What is Chiropractic?

You’ve probably heard about chiropractors, chiropractic therapy, or even chiropractic treatment while watching a sports news about your favorite athlete getting therapy because of an injury. It’s not uncommon since chiropractic treatment is commonly associated with sports. If you’re thinking that you don’t need it since you don’t do sports, think again! Chiropractic medicine is not isolated to the sports world; in fact, you might even have an injury that needs chiropractic attention.

Unknown to many, chiropractic practices are based on several key principles. The basic assumptions behind this form of therapy include the belief that the body can heal itself and that the brain controls body functions through the nervous system. The belief that spinal malfunction has direct effect on the nervous system as well as on the body’s general health is also an underlying factor of chiropractic treatment. This is because chiropractic treatments are usually focused on neuromusculoskeletal disorders or NMS. NMS disorders are usually diagnosed at the back muscles and the spinal cord.

The Adjustment

A founding principle of chiropractic is the adjustment. An adjustment in this case is a distinct type of manipulation of joints by using controlled direction, leverage, force, velocity, and amplitude. Adjustments can be practiced on almost all joints in the body. This can be accompanied by cavitation usually characterized by a popping sound, although this is not necessarily important. The goal of adjustments is to affect nerves and the nervous system to ease the body in returning to homeostasis by restoring the normal function and condition of the joints. These may sound to technical but chiropractors maintain that chiropractic treatment is also an art. Art in chiropractic medicine is viewed as the intuition, expertise, and skill that practitioners employ to accurately diagnose dysfunction and abnormality of the body’s NMS system. Specific tests are administered to the patient to determine the injury, its extent, and the proper treatment or technique that must be used to correct it. Art is also seen in perspective as the finesse of the practitioner in applying techniques. Chiropractors insist that grace and fluidity of movement are necessary so as not to shock the NMS system and aggravate injury.

Though people with some sports injuries are still on top of the list, other injuries or ailments can also be treated with chiropractic treatment. Reports indicate that there is an increasing number of people availing of chiropractic help to ease headaches, neck pain, arthritis, and other muscular pain. Patients also indicate that they function better and feel energetic after undergoing chiropractic treatment. Also, there is no need to worry as chiropractors have undergone rigorous training and study for as much as 4 to 6 years before they can get licensed. As a plus, the practice is also less expensive than NMS surgery that you might need if continue to ignore your NMS problems.

At Ultimate Spine and Wellness we treat not only athletes but the everyday road warriors, nurses, office mangers and CEOs. Chiropractic care is beneficial to everyone and our goal is returning your health to ULTIMATE! Dr. Grainger uses a variety of techniques in the office to treat every patient, no patient gets the same treatment. All to often we here that you are just a number, that is not the case at our office. Every patient is just another family member. Dr. Grainger uses Activator technique with instrument assisted adjusting, manual adjusting, flexion distraction and spinal decompression. If the muscles are extremely tense and tight Dr. Grainger will recommend massage therapy, trigger point therapy, physical stretches and exercises as well as nutritional support.