What does a chiropractor do?

 

This is a question that many people ask. A Chiropractor does not just crack backs. Chiropractors are known for their ability to treat back pain symptoms. This is often the reason that people first contact a chiropractor. As to the crack or pop as some people call it, this is the sound often associated with a chiropractic visit, but this is just one type of many different techniques used by a chiropractor.

 

What is chiropractic care?

 

The goal of many chiropractors is restoring the function and stability of the spine. This is achieved by releasing tension in the spine, that way muscles can relax and the pain associated with the dysfunction can improve. T a chiropractor it is more than that. Your spinal cord runs through the spine, this is your central nervous system and your bodies link to the brain. It is your brain that controls every cell of your body. The brain sits at the top of your nervous system runs down your spinal cord, branches off in pairs at each vertebral level to control every muscle, organ and cell of your body. It is easy to see that a chiropractor does more than move bones or straighten your posture and spine. A chiropractor is directly affecting your central nervous system and allowing your brain to communicate with every part of your body.

 

So is chiropractic safe and why the crack?

 

The crack or popping sound is achieved in some chiropractic adjustments and it is thought to occur when pressure is released between two vertebrae. Smiler to when you take the lid off a pickle jar for the first time, pressure is released and pop. The aim here is to get the vertebrae to move in the correct motion thereby having an affect on the underlying tissues and nervous system.

 

What is a spinal adjustment?

 

There are other techniques in chiropractic that do not a crack or a pop. When chiropractors are adjusting their patients and use they often use different techniques. There are over 100 different chiropractic techniques for a chiropractor to learn. The techniques that do not cause a popping sound are generally called “tonal” techniques. A gentle force – usually the pressure you would use to check a ripe tomato – is used to direct the tissues and vertebrae into correction. What works for one patient often doesn’t work for another so a good chiropractor often uses a combination of both styles. In some techniques a constant pressure or quick flick is used to achieve the same result. Some times a chiropractors will use an instrument instead of their hands.

 

By helping the spine to function properly, a chiropractor allows the nerve interference at that level to dissipate so that the message from the brain can get to that part of the body.

 

So what does a chiropractor do?

 

A chiropractor is trying to restore function and stability not only to your spine, but also to the central nervous system and surrounding organ systems. Chiropractic treatment is focused on trying to get your brain to communicate with every part of your body, to help you reach your maximum potential.