What is Chiropractic?

A health profession concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, and the effects of these disorders on the function of the nervous system and general health. There is an emphasis on manual treatments including spinal adjustment and other joint and soft-tissue manipulation. 

- World Federation of Chiropractic

What makes Chiropractors different than other professionals, is that we are looking at the structure/foundation of the body and how it relates and affects the muscles and nerves. The body is great at adapting to the everyday trauma and stress we put ourselves through until a certain point. Our body lets us know when we have overwhelmed it in many ways by causing symptoms such as tightness, aches, pain, numbness, tingling, burning, etc. When bones misalign or joints get fixated (stuck) you start to feel symptoms for a prolonged period of time.

Physical Stresses

Everyday our body is bombarded with physical traumas that can be broken down into two categories: Macro and Micro traumas. Macro traumas include slips, falls. Micro traumas include heavy book bags, sitting on a wallet, and bad posture (sitting, standing or sleeping). Some of these traumas we can pinpoint a single occurrence while some are more insidious. Through examinations, orthopedic testing, x-rays and patient history, Chiropractors determine what really is causing the symptoms and work to correct it.

Chemical Stresses

Food, drink, medication, supplements, and environment factors (pollution) all fit within this category. Our body needs quality food to create the necessary material to keep us functional and alive. The more junk food we put into our body the more stressed the body becomes. When organs get stressed they can malfunction or start causing spasms to different parts of the body (visceral-somatic reflex).  You don’t have to eat all organic food to be healthy, but avoiding processed foods (“foods” which have long shelf lives and/or packed with preservatives) and getting foods that are fresh, will make a world of difference to the body. Having the right food will give you more energy and improve your mood. As mentioned above, the body is great at adapting, but if it runs out of the resources it needs, it will start taking it from other areas.

An example: Diabetic patients have an issue regulating sugar (Glucose).  There are three areas in the body that need glucose for them to function correctly, the brain, eyes and sexual organs. If there is not enough glucose, the brain must run the body, so it becomes the top priority to get all the glucose available it needs to function. When the eyes become deficit their sight is affected. What is not openly talked about is deficit sexual organs which will affect hormone production causing low libido and/or sexual dysfunction.

*Every nutrient is constantly being fought over in the body if you don’t consistently eat quality food.*

Emotional Stresses

What you think, feel and experience creates your emotional stresses. Friends, family, school, work, money, self-esteem are all stressors that must be managed. We are in a time where we are constantly being bombarded by emotional stressors; it is essential to find tools to cope with situations that arise. Chiropractors are not mental health professionals and can only do so much in this area of stress. Pain can cause a lot of emotional stress and we can help by relieving that pain.

Chiropractors are constantly working to balance the three stressors so that the body can thrive and heal itself, but it takes time. There is no “FASTFOOD” option to getting healthy. Chiropractic philosophy is natural healing without medicine or surgery whenever possible.