There are many reasons people seek chiropractic care - some for wellness, others for
pain relief. The public is shying away
from drugs and surgery, and demanding
a less invasive-more holistic approach
to health. This shift has heightened the
awareness of chiropractic to where it
is now the number three form of health
care in the U.S. (behind medicine and
dentistry). Still only 20% of the public
has been to a chiropractor. This is possibly
due to their unfamiliarity or lack of
understanding of chiropractic treatment. Most people
are very misinformed and have a distorted
view of chiropractic. The following document addresses the most commonly asked questions about the chiropractic healing
profession.
The science of chiropractic is based on the basic principal that normal body function is essential to health, and normal body function is directly dependent on a properly functioning nervous system. The nervous system is the primary governing system in your body; it controls every other body function - it controls your heart, your liver, your kidneys, everything! It is the very first system to be formed in the developing embryo, and it is responsible for the proper formation and development of all the other body systems. No organ or muscle system can function on it's own without proper input from the nervous system.
Your
nervous
system consists
of your
brain and
spinal cord. So important is the nervous system that
it is the
only system
in your
body that
is entirely
encased
in bone - i.e. your
skull and
vertebral
column were
designed
to protect
the nervous
system
from harm.
But sometimes
we sustain
minor traumas
throughout
our lives
that cause
aberrations
to our spine
(and cranium...
see the CFR
section).
This can
cause the
vertebrae
to mis-align
and put
pressure
on the nerve
roots as
they exit
the spine,
causing
nerve interference.
This
often
causes
a
"pinched
nerve"
and is frequently experienced as pain.
Sometimes
these misaligned
vertebrae
do not cause
pain, but
instead
suppress
the message
being sent
from the
nerve root
to what
ever organ
or muscle
system that
nerve innervates.
This alters
the function
of those
particular
body parts
so they
no longer
work at
100%, and
sets up
a state
of dis-function
which chiropractors
call "dis-ease".
Long term dis-ease leads to a slow breakdown in the functioning
of that particular organ system and eventually gives rise
to disease . . . and that is how people get sick!
Disease
is not usually
something you catch
from the
outside
- it is
the end
result of
long term
dysfunction
caused
by nerve
interference. In chiropractic,
these mis-aligned
vertabrae
that cause
nerve interference
are called
"Vertebral
Subluxations".
They sometimes
cause pain,
but always
interfere
(and alter)
proper nerve
flow. Subluxations
are easily
corrected
and maintained
with regular
chiropractic
adjustments.
The chiropractor's
job is to
locate and
remove these
veterbral
subluxations
by gently
"adjusting"
the mis-aligned
vertebrae
back into
proper position.
By doing
so, the
chiropractor
takes the
pressure
off the
nerve, relieves your pain and
restores
normal function
to the involved
area. When
your nervous
system is
working
properly
and the
body is
communicating
with itself
properly,
for the
most part,
you will
stay healthy.
So this is the basic principle of chiropractic, and it makes total sense! But occasionally people still tell me that they don't believe in chiropractic. I think it is safer to say that they just don't understand chiropractic. It's not really something you believe in or you don't, it's just the way the body works! Remember, the body is an amazingly intelligent machine which is fully capable of healing itself. It doesn't really need any help from the outside - it just needs no interference on the inside.
"The Body Heals, and the Doctor Gets the
Credit". In chiropractic we understand this concept and work with it, always trying to facilitate and encourage
normal body function through a properly functioning nervous
system. In the words of Dr. Patch Adams, "Treat the
patient, not the disease." Doesn't that make sense?
Remember, it is so much easier to stay well then it is to
try and get well - and just because you are not sick, doesn't
necessarily mean that you are healthy. So
stay well and get Adjusted - for the Health of it!
In
The Interest of Better Health,
Dr.
Adam J.
Del Torto,
DC, QME
Nerve Function Chart
