The number of people seeking Chiropractic care to help with their health conditions continues to increase.  In fact, the field of Chiropractic is one of the fastest growing professions in the health care arena.

Even with this growth, I continue to hear from patients, on a regular basis, that they have family members, friends, or co-workers who would never go to a Chiropractor.  I still have patients who are told not to come to the chiropractor by their medical doctor, although this is becoming a less common occurrence as medical doctors learn about the profession.

I am not at all surprised by this common attitude towards chiropractic. The main reason is that I had, at one time, the same attitude.  My feeling was that Chiropractors were “quacks” and want-to-be doctors.  My opinion was reinforced by popular news reports showing Chiropractors doing “voodoo-like” treatments. Furthermore, chiropractors did that cracking thing which could not be good for you.

My main question, though, was why would I go to a Chiropractor when I could go to my Medical Doctor?  Going to a Chiropractor made no sense to me.

It made no sense until I experienced, for the first time, extreme low back pain that shot down both of my legs.  I, of course, started taking the regular regimen of muscle relaxants, anti-inflammatories, and pain relievers.  I got no better.  At that time, my wife and I had no health insurance and the suggested physical therapy or the potential surgery were going to be extremely expensive. Before going into severe debt, which I would have done, I decided to go to the “quack” because I felt like I had nothing to lose.  The search for pain relief can motivate you to do what logic suggests you should not.

As I limped through the door for my first visit, I was apprehensive and ready to leave at the first sign of the ridiculous. Since I have made Chiropractic my life’s calling, you know that my first visit obviously went well.  What I need to express, though, is why it went so well and why it was not an isolated or accidental good result.  In other words, you need to know why Chiropractic does make sense, even for the skeptic.

I was first surprised at my initial visit when the Chiropractor seemed to be very knowledgeable about my condition.  The reality was that the exam I received was far more thorough than the one my Medical Doctor had performed.

Very few people realize that Chiropractors and Medical Doctors take similar courses in school.  Chiropractors tend to study more anatomy and M.D.’s study more about internal medicine and pharmaceutical drugs.  The core science and diagnostic courses are similar.

Since Chiropractors focus more on anatomy and work day in and out with muscular and skeletal conditions, they tend to become more proficient at diagnosing and treating these types of conditions. Medical Doctors become more proficient at the diagnosis of internal pathology and at determining what drug to prescribe for the condition. The protocol for drugs includes either a pain killer, anti-inflammatory, or a muscle relaxant. Most times this is what you will get with instructions to come back if the condition does not get better. I address the problem with this line of thinking in the Symptoms vs. Prevention section of this article.

After receiving my thorough exam, the logic behind my proposed Chiropractic treatments was explained.  Let me share it with you.

Pain is one of the great communicators that God has given us to alert our bodies that something is not as it should be.  The basis of Chiropractic is that when the body loses normal function, health suffers.  This normal function is important in all joints, but even more important in the spine.

The reason for this is because the spine is the foundation for all movement in the body and is the housing for your spinal cord.  Nerves coming from your spine feed all of your bodily tissues including muscle, skin, and your vital organs.  Nerves coming to the spine feed your brain with the information needed to make you tick.

The logic of Chiropractic is simple.  If there is a loss of proper movement in a segment of the spine, there will be a change in the way that muscles and other tissues around that area function.  This includes a change in the flow of information provided to the brain and to other tissues by the nerves coming from that area.  The result of this loss of function is the communication to you that something is wrong, usually through pain or by a sensation of tingling/numbness.

So, we typically are given drugs to help “knock-out” this signal. Now, I will tell you that taking a drug can be helpful in relieving some of the symptoms associated with this loss of function, but it does nothing to address the cause. Chiropractic takes the approach of addressing the cause instead of only reducing the intensity of the communicating symptom. These two are not mutually exclusive. You do not have to do only one or the other. Many times you will be served by utilizing both chiropractic and drugs.

Returning the body to normal function makes sense at the most basic level.  Once normal function is re-established, the body heals.  That is why my first visit to a Chiropractor went so well.  It is why my good results were not accidental or isolated.  My initial bad attitude towards Chiropractic was fed by misunderstanding and misinformation.  I was fortunate enough to be given a different view. I hope others can share in that same fortune.

Symptoms vs. Prevention

The strength of Chiropractic is not in the chasing of symptom relief, but in the prevention of future symptoms. Most people come to our clinic because of pain. Chiropractic treatment can be very effective at relieving that pain. The true benefit of Chiropractic, though, can be realized after that pain has been conquered.

Only a small percentage of cases I see are related to trauma. Most people wake up with pain or are doing some normal activity when symptoms arise. It is not uncommon for someone to have their first real pain while getting out of bed, washing their hair, spitting out toothpaste, vacuuming the floor, or picking something up off of the floor like a piece of paper. I am constantly asked “why” this happened for no apparent reason.

The answer to this question goes to the heart of why the commonly held view of “take this to get rid of the symptoms” is misguided. This misguided logic goes on to the conclusion that the lack of symptoms means that everything is O.K. How, then, do you explain why someone wakes up or picks up a pen and gets symptoms out of the blue?

The answer is simply that the body had lost normal function sometime prior to the onset of the symptom and finally could not adapt any longer.The result is a stronger message being sent, usually as pain. But, what was the event that caused loss of function prior to the onset? The answer to this question explains, in part, why we have become symptom chasers. We can all agree that the weight of the pen picked up was not the true cause of the symptom. The problem is that the true causal event may have been weeks, months, or years earlier. To complicate matters even further, there may have been more than one event coupled together to cause the eventual symptom. Identifying the true cause can sometimes be very difficult. Nonetheless, the ultimate problem is a loss of normal function. This is why only taking a drug to get rid of symptoms is a misguided treatment approach. Treat the cause!

Now this brings up the idea of doing things to reduce the risk of future symptoms. In other words, prevention. Getting chiropractic care on a regular basis falls into this category. I have many patients who get adjusted to prevent future problems. When I ask them how they are feeling, they many times will say they have “NO PAIN.” They are typically amazed, during the course of my exam, how many areas in their back are very tender to the pressure of light touch.

These are what I call pre-symptom areas. If the lack of proper function exists long enough, the chances of experiencing an untimely symptom increases dramatically.

The solution is to get adjusted on a regular basis. This preventative measure re-establishes proper movement in your spine to ensure proper health. How often you get adjusted depends on your specific needs and lifestyle. I have patients who get adjusted every month and I have patients who get adjusted 4 times a year. Even when they are feeling “NO PAIN.”

Prevention makes much more sense than symptom chasing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What questions do you have about Chiropractic? This section answers some of the more commonly asked questions. Please feel free to contact me if you have any others not addressed in this section.

What is that cracking sound I hear during an adjustment?

A: As the joint is decompressed, a vacuum is created which cause the “popping” gas release. It is not bone rubbing on bone or the sound of tissue tearing. You can prove this to yourself by “popping” your knuckle. Try to pop it again in the same joint. You cannot, because the gas is gone.

I have heard that you can get a stroke if your neck is adjusted, is that true?

A: There are risks with any procedure performed in physical medicine.You have a better chance, though, of being struck by lightning multiple times than getting a stroke from a neck adjustment. The procedure is one of the safest in medicine.Taking any medication for headaches is far more dangerous. Chiropractors are trained to determine whether you have an increased risk and should not be adjusted. Make sure you talk to your chiropractor about your concerns.

If I go to a Chiropractor, will I have to go for the rest of my life?

A: We have grown up in a society that looks at going to the Doctor as something to do only when symptoms are so bad that they cannot be ignored any longer. Chiropractic is based on whole body health that includes prevention of symptoms, as well as, managing symptoms when they occur. Dedication to health should be a life long pursuit. My hope is that you continue this pursuit for the rest of your life.

How many times will I have to come back for treatments?

A: The number of times you need treatments depends on a couple of factors.One is the severity of your condition. Another is how you respond to treatment. Still another deals with how long you have had your condition. The answer to this question identifies a serious problem within chiropractic. Many chiropractors will immediately try to convince you that you need to come back for multiple visits over a couple of months period of time. This has ZERO to do with your specific need for treatment. It has to do with clinic profits! Pure logic tells you that it is impossible for any doctor to examine you once and to then determine that you will need many visits over a long period of time. They will tell you that their experience has shown them the need for these multiple visits. DO NOT BELIEVE THIS B.S. (Bad Statement: keep it clean) Your need for treatments should optimally be in 2 week segments, but should never be longer than 4 weeks. Once your initial treatment regimen is completed, it is not inappropriate to get adjusted once every month or every couple of months to maintain proper movement and optimal health.

Should I go to my M.D. before coming to see a Chiropractor?

A: There is no need to see a M.D. before coming to a Chiropractor. As explained earlier in this newsletter, M.D.’s and Chiropractors’ diagnostic training are similar. Chiropractors excel at muscular and skeletal conditions. I send patients to see their M.D. on many occasions when I feel that they would benefit from both professions working together.

Does the Chiropractic adjustment hurt?

A: This is actually the number one question I get asked. The most common comment I get from new chiropractic patients is that they were surprised at how gentle the adjustment was compared to what they expected. I adjust people who literally crawl into the clinic. Their fear is that the adjustment will increase their already unbearable pain. Rarely is an adjustment uncomfortable. Now to be fair, there are patients who have experienced increase pain after an adjustment. It can happen but not very often. Your level of comfort will be directly proportional to the confidence you gain in your chiropractor.

What conditions do you treat?

A: The most common conditions are back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, mid-back pain, and headaches. It is interesting that I will almost never get a referral from a medical doctor to help in the treatment of headaches. I have great success with headache treatment. This is especially true if your headaches are based at the back of your neck around to the forehead. I tend to treat a wide variety of conditions due to my nutrition background.