What is Chiropractic?

Chiropractic is the second-largest healing profession (next to allopathic) in the world. It is the study of problems of health and disease primarily from a structural point of view, as structure relates to function.  Practitioners adhere to the concept that the natural healing processes of the body cannot function normally unless the nervous system is in proper balance.  Balance depends, in part, on the correct alignment of the vertebrae and associated nerve centers.  Only after a condition is properly diagnosed as responsive to chiropractic management will the practitioner enter into treatment.  Such treatment usually involves correction of malpositioned segments of the skeletal system, primarily in the spinal column and pelvic areas.

History

The chiropractic approach to healing dates back to Hippocrates, who said, "It is most necessary to know the nature of the spine, what its natural purposes are, for such a knowledge will be requisite for many diseases." Dr. Daniel David Palmer was the father of modern chiropractic, utilizing the manipulative technique in 1895.

Today, there are over 50,000 doctors of chiropractic, serving millions of patients.A recent study estimated that the number of doctors of chiropractic will double by the year 2010 (to over 100,000), far exceeding the 16 percent increase projected for medical doctors. Thus, it appears that doctors of chiropractic will represent a substantially larger proportion of health care professionals in the coming years. (AHCPR Publication No. 98-N002, December 1997) The proportion of the United States population that uses chiropractic and the number of chiropractic visits per capita have approximately doubled in the past 15-20 years. (AHCPR Publication No. 98-N002, December 1997).

According to a study published in the November 11, 1998 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, approximately 11 percent of the population visited a doctor of chiropractic in 1997. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, today there are approximately 273 million people in the country. This translates into approximately 30 million patients who visited a doctor of chiropractic in 1997. Chiropractic is the third largest doctoral-level health care profession after medicine and dentistry. Official RecognitionChiropractic is officially recognized, acknowledged, or regulated in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, nine provinces of Canada, Switzerland, West Germany, New Zealand, Bolivia, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Japan and other countries.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Question:

Are Chiropractic practitioners doctors?

Answer:

Board-qualified and licensed chiropractic practitioners are entitled by law to the title "Doctor of Chiropractic" (D.C.).  To become state licensed, the candidate must complete a minimum of six years of college study and clinic internship before entering into private practice.  As of 1982, 14 colleges have received accreditation status through the Council on Chiropractic Education [C.C.E.), including all five schools in California.  The C.C.E. is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and by the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation, a private non-profit educational association.

College accreditation is based on criteria similar to those required for medical schools -- basic curriculum, faculty qualifications, faculty-student ratio, library holdings, and financial stability.

Question:

Are chiropractic doctors trained to diagnose?

Answer:

Chiropractic doctors are both qualified and recognized as having the right and obligation to render a diagnostic opinion prior to initiating treatment. A chiropractic doctor's diagnostic training begins with at least two years of under-graduate work in the biological sciences, as required for admission by all accredited chiropractic colleges.  During the next four years, he or she will take an average of 1,840 hours of science requirements, including anatomy, physiology, inorganic and organic chemistry, pathology and hygiene, and public health.  The curriculum also features an average of 2,080 hours of clinical science, such as physical, clinical, laboratory and differential diagnosis; roentgenology, technique and interpretation; geriatrics; dermatology; syphilogy; and principles of chiropractic.  In addition, students must complete 550 hours of internship in a clinic environment.  The training is completed with courses in law, ethics and economics.

  All sections of the practical portion and 75 percent of the written must be passed to qualify for a license.

The California Board of Chiropractic Examiners, a Governor-appointed, seven-member regulatory body, requires doctors of chiropractic to complete annual post-graduate study for license renewal.Is chiropractic care covered by insurance, Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO), and Preferred Provider Organizations?

Question:

Is Chiropractic Care Covered by Insurance?

Answer:

Chiropractic benefits are included in health insurance policies offered by many insurance carrier registered by the California State Department of Insurance and also by HMOs and PPOs.  California workers, injured on the job, are permitted by the State's workers' compensation law to receive chiropractic treatment.  Chiropractic health is also provided in Medicare, the Government Employees Hospital Association Benefit Plan, the Mailhandlers Benefit Plan, and Postmasters Benefit Plan.  Federal agencies, as well as schools, accept sick leave certificates signed by doctors of chiropractic.

Question:

Do doctors of chiropractic utilize drugs and surgery as part of their treatment?

Answer:

Chiropractic practitioners use many of the same diagnostic tools as other doctors, such as x-ray and physical, laboratory and instrument exams.  The difference lies in treatment.  Doctors of chiropractic follow the concept that the body is capable of maintaining and restoring health, given the proper food, water, rest, and properly-functioning nervous system. Those essential elements can be introduced without drugs or surgery.

Question:

Is chiropractic treatment always extremely painful?

Answer:

Do doctors of chiropractic treatment only treat conditions of the spine?

Answer:

Practitioners indeed emphasize the treatment of spinal conditions since correct spinal alignment can affect the proper function of other bodily areas and systems.  However, doctors of chiropractic can treat other health problems through drugless and non-surgical means.  For instance, it would not be unusual for a practitioner to provide a patient with appropriate nutritional advice or supplementation to augment recovery.  Additionally, some chiropractic doctors specialize in the treatment of more unusual musculoskeletal conditions, such as those involving sports injuries.

Question:

Are chiropractic doctors respected by the medical community?

Answer:

In 1980, the American Medical Association revised its rules permitting medical doctors (M.D.s) to refer cases to chiropractic doctors (D.C.s).  While this was their first official recognition of chiropractic, many M.D.s had already established close professional relationships with D.C.s over the years.  In California, several doctors of chiropractic serve as members of medical boards, such as the Board of Medical Quality Assurance.

Source: http://www.calchiro.org/PatientInformation.htm

Due to everyday stresses associated with walking, sitting, working, and living our lives, our body’s structure becomes misaligned through tightening of the tissues or faulty movement of our skeleton.  The purpose of a chiropractic treatment is to find areas of your skeleton that are not moving properly and to restore normal movement through a spinal adjustment.  Improper spinal motion causes irritation of the underlying nerves, which control every function of your body through your brain and spinal column.  When misalignment is corrected along the spine via an adjustment, not only is your structure restored, but your body’s functioning is also improved.  This is a result of the underlying nerve irritation being relieved.  When the spine is moving properly, your brain is best able to communicate with your body, which leads to improved health in all areas of your body.  By concentrating our care on helping the brain and spinal cord carry all of their signals properly to the rest of the body, we are able to offer an alternative method of treating certain disorders.

What are Trigger Points?

Trigger points are hyper-irritable knots in the muscles that can cause tension and pain and stiffness within the muscle itself, as well as in other areas of the body. How did I get Trigger Points? Different stresses that we encounter in every day life can cause trigger points. Examples are car accidents, sitting at the computer for hours, sporting injuries, repetitive movements and poor postural positions. Many times, the trigger points we find have been there for years.

What is the difference between a high grade fish oil supplement and those found in supermarkets & health food stores?

1. 100% Natural oil form (not chemically concentrated; many brands are artificial)
2. Molecularly distilled removes Mercury and other heavy metals
3. Infused with Antioxidants
4. Superior 3rd party testing

Chiropractic is a conservative and natural form of health care that concentrates on maximizing the function of the whole body without the use of drugs or surgery.  Doctors of Chiropractic (D.C.) attempt to get to the cause of a health problem, rather than just treat the symptoms.  They focus especially on the fact that the structure of the body, particularly the spine, has a powerful effect on the underlying nervous system and therefore on virtually every aspect of heal.

Chiropractic's Role in Your Nervous System

Most patients seek chiropractic care primarily for pain relief. But what is chiropractic's role in regulating our nervous system? How can aligning spinal bones affect brain messages?

Brain messages govern the thousands of functions that keep a body healthy and functioning properly. When the bones are not aligned properly the healing messages do not get from the brain to the corresponding part of the body in an efficient manner. The brain contains 100 billion active neurons that store information and transmits this information to other cells and all parts of the body by way of electrical and chemical impulses that travel along the nervous system.

All nerves in the body connect to the brain by way of the spinal column.  If the bones of the spine are out of alignment, putting pressure on the nervous system, this disrupts vital communication between your brain and all the other parts of your body”, Dr. Dubrul explains.  

How is vertebral misalignment and nerve pressure determined? If medically necessary, precise X-rays are taken to help develop a formula for correction. There are also several signs: head tilt, restricted head movement, low shoulder, abnormal spinal curvature, pelvic distortion, bilateral body weight differences, raised hip and short leg syndromes. The treatment can be done almost immediately.