Chiropractic

What is chiropractic?

Chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health.

Chiropractic services are used most often to treat common musculoskeletal complaints, including but not limited to back pain, neck pain, pain in the joints of the arms or legs, and headaches.

What is spinal manipulation?

The purpose of spinal manipulation is to restore joint mobility by manually applying a controlled force into joints that have become hypomobile – or restricted in their movement – as a result of a tissue injury.

Tissue injury can be caused by a single traumatic event, such as improper lifting of a heavy object, or through repetitive stresses, such as sitting in an awkward position with poor spinal posture for an extended period of time. In either case, injured tissues undergo physical and chemical changes that can cause inflammation, pain, and diminished function for an individual.

Manipulation, or adjustment of the affected joint and tissues, restores mobility, thereby alleviating pain and muscle tightness, allowing tissues to heal.

What are the indications for chiropractic care?

A chiropractor can be a resource for patients with conditions including, but are not limited to:

  • Lower back pain
  • Neck pain
  • Headache
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Sciatica
  • Myofascial pain
chiropractic adjustment

What are the contraindications for chiropractic care?

Most reactions to spinal adjustments are minor and self-limited. They typically arise and disappear shortly after treatment. The most common benign reactions are a short-lived local discomfort at the area of treatment. Serious side effects are rare.

Spinal manipulation is not recommended in patients with fractures, dislocations, or infection at the area of treatment.

Older adults with osteoporosis (thinning of the bone) or vertebral artery stenosis (narrowing of the arteries to the brain) should inform the doctor before treatment. More gentle forms of chiropractic treatment may be performed.