What causes a
subluxation?
A fall, injury, sudden jar,
trauma, or sometimes an inherited spinal weakness can displace a
vertebra. Other causes include improper sleeping conditions
or habits, poor posture, occupational hazards, incorrect lifting
practices, obesity, lack of rest and exercise, and stress.
How is a subluxation corrected?
Doctors of Chiropractic are
specialists in neuromusculoskeletal conditions. They are
trained to restore the misaligned vertebrae to their proper position in
the spinal column. They do this manually, utilizing the
chiropractic procedure known as “spinal adjustment”. Your
chiropractor, in most cases, will use his or her hands in applying
corrective pressure to the spine in a specific direction and location.
The manual force or thrust helps restore the alignment and mobility of
the vertebrae. In some cases, the chiropractor may use
instrumentation to detect subluxations and adjust the spine.
Does the adjustment hurt?
Under normal circumstances,
chiropractic adjustments are painless. In cases of recent
trauma, such as whiplash, mild discomfort may be experienced due to
inflammation. It is also common to feel a brief sensation in
the extremities immediately following an adjustment due to the sudden
decompression of the affected nerve root.
Is regular chiropractic care necessary?
Regular chiropractic care may
be necessary to correct spinal subluxations to help maintain sound
health and fitness. Your spine is under constant strain
during waking hours. Improper lifting techniques, poor
posture, accidents, falls and bumps, and other causes can contribute to
spinal strain. Timely adjustments can help restore the
neuromusculoskeletal integrity of the spine to normalize the bodily
equilibrium and increase resistance.
How old should a
person be before he or she begins chiropractic care?
Chiropractic patients range in
years from birth to old age. Regardless of age, the
vertebrae can become misaligned. For example, the birth
process may cause trauma to the neck and spine. Left
uncorrected, the vertebral subluxation may disturb the delicate spinal
cord and nerves which control the youngster's muscles and organs.
In some cases, an uncorrected subluxation may lead to a deformity of the
spinal column. An early chiropractic checkup may detect many
spinal problems while they are still easily correctable.
How will the adjustment help me?
Chiropractic adjustments by
themselves do not actually heal the body. When any of the 24
moveable spinal vertebrae become misaligned, a basic imbalance or
disruption can occur in the nervous and blood vascular systems, which
may contribute to stress in the body. Chiropractic
adjustments help eliminate imbalance or disruptions so that the body can
function at its true potential.
Does an adjustment have
to make a noise to be effective?
No, it is a common
misconception that your joints must make a noise to be properly
adjusted. However, more often than not when your vertebrae
are adjusted, the smooth articular (joint) surfaces become separated,
creating and then releasing a small vacuum, making a noise.
This is the sound made when you crack your knuckles. Your
chiropractor is concerned with the position of your vertebrae, not with
the noise that may occur.
Should I go to a Chiropractor
if I feel fine?
Even if you feel fine,
chiropractic care can help your body maintain its required level of
health and fitness. Your chiropractor can recommend a
preventive spinal-care program and advise you on correct posture,
dietary information and back exercises. Regular spinal
checkups can help detect and prevent spinal stress due to subluxations.
Is it true that Chiropractors do not prescribe medication or
perform surgery?
Yes. Chiropractors
do not include medication or surgery in their treatment program.
Chiropractors maintain that the body has a built-in capacity to restore
health within certain limits, and base their care on this principle.
Occasionally, the use of medication can interfere with the body's
healing mechanisms, produce side effects, create a dependence and lead
to drug-caused disease or complications. The first response
in most illnesses and injuries should be conservative care.
Chiropractic's principles make it possibly the safest and most appealing
of the healing arts.
How does chiropractic care help
the pregnant woman?
Because of the
additional weight and stress on the framework of the body in pregnant
women, chiropractic adjustments can help lower the incidence of pain in
the low back and legs, and between the shoulder blades. In some cases,
fewer headaches and problems with nausea and elimination may also
result. Many chiropractors care for expectant mothers in the
regular course of their daily practices.
Chiropractic Adjustments
“Pinched”
nerves can affect your health, posture, vitality, resistance to
disease, and even your emotional health. Chiropractors refer to this
nerve interference as vertebral subluxations. Getting a spinal
analysis from a doctor of chiropractic will offer you information about
where your subluxations are. Receiving spinal adjustments helps
to release your internal stress, freeing your “pinched” nerves. We use
traditional chiropractic techniques to adjust your spine. The methods
used by Dr. Debby are Full Spine/Diversified, Thompson/Drop
Table, Activator, and Toggle.
