What is chiropractic?

Chiropractic is an important component of the United States health care system and the largest alternative medical profession. This drug free, touch therapy is based on the theory that the body is a self-healing organism. Instead of treating the symptoms, such as lower back pain, doctors of chiropractic focus on adjusting the spine with a specific directional thrust that sets a vertebra into motion because it has lost normal position and motion from stress, trauma, or other causes. The doctor will administer an adjustment or a specific force in a precise direction applied to a joint that is fixated, locked up, or not moving properly.  The adjustment is different from spinal manipulation in that the adjustment can only be applied to a vertebral malposition with the express intent to improve or correct the subluxation. A vertebral subluxation is when one or more of the bones of your spine (vertebrae) move out of position and create pressure on, or irritate spinal nerves. Spinal nerves are the nerves that come out from between each of the bones in your spine. This pressure or irritation on the nerves then causes those nerves to malfunction and interfere with the signals traveling over those nerves. Any joint may be manipulated to mobilize the joint or to put the joint through its range of motion.

Chiropractic medicine is one of the most popular forms of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the U.S., with roughly 160 million Americans visiting licensed chiropractors annually. Chiropractors believe that misalignment of the spine produces a multitude of illnesses and diseases. They believe that nerve function, which extends from the spine, is altered by this misalignment. Through spinal manipulation techniques or adjustments, the body is freed to heal itself, thus eliminating or minimizing the need for drugs or surgery. Some chiropractors use only spinal manipulation, while others prescribe herb or vitamin supplements, massage and ultrasound.

In 1895 Chiropractic was discovered and challenged the world of drugs and surgery. It was a long, lonely battle but now chiropractic is the largest natural, drug-free healthcare system in the world. More and more people are turning away from symptom treatment and choosing natural ways of becoming and staying healthy. Looking for more than a drug approach? Welcome to the world of chiropractic.

The most complicated wiring system in the universe – your nerves. The nerve cells in your brain have long wire-like extensions that join together like a big bundle of billions of nerve fibers. This bundle forms your spinal cord. It exits from your skull through a big hole in the bottom of your head called the foramen magnum. Imagine billions of nerve fibers traveling through that hole. Now imagine them branching off at different levels of the spine and going to your heart, lungs, kidneys, intestines, liver, gall bladder, adrenals, thyroid and other glands, and to your hundreds of muscles and bones. That is how your body communicates. Without nerve communication your body would stop working properly. If your spinal bones are slightly out of place you have a subluxation. A subluxation could interfere with the function of millions and billions of nerves going from your brain down your spine and to all parts of the body. A subluxation can affect your resistance to disease; your ability to digest food and to eliminate waste; to see, hear, walk and talk; and even your ability to concentrate, process information, read and think. That’s why there are case reports of chiropractic care returning people back to health from nearly any disease. Chiropractic releases blockages that prevent your body from working better – so your natural healing ability can function at its peak. And the greatest doctor in the world is your natural healing ability. Since subluxations can affect anyone – newborns and infants, school children, adults and the elderly it is essential that all people get themselves checked for this health damaging condition. Chiropractors are specially trained to locate subluxations. Unless a person has had a chiropractic checkup and correction (adjustment) they may be living their lives with spine and nerve stress – and living their lives with less health, wholeness and happiness. That’s why we recommend you bring in your loved ones and friends for care. It might make the difference between health and disease or even life and death.