Chiropractic is more than for just back or neck pain. 

There are 24 bones, or vertebrae, that make up the human spine, that allow us to twist, bend and move in a variety of movements. These are typically the main focus in chiropractic adjustments. 

 

What is an adjustment? Will it hurt? An adjustment is a manipulation of the spine or other bony articulations which works to restore joint mobility by manually applying a controlled force into joints that are either hypomobile or restricted in their movement. The adjustment itself should rarely cause discomfort but some patients may experience soreness or aching in the 12 to 24 hours following.

• How often will I have to go? I'm very busy. Because everyone has a unique spine and health history, everyone will vary on frequency of visits and duration of that frequency. It is common to get adjusted three (3) times a week, (usually only in the initial stage, depending on your situation), with periodic re-evaluations of how your spine is progressing to determine when to bump down frequency. When you are "maintaining" a healthy spine your visits could be as little as once a month. In our office these adjustments can take as little as five minutes.

To put in perspective, the importance of dental hygiene was not fully understood until the 1900s. The role of a healthy mouth in overall body health is taken seriously now, twice a day it is recommended we brush and floss - and that's just for your mouth.

Subluxations, or misalignments of the spine, can occur in all stages of life. Some may be minor but others can manifest into serious problems. In our office we do a thorough intake of health history, diagnostic scans and X-rays if we feel necessary; all to accurately access the condition of your spine before any manipulations take place.

This is only the beginning. As you can see from all the articles and blogs on our website, Chiropractic has been helping people for more than a hundred years and for dozens of health issues. 

 

According to the findings of 45 chiropractic research studies, five chiropractic case studies and 23 review articles, chiropractic adjustment is proven to enhance the health of the human body (there are more studies and ongoing research continuously).

Consistent results proved that chiropractic adjustments do the following:

• Decrease blood pressure in normal and hypertensive people

• Reduce the ill effects of asthma.

• Increase T-cell numbers (the immune system) in HIV patients

• Relive symptoms of inflammation in osteoarthritis

• Enhance immune function in certain white blood cells

Perception (please read all the way through)

THE SITUATION

In Washington, DC, at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man

with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time,

approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to

work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician

playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to

meet his schedule.

About 4 minutes later:

The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without

stopping, continued to walk.

At 6 minutes:

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and

started to walk again.

At 10 minutes:

A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped

to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to

walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other

children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on

quickly.

At 45 minutes:

The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short

while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man

collected a total of $32.

After 1 hour:

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded.

There was no recognition at all.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in

the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth

$3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theatre in Boston where

the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was

organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception,

taste and people's priorities.

This experiment raised several questions:

*In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

*If so, do we stop to appreciate it?

*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the

world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful

instruments ever made...

How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?

Today

I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight. I have

responsibilities to fulfill today. I am important. My job is to choose what kind of day I am

going to have.

Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or I can be thankful that the grass is

getting watered for free. Today I can feel sad that I don't have more money or I can be glad

that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from

waste.

Today I can grumble about my health or I can rejoice that I am alive. Today I can lament

over all that my parents didn't give me when I was growing up or I can feel grateful that they

allowed me to be born.

Today I can mourn my lack of friends or I can excitedly embark upon a quest to

discover new relationships. Today I can whine because I have to go to work

or I can shout for joy because I have a job to do.

Today I can complain because I have to go to school or eagerly open my mind and fill it

with rich new tidbits of knowledge. Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do

housework or I can feel honored because

God has provided shelter for my mind, body and soul.

Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped. And here I am the sculptor who gets to

do the shaping. What today will be like is up to me. I get to

choose what kind of day I will have! What kind of day will you have?

 

Subluxations are irritations to the nervous system primarily caused when bones of the spine are out of alignment. These irritations can be caused by a number of mechanisms including trauma or stress, and result in some form of functional change in the nervous system. The chiropractic profession has been the leading profession over the years in the detection and correction of subluxations thus allowing normal nerve system function and improved health.

The importance of chiropractic's role in correcting subluxations, and being a part of an overall healthcare plan for wellness was demonstrated in a September 6, 2011 release by the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress which touts the results of a recently issued report dated July 2011, called "The Role of Chiropractic Care in the Patient-Centered Medical Home" (PCMH). This report clearly shows the benefits to patient care and overall healthcare that would result from an increased utilization of chiropractic in the current healthcare setting. The complete report can be seen athttp://www.foundation4cp.org/.

For the complete article, click here: http://www.praychiro.com/templates20/article/2209.html

 

The above headline appeared on the October 1, 2004, "Newswise", and the October 6, 2004 "News-Medical.net". These news stories stemmed from a published report appearing in the September 20, 2004 issue of the peer-reviewed periodical, "Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research" Anxiety(JVSR). The report was a case study of a 19-year old female diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) who suffered from psychiatric symptoms as well as other problems for two years.

This case study noted that this patient's previous medical treatment had included multiple emergency room visits; private specialists; and a rotation of drug therapies including Paxil, Xanax, and Celexa all of which had failed to help her. The patient's history also included at least three motor vehicle accidents between 1995 and 1997, including one where her head shattered the windshield.

The articles note that according to the National Institute of Mental Health, anxiety is the most common mental health illness. It affects more than 19 million Americans ages 18-54. Patients suffering from General Anxiety Disorder make three to five times more visits to doctors' offices and emergency rooms and the Anxiety Disorders Association of America reports that direct healthcare costs and lost productivity of these conditions cost more than $42 billion per year.

Read the entire article here, http://www.praychiro.com/templates20/article/1078.html

 

A positive report was published in the November / December 1999 issue of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics concerning the effects of chiropractic on the symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome.

The study was completed on 25 women. Estimates of the prevalence of this condition vary depending on criteria. This study estimated that between 10% and 20% of reproductive age women have severe symptoms associated with this condition. The study included chiropractic adjustments for a ten day period prior to the beginning of the subjects cycles.

Read more here, http://www.praychiro.com/templates20/article/1227.htmlhttp://www.praychiro.com/templates20/article/1227.html

 

A case report was published in the January 2010 issue of the scientific publication, "Explore, the Journal of Science and Healing", documenting the case of an 11 year old boy who was suffering from migraines and was helped with chiropractic care.

In this case an 11 year old boy was brought to a chiropractor after having suffered with headaches for the previous four years. The boy was diagnosed by their family physician with "migraine-type headaches" three years prior to the chiropractic visit. He was prescribed medications which provided only minor and temporary relief. According to the boy's mother her son experienced at least one severe headache every seven weeks and two to three mild to moderate headaches on a monthly basis.

Read more here, http://www.praychiro.com/templates20/article/1977.html

 

Several recent studies document that chiropractic care is beneficial for helping to prevent reoccurrence of lower back problems while also helping to sustain long term correction. It is interesting to note that these studies were medical studies published in medical journals.

The most recent article comes from the April, 2011, issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. This study followed 894 workers' compensation cases for a period of one year to see the response to chiropractic care as compared to other forms of care. The stated objective of this first study was "To compare occurrence of repeated disability episodes across types of health care providers who treat claimants with new episodes of work-related low back pain (LBP)."

The results showed that when compared to physical therapists and MDs, the group of patients that went to chiropractors had the lowest rate of disability recurrence over the course of the year. This showed that when injured workers continued with chiropractic care, their rate of re-injury or disability in the year after the original accident was less than those workers under other forms of care.

Another study published in the journal Spine on January 17, 2011, showed that spinal manipulation therapy (SMT) for chronic, non-specific, low back pain resulted in better long-term outcomes. It should be noted that some medical studies refer to adjustments as "spinal manipulation therapy" or SMT.

To read more, click here: http://www.praychiro.com/templates20/article/2161.html

The September 2010, issue of the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, from the National University of Health Sciences, documented a case study showing how chiropractic helped a 10-year-old boy who was suffering from a variety of health problems including headaches, neck pain, asthma and reading disabilities.

In this case, the 10 year old boy was brought to a chiropractor with a history of suffering with headaches and neck pain for three years. The history taken revealed that the boy had been injured three years earlier while wrestling and had neck problems for three weeks after that injury. It was noted that the headaches also began at that time. Unfortunately, because the young boy was also suffering from a number of other chronic health problems, these new problems were viewed as part of a poor health pattern.

Some of the other health issues the boy was experiencing included asthma, associated with nasal allergies and sinusitis. As a result the boy was taking a variety of drugs for his health problems, and had been through a battery of medical testing.

To read more, visit our website, http://www.praychiro.com/templates20/article/2067.html