SIX THINGS MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT CHIROPRACTIC!

6. CHIROPRACTORS ARE REAL DOCTORS! 

You’d be surprised at how many people think somehow that a chiropractor isn’t actually a doctor, or that their training is less than that of a medical doctor (MD).  Doctors of Chiropractic (DC) receive almost identical training to their MD counterparts, the biggest difference being that MDs receive training in pharmaceuticals, pathology and surgery, and DCs receive more training in nutrition, orthopedics, and Xrays reading. Both have the option to specialize. While in school, a DC will have 2887 educational hours on average, while a MD averages around 2756.  Plus, both DCs and MDs have to do a clinical residency, take board exams, and get a license from the state to practice medicine.

Dr. Chris is a Certified Chiropractic Extremity Practitioner (CCEP) through the Council of Extremity Adjusting and Dr. Melanie specializes in the Webster Technique and is Certified through the Academy Council of Chiropractic Pediatrics (CACCP).  She specializes in pre/postnatal care and pediatrics.

5. SIZE ISN’T EVERYTHING!

It’s not uncommon for us to hear “Well, I like to go to a male Chiropractor because I need someone strong to adjust me”.  Female chiropractors are just as capable as their male counterparts.  Chiropractic is a matter of speed over strength, and small, quick, precise movement is what makes a good Chiropractor.

4. ADJUSTMENTS DON’T HURT (AND THERE’S NO “CRACKING” INVOLVED).

You might be in pain if you’re experiencing an acute or chronic injury, but your Chiropractor will tailor her pressure and treatment to cause you the least amount of discomfort possible.  Another misconception is that the sound you might hear when you get an adjustment – that “cracking” noise – is the sound of bones or joints being rubbed against each other.  NOT TRUE!  The sound an adjustment makes is called a cavitation, and is only space being created within the joint and then closed again quickly.  That noise is from GAS releasing from the joint.

3. CHIROPRACTIC IS FOR ALL AGES.

Many seniors aren’t aware of the benefits of chiropractic care which can help them not only with pain relief, but also increase range of motion, balance and coordination, and decrease joint degeneration. There’s no patient too young for chiropractic either! Chiropractors check infant’s moments after birth for misalignments of the upper vertebrae that may occur as a result of the birth process. In addition to supporting overall health and well-being, parents also take their children to chiropractors to encourage healthy brain and nervous system development, to assist with colic, asthma, allergies, bed-wetting and sleeping problems, and to assist with behavioral disorders.  Chiropractic is 100% safe for pregnancy women and their babies in utero.

2. IT TAKES TIME FOR YOUR BODY TO HEAL ITSELF.

There’s two common reasons that Chiropractic doesn’t work for some people: 1) Someone comes in a few times, starts feeling better, and leaves before finishing their treatment.  2) Someone comes in a few times, doesn’t feel better, and leaves before finishing their treatment.  See the common thread?  In either instance, they haven’t given their body enough time to reset to “normal” and start to heal itself.  Pain is the very last resort of your body to tell you that you’ve done something wrong, so once you’re out of pain you still have 90% of the way to go before you’re completely out of whatever abnormal pattern brought you here.  And the amount of time needed varies by the individual, whether it’s a chronic or acute condition, and what changes are needed to correct the dysfunction.  Chiropractic will work if you let it!

AND THE NUMBER ONE THING YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT CHIROPRACTIC IS….

1. CHIROPRACTIC IS MORE THAN JUST BACK PAIN!

It’s true, most people think that Chiropractors only work on necks and backs. If it moves, we can adjust it.  Everything in your life has an effect on your health and well-being.  WE don’t treat pain, we treat the whole person.  Pain is a poor indicator of what is going on, but tells us something is going on. Pain is just a symptom, not a cause.  Chiropractors work to treat the cause of your dysfunction, whatever it may be, and use the innate power of the nervous system to heal itself. Think of it this way, when you cut your finger, does the band-aid heal the cut or does your body?  Chiropractors assist in the natural healing process of your body.  If your nervous system is not in balance you cannot heal as quickly or as well

Here’s a quote from B.J. Palmer, one of the founders of Chiropractic as we know it today:  Chiropractic is the science, philosophy, and art that utilizes the inherent recuperative power of the body to heal itself without the use of drugs or surgery.

So what are you waiting for…CALL US and schedule your appointment today!

by Dr. Melanie Dockter DC, CACCP