Why Chiropractic?

You may be looking at your phone or computer right now, wondering if chiropractic can help you. What is chiropractic? How is chiropractic different from the other medical sciences? Is it worth a try?

Palmer College of Chiropractic, in Davenport, Iowa, has developed a clear-eyed and concise description of the identity of a chiropractor: "The primary care professional for spinal health and well-being."

The implications of this sentence are extraordinary. After all, the spine is arguably the most important structural part of the skeleton since it provides security for the spinal cord. The spinal cord is the primary interface between the nervous system and every other cell and organ in the human body. Therefore, the health of the spinal cord may well determine the health of the entire body. So chiropractic is definitely the go-to profession for back pain and neck pain... and it can help with other conditions as well?

The identity statement of Palmer College, which has been painstakingly crafted over many years, expands on the premise: "Chiropractic focuses on neurological and musculoskeletal integrity, and aims to favorably impact health and well-being, relieve pain and infirmity, enhance performance, and improve quality of life without drugs or surgery."

I see patients every day who can say that their quality of life is improved because of chiropractic health care, without the invasiveness of additional drugs or surgery. For some, the quality of life improvement is drastic, such as being able to garden again, to dance again, or to run long distances. For others, the quality of life improvement is subtle but no less important to them: the ability to sit at a computer again, to sleep four hours in a row, to sit through a class without agonizing pain. Improvements in quality of life without the possible side effects of more medication or without the permanency of surgery? Priceless.

The Palmer College identity statement lists the many duties and abilities of a chiropractor:

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• Assessments of a patient’s health status, needs, concerns and conditions by obtaining a case-appropriate history and physical examination, and by acquiring necessary imaging, laboratory or diagnostic studies;
• Consideration of axial (spine) and appendicular (extremity) structure and function, including subluxation, and the status of contiguous muscular and neural systems by means of physical evaluation, imaging and/or special test procedures;
• Patient-centered management consistent with the obtained history, clinical information and diagnoses;
• Care coordination accomplished through goal-oriented management plans that include treatment recommendations intended to favorably influence outcomes, prognosis, risks, behaviors and lifestyle;
• Administration of manual therapeutic procedures – such as chiropractic adjustment, manipulation, mobilization or soft tissue techniques – as indicated by the history and clinical examination;
• Use of complementary measures, such as passive modalities, active exercise and rehabilitation, nutritional counseling and supplementation, bracing, strapping and orthoses, and other procedures allowed under respective chiropractic practice acts; and
• Promotion of health, wellness and disease prevention by evaluating relevant indicators and risk factors, and by providing care directed at mitigating health risks and encouraging healthy lifestyles.

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I like to think that chiropractic health care can help everyone who has a spine and a spinal cord, but it is true that not everyone will benefit from chiropractic care. If your condition, for example, has progressed to the point where medication and/or surgery are absolutely necessary, then conservative and non-invasive treatments may only help on a limited basis. The only way to know for sure is to consult a chiropractor, and then receive the appropriate recommendation or referral.

Send an e-mail to a Peoria chiropractor today to find out what chiropractic is all about.