Q1. What is Chiropractic?
Q2. What do Chiropractors do?
Q3. How do I know if I have a subluxation?
Q4. What is a chiropractic adjustment?
Q5. What makes the sound during an adjustment?
Q6. How many adjustments will I need?
Q7. Can I adjust myself?
Q8. Do babies and children need chiropractic?
Q9. Am I too old for chiropractic care?
Q10. Do medical practitioners and chiropractic doctors get along?
Q11. What is a 'slipped disc'?
Q12. Do I have a pinched nerve?

Q1. What is Chiropractic?

Chiropractic (literally translated as ‘to do by hand’) is an art and a philosophy. It is based on the scientific fact that your body is a self-regulating, self-healing organism. This is called ‘homeostasis’. All functions are controlled by your brain, via your spinal cord and nerves.

The bones of the spine protect and maintain the communication pathways of the spinal and nerves. If any part of the nervous system is impaired, it can cause problems in any of the body’s tissues and organs. Chiropractors refer to this as ‘Vertebral Subluxation Complex’. Vertebral, meaning the bones of the spine, subluxation meaning less than a total dislocation and Complex, meaning consisting of more than one part.The art of chiropractic comes partially from the skill needed to reduce subluxation and to restore the normal movement.

Chiropractic is the science of locating these subluxations in the spine body, the art of reducing their impact to the nervous system, and our philosophy is that of working with the natural systems built into our bodies.

[ top of page ]

Q2. What do Chiropractors do?

The Chiropractor begins with establishing your case history by asking you questions about your background regarding your health, such as surgery, accidents, the onset of your condition, and other details affecting your current health. After reviewing your history and discussing your specific problem with you, a thorough examination is performed, including X-rays.

The findings of these examinations are explained to you and a plan of chiropractic adjustments may be recommended. Your progress is monitored with periodic examinations and follow-up reports.

[ top of page ]

Q3. How do I know if I have a subluxation?

You can have subluxations and not even know about it. Like the early stages of tooth decay, subluxations can be present before the warning signs appear. The results of a thorough examination can show the location and severity of subluxations you may have.

[ top of page ]

Q4. What is a chiropractic adjustment?

This is the procedure your chiropractor uses to correct spinal subluxations. Adjustments are only used after careful evaluation, examination and consideration of all facts in your case.

Chiropractors use highly skilful and extremely specific and controlled forces to create an improvement in spinal movements and alignment. The force used is low. Adjustments most often cause a gentle click or popping noise. Because an adjustment is so specific to one bone at a time, these noises (or cavitations as they are known) are painless. They certainly do not equate to loud or forceful crunches which many people misconceive chiropractic adjustments to be.

[ top of page ]

Q5. What makes the sound during an adjustment?

Lubricating fluids separate the bones of each spinal joint. Some adjusting methods can produce a sound when the gas and fluids in the joint shift. It’s much like opening a bottle of champagne or removing a suction cap. The sound is interesting but it isn’t a guide to the quality or value of the adjustment.

[ top of page ]

Q6. How many adjustments will I need?

The number of adjustments varies with each patient and their individual health goals. Many patients sense progress within a week or two of frequent visits. Visits become less often as your spine stabilises. In chronic cases, complete healing can take months or even years.

[ top of page ]

Q7. Can I adjust myself?

Learning the how, when, where and why of each chiropractic adjustment takes years of training and experience. Chiropractic adjustment consists of a specific force applied in a specific direction to a specific joint. Therefore, it is nearly impossible for a person to adjust themselves.

Some people manipulate themselves. This process carries with it it’s own risks and dangers. The most common of these is to cause hyper-mobility to the joint in question due to excessive ‘popping’ of the joint. This can cause many later problems and can be difficult to reverse.

[ top of page ]

Q8. Do babies and children need chiropractic?

Spinal subluxations very often begin in infancy. The birth process itself can be very traumatic on a baby’s spine and if you consider what must happen if the delivery is breach or instruments like forceps are used, you begin to get an impression of why young people should be checked by a chiropractor.

Research suggests that on average, children have two and a half thousand falls by the time they are five years old. When children have nerve interference from spinal subluxations they may display anything from headaches to ADHD, from colic to recurrent ear and throat infections.

The techniques chiropractors use to adjust children are highly modified and very unique to this age group. Babies and children are extremely safe to have chiropractic and they usually respond to chiropractic care incredibly well.

[ top of page ]

Q9. Am I too old for chiropractic care?

More and more people are considering chiropractors , especially in their later years. With growing concerns about over-medication and side effects of combining various prescription drugs, safe, natural chiropractic care is growing in popularity. Restoring better spinal function can help improve mobility, vitality, endurance and appetite. Many patients report improvement with arthritic symptoms and other chronic ailments often associated with the ageing process.

As we get older and wiser, the simplicity and effectiveness of chiropractic care becomes more and more obvious. The method of treating your spine will be varied to provide gentle and comfortable restoration of spinal function.

[ top of page ]

Q10. Do medical practitioners and chiropractic doctors get along?

Much of the latest research has shown the benefits of chiropractic care. Attitudes were slow to change. However, as the well informed public would prefer treatment for their underlying condition rather than relying on prolonged medication or the trauma of surgery, more and more medical practitioners are seeing the value in this sort of treatment and even referring their patients to our office.

[ top of page ]

Q11. What is a 'slipped disc'?

Spinal discs do not physically 'slip'. They are anchored firmly to the bones above and below them. Discs can bulge and herniate though through injury or the ongoing effects of osteoarthritis (degeneration). Spinal subluxations left unchecked, will contribute to this degeneration process.

Subluxations can develop to the point where one day you may bend over, something ‘gives way’ or ‘slips’ in your back and you feel pain, locking and an inability to straighten properly. It feels like a slipped disc and this is why it gets its name. It is however locking of joints due to pinching of tissues, inflammation and muscle spasm.

[ top of page ]

Q12. Do I have a pinched nerve?

You may have, but it’s unlikely. A true pinched nerve at the spinal level is usually either extremely painful or very numbing. The most common pain people experience with nerve pinching in the lower back is ‘sciatica’ which is searing and burning pain in the thigh, calf or foot. Chiropractic can help with this.

[ top of page ]

Any other questions?

Please ask your helpful Lifestyle Chiropractic Doctor!