Chiropractic is a branch of the healing arts which is based
upon the understanding that good health depends, in part, upon
a normally functioning nervous system (especially the spine,
and the nerves extending from the spine to all parts of the body). "Chiropractic" comes
from the Greek word Chiropraktikos, meaning "effective treatment
by hand." Chiropractic stresses the idea that the cause of many
disease processes begins with the body's inability to adapt to
its environment. It looks to address these diseases not by the
use of drugs and chemicals, but by locating and adjusting a musculoskeletal
area of the body which is functioning improperly.
The conditions which doctors of chiropractic address are as
varied and as vast as the nervous system itself. All chiropractors
use a standard procedure of examination to diagnose a patient's
condition and arrive at a course of treatment. Doctors of chiropractic
use the same time-honored methods of consultation, case history,
physical examination, laboratory analysis and x-ray examination
as any other doctor. In addition, they provide a careful chiropractic
structural examination, paying particular attention to the spine.
The examination of the spine to evaluate structure and function
is what makes chiropractic different from other health care procedures.
Your spinal column is a series of movable bones which begin at
the base of your skull and end in the center of your hips. Thirty-one
pairs of spinal nerves extend down the spine from the brain and
exit through a series of openings. The nerves leave the spine
and form a complicated network which influences every living
tissue in your body.
Accidents, falls, stress, tension, overexertion, and countless
other factors can result in a displacements or derangements of
the spinal column, causing irritation to spinal nerve roots.
These irritations are often what cause malfunctions in the human
body. Chiropractic teaches that reducing or eliminating this
irritation to spinal nerves can cause your body to operate more
efficiently and more comfortably.
Chiropractic also places an emphasis on nutritional and exercise
programs, wellness and lifestyle modifications for promoting
physical and mental health. While chiropractors make no use of
drugs or surgery, Doctors of chiropractic do refer patients for
medical care when those interventions are indicated. In fact,
chiropractors, medical doctors, physical therapists and other
health care professionals now work as partners in occupational
health, sports medicine, and a wide variety of other rehabilitation
practices. |
