Chiropractic Procedures

Spine - copyright Primal Pictures LTD.

Chiropractic Defined:

Chiropractic is defined by the Association of Chiropractic Colleges as follows: "Chiropractic is a health care discipline which emphasizes the inherent recuperative power of the body to heal itself without the use of drugs and surgery. The practice of chiropractic focuses on the relationship between structure (primarily the spine) and function (as coordinated by the nervous system) and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health."  Chiropractic is a healthcare practice based on the theory that disease results from a disruption of nerve function. This interference or disruption is thought to stem from mal-positioned vertebrae. Doctors of Chiropractic manually adjust these vertebrae, usually with their hands, in order to correct the mal-position which, in turn, relieves the pressure being placed on a nerve. Chiropractic is a drug-free, non-surgical approach to healthcare. Chiropractors use many specialized techniques to identify and to treat spinal abnormalities and to optimize overall health. In addition to spinal adjustment techniques, soft tissue techniques such as Active Release Techniques®, massage therapy, dietary and nutritional counseling, physical therapies, and lifestyle modification programs are commonly employed. While chiropractors quickly and effectively eliminate back and neck pain, there are also other areas successfully treated by chiropractors. The objective of chiropractic is to restore and to optimize total human health and well-being.

The History of Chiropractic:  The first recorded chiropractic adjustment was performed on September 18, 1895, by Dr. Daniel David Palmer, a Canadian-born teacher and healer. At that time Dr. Palmer was studying the cause and effect of disease. His patient was Harvey Lillard, who worked in the same building as Dr. Palmer in Davenport, Iowa. Mr. Lillard, who had hearing problems for over seventeen years, allowed Dr. Palmer to examine his spine. While examining Mr. Lillard, Dr. Palmer discovered a "bump" on Mr. Lillard’s back near the lower portion of his neck. Dr. Palmer suspected that a vertebra might be out of place.  With a thrust of his hands, Dr. Palmer repositioned or adjusted the vertebra. Immediately after the adjustment Mr. Lillard reported that he now could hear the sound of horses' hooves on the cobblestone road.  After several such treatments, Mr. Lillard’s hearing was almost completely restored. The art and science of chiropractic has progressed significantly since Dr. Palmer’s first adjustment. Today, advances in diagnostic procedures, more sophisticated equipment, improved scientific research, and the increased acceptance among other health care professionals and consumers makes chiropractic a popular health care choice.

The Spine Defined:

 

Your spine supports your body weight, aids in movement, and serves as a passageway and protector for your spinal cord and nervous system. The spine is made up of twenty-six (26) bones called vertebrae (including sacrum and cranium) that are individually designed for specific roles. Each vertebra is separated by a tough cartilaginous disc that cushions the bones and allows flexibility and movement. The spinal column protects the spinal cord. The spine has three primary regions: Cervical, Thoracic and Lumbar.  

The Spinal Cord controls all the nerves to the trunk and limbs and is the center of reflex action containing the conducting pathways from the brain to the rest of the body. When the bones of your spine are not moving properly, or when they are out of their normal position, irritation to the nerve or pain in the joint occurs.

Chiropractic adjustments or manipulations of the spine help restore the proper position and movement of the bones within the spinal column and/or extremities. Therefore, when one vertebra is not moving properly, the entire spinal column can be affected. Left untreated, the condition can lead to: pain, stiffness, fatigue, nerve problems, degenerative changes or early Arthritis. Mechanical loading from the neuro-musculoskeletal system plays a vital role in influencing proper growth, protection, repair, and natural healing. Spinal and extremity manipulations alone are not enough. Therefore, proper postural chiropractic adjustments, proper active exercises and stretches, blocking procedures, decompression, traction and ergonomic education are deemed necessary for complete spinal rehabilitation. (Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 1998; 21: 37-50) 

Who Needs Chiropractic Care: 

ANYONE with a spine needs regular chiropractic care! Fast-paced lifestyles have led to an alarming increase in stress and stress-related disorders which often are easily corrected with chiropractic care.

In addition to fatigue or stress, the lack of physical exercise leaves many patients susceptible to injuries. Most injuries are caused by repetitive movements, either in the workplace or at home. Less frequent injuries can be caused by sudden falls, automobile accidents, or work place injuries. In either case, without proper exercise, adult aging bodies become less resilient, yielding to injuries much more easily than a younger person's body. Lack of exercise also leads to negative changes in a person’s spinal posture. The extent of these changes depends largely upon an individual’s career or his or her life-style of activities.  All activities that weaken some muscles and tighten others can lead to an imbalance in the neck, upper torso, and lower back. 

Upper Cross Syndrome is just one example of tissue imbalances that cause the head and upper back to drift forward and to slump. With this Syndrome, the shoulders begin to tip forward and to create a concavity of the chest, and the upper back structures become weak and fatigued due to the over-stressed position. Over time, left untreated, the joints become stressed, and the muscles become shorter and tighter. When the chornic conditions set in, more serious symptoms can develop like migraine headaches and other conditions. The normal aging process creates wear-and-tear on the tissues in the body, especially the joints. This process is commonly called Osteoarthritis which is like rust in the joints. Osteoarthritis may cause pain and decrease range of motion; the inflamed joint may feel hot and swollen.  Chiropractic has been shown to have an impact in alleviating pain associated with this degenerative process as well as restoring function, mobility, and overall health to the joint and tissues involved.    

Benefits You Can Expect from Chiropractic Care: 

Chiropractic care has a number of benefits:

The benefits of chiropractic care go way beyond pain relief and improving function.

Chiropractic and Allergies and/or Asthma:

Approximately fifty (50) million Americans suffer from allergies, and approximately twenty (20) million suffer from asthma. With some overlap between the conditions, more than sixty (60) million Americans experience either allergies, asthma, or both.

The costs for medications, hospital and emergency room admissions, and loss of business productivity are huge - approximately $18 billion annually. The impact on children is significant and ongoing.  These disorders are the number one reason for school absenteeism.
Fourteen (14) million school days are missed annually due to allergies and asthma! 

Standard treatment for allergies and asthma consists of a variety of medications, and, if you have one of these disorders, you know all about the meds. For allergies, typical medications include antihistamines and corticosteroid nasal sprays. You may also undergo more aggressive therapy -- desensitization injections, known as immunotherapy, which are given regularly over a period of years.

For asthma, the gold standard of medication is inhaled corticosteroids. Asthma inhalers are now so much a part of daily life that they appear regularly as props on television serials and in film. In plot-driven, contrived "difficult" moments, lead actors, both children and adults,  pull out their inhalers and take a quick dose.

The challenge, of course, with allergy and asthma medication is that there is no end-point. There is no cure. For the most part, Asthma and allergies are lifelong conditions requiring lifelong medication. Might not there be a better way, an alternative solution?

"Alternative" is the key word. Medical treatment is designed to combat symptoms and is successful to a certain extent with allergies and asthma. However, if the underlying causes are not addressed; symptoms continue year after year.

With its unique comprehensive approach, LVPRC Chiropractic care, is able to offer positive benefits to almost all soft tissue conditions and ailments. In the case of allergies and asthma, these "hypersensitivity conditions" may respond well to therapy designed to normalize the nerve signals being stressed at the spine. Chiropractic restores these imbalances and helps to reduce the hypersensitivity.

LVPRC frequently incorporates nutritional counseling, a critical component for people with allergies and asthma, into our treatment plans. Patients with allergies and asthma need as much physical treatment as patients without allergies or asthma, and nutritional counseling is key to maintaining balance. A well balanced food plan will help support all metabolic systems, reduce irritation caused by deficiencies, and provide fuel for exercise programs.

Note:  The benefits of chiropractic care are wide-ranging and may be very useful in cases of hypersensitivity disorders such as allergies and asthma.