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The first thing a chiropractor will do is ask you about the health complaints about which you are chiefly concerned. The DC will also ask about your family history, dietary habits, other care you may have had (chiropractic, osteopathic, medical, etc.), your job, and other questions designed to help determine the nature of your illness and the
best way to go about treating the problem.
A physical examination will be performed in accordance with your DC's clinical judgement, which
may include x-rays, laboratory analysis and other diagnostic procedures. In addition, a careful spinal
examination and analysis will be performed to detect any structural abnormalities which may be affecting
or causing your condition. All of these elements are important components of your total health profile,
and vital to the doctor of chiropractic in evaluating your problem.
An "adjustment," as doctors
of chiropractic use the term, means the specific manipulation of vertebrae which have abnormal movement patterns
or fail to function normally. Doctors of chiropractic spend years learning motion palpation (the art of
examining by movement or touch) and other forms of spinal examining procedures, so that they can administer
specific and appropriate spinal adjustments.
Once the DC has identified the problem,
he/she will begin care by way of these adjustments or "manipulations." Particular attention will be paid to that area of your spine where a spinal
derangement or "subluxation" has been detected.
The adjustment is usually given by hand or "activator" type instruments, and consists of applying pressure
to the areas of the spine that are out of alignment or that do not move properly within their normal range
of motion.
Doctors of chiropractic use many
sophisticated and varied techniques, and the specific procedure to be used will be determined and explained
completely to you following a careful evaluation of your radiographs and physical findings.
Under normal circumstances,
adjustments don't hurt. The patient may experience a minor amount of discomfort during the adjustment
which lasts only seconds. Adjustments or manipulations are extremely safe. The risk factor is estimated to
be in excess of 1 million to 1.
The conditions which doctors of chiropractic address are as varied and as vast as the nervous system itself. All chiropractors use a standard procedure of examination to diagnose a patient's condition and arrive at a course of treatment. Doctors of chiropractic use the same time-honored methods of consultation, case history, physical examination, laboratory analysis and x-ray examination as any other doctor. In addition, they provide a careful chiropractic structural examination, paying particular attention to the spine.
The examination of the spine to evaluate structure and function is what makes chiropractic different from other health care procedures. Your spinal column is a series of movable bones which begin at the base of your skull and end in the center of your hips. Thirty-one pairs of spinal nerves extend down the spine from the brain and exit through a series of openings. The nerves leave the spine and form a complicated network which influences every living tissue in your body.
Accidents, falls, stress, tension, overexertion, and countless other factors can result in a displacements or derangements of the spinal column, causing irritation to spinal nerve roots. These irritations are often what cause malfunctions in the human body. Chiropractic teaches that reducing or eliminating this irritation to spinal nerves can cause your body to operate more efficiently and more comfortably.
Chiropractic also places an emphasis on nutritional and exercise programs, wellness and lifestyle modifications for promoting physical and mental health. While chiropractors make no use of drugs or surgery, Doctors of chiropractic do refer patients for medical care when those interventions are indicated. In fact, chiropractors, medical doctors, physical therapists and other health care professionals now work as partners in occupational health, sports medicine, and a wide variety of other rehabilitation practices.
Not everyone is a candidate for Chiropractic care, your initial exam with one of our doctors will determine if your health need is best treated by us or another type of doctor.
Adjustments
Adjustments