What is Chiropractic?

About Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care has been practiced for centuries, but did not receive the name "Chiropractic" until the early 1900's. Its origination in the United States is attributed to the works of D.D. Palmer in the late 1800's. In fact, chiropractic celebrated its centennial in 1995.

Chiropractic is a drugless, hands-on approach to healing. Doctors of Chiropractic understand that disease within the body is initiated by a blockage of nerve impulses from the brain cell to the tissue cell. Every tissue, organ, and gland in your body receive nerve impulses from the brain to control function. There also exists a feedback loop from the tissue cell back to the brain. This allows the brain total control over all bodily cells. Every tissue in your body, when working optimally and properly, is controlled 100% of the time by your brain and nervous system. (Reference: Innate, the Safety Pin Cycle and Neuropeptides Dr. Matthew McCoy - Editor editor@jvsr.com Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, http://www.jvsr.com) Misalignments of the spine can occur due to physical, chemical, emotional stress, and these misalignments are called subluxations. Subluxations interfere with normal brain communication to the body tissues creating illness and disease.

This diagram shows how a spinal subluxation, or spinal bone misalignment, can irritate and damage sensitive nerve tissues.

The following description of chiropractic is from the California Chiropractic Association:

Purpose of Chiropractic
The purpose of chiropractic is to provide a first health care contact for wellness and the optimization of health.

Chiropractic Defined
Chiropractic is a health care discipline which emphasizes the inherent recuperative power of the body to heal itself without the use of drugs or surgery.

The practice of chiropractic focuses on the relationship between structure (primarily the spine) and function (as coordinated by the nervous system) and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health. In addition, Doctors of Chiropractic recognize the value and responsibility of working in cooperation with other health care practitioners when in the best interest of the patient.

Chiropractic Education
Four year doctorate degree with classroom and laboratory work in basic sciences, diagnosis, treatment procedures, and a clinical internship Educational requirements for medical doctors and chiropractors in basic and clinical sciences are very similar Postgraduate continuing education required annually

Chiropractors are Primary Care Providers Focused on Healthy Lifestyle Promoting and Cost-Saving Preventative Care.
Chiropractors promote preventative care by providing advice on diet, exercise and lifestyle. Preventive care results in cost savings as health is maintained, disease avoided, and costly procedures forgone. Doctors of chiropractic are required to refer patients to the appropriate health care provider if a condition is detected that is not subject to appropriate management by chiropractic methods or techniques.

Scope of Practice
Doctors of chiropractic are trained to diagnose all conditions: History taking and physical exam techniques Appropriate use of laboratory and other tests such as MRI and x-ray.

Doctors of chiropractic are educated, trained and licensed by the state of California to treat all conditions, diseases, or injuries in a manner consistent with chiropractic methods and techniques.

Doctors of chiropractic provide treatment without drugs or surgery: Prevention stressed, including wellness protocols such as diet, exercise and lifestyle Natural approach including nutrition, vitamins, minerals, herbs and other options Typical treatment uses manual adjustments to spine and/or extremities Physiotherapy and other soft tissue techniques also utilized Exercise and rehabilitation are prescribed to enhance function and condition prevention

The Association of Chiropractic Colleges in their first position paper states:

"Chiropractic is concerned with the preservation and restoration of health, and focuses particular attention on the subluxation."
"A subluxation is a complex of functional and/or structural and/or pathological articular changes that compromise neural integrity and may influence organ system function and general health."
"A subluxation is evaluated, diagnosed, and managed through the use of chiropractic procedures based on the best available rational and empirical evidence."

The role of chiropractic is to "reconnect" you and enhance self-awareness by removing the interference between the brain and body.

It is vitally important to have your spinal column examined by a Doctor of Chiropractic to determine if subluxations are present. You do not have to be in pain to have subluxations. Symptoms are a warning signal that your body is desperately seeking attention. You do not need to reach this dire situation by implementing preventative, natural, and conservative chiropractic care.

Bringing fast relief for your symptoms is a major priority in our office, but we also emphasize the long-term benefits of chiropractic care. Our patients are educated to realize the importance of wellness care, and keeping their bodies "tuned-up" for their entire lives.

Bayshore Family Chiropractic Center

What is Chiropractic?

About Chiropractic Care