What Does A Chiropractor Really Do?
The very moment you pop out of your momma’s womb, your spine is in danger of needing an alignment. I know you’re probably wondering why on earth a newborn would need any sort of fix; after all – they’re new. In reality, while your spine is the support system for your body, they can be quite finicky, and even newborn infants can use a gentle alignment.
But you may be wondering, “What is an alignment?” As simply as we can put it, an alignment is when one or a few of the bones in your back’s support column is not aligned with the other bones. This can cause all sorts of issues as your muscles will work overtime to try to hold you up with a loose keystone in your spine. Your backbone is also part of your central nervous system (the other member of your CNS is your brain – so it’s pretty important – to say the least), so any damage or issues with your spine will cause some issues with those nerves – we’re talking pain, numbness, and some strained nerves.
Let’s say you’re experiencing some back pain – a chiropractor will listen to your symptoms that you list, then they’ll take a look at your back to see what vertebrae (small bones that make up your spinal column) is out of line and work to get it back in line.
How Do They Do That?
When your chiropractor has identified the bone that needs to be adjusted, they’ll use a hands-on approach to put it back in place. This means they’ll generally use their hands to pressure that vertebrae back into line for you. Once it’s back in place, your body will have less strain on the surrounding muscles and nerves so it can start to heal and build muscles back up in the right position.
Another form of adjustment is called Spinal Decompression; this is used to treat problems that are caused by gravity weighing on your back with the addition of poor posture. This is where the chiropractor will lay you out on a specialized table and slowly stretch your back out to give your back room to ease the vertebrae back into line.
Then What Should I Do?
After you visit the chiropractor, you’ll generally notice that your back will feel much looser and there’s less pain overall. However, listen carefully to what they say. You’ll be given exercises to do at home and advice on how to prevent the pain from returning. Complete those exercises and do what you can to remember and follow their advice.
You will also generally need to return for another few visits – depending on the severity of the pain, but as time goes by and your body heals, you’ll find that you’ll eventually only need the very occasional adjustment – after all, adjustments are good for everyone to have over the period of their life.
What If I’m Nervous?
There are a few things to know about chiropractors; first, not just any old person can open a practice. Chiropractors complete four years of general study followed by four more years of strenuous chiropractic study. After all is said and done, they can continue on for more schooling to specialize in sports injury and other specific fields, but most choose to open a generalized practice to help out the public. This means that every chiropractor has a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree.
If you have any doubts, you can always check your chiropractor’s credentials online to make sure they’re properly licensed. At the end of the day, remember that chiropractors have medical degrees and safely perform their work to benefit you.
Why Should I Visit A Chiropractor?
All chiropractors understand one fact; your backbone is the support structure of your entire body. A misaligned backbone will lead to numerous problems; not just muscle and nerve strain, but headaches, digestive problems, and issues sleeping due to inflammation and pain. Because they understand the vast plethora of the issues that a spine can cause, they view you as a whole human being and take a holistic approach to help fix any damage. This means that a good chiropractor will not only help you overcome past injuries and issues caused by poor posture and form, but they will also help you improve your overall quality of life.