Chiropractic Adjustment, Chiropractic Manipulation, Chiropractic Therapy, many names for what makes Chiropractic unique in the healthcare fields.
What Is Chiropractic Manipulation
As chiropractors we often get asked, “What is Chiropractic?”. Chiropractic is a holistic form of healthcare designed to look at the whole body and how it functions by studying movement, loss of motion, strength or coordination, and the nervous system. In the late 19th Century traditional medicine, osteopathic medicine and chiropractic medicine were still in their infancy. Chiropractic focused on the nervous system as the root cause of most disease In 1895 the founder and developer of Chiropractic, DD Palmer, believed manipulation of the vertebral column allowed nerves to communicate more efficiently which then led to better function of the body. Osteopathic Medicine believed the humors, specifically the blood, was the cause of disease. Allopathic medicine and it’s combined disciplines of surgery and pharmacy were largely refined by the establishment of hospitals post-civil war and the founding of the prestigious John Hopkins Hospital. This led to development of surgical procedures and powerful medications that we think of when visiting our medical doctor.
As early as the early 1900’s Chiropractic found its way into sports medicine by way of America’s favorite past-time, baseball!
Many athletes including world-class Olympic athletes, Super Bowl winning Quarterbacks, high-flying NBA Hall of Famer’s and many others all utilize Chiropractic care to keep them performing at their best!
Today, Chiropractic care is covered under most insurances and is found at most Veteran’s Affairs hospitals in America and even within major corporations and manufacturing facilities.
Who Visits The Chiropractor
Most patients start their care at our office because of a pain complaint. Pain is the signal sent to the brain by our body signaling a problem. We look past treating only the pain to finding the cause of pain.
Other patients seek out Chiropractic care to help improve a problem they have suffered with. Common issues such as; Joint or muscle stiffness, joint instability, muscle weakness, tendon or ligament pain or stiffness. Decreased athletic performance, vertigo, loss of coordination or loss of balance are all common conditions treated. Male and female reproductive health, indigestion, heartburn, headaches, migraines and nausea are some other common health problems patients seek chiropractic care for.
Chiropractic Care For Pregnancy
Pregnancy and the related changes to the body brings many people to our office looking for relief and support during their pregnancy. The type of care you receive is dependent on what week of pregnancy you are in. During the initial phases of implantation, we use very gentle techniques as to not disturb the implantation process. As your pelvis and abdomen expand, we focus on relieving ligament and muscle pain around the hips, stomach and pelvic area. Toward the end of pregnancy the focus changes to keeping you comfortable but also reducing the chance of uterine or pelvic restriction or mal-position that may affect the position of the fetus or birthing process. Because there are special considerations to treating a pregnant patient, please make sure your provider has obtained training specific to peri-natal care such as training with the ICPA.
Post-pregnancy, we often see new parents with neck, back and shoulder pain from holding their new baby.
Pediatric Chiropractic
Children are seen by Chiropractors for common problems such as colic, torticollis, feeding issues. We recommend patients bring their child in for a check-up after developmental milestones such as sitting-up, standing-up, walking and of course the accompanying falling! If your child is falling behind on hitting a milestone, we are happy to see if we may improve their ability by evaluating their nervous system and musculoskeletal development. Children develop differently and there is usually no need for concern with a delayed milestone. Although children are incredibly adaptable, if your child has a lingering complaint of pain, not wanting to move a limb or walking with a limp, they need to be seen by a medical provider! Again, make sure your provider has specialized training to recognize conditions specific to pediatric patients.
The Chiropractic Exam
Our chiropractors look at the foundation of the body starting at where the rubber hits the road or ground. Starting at the feet and ending all the way to the top of the head, we evaluate how the body acts against gravity. All of our new patients receive an examination to not only diagnose their condition but also determine if the patient is stable to receive traditional chiropractic care or if modification is necessary. Most of our patients receive some form of care on their first visit. If diagnostic imaging is necessary, we will refer to an imaging center.
Some patients require assessment while performing specific movements like running or jumping to identify the problem. Our baseball players, golfers and other athletes may be asked to demonstrate movements they are having pain or dysfunction with.
When an area is found to not be responding or performing as it should, chiropractors perform a gentle adjustment. These adjustments help with not only joint health but compliment whole-body health. What we now know about how manipulation of the spinal column and other joints in the body influences the nervous system is truly remarkable.
What is a Chiropractic Adjustment?
The modern, standard Chiropractic adjustments are gentle, specific, and fast impulses that attempt to introduce motion into the joint and information into the nervous system. Like many of our common items we interact with, our body has sensors that send information back to our brain. That information may be pain, balance, force, vibration or position. When those sensors are not working correctly the brain gets either bad information or most commonly the signal of pain. Our goal is to help our patients get better while also recognizing their comfort level. We have many ways to perform an adjustment to best suit a person’s needs. Alternative to the standard Chiropractic adjustment, there are less forceful methods that look and feel like a gentle massage.
The back is made up of multiple bones called vertebrae that connect via disc, ligaments, muscles and joints. Joints are where two bones move together. The spinal cord and spinal nerves are housed in these vertebral bones called the axial skeleton. These nerves go out to supply the rest of your body with information. An example of this is, the nerves at the base of your back go down and innervate the legs and feet. Here is a chart for you to look at that shows how chiropractic can affect the whole body.
Once proper motion has been restored, the communication to the brain and rest of the body can work in optimal conditions to help the body heal itself. Proper motion within the joint improves the efficiency of the surrounding spinal structures. Nerve signals can once again properly go from the brain down to the body and from the body back up to the brain carrying the correct sensations and information.
Chiropractic is generally accepted as safe and good form of treatment for many conditions. With the proper patient interview, examination and chiropractic technique, your doctor will be able to safely address your complaints. The chiropractic manipulation or adjustment can reduce pain, help balance, improve immunity, and increase the ability to do daily activities. Here are some examples how chiropractic can help different age groups. This is not a complete list.
- Babies and Toddlers: Torticollis, colic, ear infections, constipation and primitive reflexes
- School Age Kids: Coordination, posture, concentration, sports performance, headaches
- Adults: Menstrual regulation and pain, headaches, neck pain, back pain, sciatica, shoulder pain
- Pregnancy: Help relieve body discomfort, decrease labor times, support appropriate fetal movement and position
- Elderly: Balance, Erectile Dysfunction, pain relief, arthritis pain relief, help performing daily activities
How Do I Find A Chiropractor Near Me?
Our office is located in Overland Park, Kansas. We practice Chiropractic along with Acupuncture and many Sports Medicine based therapies. Chiropractors are welcome in the Veterans Association as well as many other major hospitals. Collaborative care between medical doctors and chiropractors has become very common in today’s health model. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, your insurance plan must offer coverage for Chiropractic care. If you are looking for a great chiropractor outside of the Kansas City Metro area, give our office a call and we can find a referral via our advanced training networks!
Call our front office at 913-276-0508 or email us to ask about chiropractic benefits today!