and philosophy of locating & correcting vertebral subluxations through gentle, specific chiropractic adjustments thus allowing your body to function at it's optimum potential. |
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| 2. |
What is a subluxation? |
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A misalignment of one or more of your spinal bones (vertebrae), which causes interference to your nervous system. If your nervous system is interfered with, your body's natural ability to heal itself & function at it's optimum potential becomes impaired. A subluxation is a perfect example of how structure effects function. |
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| 3. |
How do I get a subluxation? |
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There are three basic causes of subluxations. Physical causes could include slips, falls, accidents, repetitive motions and improper lifting. Emotional causes would include grief, anger, stress and fear. Chemical causes could include alcohol, drugs, pollution or poor nutrition. |
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| 4. |
How do I know if I have a subluxation? |
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You can have subluxations and not even know it. The results of a thorough examination can show the location and severity of subluxations you may have. |
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| 5. |
What is an adjustment? |
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Chiropractic adjustments usually involve a quick thrust that helps add motion to spinal joints that aren't moving right. Some methods use the doctor's hands, an instrument, a special table or the force of gravity. There are many ways to adjust the spine. The purpose of the adjustment is to correct your spinal subluxation(s) thus removing the nerve interference in your body. |
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| 6. |
Does it hurt to get adjusted? |
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No. Chiropractic adjustments feel great. I am confident that once you begin receiving your adjustments, you will begin to look forward to them. They will become one of the highlights of your week. When you allow the vertebrae in your spine to return to their proper position, you will notice much less stress and tension. |
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| 7. |
Do I have a pinched nerve? |
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A pinched nerve is rare. It is more likely that an adjacent spinal bone irritates, stretches, rubs, or chafes a nerve. These subluxations distort the nerve messages sent between the brain and the body. This can produce unhealthy alternations to the organs and tissues connected by the affected nerves. |
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| 8. |
Is chiropractic care safe? |
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Yes. Statistics prove that chiropractic care is one of the safest types of healthcare in the world. Adjustments are about 100 times safer than taking an over-the-counter pain reliever. Also, malpractice premiums paid by chiropractors are a small fraction (approx. 1/20) of the price medical doctors pay in malpractice premiums. Of the millions of people receiving chiropractic adjustments, each year, only a handful will even make a complaint. |
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| 9. |
Will adjustments make my spine too loose? |
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No. Only the spinal joints that are "locked up" receive adjustments. This allows weakened muscles and ligaments to stabilize and heal. |
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| 10. |
Can the bones move too much? |
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Highly unlikely. A chiropractic adjustment is special. It has the right amount of energy, delivered to an exact spot, at a precise angle, at just the right time. The intent is to get a "stuck" spinal joint moving again, helping reduce nerve interference. Years of training, practice and experience make chiropractic adjustments specific and safe. |
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| 11. |
What causes the sound made during a chiropractic adjustment? |
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That sound is not your spine "cracking" or "popping" like most people think. Lubricating fluids separate the bones of each spinal joint. Some adjusting methods can produce a sound when the gas and fluids in the joint shift. It's much like opening a bottle of champagne or removing a suction cup. Not all chiropractic adjusting techniques produce this noise. In fact, some adjusting techniques use little force and thus produce no noise at all. |
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| 12. |
Is it bad to "crack" your back or neck a lot? |
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This question is frequently asked because people associate the "cracking" or "popping" of one's back or neck with a chiropractic adjustment. The two are not the same thing. If a person has a desire to "crack" his/her neck or back, it is often because one area of their spine is fixated or jammed causing another area to move too much and "pop", sometimes by itself. It's the fixated or jammed area that needs to be properly adjusted by a chiropractor so that the other parts of the spine will not be hypermobile and noisy. When you "crack" your back you may be relieving the tension for a little while. Do you notice how it keeps coming back? That is because you are not giving yourself a specific chiropractic adjustment. The cause of the spinal tension, the fixated or jammed (subluxated) vertebrae, has not been corrected. Any person who makes a habit out of "cracking" or "popping" their back or neck needs to go to a Doctor of Chiropractic to have their spine checked. Even a chiropractor cannot adjust him/herself. |
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| 13. |
Are all patients adjusted the same way? |
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No. Each patient's spine and care plan is unique. With 24 moving bones in the spine, each of which can move in seven different directions, we see a wide variety of spinal patterns. Each patient's care is custom-tailored for their age, condition and health goals. |
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| 14. |
Will I receive any medication for my pain? |
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No. Chiropractic doctors don't dispense drugs. Chiropractors rely on natural methods, we can show you how to use ice to control painful symptoms. When properly applied, ice can have an analgesic effect without the side effects of pain medications. |
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| 15. |
Can I have chiropractic care after back surgery? |
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Yes. Rest assured that your chiropractic doctor will avoid the surgically modified areas of your spine. Surgery often causes instability above or below the involved level. These areas will be the focus of your chiropractic care. |
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| 16. |
Can patients with osteoporosis get chiropractic care? |
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Of course. When developing a care plan, your chiropractic doctor considers the unique circumstances of each patient. There are many ways to adjust the spine. The method selected will be best suited to your age, size and condition. |
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| 17. |
How many adjustments will I need? |
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The number of adjustments varies with each patient and their individual health goals. Many patients sense progress within a week or two of frequent visits. Visits become less often as your spine stabilizes. In chronic cases, complete healing can take months or even years. |
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| 18. |
Should I continue chiropractic care if I don't have any symptoms and I feel better? |
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Yes. Just because symptoms disappear, does not mean your subluxations are corrected. Most of the clients 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 clients who commit to long-term, wellness chiropractic care, find their health challenge(s) rarely return and they enjoy a higher quality of life & health. |
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| 19. |
Why do my children need chiropractic care? |
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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. |
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