In the simplest terms, your chiropractor’s primary responsibility is to identify bones, called vertebrae, in your spine that are out of alignment with the other bones above and below them. Once a misaligned bone is identified, the chiropractor’s job is to use gentle, hands-on adjustments to put the bone back in place so that the body can begin its own natural healing process. That sounds quite simple, but spinal misalignments can start as early as the day you were born. Even newborns benefit from a gentle chiropractic alignment, just days after birth.
You may wonder why an aligned spine is so important. Well, the bones of your spine, protect one of the most precious parts of you—your spinal cord. Your spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that allow your brain to communicate with the rest of your body. When your neck or back is out of alignment, the nerves in the spinal column are pinched or constricted, causing pain, headaches, and much more.
Are Chiropractors Safe?
Chiropractors are medical professionals and the adjustments they perform are safe. You can check your chiropractor’s credentials to find out if he or she graduated from an accredited school and is licensed in your state.
For the best outcome, be honest about your symptoms when talking to your chiropractor. Your chiropractor must understand your medical history, in detail, to be able to provide personalized, safe treatments. Do the at-home exercises that your chiropractor recommends. The follow-up work you do at home helps your body to heal faster and more effectively.
Are They Real Doctors?
Your chiropractor has a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree. Generally, chiropractors complete 2-4 years of undergraduate study followed by 4 additional years of focused chiropractic courses. Some chiropractors go on to do postdoctoral study and specialize in sports injury and nutrition, for example, but most have a general practice.
Do Chiropractors Help?
For those of us who prefer a more holistic approach to healing that does not include surgery and pharmaceutical painkillers, chiropractors can offer safe, effective alternative treatments for back pain, headaches, issues associated with poor posture, and other illnesses that don’t seem directly related to the spine, such as digestive problems, and inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and fibromyalgia.
Is a Chiropractor good for you?
If you’ve been to a chiropractor and had a spinal adjustment, you may experience an immediate feeling of relief, a certain “loosening” from the stress your body was under. The problem is that most of us return to the habits that put us into the chiropractor’s office in the first place. We slump over our desks at work, we lift heavy objects incorrectly, we don’t follow up on our daily stretches. When you work with a chiropractor, that relationship is no different than when you are under the care of a physician. It is a partnership—chiropractic adjustments are good for you if you do your part. Eventually, you will need fewer adjustments, but as a creature of movement, it is wise to get occasional adjustments throughout your life.
Why Should You See a Chiropractor?
Chiropractors view you as a “full” human being. This is what a “holistic” approach means—the “whole” you. To an expert chiropractor, you are more than the pain in your back, or that sports injury you got when playing basketball with your buds. A good chiropractor’s goal is to help improve the overall quality of your life by alleviating pain, helping you sleep better, relieving stress, enhancing your immune system, preventing further illness, and improving your mood. All of this, without any negative side effects.