What is Chiropractic?

The doctor of the future will give no medicines but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame. -Thomas Edison

• Imagine a modern healing art whose goal is not the treatment of disease but the enhancement of one's inborn self-curing ability.
• Imagine a natural way of helping entire families to maintain their health, to avert disease and sickness, using no drugs and no surgery at all.
• Imagine an alternative to drug therapy, which, growing in popularity every year, is awakening in ever- increasing numbers of people a renewed understanding of their inner healing ability.
• Imagine millions of people, from infants to the elderly, who, having suffered from illnesses of all kinds, owe their health and sometimes even their lives to this innovative approach to healing.
• You've just imagined chiropractic.

What the Chiropractor Does

The doctor of chiropractic locates and removes one of the most severe forms of interference known to healthy body function - a condition that puts pressure on the nerves and related structures, unbalances our body, generates fatigue, lowers our resistance to disease, and weakens the body in general - in short, affects all the elements of our natural healing ability. This condition is known as vertebral subluxations or spinal nerve stress.

The Vertebral Subluxation

Vertebral subluxations (or spinal nerve Stress) are structural misalignments in the spine that create imbalance and put pressure on the nervous system. A vertebral subluxation interferes with and unbalances the flow of energy and information throughout the body, creating "dis-ease" (a term used to denote the loss of body harmony). The saddest thing about this condition is that, although it is usually painless, it can damage us to the point where, unaware of the cause, we watch our life, health, and well-being silently and slowly fade.

How Do We Get Vertebral Subluxations?

Vertebral subluxations have many causes. They may occur as early as infancy as a result of a difficult birth, the use of forceps, or questionable obstetrical procedures. Childhood falls and injuries take their toll on our spinal columns; emotional stress gradually weakens our spines throughout our lives.

The Chiropractic Adjustment

Using a number of tools, the doctor of chiropractic analyzes the body for vertebral subluxations and corrects or removes any that he finds, using various spinal adjustment techniques. Among the many tools that chiropractors use in order lo determine the presence and whereabouts of subluxalions are the X-ray; thermographic and neurocalographic studies (the analysis of body temperature patterns); posture analysis; muscle testing (applied kinesiology); and muscle and motion analysis. In correcting subluxations chiropractors usually use their hands but may avail themselves as view of a variety of spinal adjustment instruments. Practitioners have often spent years of study to master the various techniques of spinal analysis and adjustment. There are at least forty different spinal analysis and adjusting techniques designed to locate and correct vertebral subluxations. Most chiropractors use them selectively depending on their patients' needs.

Manipulation under Anesthesia

Chiropractic Today

When you walk into a chiropractor's office today, you will most likely be in the company of people suffering from a wide variety of conditions: children with colds or ear infections; women with menstrual problems: men and women with spinal pain or disc problems, arthritis, insomnia. stress or anxiety, vision or eye problems, headaches, allergies, high blood pressure - the list is long! And yet, as we have been discussing, the goal of the doctor of chiropractic is not the treatment of disease but rather the enhancement of health and wholeness through the reduction of spinal nerve stress.

A Unique Place in Modern Health Care

Chiropractic occupies a unique place in modern health care. On the one hand, it draws upon modern scientific knowledge and techniques. On the other, it utilizes the ancient concepts of self-healing, vitalism, 1ife energy, harmony, natureal healing, the innate wisdom of the body, and "dis-ease." Chiropractic teaches us that the best way to improve our health is by removing the elements that interfere with normal body function. Along with spinal nerve stress these include drugs; pollution; chemicals; unnatural or damaging childbirth practices; unnatural foods; anxiety, tension, and other forms of emotional distress. So if you're tired of being sick and tired, morn out from the medical runaround, and looking for a natural method of regaining health and wholeness without polluting your body with chemicals, Why not join the millions who have discovered wonders of this amazing health care system?

References: Koren publications