Frequently Asked Questions

There’s nothing mysterious about chiropractic. It’s a natural method of health care that focuses on treating the causes of physical problems, rather than just treating the symptoms. Chiropractic is based on a simple but powerful premise. With a normally functioning spine and healthy nerve system, your body is better able to heal itself. That’s because your spine is the lifeline of your nervous system. It controls feeling, movement, and all function through your body.

Not always. A subluxation is like a dental cavity–you may have it for a long time before symptoms appear. That’s why periodic spinal checkups are so important. Although it may be possible to know you have a subluxation, it is rarely possible to be sure you don’t. Regular spinal checkups are always a good idea, and they promote good health from the inside out.

Chiropractic works by restoring your body’s inborn ability to be healthy. A healthy spine and a healthy lifestyle are your keys to optimal health! When under the proper control of your nervous system, all the cells, tissues, and organs of your body are designed to resist disease and ill health.  The goal of the chiropractor is to remove that interference an allow your body to heal itself.

Doctors of Chiropractic are well educated. Chiropractic education and medical education are similar in many respects and different in others because chiropractors do not prescribe drugs or perform surgery, and medical doctors do not correct vertebral subluxations. After graduating with a Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) Degree, each candidate passes the demanding four part National Board Examinations. Then, doctors apply to a governmental or state professional licensing board and are many times required to pass still another difficult test before being granted the privilege to practice. A chiropractor’s education, however, never ends. Most doctors complete regular postgraduate instruction for license renewal and to stay current on the latest research and adjustment techniques.

A chiropractic adjustment is an art of using a specific force in a precise direction, applied to a joint that is “locked up,” or not moving properly. The purpose of this safe and natural procedure is to eliminate interference to the nervous system, improving spinal function and overall health. Studies have shown that gentle, specific spinal adjustments boost your body’s immunity also!

Since significant spinal trauma can occur at birth, many parents have their newborns checked for vertebral subluxation. Naturally, chiropractic adjusting procedures are adapted for the child’s spine. Many childhood health complaints that are brushed off can be traced to the spine. Health problems that emerge in adulthood could often be prevented by having your children’s spine checked by a chiropractor early. Most parents report that their children enjoy their chiropractic adjustments and are healthier than their peers.

No. The doctor evaluates each patient’s unique spinal problem and develops an individual course of care. Each chiropractic adjustment builds on the one before. The resulting recommendations are based upon years of training and experience. Each patient’s care is uniquely different from every other patient.

Yes. Chiropractic has an excellent safety record. It is the result of a conservative and natural approach to health that avoids invasive procedures or addictive drugs. As proof, one merely has to compare malpractice rates between chiropractors and other health care professionals. Chiropractors’ malpractice premiums are a small fraction of those for medical doctors.

Actually, adjustments do not always produce a sound. Often, however, adjustments to create the sound of a spinal “release,” or “popping” sound. The sound is caused by air rushing in to fill the partial vacuum created when the joints are slightly separated. This sound is painless and totally harmless.

No. Since a chiropractic adjustment is a specific force, applied in a specific direction to a specific joint, it is virtually impossible to adjust oneself correctly and accurately. It is possible to turn or bend or twist in certain ways to create a “popping” sound that sometimes accompanies a chiropractic adjustment. Unfortunately, this type of joint manipulation is usually counterproductive, often making an already unstable spine even more unstable, and can sometimes be dangerous. Adjusting the spine is not for amateurs!

No. If only it were, there would be more healthy people around and chiropractors would not get patients who last saw a chiropractor “a few years ago when their back went out.” It is possible to get used to feeling more balanced, less stressed, and more energetic as a result or regular chiropractic care. Chiropractic is not addictive, however, good health is.

Yes. It’s an unfortunate fact that up to half of those who had spinal surgery discover a return of their original symptoms months or years later. They then face the prospect of additional surgery. Chiropractic may help prevent repeated back surgeries. In fact, if chiropractic care is initially, utilized back surgery can often be avoided in the first place.

Also, some patients who have had surgeries and fusions have pain in other parts of their spine that can be treated. Treatments can improve range of motion in the areas we treat.

No, however chiropractic care is successful with a very wide variety of health problems not necessarily considered “back” problems because of improved nerve system function. With a normal nerve supply, the body’s natural healing capacity can improve a variety of health problems.

Anytime is a good time for a better functioning nerve system. Pregnant mothers find that chiropractic adjustments improve their pregnancy and make delivery easier for themselves and their baby. Adjusting methods are always adapted to a patient’s size, weight, age, and condition of health.

Chiropractors base their care on the detection correction and prevention of vertebral subluxations (spinal misalignments). We use specific spinal adjustments to correct the spine, to improve nervous system functions and reduce nerve interference. Osteopaths use drugs, surgery, and other traditional medical therapies and only occasionally use manipulative procedures. Chiropractors also have extensive training in spinal adjusting while the traditional Osteopathic Doctor has very minimal training in manipulative procedures.

Chiropractors take digital x-rays to reveal the internal structure and alignment of the spine. Chiropractic x-rays are taken while the patient is upright and bearing weight, which is the position the body is in when it’s not sleeping. This allows for a much better functional analysis of the spine and nerve system. We are also concerned about underlying disease processes and disorders of the spine such as spinal deterioration, arthritis of the spine, abnormal development, bone spurs, disc disorders, tumors and spinal curvature. X-rays also provide a blueprint for correcting the spine back to optimal health and alignment.

No. Exercise is an important part of good health, yet without normal spinal function a physical workout merely puts additional wear and tear on improperly functioning spinal joints.