What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractors treat problems with the joints, bones and muscles and the
effects they have on the nervous system. Working on all of the joints
in the body, concentrating particularly on the spine, they use their hands
to make often gentle, specific adjustments (the chiropractic word for
manipulation) to improve the efficiency of the nervous system and release the
body's natural healing ability. Chiropractic does not involve the use
of drugs or surgery, and is the third largest primary healthcare profession in the world after allopathic (conventional) medicine and dentistry. Chiropractic concerns itself with the relationship between structure (primarily the spine) and function (primarily coordinated by the nervous system) of the human body, and how that relationship affects the restoration and preservation of health. Sometimes vertebrae can become misaligned or fixated causing interference with the mental impulses that travel between the brain and the rest of the body. Misaligment joints can cause pain, imbalance, fatigue, lowered resistance to disease and a general decline in health. Chiropractors locate and correct vertebral misalignments with a chiropractic spinal adjustment permitting normal nerve transmission, innate recuperative capability, and effective health and adaptation of the person.
Most conditions are treated with the chiropractic adjustment and may be accompanied by other things such as massage or stretches. There are many different types of adjustments, but the most common involves a quick, gentle movement from the chiropractor's hands to a specific joint in the patient. Once the body is on its way to recovering, rehabilitation exercises may be given to help strengthen areas that need extra support and stability. Treatment is varied for the condition and specific patient.
