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FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
Here we offer frequently asked questions about Chiropractic services.
What is Chiropractic?
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Chiropractic is...
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What do chiropractors do?
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How does chiropractic work?
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What is a subluxation complex?
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What kind of
problems do chiropractors treat?
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Are chiropractors
Primary Care doctors?
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Why
don't chiropractors prescribe/recommend drug therapy?
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What's the difference between chiropractors and medical doctors?
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What to do if you are in
an accident?
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What if I have a slipped disk?
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Do I have to be a patient
forever?
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Why does
someone who doesn't hurt need an adjustment?
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What other things do
chiropractors do?
Chiropractic is...
Chiropractic is the science which
concerns itself with the relationship between structure, primarily the
spine, and function, primarily the nervous system, of the human body as that
relationship may affect restoration and preservation of health. Chiropractic
is a drugless health care method of relieving pain and restoring health.
Chiropractic doctors balance the body structures through specific movements
of the spine structures (called a chiropractic adjustment) and assist the
body to heal naturally by recommending good body mechanics, exercise, good
diet, supplementation, and by using the modalities of heat, cold, light and
electric. Most chiropractic physicians work with the balancing of the
muscular systems of the body to create a more relaxed patient.
With such an abundance of chiropractors and specialists, many people get
stuck "Doctor Shuffling", scurrying from doctor to doctor hoping he or she
is "The One" that will handle their particular complaint. The Doctor of
Chiropractic can eliminate the shuffle from doctor to doctor. As a family
care physician, your chiropractor can be the primary entry to eliminate the
"Doctor Shuffle." A well qualified chiropractic physician can handle 90% of
your medical direction and additionally, have the expertise to recognize if
your problem requires another specialists attention. For medical care, you
will be referred to one of our medical referral doctors, who will see to
your care in the proper manner.
A chiropractic doctor understands your family's structure and support system
and how that might relate to disease. With emphasis on musculoskeletal
problems, doctors of chiropractic can effectively treat most of our everyday
stress and strains. Knowing that aches and pains, headaches and numbness are
correctable, you can make the treatment by chiropractic your most effective
choice for health care. At Comprehensive Chiropractic, you are treated as a
person and not as a number or a case type. Each patient receives a thorough
physical examination to determine the amount and type of care necessary to
alleviate your complaint. Drs. Feder and Lingafelter will discuss with you the type of care
that will bring you the most relief, and the time involved in correction of
your problem.
What do
chiropractors do?
(top)
Chiropractic is a health care
system which involves correcting biomechanical deficiencies in the joints of
the body, especially in the spine, to return the body to normal homeostasis.
In addition, many doctors of chiropractic use adjunctive therapy to
accelerate the body's natural healing process. This may included (but is not
limited to) physiotherapy modalities (i.e. Ultrasound, hot/cold packs,
electrical stimulation, etc.), traction, corrective exercise,
vitamin/mineral therapy, bracing, and in some states, acupuncture.
How does
chiropractic work?
(top)
Chiropractic works through
restoring the normal function of the spine (and other) joints of the body
and allowing the body's natural healing processes to take effect. In
essence, we remove the restrictions to healing. (When caused at the spine,
this is often referred to as the Vertebral Subluxation Complex). It is not
fully determined HOW this process works, but it is speculated that it has to
do with removal of interference to nerve fibers through proprioceptive
responses to the chiropractic therapy. This proprioceptive response creates
measurable chemical changes in the body which affects the spinal nerves,
spinal discs, muscles, ligaments and tendons. There may be also some effect
to the autonomic nervous system through this response, but as yet this is
not reproducible by scientific method, even though clinical response has
been positive.
What is a
subluxation complex?
(top)
A subluxation complex is the dis-relationship
of two or more spinal vertebrae causing one or more of the following:
- Nerve irritation
- Nerve encroachment (putting
pressure where the nerve exits the spine)
- Swelling of the joint spaces
between the vertebrae
- Muscle tightness or spasm of
the surrounding area
- Abnormal pressure or pulling
on muscles, tendons and ligaments
- Twisting, tilting or tearing
of the intervetebral disc
- Tearing of the supportive
ligaments causing too much motion
- Compression of the joint
space allowing too little motion
- Sometimes this complex can
be very severe (such as after an injury) and sometimes it can be long
term (such as in arthritic conditions). In most instances, a subluxation
complex will cause pain.
What kind of problems do chiropractors treat?
(top)
Doctors of chiropractic treat
neuro-musculo-skeletal problems. (nerve, muscle, bone) such as low back
pain, neck pain, and pain involved after accidents. Chiropractic care is
also very effective in the treatment of headaches, especially tension
headaches. Chiropractic doctors should not treat, and should refer to proper
physicians, cancers, bone infections, HIV, fractures, or any neurological
active lesion (i.e. neuroblastoma). However, this does not mean if patients
with these problems present with chiropractic problems also, that they
cannot receive chiropractic treatment. (This is a problem that some
insurance companies and some medical physicians do not understand).
Are
chiropractors Primary Care doctors?
(top)
Actually, chiropractic doctors
are PRIMARY PORTAL OF ENTRY doctors and cannot be accurately classified as
primary care by definition. However, most persons writing legislation and
insurance use the terms interchangeably and do not know the difference,
therefore for THEIR definition we are primary care doctors. This means that
patients can come to us directly for care, without being referred by any
other physician. The true reason we cannot fall into the classification of
primary care is that the definition includes care for life threatening
situations.
Why don't chiropractors prescribe/recommend drug
therapy?
(top)
Chiropractic was designed from
the outset to be drugless, as an alternative to allopathic medicine. Drug
therapy can be useful, but it can also be harmful when it masks the symptoms
instead of taking care of the problem that is causing the patient discomfort
or disease. There are times when limited access to pain killers would be
beneficial to alleviate a patient's "unbearable" pain, however, I find that
I just work harder to get the patient past that "unbearable" stage.
What's the difference between chiropractors and
medical doctors?
(top)
Medical physicians treat the body
as parts (a "liver problem" or a "stomach case" etc.) without much respect
for what other factors caused the individual organ to dysfunction.
Chiropractic doctors will discuss with the patient all known items that may
(or may not) have had some effect on their problem. A person may have mid
thoracic pain from coughing, but the patient's smoking habits would need to
be discussed, as well as a possible connection to head/neck pain. What the
patient does in his/her work may cause some of the problem. How and where
they live may also contribute to the problem. This is treating the whole
person.
What to
do if you are in an accident?
(top)
If you are involved in an
automobile accident or other type of accident that causes immediate pain or
immobility, see a physician immediately. Many persons come to a chiropractic
office for care long after an accident, making the symptoms more difficult
to treat, and a correction and proper healing much more difficult to
accomplish. Injuries are best treated within the first 5-7 days with
chiropractic care. If the only care you getting is painkillers, hot packs
and massage, you are missing an important part of getting well. Correcting
the spine is just as important as any other thing you may do to get well.
What if I have
a slipped disk?
(top)
There is actually no such thing
as a "slipped" disc. The spinal discs are a cushioning piece of tissue that
lie between each bone of the spine. There are two parts to the disk, the
annulus (the tough part, like gristle) and the nucleus (a soft center, about
the consistency of peanut butter). If the spinal vertebra tilt and create a
wedge, the nucleus can bulge toward the open end of the wedge area. This can
cause undue pressure on the spinal nerve roots or on the spinal cord. If the
annulus becomes torn (partially or fully) the nucleus can migrate into the
tear, putting even more pressure on spinal nerves or on the cord. The
correct terminology for this is "herniated" disc. Chiropractors can (gently)
treat a herniated disk, within all but the most severe tears.
Do I have
to be a patient forever?
(top)
This is a question often asked of
chiropractors, as many of our patients come to us for years. The answer is
mostly NO but occasionally yes.
Most patients come to a chiropractic office for pain from an injury. When
that injury is finished, and the pain gone, the patient is usually not seen
again, unless they injure them self again. Sometimes, a patient has a
problem that is so severe (osteoarthritis, failed back syndrome,
osteomalacia) that it is necessary to continue care for a long period of
time for either restoration of motion or for pain control. Often, this is
construed as being a permanent patient. In reality, it is reconstructive
care, and sometimes maintenance care. The real truth is that patients return
to their chiropractor time after time because chiropractic care works very
good for lots of problems.
Why does someone who doesn't hurt need an adjustment?
(top)
An adjustment (spinal
manipulation) can only be performed when there is something to correct. Many
"healthy" people have small problems (that have not yet developed into pain
expressions) that may or may not turn into larger problems. Treating these
small (painless) problems when they are not serious is beneficial to the
patient, by eliminating a possible cause of future problems.
What
other things do chiropractors do?
(top)
Besides providing chiropractic
adjustments and good health habits, chiropractic doctors provide
pre-employment, prenatal and athletic physicals. Many chiropractic doctors
are team physicians for local high schools and organized sports. Some treat
professional athletes such as runners, body builders, Olympic athletes and
swimmers. A group of doctors in Pasadena fly to a remote area of Mexico to
provide health care where most people have NEVER seen a doctor.
Chiropractors are active in community projects that support children, a drug
free lifestyle and good health. We support Red Ribbon Week and less reliance
on medications for health care.
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