Following is the content of the
brochure:
What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic is a natural form of health care. It
focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems and
the effects these disorders have on general health. Chiropractic is
a drug- and surgery-free, hands-on system of health care that respects
the body’s ability to heal itself.
For more than 100 years, chiropractic care has been
the choice for millions of patients who want safe and effective
health care without the use of surgery or drugs. Chiropractors
– also called doctors of chiropractic or chiropractic physicians – use
natural methods to treat the biomechanics, structure, and function of
the spine and its effects on the muscle and nervous systems.
Chiropractic emphasizes the role played by the proper function of
these systems in the preservation and restoration of health.
Chiropractors also concentrate on the factors involved
in a patient’s overall health, including diet and proper nutrition,
activity levels and exercise, other lifestyle choices, and much more.
What is a "Subluxation?"
A subluxation – also known as "nerve interference" –
is the misalignment of vertebrae in the spinal column. When a
subluxation occurs, it often affects the function of the nervous
system, which may have a negative effect on quality of life.
Chiropractic Adjustment
Chiropractors typically care for subluxations with a
procedure known as a "chiropractic adjustment." This hands-on
technique for restoring spinal and other joint mobility is performed
by manually applying a controlled force to joints that have either
become too restricted in their movement or too mobile, as a result of
a tissue injury.
By realigning the affected vertebrae through a
chiropractic adjustment, the chiropractor eliminates this nerve
interference and proper bodily function is restored.
What Conditions Are Helped By Chiropractic?
Chiropractors diagnose injuries and other conditions
of the nervous and musculoskeletal system and care for patients with
pain, such as: back and neck pain; tension, cluster, migraine and
other headaches; sciatica; and joint pain. Chiropractic also is shown
to improve osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, sprains
and strains, postural issues, and a variety of other non-neuromusculoskeletal
conditions, all without the use of surgery or drugs. It is appropriate
care for all ages.
The most common injuries treated with chiropractic
care include on-the-job injuries, sports injuries, and auto accidents.
However, regular chiropractic care has also been shown to be
helpful in maintaining general health and well-being and increasing
vitality.
Is Chiropractic Safe?
Chiropractic spinal adjustments are extremely safe
when performed by chiropractors. In fact, chiropractic adjustments are
among the safest treatments for most back and neck problems – much
safer in fact than other common treatments for musculoskeletal pain
like prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
The American Journal of Medicine reported on
studies that investigated the risks between spinal adjustments and
other treatments for the same conditions. One analysis concluded there
was no evidence that NSAIDs were any more effective than spinal
manipulation, but the risk of serious complications or death was
between 100 and 400 times greater. In another review, estimates of
serious gastrointestinal events from NSAIDs were 1 per 1,000 patients,
whereas complications of cervical manipulations were 5 to 10 per 10
million adjustments.
Chiropractic for Children
Chiropractic care is safe for children and can provide
a beneficial foundation on health and overall fitness from newborn to
adult stages. Children are very physically active and experience many
types of falls and blows from activities of daily living. These
injuries can cause a variety of symptoms, including back and neck
pain, discomfort, sprains, strains, and more.
Chiropractors help children using adjustments and
other forms of manual, natural care. Chiropractors have improved many
of the same ailments as other pediatric health care providers,
including: respiratory problems like asthma or allergies; ear, nose
and throat problems, such as otitis media; and other problems like
common childhood injuries, torticollis, infantile colic and
bedwetting.
Not every child or condition will respond to
conservative chiropractic care and your chiropractor is fully educated
and trained to recognize when a referral to a more appropriate health
care provider may be needed.
Chiropractic for Senior Citizens
The first members of the Baby Boom Generation have
already turned 60. As the number of people living longer continues to
increase dramatically, chiropractors are on the forefront of care for
our elder population.
Geriatric patients often respond very positively to
the gentle, hands-on approach of chiropractic care. Older patients
suffer from structural problems that often respond very well to
chiropractic intervention. Regular chiropractic adjustments can
relieve spinal and extremity pain, decrease stiffness, increase range
of motion, decrease spinal stress and degeneration, as well as
arthritic conditions and inflammation, and enhance tissue healing.
Additionally, chiropractic can increase balance and
coordination, decreasing the likelihood of falls, one of the leading
problems facing seniors, because an injury resulting from a fall can
cause permanent disability. Chiropractic can help prevent falls,
leading to many additional years of productive living.
Chiropractic Education
Completion of a Doctor of Chiropractic degree requires
four to five years of professional coursework. The education of a
chiropractor is similar in total classroom hours to that of a medical
doctor. An average of 4,822 hours is required in chiropractic schools,
compared to 4,667 hours in medical schools.
Basic science courses comprise nearly 30 percent of
the total hours in both chiropractic and medical school programs, and
the two programs have comparable hours in biochemistry, microbiology
and pathology. Chiropractors receive more training in anatomy and
physiology, while medical doctors receive more training in public
health.
The 4,822 hours of classroom instruction in
chiropractic school include 1,416 hours in basic science, 1,975 hours
in diagnostic and treatment methods, and 1,431 hours in clinical
internship.
Chiropractic colleges focus on chiropractic
principles, diagnosis, orthopedics, physiologic therapeutics and
nutrition. Three areas – adjustive techniques/spinal analysis,
physical/clinical laboratory diagnosis, and diagnostic imaging –
account for more than half of the education in clinical sciences.
During their internship, chiropractors complete two years of hands-on
clinical experience focusing on adjustment as the primary procedure.
The emphasis in chiropractic clinical sciences is clearly on diagnosis
and adjustive technique.
Clinical Competency
A chiropractic graduate must pass national licensing
board examinations before receiving a license to practice. The
multi-part examination is comprised of written and practical clinical
sections. The top goals in administering standardized exams are the
promotion of high standards of competence and assistance to the state
licensing agencies in assessing competence.
For more
information about how chiropractic care may benefit your life, talk to
your chiropractor.
