Chiropractic
The word ’chiropractic’ originates from a Greek word meaning ’effective treatment by hand’.
Created by D.D.Palmer in the 1890’s, Chiropractic is a therapy that emphasizes the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disorders of the musculoskeletal system, and in particular the spine. Fundamentally it seeks to address the underlying cause of a patient’s symptoms rather than simply treat or mask them with, for instance, painkillers.
Chiropractic believes that distortions in the spinal area due to accident, injury or lifestyle have a direct impact on the entire body via the nervous system. Whilst chiropractic therapy is specifically good for back problems, because the spinal cord carries nerves to the whole body and sends information to the brain about what is occuring in other areas, it can also benefit other disorders. Therapy normally consists of manual treatment, especially manipulation of the spine.
A cause of headaches, for example, can be from spinal bones in the neck that aren’t supporting your head properly. This can affect nerves, muscles and even the blood supply to your head. A chiropractor will locate areas of the spine that aren’t moving properly, they notice spinal curves and they look at posture and your ability to turn and bend. These and other examinations will help to determine whether you are likely to benefit from chiropractic care. Care will consist of a schedule of chiropractic adjustments which help to normalize spinal function, help restore spinal curves, improve circulation and reduce nerve irritation .
Back pain can be caused if the discs between spinal joints bulge and put pressure on the delicate nearby nerves, or if the nerve-rich facet joints on the back side of each spinal bone are not moving right.
Chiropractic ’check-ups’ may be recommended by the practitioner to help support the final stages of the healing process and help to detect and resolve new problems before they become serious. Some practitioners will advocate complementary therapies such as massage, exercise or acupuncture to support the chiropractic care.
