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