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| Chiropractic is the largest natural healing art in the world. It is based on the premise that the body is a self-regulating, self healing organism and that the nervous system is the master control system of the body.The word "chiropractic" comes from the Greek words cheir (hand) and praxis (action), and simply means "done by hand." A chiropractors main focus of therapy is on removing vertebral subluxations. |
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| A vertebral subluxation is a complex of functional and/or pathological articular changes in the spine that compromises neural integrity and influences organ system function and general health. These changes cause neuronal, vascular, biochemical, and osseous disturbances. Vertebral subluxations may occur in the human body as a result of physical or emotional trauma, or from chemical toxicity. |
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Vertebral subluxations may be caused by any physical, nutritional, emotional or electromagnetic stress. Some examples of these stress factors are:
- Trauma
- Dietary deficiencies
- Poor posture or gait
- Medications
- Emotional distress
- Muscle imbalances
- Repetitive microtrauma
- Toxins
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When a vertebra is subluxated, three important things happen:
- The nerves associated with that vertebra stop sending vital input to the brain necessary for life. Think of your brain like the battery of your car. In order for it to stay charged it needs the altenator to feed it. Your brain works the same way with the input it recieves from the body. This is why you feel energized and not run down after exercise. You have just sent the brain a tremendous amout of energy in the form of movement. If you have a subluxation present, your body loses the ability to feed the brain in the form of a nerve impulse.
- Altered autonomic (organ function) response. A subluxation will cause vasoconstriciton (reduced blood flow) to the affected area. This will cause a reduction in the nerves ability to properly signal the oragans associated with that level and may influence the function of that organ and overall general health.
- Finally, the lack of movement of a vertebra will cause inflammatory, degenerative (arthritis) and pathologic changes in nerve, muscle, ligamentous, vascular and connective tissues associated with the area of dysfunction. The lack of motion of a subluxation can be understood if you have ever been in a cast. When you finally get the cast off, the lack of motion causes stiffness and soreness. This is simular to what happens with your vertebra when you have a subluxation. When the joints of the spine become stiff, sore and swollen from a subluxation, the nervous system is adversely affected.
Correcting subluxations can help to restore health. It can also prevent future health problems. A chiropractor is a doctor who helps the nervous system to help the body to heal itself. Any person, with any disease process like asthma, allergies, digestive disorders, headaches, and, of course, neck and back pain can benefit from chiropractic adjustments. |
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Chiropractic care can help you to avoid drugs and surgery, both of which are much more risky than chiropractic. A study published in Annals of Internal Medicine on June 3, 2003, proves that spinal manipulation, or chiropractic adjustment, is an effective alternative to drugs and surgery for back pain. Chiropractors have known this for decades.
To quote the article, "Spinal manipulation was more effective than sham therapy and therapies already known to be unhelpful." The article goes on to say that chiropractic is at least as effective as general practitioner care, pain killers, physical therapy, exercise, or back school.
Not only is spinal manipulation/adjustment by doctors of chiropractic safe, it also saves money and gets patients back on their feet faster than other forms of care. Chiropractic adjustments cost less per-visit than visits to other providers of musculoskeletal care. In addition, patients receiving chiropractic care take fewer prescription drugs and undergo fewer expensive diagnostic tests. |
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The Council on Chiropractic requires 4,200 hours of education. The chiropractic colleges require between 4,800 hours and 5,200 hours for graduation (depending on the college). The average total number of hours of anatomy, biochemistry, microbiology, public health, physiology, and pathology taught in the chiropractic schools is a little over 1,400. In three medical schools sampled, it was around 1,200. Chiropractors spend a significant amount of time with hands-on learning of adjusting and other manual therapy (a little under 2,000 hours on average). They must also spend time in a clinical internship.
To quote the American Chiropractic Association, “Doctors of chiropractic — who are licensed to practice in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and in many nations around the world — undergo a rigorous education in the healing sciences, similar to that of medical doctors. In some areas, such as anatomy, physiology, rehabilitation, nutrition and public health, they receive more intensive education than their MD counterparts.” |
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