Chiropractic is a science and art based on the premise that good health depends, in part, upon a normally functioning nervous system. When there is interference in the nervous system caused by a misaligned or malfunctioning spine, tissues and organs do not function properly. Detection of these problem areas (known as “subluxations”) and their correction by spinal manipulation will relieve nerve interference and allow the spine and nervous system to return to a healthy state. Correction of the problem and maintaining good health is the goal of Chiropractic.
Chiropractic Education and Officiation
Chiropractic is licensed in all 50 states. Fours years of post-undergraduate education are required and culminate in a Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) degree. Chiropractors perform a comprehensive orthopedic, neurologic, and chiropractic examination after a history of the injury is taken. The need for further testing, such as x-rays and blood tests, is based on the findings of the history and examination. Should the diagnosis show anything outside the scope of chiropractic care, the conscientious sports chiropractor will refer the athlete to one of the other health care specialties.
A Simple Analogy for Chiropractic
To further your understanding of chiropractic care a simple analogy is often helpful. A power company supplies energy to run our homes and offices. That energy travels to our homes by way of cables. Once that energy gets to our location, it allows our appliances to run the way they were designed. If, for some reason, there is an interruption or lessening of the energy coming to us, our lights would be less bright, or perhaps our appliances would fail to operate. The same is true with our bodies. Let’s say you have a dimmer switch installed in your dining room. As long as the dimmer switch is set all the way up, the lights burn very brightly. Now, let’s turn down the dimmer switch as low as it can go and still see a little bit of light. If, at that time, you replaced all the bulbs with the absolute best, state-of-the-art, light bulbs, would the bulbs be any brighter than the previous set? No, they wouldn’t. The reason is the electrical energy traveling through the wires of your home are being stopped by the dimmer switch. Now, if you slowly start increasing the switch to allow the energy to increase, the bulbs will increase in brightness. The light is a metaphor or analogy for how our body expresses its health. The better the flow of energy to the vital organs and tissues of our bodies the better our bodies can perform. Understanding fundamental principles of the body through this simple analogy and putting them into practice can change your life!
Nerves & Connections
Now, let’s take this one step further. There are 31 pairs of nerves in your spinal cord. These nerves travel from the brain and exit the spinal cord at very specific areas. For example, the nerves that control your small and large intestines, kidneys, sex organs, as well as the nerves that control your lower back and legs exit the spinal cord in the lower back region. That is why many patients who enter our office for lower back pain also tell us upon questioning that they have constipation or diarrhea, or perhaps menstrual difficulties. This is very common. Another example is a patient has neck pain, but also complains of headaches or sinus difficulty. This makes perfect since the nerves of the neck innervate those specific areas. The examples are numerous, however, suffice to say that the spinal cord controls our body functions. To the degree that we take care of our spine, and to the degree that it is working properly, has monumental implications on your bodys ability be healthy.
Spine Evaluation
In a Chiropractic office the first thing you can expect is to have your spine evaluated. This is an important step in elevating your health level and, in fact, is what differentiates chiropractors from other types of physicians.
Accidents, falls, tension, stress, overuse, and other factors can prevent the spine from working within its normal range of motion. This can cause minor displacements of the segments of your spine. If this displacement irritates spinal nerves, various malfunctions can occur in your body. These displacements are called subluxations. Various studies have shown that subluxations can cause improper function of the organs and tissues of the body, leading to increased susceptibility to various conditions, including chronic disease. Logically, this should make sense. If, for example, the brain cannot control the stomach or intestines in the manner that was designed because of nerve compression or interference, would it be hard to imagine the body having less ability to digest and absorb nutrients from the foods you eat? And if you are getting fewer nutrients, would expecting a lower level of health be that far fetched? Think about each organ of your body. Let your mind ponder about what would happen if each vital organ or tissue was working at only 50%. What impact would that have on your health over the short and long term? It is this observation that leads many people to begin giving their spine the attention it deserves.
Ask Dr. Moseley about these facts to maximize the health potential for yourself, your family, and your friends!