Everyone knows what a doctor or nurse does. However many people don’t know what a chiropractor is or what a chiropractor does. In essence a chiropractor is a health care professional that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health. Chiropractic care is used most often to treat neuromusculoskeletal complaints, including but not limited to back pain, neck pain, pain in the joints of the arms and legs, and headaches due to sports injuries, auto accidents, posture, etc.

 

Doctors of Chiropractic practice a drug free and hands on approach to health care that includes evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of neuromusculoskeletal conditions. Chiropractors are also trained to recommend therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises, as well as to provide nutritional, dietary and lifestyle counseling.

 

Many people visit chiropractors in the United States; in fact over twenty five million a year. Finding a strong, experienced chiropractor can be difficult. At Health 1 Medical we pride ourselves on the level of care and top quality treatment we provide to our patients. We have a unique collaboration with the other specialties in our practice, such as family medicine, physical therapy and acupuncture.

 

HOW DOES CHIROPRACTIC WORK?

Chiropractic treatment affects your nervous system in a healthy way. The nervous system is one of the most vital systems in the body. It is so important that is protected by bones. The spinal cord is protected by 24 moving bones of your spine which are the vertebrae. Nerves branch out between the vertebrae and travel to all areas of the body.

 

When the vertebrae becomes misaligned or unable to move properly, it irritates and puts pressure on the nerves. This is called a "vertebral subluxation". The message from the brain is slowed down and the life energy carried by the nerve is unable to reach the organs and tissues at 100% of its potential. A chiropractor alignes the vertebrae through gentle adjustments to the spine, relieving the pressure on the nerves and allowing 100% of the nerve energy to reach the tissues it serves.

 

WHAT IS A SUBLUXATION?

The meaning of sublixation in Chiropractic is different from the meaning of a medical subluxation. A medical subluxation is an incomplete or partial dislocation of a joint. In Chiropractic a subluxation is a misalignment of the spine that causes nerve interference, causing less nerve flow to be expressed from the nervous system.

 

When a subluxation has existed for a long period of time, symptoms start to occur. The symptom of the subluxation varies as the nerves in the spine go to different areas of the body. In some cases, the person may experience pain, numbness, or tingling. In other cases, the symptoms may go unnoticed except that the person has poor posture, is more susceptible to colds, tires more quickly, or starts having problems with an internal organ. Uncorrected subluxations may result in, and accelerate existing spinal degeneration/decay, formerly called osteoarthritis.

 

HOW DOES A SUBLUXATION OCCUR?

Often the first subluxation occurs at birth. The spine of an infant is really fragile. Imagine a small fragile spine being twisted and turned as the doctor tries to pull the infant through a small bony canal. Studies have shown that some doctors can use up to 80 pounds of pressure on the baby's neck to assist in childbirth. Adolescents who participate in sports may also experience problems. As adults, there may be auto accidents, work injuries, poor posture, or stress that affects the spine. The way we run, walk, sit and sleep are always affected by gravity, and the spine bears the most of this and can become subluxated due to excessive stress being put on it. In other words, subluxations occur when your body receives a physical, chemical or emotional stress that it cannot adapt to.