Frequently asked questions about
Doctors of Chiropractic:
1. WHAT IS CHIROPRACTIC?
Chiropractic is the science of treating ailments by manipulations or adjustments of articular structures (bones) of the spine, skeleton and soft tissues. This conservative and noninvasive approach is based on the scientific fact your brain controls the proper function of your body via the nervous system. By maintaining the working balance of your spine, muscles and nerves; along with eating right, exercising, proper rest and positive thinking, your body functions its best. Doctors of Chiropractic, (D.C.), specialize in this form of healthcare. We are capable of administering an extensive exam to determine if someone is a chiropractic patient or if they should be referred to other healthcare professionals. We work closely with your family doctor and specialists for a team approach to provide the best care for you and your family.
2. HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO FEEL BETTER?
This is an excellent question and often asked within my office. However, when treating an individual there is no recipe or cookbook approach to their health. Each patient receives special attention to properly assess his or her condition because it is requisite when determining appropriate care. Some respond quickly while others may take longer depending on how long you've had pain. Typically patients mention it has come and gone for several months but continually seems to last longer each time the pain occurs. This is how the body tries to handle stress. Too much and you will get pain and then the body will recuperate until it can't take anymore, so you experience pain again. Other times it may be an accident or injury, which may respond quickly depending on the severity of the problem. When treating children, they respond quicker than adults because they are young and growing and a complaint is not that old. Adults have abused their body for a number of years, had "minor" car accidents and other minor acute injuries. Your body adapts over and over and attempts to prevent further damage often healing in a weakened state. Therefore a simple motion like trying to pick up a pen can cause severe low back pain. It is not the motion of picking up the pen but the accumulation of micro-traumas sustained by the body. Studies have shown how muscle fibers become adhesive and lose their elasticity causing muscle tightness but can be reversed with spinal manipulation. In order for proper spinal healing to occur studies report several adjustments may be needed for your body to adapt, much like the teeth when braces are put on them. Simply put, gaining weight is a slow process, which eventually causes a problem. When you decide to correct your weight, it is not a quick process either. It takes time, much like healing your body.
3. ONCE YOU BEGIN GOING TO A CHIROPRACTOR, DO YOU HAVE TO CONTINUE GOING?
The answer depends on what your short or long term health goals are. If your only goal is to eliminate an acute pain, such as neck pain or back sprain or headache, than the answer is "no". You can use chiropractic as a painkiller. It provides very effective pain relief without side effects. However, this is an inefficient use of chiropractic and only scratches the surface of its potential benefit. Many people begin chiropractic care this way, but soon see a bigger picture and continue seeing their chiropractor after they have experienced the benefits of regular adjustments. The answer is "yes" if your goal is optimum lifelong health. Most people are lifetime dentistry and optometrist patients, because they understand the benefit of maintaining healthy eyes and teeth. Although the spine is not visible like your teeth or eyes, people are realizing that proper spinal health can help keep you well and prevent future problems. When you understand the far-reaching effects of proper spinal alignment, then you know this enables your brain and body to communicate with each other to keep you functioning the best you can. Top athletes use chiropractic because they notice it helps them ward off injury and recuperate quicker from game soreness. Removing these imbalances and learning how to stretch and strengthen your body will stack the cards in your favor to give yourself the best chance of a healthy future.
4. ARE CHIROPRACTORS JUST GOOD FOR BAD BACKS?
Doctors of Chiropractic became the "back" doctor because of our proven success with disc, sciatica, headaches, low back & neck pain and because we work on the back. However many people, including pro athletes, seek care for foot, ankle & shoulder pain. By maintaining balance between the muscle and skeletal system your body can move and perform the way you want. Most professional sports have chiropractic available to help their athletes prevent injuries and recuperate quicker. Too often patients have tried every form of treatment, without relief, except chiropractic. If you are told it is in your head or you'll have to live with it, maybe you should try chiropractic as millions of others just like you have and get relief.
5. WHAT IS MAINTENANCE CHIROPRACTIC CARE?
People have accepted the importance of healthy teeth by brushing regularly and flossing. Car tune-ups have also proved beneficial to maintain the performance of your vehicle and decrease the number of breakdowns. Spinal health is extremely important. Removing stress on your spine and the muscles of your body will help prevent arthritis, musculoskeletal conditions like headache and back pain, and help you enjoy life to its fullest with your family. "Whatever upsets the brain's control of the immune system will foster malignancy." Bernie Seigel, M.D. An orthodontist uses braces to move your teeth to a more desirable position. This will take years and you will need to wear a retainer to maintain this new position. We use our hands to correct biomechanical, or joint, dysfunction also known as subluxations. With regular chiropractic care your body adapts to the new position for complete spinal correction, better alignment and prevents further problems. It is easier to stay well than to get well. " The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame and the prevention of disease. " Thomas Edison
6. WILL ADJUSTMENTS HURT?
No. The doctor makes the adjustment after careful analysis, when he/she places their hands on the patient in a specific way and applies a gentle force to correct the specific location of joint dysfunction or subluxation. You release body tension, endorphins and nervous information throughout your body. Some patients may notice soreness due to the stretching of muscles and correction of mechanical dysfunction; much like wearing orthodontic braces or exercising for the first time. The body may make a popping noise as correction is made and is merely gas escaping from the joints, like your knuckles.
7. WHY DON'T CHIROPRACTORS TREAT MY SYMPTOMS?
A symptom to me is like a clue to what is really happening. I listen to your symptoms, perform orthopedic and neurological tests and may even request x-rays to fully understand your symptoms. I then determine what is causing your symptoms and correct the cause of your pain. We all have a smoke alarm in our house to warn us of potential danger. Question? When the smoke alarm goes off, do you A, ignore it, B, pull the battery out and keep watching TV, or C, try to figure out why it is warning you something is wrong? Your body is a complex machine. When your body gives you the same warning, as pain, it should not be ignored either. Too many times we hide the symptom with drugs, think everything is better and go out and really injure the area because your senses are altered. We don't utilize medications to treat symptoms, like headaches, because you only hide the problem without finding out the cause of your problem, however patients have been referred to their MD for medications which may help them sleep or get through the day a little easier.
8. WHY HAVE MY SPINE CHECKED IF I'M NOT IN PAIN?
For the same reason you have a dental checkup when you do not have a toothache. For the same reason you have your car serviced when it isn't running badly. It is easier and more economical to catch small or non-existent problems before they become big problems. By keeping the nerves, muscles and skeletal system working together properly, your body will be stress free & healthier. Many times we do damage to our bodies without even knowing it.
9. IF I NEEDED TO SEE A CHIROPRACTOR, WOULDN'T MY M.D. SEND ME TO ONE?
I do receive referrals from M.D.s, for their patients and themselves, but we are trained differently. They do not look for mechanical problems on x-ray & some will not recognize the surmounting literature regarding chiropractic effectiveness for more than low back pain. If your M.D. doesn't understand what we do, why would he or she refer you to a chiropractor? Most states require insurance companies, worker's compensation, no-fault insurance and Medicare to cover chiropractic because of our results. More and more, all doctors have realized that no one health field is complete without the compliment of their fellow health care professionals, who work together for a team approach to your health.
10. I CAN ADJUST MYSELF, WHY DO I NEED A CHIROPRACTOR?
"He who adjusts his own spine has a fool for a chiropractor." After 5 years of graduate education, State exams and 3 National tests, I have taken extensive hours in diagnosis, anatomy, neurology and x-ray, to safely know what I'm doing. If I watched ER and saw a heart operation would you let me perform one on you? It takes years of training. Please don't let an "uneducated" person touch your spine because you can get seriously hurt and don't continually try to make your body make noises. Doctors of Chiropractic perform 94% of the manipulation in the entire world. All it takes is a simple fall, some soreness and you have someone walk on your back or crack it unknowingly. When the pain gets worse and you get an x-ray, now you find out you cracked a rib and risked puncturing a lung. I’ve seen it.
11. IS IT SAFE FOR KIDS AND PREGNANT WOMEN?
Chiropractic has been proven safe for both. Kids fall down all the time and can predispose themselves to problems later in life if left uncorrected. Children respond quicker than adults, due to the fact the problem hasn't been there for years. Studies have shown positive results for kids with chronic ear infections and in helping reduce Scoliosis. Surprisingly, 70% of children experience headaches by age 15. Also there is stress placed on the spine with the heavy backpacks kids carry for school, which can lead to problems if ignored. Pregnancy causes ligament laxity and low back strain, sciatica, even carpal tunnel, which can also be helped. Patients often get relief when the spine is corrected. Modern tables make it easy and comfortable for women at any term to lie on their stomach. For pregnant patients and children of all ages, procedures are modified to be safe and effective.
12. MY BROTHER'S COUSIN'S NEPHEW'S AUNT SAID THEY HURT PEOPLE, SO WHY GO?
First, find out the real story. There may be more to it. However, I've been to mechanics who did work I didn't like, so I take my vehicle to someone else. Don't let a few bad apples ruin the bunch.
13. I WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT, SHOULD I SEE A CHIROPRACTOR?
Yes! Whatever impact your car takes, your spinal frame takes too. No blood does not mean no injury. If your car is "totaled", how can you be okay? If metal bends, then that is a considerable impact. If you try to drive your car away, after reporting the accident of course, the car will pull or brake improperly. Over time the car will show excessive wear to the tires, brakes, etc. Your body will do the same thing if left uncorrected. Standard treatment methods cause many simple problems to become chronic. Early active mobilization and chiropractic manipulation have been shown to decrease pain and hasten a return to normal function. The spine will not move like it was designed to and may lead to early degeneration and pain.
14. DOES CHIROPRACTIC CAUSE ARTHRITIS?
Many people suffer from knee, hand and hip arthritis yet chiropractors don't work on these regions regularly and many people don't even see chiropractors. We work to ensure your joints and muscles work and move together as they should. When they don't, it leads to stress, joint breakdown, degeneration and eventually arthritis, much like a car misalignment wears down a tire.
Doctors of Chiropractic:
1. WHAT IS CHIROPRACTIC?
Chiropractic is the science of treating ailments by manipulations or adjustments of articular structures (bones) of the spine, skeleton and soft tissues. This conservative and noninvasive approach is based on the scientific fact your brain controls the proper function of your body via the nervous system. By maintaining the working balance of your spine, muscles and nerves; along with eating right, exercising, proper rest and positive thinking, your body functions its best. Doctors of Chiropractic, (D.C.), specialize in this form of healthcare. We are capable of administering an extensive exam to determine if someone is a chiropractic patient or if they should be referred to other healthcare professionals. We work closely with your family doctor and specialists for a team approach to provide the best care for you and your family.
2. HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO FEEL BETTER?
This is an excellent question and often asked within my office. However, when treating an individual there is no recipe or cookbook approach to their health. Each patient receives special attention to properly assess his or her condition because it is requisite when determining appropriate care. Some respond quickly while others may take longer depending on how long you've had pain. Typically patients mention it has come and gone for several months but continually seems to last longer each time the pain occurs. This is how the body tries to handle stress. Too much and you will get pain and then the body will recuperate until it can't take anymore, so you experience pain again. Other times it may be an accident or injury, which may respond quickly depending on the severity of the problem. When treating children, they respond quicker than adults because they are young and growing and a complaint is not that old. Adults have abused their body for a number of years, had "minor" car accidents and other minor acute injuries. Your body adapts over and over and attempts to prevent further damage often healing in a weakened state. Therefore a simple motion like trying to pick up a pen can cause severe low back pain. It is not the motion of picking up the pen but the accumulation of micro-traumas sustained by the body. Studies have shown how muscle fibers become adhesive and lose their elasticity causing muscle tightness but can be reversed with spinal manipulation. In order for proper spinal healing to occur studies report several adjustments may be needed for your body to adapt, much like the teeth when braces are put on them. Simply put, gaining weight is a slow process, which eventually causes a problem. When you decide to correct your weight, it is not a quick process either. It takes time, much like healing your body.
3. ONCE YOU BEGIN GOING TO A CHIROPRACTOR, DO YOU HAVE TO CONTINUE GOING?
The answer depends on what your short or long term health goals are. If your only goal is to eliminate an acute pain, such as neck pain or back sprain or headache, than the answer is "no". You can use chiropractic as a painkiller. It provides very effective pain relief without side effects. However, this is an inefficient use of chiropractic and only scratches the surface of its potential benefit. Many people begin chiropractic care this way, but soon see a bigger picture and continue seeing their chiropractor after they have experienced the benefits of regular adjustments. The answer is "yes" if your goal is optimum lifelong health. Most people are lifetime dentistry and optometrist patients, because they understand the benefit of maintaining healthy eyes and teeth. Although the spine is not visible like your teeth or eyes, people are realizing that proper spinal health can help keep you well and prevent future problems. When you understand the far-reaching effects of proper spinal alignment, then you know this enables your brain and body to communicate with each other to keep you functioning the best you can. Top athletes use chiropractic because they notice it helps them ward off injury and recuperate quicker from game soreness. Removing these imbalances and learning how to stretch and strengthen your body will stack the cards in your favor to give yourself the best chance of a healthy future.
4. ARE CHIROPRACTORS JUST GOOD FOR BAD BACKS?
Doctors of Chiropractic became the "back" doctor because of our proven success with disc, sciatica, headaches, low back & neck pain and because we work on the back. However many people, including pro athletes, seek care for foot, ankle & shoulder pain. By maintaining balance between the muscle and skeletal system your body can move and perform the way you want. Most professional sports have chiropractic available to help their athletes prevent injuries and recuperate quicker. Too often patients have tried every form of treatment, without relief, except chiropractic. If you are told it is in your head or you'll have to live with it, maybe you should try chiropractic as millions of others just like you have and get relief.
5. WHAT IS MAINTENANCE CHIROPRACTIC CARE?
People have accepted the importance of healthy teeth by brushing regularly and flossing. Car tune-ups have also proved beneficial to maintain the performance of your vehicle and decrease the number of breakdowns. Spinal health is extremely important. Removing stress on your spine and the muscles of your body will help prevent arthritis, musculoskeletal conditions like headache and back pain, and help you enjoy life to its fullest with your family. "Whatever upsets the brain's control of the immune system will foster malignancy." Bernie Seigel, M.D. An orthodontist uses braces to move your teeth to a more desirable position. This will take years and you will need to wear a retainer to maintain this new position. We use our hands to correct biomechanical, or joint, dysfunction also known as subluxations. With regular chiropractic care your body adapts to the new position for complete spinal correction, better alignment and prevents further problems. It is easier to stay well than to get well. " The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame and the prevention of disease. " Thomas Edison
6. WILL ADJUSTMENTS HURT?
No. The doctor makes the adjustment after careful analysis, when he/she places their hands on the patient in a specific way and applies a gentle force to correct the specific location of joint dysfunction or subluxation. You release body tension, endorphins and nervous information throughout your body. Some patients may notice soreness due to the stretching of muscles and correction of mechanical dysfunction; much like wearing orthodontic braces or exercising for the first time. The body may make a popping noise as correction is made and is merely gas escaping from the joints, like your knuckles.
7. WHY DON'T CHIROPRACTORS TREAT MY SYMPTOMS?
A symptom to me is like a clue to what is really happening. I listen to your symptoms, perform orthopedic and neurological tests and may even request x-rays to fully understand your symptoms. I then determine what is causing your symptoms and correct the cause of your pain. We all have a smoke alarm in our house to warn us of potential danger. Question? When the smoke alarm goes off, do you A, ignore it, B, pull the battery out and keep watching TV, or C, try to figure out why it is warning you something is wrong? Your body is a complex machine. When your body gives you the same warning, as pain, it should not be ignored either. Too many times we hide the symptom with drugs, think everything is better and go out and really injure the area because your senses are altered. We don't utilize medications to treat symptoms, like headaches, because you only hide the problem without finding out the cause of your problem, however patients have been referred to their MD for medications which may help them sleep or get through the day a little easier.
8. WHY HAVE MY SPINE CHECKED IF I'M NOT IN PAIN?
For the same reason you have a dental checkup when you do not have a toothache. For the same reason you have your car serviced when it isn't running badly. It is easier and more economical to catch small or non-existent problems before they become big problems. By keeping the nerves, muscles and skeletal system working together properly, your body will be stress free & healthier. Many times we do damage to our bodies without even knowing it.
9. IF I NEEDED TO SEE A CHIROPRACTOR, WOULDN'T MY M.D. SEND ME TO ONE?
I do receive referrals from M.D.s, for their patients and themselves, but we are trained differently. They do not look for mechanical problems on x-ray & some will not recognize the surmounting literature regarding chiropractic effectiveness for more than low back pain. If your M.D. doesn't understand what we do, why would he or she refer you to a chiropractor? Most states require insurance companies, worker's compensation, no-fault insurance and Medicare to cover chiropractic because of our results. More and more, all doctors have realized that no one health field is complete without the compliment of their fellow health care professionals, who work together for a team approach to your health.
10. I CAN ADJUST MYSELF, WHY DO I NEED A CHIROPRACTOR?
"He who adjusts his own spine has a fool for a chiropractor." After 5 years of graduate education, State exams and 3 National tests, I have taken extensive hours in diagnosis, anatomy, neurology and x-ray, to safely know what I'm doing. If I watched ER and saw a heart operation would you let me perform one on you? It takes years of training. Please don't let an "uneducated" person touch your spine because you can get seriously hurt and don't continually try to make your body make noises. Doctors of Chiropractic perform 94% of the manipulation in the entire world. All it takes is a simple fall, some soreness and you have someone walk on your back or crack it unknowingly. When the pain gets worse and you get an x-ray, now you find out you cracked a rib and risked puncturing a lung. I’ve seen it.
11. IS IT SAFE FOR KIDS AND PREGNANT WOMEN?
Chiropractic has been proven safe for both. Kids fall down all the time and can predispose themselves to problems later in life if left uncorrected. Children respond quicker than adults, due to the fact the problem hasn't been there for years. Studies have shown positive results for kids with chronic ear infections and in helping reduce Scoliosis. Surprisingly, 70% of children experience headaches by age 15. Also there is stress placed on the spine with the heavy backpacks kids carry for school, which can lead to problems if ignored. Pregnancy causes ligament laxity and low back strain, sciatica, even carpal tunnel, which can also be helped. Patients often get relief when the spine is corrected. Modern tables make it easy and comfortable for women at any term to lie on their stomach. For pregnant patients and children of all ages, procedures are modified to be safe and effective.
12. MY BROTHER'S COUSIN'S NEPHEW'S AUNT SAID THEY HURT PEOPLE, SO WHY GO?
First, find out the real story. There may be more to it. However, I've been to mechanics who did work I didn't like, so I take my vehicle to someone else. Don't let a few bad apples ruin the bunch.
13. I WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT, SHOULD I SEE A CHIROPRACTOR?
Yes! Whatever impact your car takes, your spinal frame takes too. No blood does not mean no injury. If your car is "totaled", how can you be okay? If metal bends, then that is a considerable impact. If you try to drive your car away, after reporting the accident of course, the car will pull or brake improperly. Over time the car will show excessive wear to the tires, brakes, etc. Your body will do the same thing if left uncorrected. Standard treatment methods cause many simple problems to become chronic. Early active mobilization and chiropractic manipulation have been shown to decrease pain and hasten a return to normal function. The spine will not move like it was designed to and may lead to early degeneration and pain.
14. DOES CHIROPRACTIC CAUSE ARTHRITIS?
Many people suffer from knee, hand and hip arthritis yet chiropractors don't work on these regions regularly and many people don't even see chiropractors. We work to ensure your joints and muscles work and move together as they should. When they don't, it leads to stress, joint breakdown, degeneration and eventually arthritis, much like a car misalignment wears down a tire.
