Chiropractic is a branch
of the healing arts which is based upon the understanding
that good health depends, in part, upon a normally
functioning nervous system (especially the spine,
and the nerves extending from the spine to all parts
of the body). "Chiropractic" comes from
the Greek word Chiropraktikos, meaning "effective
treatment by hand." Chiropractic stresses the
idea that the cause of many disease processes begins
with the body's inability to adapt to its environment.
It looks to address these diseases not by the use
of drugs and chemicals, but by locating and adjusting
a musculoskeletal area of the body which is functioning
improperly.
The conditions which doctors of chiropractic
address are as varied and as vast as the nervous
system itself. All chiropractors use a standard
procedure of examination to diagnose a patient's
condition and arrive at a course of treatment.
Doctors of chiropractic use the same time-honored
methods of consultation, case history, physical
examination, laboratory analysis and x-ray examination
as any other doctor. In addition, they provide
a careful chiropractic structural examination,
paying particular attention to the spine.
The examination of the spine to evaluate structure
and function is what makes chiropractic different
from other health care procedures. Your spinal
column is a series of movable bones which begin
at the base of your skull and end in the center
of your hips. Thirty-one pairs of spinal nerves
extend down the spine from the brain and exit
through a series of openings. The nerves leave
the spine and form a complicated network which
influences every living tissue in your body.
Accidents, falls, stress, tension, overexertion,
and countless other factors can result in a displacements
or derangements of the spinal column, causing
irritation to spinal nerve roots. These irritations
are often what cause malfunctions in the human
body. Chiropractic teaches that reducing or eliminating
this irritation to spinal nerves can cause your
body to operate more efficiently and more comfortably.
Chiropractic also places an emphasis on nutritional
and exercise programs, wellness and lifestyle
modifications for promoting physical and mental
health. While chiropractors make no use of drugs
or surgery, Doctors of chiropractic do refer patients
for medical care when those interventions are
indicated. In fact, chiropractors, medical doctors,
physical therapists and other health care professionals
now work as partners in occupational health, sports
medicine, and a wide variety of other rehabilitation
practices.
