Chiropractic Care
Since 1895, Chiropractic care has been assisting patients by helping their bodies function at their maximum potential and heal themselves.
We are all born with an innate ability to heal from the inside – out. For example, if someone cuts their skin or breaks a bone, the body is able to recognize the problem and create new skin and new bone to heal the damaged area. This healing principle is true for every system in the body, and it is all controlled by the body’s nervous system.adusting1
The nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves that branch off of the spinal cord. This system consists of trillions of nerve cells that are responsible for controlling every organ, tissue and cell in the body.
The spinal cord is located within the spinal column, which consists of 24 individual bones. The spinal column functions to protect the delicate tissue of the spinal cord as well as allow our bodies to bend, twist, turn and stand upright. These bones that make up the spinal column can lose their normal position and motion due to traumas, tension, and toxins that we encounter everyday. When this happens, it can lead to rubbing, stretching, twisting, and irritation to the nerve tissue going through the spinal bones. This is referred to as a vertebral subluxation complex. The irritation that is present on the nerves can lead to loss in function of the organs, tissues, and cells that those nerves control. As a result, the body expresses symptoms and becomes prone to disease.
By correcting the vertebral subluxation, the irritation is removed from the nerves, and they, as well as the organs they control, are able to function at their maximum potential.
Many people associate chiropractic with back pain, neck pain, and headaches. Chiropractic is very effective with these conditions, but pain is the body’s way of letting the brain know something is wrong. The pain sensation is a result of nerve irritation; therefore, there is the potential for dysfunction in the part of the body that the nerve controls. Pain is not always present when nerve irritation is present, so it is important to get the spine checked regularly in order to maintain proper spinal hygiene.
Chiropractic marketing techniques often associate chiropractic care with health and wellness, but the vast majority of new patients come in because of pain symptoms. It is only after being under care for a couple of weeks that most patients notice that their bodies are functioning better, and health issues that they have had for years have started to improve.
In order to encourage visiting the chiropractor for non-pain issues, instead of seeking out unnecessary medical treatments and consuming medication, I have included some research that shows the effectiveness of chiropractic care in helping people maintain a healthy lifestyle.
A study published in 2007 in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that when compared to conventional medicine, CAM (complimentary and alternative medicine; which includes chiropractic care) had these results on the population…
“Clinical and cost utilization based on 70,274 member-months over a 7-year period demonstrated decreases of 60.2% in-hospital admissions, 59.0% less hospital days, 62.0% less outpatient surgeries and procedures, and 85% less pharmaceutical costs when compared with conventional medicine IPA performance for the same health maintenance organization product in the same geography and time frame. “(1)
Another study that was published in 2005 by the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research found these results when comparing levels of serum thiol , a primary antioxidant, and known measure of human health status between chiropractic wellness patients and people with active disease…
“Asymptomatic or primary wellness subjects under chiropractic care demonstrated higher mean serum thiol levels than patients with active disease and produced some values that were higher than normal wellness values. “ (2)
Our office recommends getting your spine checked on a regular basis, at least every month or two if asymptomatic, to maintain healthy spinal hygiene. Just as you have regular visits to the dentist office to prevent tooth decay, the same holds true for visiting the chiropractor to prevent spinal decay.
You only have one body, so treat it well.
Article written by: Kyle Haynes, D.C.
(1) Richard L. Sarnat, MD, James Winterstein, DC, Jerrilyn A. Cambron, DC, PhD, Clinical Utilization and Cost Outcomes from an Integrative Medicine Independent Physician Association: An Additional 3-year Update. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2007 (May); 30 (4): 263–269.
(2) Clayton J. Campbell, Christopher Kent, Arthur Banne , Amir Amiri, and Ronald W. Pero. Surrogate Indication of DNA Repair in Serum After Long Term Chiropractic Intervention – A Retrospective Study. J. Vertebral Subluxation Res. – JVSR.Com, February 18, 2005