Frequently Asked Questions

What is Chiropractic?

Chiropractic is a health care profession that diagnoses, treats and helps prevent disorders and conditions related to the spine, nervous system, and musculoskeletal system. Chiropractic care is used most often to treat neuromusculosketal complaints, including but not limited to back pain, neck pain, pain in the joints of the arms and legs, and headaches. Chiropractors have broad diagnostic skills and are also trained to recommend therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises, as well as to provide nutritional, dietary, and lifestyle counseling.

What does a chiropractor do?

The most common therapeutic procedure performed by doctor is known as chiropractic adjustment. The purpose of the adjustment is to restore joint mobility, neural integrity, circulation in the region of the joint and improve soft tissue flexibility. Chiropractors also utilize other therapeutic procedures, such as soft tissue techniques, exercise, nutrition, ultrasound, and muscle stimulation to name a few.

How does chiropractic work?

Injured tissues undergo physical and chemical changes that cause inflammation, pain, and diminished function in the patient. The chiropractic adjustment restores joint and soft tissue mobility, relieves pain and muscle tightness, improves neural integrity to the joint and the organ the nerve supplies, and allows for tissue healing. Because of the relationship of the spine and the nervous system, the chiropractic adjustment, along with lifestyle modification and nutritional therapy, can affect other conditions that are not musculosketal in origin, for example, reflux or constipation.

Does a chiropractic adjustment hurt?

Typically, an adjustment does not hurt. Occasionally, you may experience some stiffness and soreness much like the day after you start a new exercise program. The application of ice to the sore area usually relieves the discomfort.

What is a subluxation?

A subluxation is a misalignment in the spine which irritates the surrounding nerves. This can cause a range of symptoms from headaches and back pain to numbness in your extremities. If your subluxation is recent it may be fixed in a few sessions, but the longer you have been living with a subluxation, the longer it takes to properly correct it. Subluxations can be caused by any kind of stress, whether it is physical; like falls and accidents, chemical; like allergies or toxins, or emotional; like work stress, family issues or self-sabotage habits and behaviors.