Q. What is chiropractic?

A. 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.

Q. What does a chiropractor do?

A. The doctor of chiropractic analyzes your body for vertebral subluxations using his/her hands and other analysis tools and then corrects or removes the spinal nerve stress using various spinal adjusting techniques.

Q. How do we get spinal nerve stress (subluxations)?

A. From stress. It may occur in infancy from a difficult birth or from childhood falls. Later in life, emotional tension or stress can gradually damage your spine. Violent injuries from automobile accidents or sports can suddenly knock you “out of whack.”

Q. Who is affected by subluxations?

A. Nearly everyone eventually develops spinal nerve stress. It is a “hidden epidemic” and it is for that reason we need to have our spines checked by a doctor of chiropractic every once in a while, just as we get our eyes, teeth and blood pressure checked!

Q. When was the first chiropractic patient treated?

A. 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 problems, sciatia, menstral 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.

Q. Assuming I am going to take chiropractic treatments, how are they performed?

A. 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 the nerves which travel down the spinal cord and out through the spinal column to the muscles, organs and every cell in the body. After locating the vertebrae impinging the nerves, (subluxation) the chiropractor, using various highly speciaized techniques, is able to replace the misplaced vertebrae and thus release pressure on the nerves. This is called a spinal adjustment.

Q. What are some of the conditions commonly treated by chiropractic?

A. A wide variety of conditions are treated with chiropractic, such as colds, 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 is not the treatment of disease but rather the enhancement of overall health through the reduction of spinal nerve stress, vertebral subluxation complex.

The list above may seem long as though chiropractic were a Panacea. The truth of the matter is that most textbooks list over two hundred diseases which have been known to benefit from spinal health. Please be mindful of the fact that chiropractic is not like one drug used to treat one condition. 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.

Q. Can I receive chiropractic treatments if I am under medical care?

A. Absolutely! Having your spinal nerve stress corrected is important no matter what other type/s of care you may be 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 connot tell if you’re suffering from spinal nerve stress, (subluxations) and are not trained in correcting them.

Q. In Chiropractic, are there other significant factors besides vertebral adjusting?

A. Yes, there are 4 laws to obey for those who desire health and longevity:

1. Proper Nutrition
2. Adequate Rest
3. Moderate Excercise
4. A Positive Mental Attitude

No matter what disease or condition you have, you can benifit 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 spine? 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 weaknesses and strengths, your use of drugs, exercise and relaxation - a healthy spine is 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.