(According to the American Chiropractic Association)
Chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health. Chiropractic services are used most often to treat neuromusculoskeletal complaints, including but not limited to back pain, neck pain, pain in the joints of the arms or legs, and headaches.
The World Health Organization states that when “employed skillfully and appropriately, chiropractic care is safe and effective for the prevention and management of a number of health problems.”
One of the most common and well known therapeutic procedures performed by doctors of chiropractic is spinal manipulation, often referred to as a "chiropractic adjustment". The intention of a chiropractic adjustment is to affect or correct the alignment, motion and/or function of a vertebral joint often associated with soft tissue injury. Soft tissue injury can be caused by a single traumatic event, such as improper lifting of a heavy object, or through repetitive stresses, such as sitting in an improper position with poor spinal posture for an extended period of time. Injured joints and soft tissues undergo physical and chemical changes that can cause inflammation, pain, and diminished function for an individual. Manipulation, or adjustment of the affected joint and tissues, restores mobility, thereby reducing inflammation, alleviating pain, and restoring normal function. There are many different forms/types of adjustments that can be used to achieve healing and restoration of normal function.
Types of Adjustments performed in our office:
Flexion-Distraction - a decompression focused procedure which utilizes specialized adjusting tables with movable parts; these tables stretch and decompress the facets and ligaments of the spine in a gentle rocking motion in combination with specific pressure applied by the practitioner.
Diversified - the classic and most utilized chiropractic technique. Uses specific manual thrusts focused on restoring normal biomechanical function of spinal joints. Has been developed to adjust extremity joints as well.
Joint Mobilization - a type of passive movement directed to a specific joint by the practitioner with the aim of achieving a therapeutic effect. This technique is a gentler version of an adjustment without the use of a thrust.
Pre-natal and pregnancy chiropractic care:
(According to The American Pregnancy Association)
Due to biomechanical changes during a woman’s pregnancy, chiropractic care can provide great benefits to an expecting mother. There are no known contraindications to chiropractic care throughout pregnancy and all chiropractors are trained to work with women who are pregnant. Along with regular adjustments, a chiropractor may also prescribe exercises and stretches that are safe to use during pregnancy.
The following changes throughout pregnancy can result in misaligned spinal joints:
Protruding abdomen and increased back curve
Postural adaptation
Pelvic changes
Potential benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy include:
Maintaining a healthier pregnancy
Controlling symptoms of nausea
Reducing the time of labor and delivery
Relieving back, neck or joint pain
Preventing a potential cesarean delivery