So what exactly is chiropractic care?
The root of the prefix Chiro is from Latin for hands; practico is also from Latin which means to perform, execute, propose and to do. Chiropractic literally means to use your hands to practice. To enter into Chiropractic doctorate school an applicant must have an undergraduate degree. During Chiropractic school, students training consists of diagnosing, treating, and preventing any musculoskeletal disorder in the human body. A chiropractors’ main goal is to help the body heal itself.
Chiropractors care for more than your spine
As you now know chiropractors can work on all parts of the human body and are able to treat neck pain, back pain, and assess and adjust almost every joint in the body. We can adjust feet, hands, wrists, elbows, knees, shoulders, and other joints. Chiropractors can care for sprains, strains, arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, plantar fasciitis, migraine, cervicogenic headache/dizziness, sciatica and more. Chiropractors use soft tissue work, exercises and modalities like ultrasound and shockwave to help care for these and various other conditions.
Many techniques to do an adjustment
There are many different techniques in chiropractic care which use different velocities and tools. Just like with anything in life, people are unique, and have preferences of which technique they prefer based on their experiences and what works best for their body. So if you do not like the way an adjustment feels, be sure to tell your chiropractor and they will look inside their tool kit and find a technique that is right for you.
A cracking sound does not make or break the adjustment
An adjustment is when you bring a joint into tension and provide a quick thrust that can increase mobility and strength as well as decrease pain. Sometimes during adjustments, you can hear a pop which is called a cavitation. The noise is simply air being released from the joint like when you crack your knuckles. No matter how satisfying it may be to hear a pop during an adjustment, this audible sound is not needed in order for increased mobility. Some people do not like to hear a pop. There are various techniques where cavitation’s are not heard.
Chiropractic is for everyone
There are many techniques that can be tailored to suit individuals to treat their complaint. This specificity shows that there is a safe way to adjust everyone. For example there are gentle techniques for babies that use 2-6oz of weighted touch to adjust them and techniques with more force that can be used for athletes. There are also techniques to adjust osteoporotic patients whose bones are fragile and pregnant mothers whose ligaments are lax. Chiropractic care can even be for your furry friends.
Written by Myia Wilkes DC
