Chiropractic Care

What is Chiropractic?

  • Chiropractic was founded by D.D. Palmer, a Canadian from Port Perry in 1895.
  • Chiropractic is a Greek word meaning “treatment by hand”.
  • Chiropractors are Neuro Musculo Skeletal Specialists (specialists in nerve muscles and joints throughout the body).
  • Chiropractors usually see patients for back pain, headaches, and general sprain and strain injuries.
  • They specialize in removing the symptoms, stabilizing the body, rebalancing and re-conditioning it, creating further wellness.
  • Studies show that chiropractic care is increasingly recognized as the most safe and effective treatment for most patients with back pain.
  • Chiropractic is a drug-free, hands on treatment, which can directly treat the source of your back, neck or other joint pain.
  • Chiropractic care treats the cause of your back pain, not just the symptoms.
  • Your spine supports your body’s weight as well as protects your spinal cord.
  • When everything is working well, “your spine is in line”, your spine is strong and flexible, when it is not, we call that a subluxation.
  • The stress of daily living, injuries or accidents can cause the bones to shift out of their proper alignment and/or move improperly affecting their range of motion.
  • These changes can cause pain by putting pressure on the different joints, muscles and nerves along your spine.
  • Chiropractors then do a joint manipulation or “adjustment” where they will use his or her hands to apply a very quick, precise and safe amount of pressure directly on the problem area of your spine.
  • Chiropractors are the only profession to receive extensive training in the application of this treatment.
  • This pressure momentarily stretches the joints, allowing a gas bubble to escape (this is the popping or cracking sound you might hear).
  • This relieves the pressure on the joint and surrounding nerves, allowing your spine to return to its proper position.
  • Research shows that the joints range of motion increases and less pain is received when a manipulation is given as compared to a mobilization or range of motion exercise. Therefore it is the quickest way to recover.

What is Subluxation?

  • A subluxation is the name given to the area in the spine that is not moving well and is creating nerve irritation. A chiropractor is the only health professional trained to make this kind of assessment.

Symptoms of Back Pain

  • Leg pain with numbness, tingling and/or weakness
  • Back or leg pain when coughing or sneezing
  • Difficulty standing up after sitting for any period of time
  • Stiffness in the morning that decreases once you move around
  • Pain in your hip, buttock, groin, thigh, knee or foot
  • Inability to turn or bend to each side equally
  • Unbalanced posture, when your head, neck or shoulder may be higher on one side than the other
  • Pain which prevents you from sleeping well
  • Pain that is persistent or worsens after 48 hours
  • Headaches
  • Joint pain throughout body

10 Tips for keeping your back healthy

  • exercise regularly
  • follow a healthy diet
  • maintain good posture
  • stretch your spine and other joints before and after sports
  • don’t overload your backpack or shoulder bag
  • stretch your legs and back after each hour of sitting
  • never cradle the phone between your neck and shoulder
  • sleep on your back or side, not on your stomach
  • invest in a good chair, pillow and mattress. It’s worth it!
  • see your chiropractor for regular spinal check-ups

Here is a great article about job related pain and how prevention is better than a cure.

http://bit.ly/2mTIQEl