Modern chiropractic care is safe, effective and efficient in treating many musculoskeletal problems. This is a fact that is well documented with recent research and published in peer reviewed journals. However, this is not the full scope of chiropractic. Chiropractic is also very effective in promoting wellness through improved nervous system function.
Chiropractic does not treat conditions. Chiropractic detects and corrects the vertebral subluxation. The vertebral subluxation complex is simply the loss of normal motion of the vertebra and the effects of that loss of motion which include; pain, stiffness, increased or decreased blood flow, increased or decreased nerve signal. The vertebral subluxation complex interferes with the full expression of life force which may indeed cause those conditions.
The effects of the vertebral subluxation may be categorized into many different philosophical models of health care. The medical doctor (allopathic model) looks at a patient with pain along the path of the sciatic nerve and sees a condition called sciatica. A chiropractor sees a patient with the same condition, looks for the cause of the pain, and confirms (diagnoses) a vertebral subluxation. Chiropractors look at a person with an injured disc and sees that the injury started with a subluxation of the vertebra.
This is not to say that chiropractors are not cognizant of the dreaded disorders that afflict mankind. We study pathology, general diagnosis, and neuromusculoskeletal (NMS) Diagnosis. These classes covered vital signs, general physical examination , neurologic and orthopedic examination and the diseases associated with the findings of these tests.
It is not our mission in chiropractic to treat named conditions. It is our mission to treat the cause of disease, at the level of dis-ease, which is not recognized in most other health care professions. Chiropractic intervenes in the process, before health is lost, making it truly health care.
Chiropractic views the body from a structure – function point of view. The structure of the human anatomy, from a chiropractic point of view, is based in the spine and to a lesser extent the appendicular skeleton. The spinal anatomy, including the skull, encases the central nervous system. Chiropractors study spinal structure with x-ray.
The function of the human body is controlled by the nervous system. The nervous system is divided into three systems: motor, sensory, and autonomic. Function of these three divisions may be studied and quantified through suface electromyography, (SEMG) for the motor nervous system, Thermal Imaging for the autonomic system and algometry for the pain portion of the sensory system. Of these studies algometry gives the least reliable data.
The function of the spine may be studied with motion x-ray and computerized range of motion. Motion x-ray, also known as videofluoroscopy, utilizes a specialized x-ray unit with a video tape recorder to visualize the motion of the spine. There is a consideration of exposure to ionizing radiation in performing this study. Computerized range of motion (CROM) is a non-invasive functional study with excellent object data. CROM shows the motion of each region of the spine and compares the results to normal.
The focus of my practice is developing wellness awareness through patient encounters and wellness education classes. I utilize a computerized neurologic testing station to assess nervous system function. This unit is called the Insight Millennium Subluxation Station. Monitoring pain levels and other subjective information tells us little about the functioning of the nervous system. The use of the Subluxation Station demonstrates to the doctor and the patient objective results in easy to read full color graphics.
I have studied many different adjusting techniques. I have chosen to use a combination of several techniques that use low force to effect the adjustment.
The table that I use has drop pieces that “give way” slightly during the adjustment. This increases the relaxation of the patient while increasing the velocity of the adjustment. Low force and high velocity combine to make a pain free adjustment. Many of my patients comment that they did not feel anything during the adjustment, no pop, crack, or pain. They are amazed that their pain is relieved without additional pain.
Some patients do have increased pain after an adjustment. These are the small minority of patients and the pain is usually short lived. Very few patients do not improve under chiropractic care.
If you have pain you can expect to be relatively pain free. You can expect an increase in your resistance to disease. A recent study of medicare aged patients under regular chiropractic care for five years or longer spent less than a 3rd the amount of money on medical care than non-chiropractic patients in the same age group. Ref: Rupert RL, Manello D, Sandefur R: Maintenance care: health promotion services administered to US chiropractic patients aged 65 or older, Part II. Journal of Manipulative Therapeutics 2000;23(1):10.
The autonomic nervous system has been demonstrated to influence the immune system function. The sympathetic nerve serves as a primary communication system between the brain and the immune system. Messages from the brain modulate the immune system function. Stresses on the immune system are communicated to the brain via the sympathetic nerves. Ref: Pharmocology Review 2000;52(4):595
The Subluxation Station assesses the function of the sympathetic nervous system function which is a part of the autonomic nervous system which is studied by the Thermal study. We can demonstrate changes in the autonomic nervous system during a course of chiropractic care.