1. What is Chiropractic?
2. How does chiropractic work?
3. What causes vertebral subluxations?
4. How do you treat vertebral subluxations?
5. Are chiropractic treatments safe?
6. Are chiropractic treatments painful?
7. Should pregnant women receive chiropractic treatment?
8. Should infants receive chiropractic treatment?
9. Should children receive chiropractic treatment?
10. What are the signs that you have a problem that needs chiropractic treatment?
11. What conditions can be treated effectively with chiropractic care?
12. Is chiropractic effective in treating injuries?

1. What is Chiropractic? (Top)

According to the Association of Chiropractic Colleges, "Chiropractic is a health care discipline which emphasizes the inherent recuperative power of the body to heal itself without the use of drugs and surgery. The practice of chiropractic focuses on the relationship between structure (primarily the spine) and function (as coordinated by the nervous system) and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health."

A chiropractor is involved in the treatment and prevention of disease as well as the promotion of public health and wellness.

2. How does chiropractic work? (Top)

The nervous system controls the body (cells, tissues, organs). The spinal column encases and protects the nervous system (spinal cord and nerve roots).

The chiropractor is concerned with locating and treating vertebral subluxations (the term applied to a vertebra which has lost its normal position or motion. Left untreated, this accelerates wear and tear on surrounding muscles, ligaments, discs, joint and other tissues and pain, inflammation, and muscle spasm will follow.

Also, vertebral subluxations can impair nerve functioning (see next question) jeopardizing the overall health of the individual.

3. What causes vertebral subluxations? (Top)

Physical causes: trauma, falls, bad posture, improper lifts
Chemical causes: poor diet, alcohol, drugs, chemical toxins
Emotional causes: stress, poor management

4. How do you treat vertebral subluxations? (Top)

Different techniques as well as different therapy treatments are used to correct vertebral subluxation

The Doctor of Chiropractic is highly trained in the diagnosis and treatment of these vertebral subluxations as well as other abnormalities of the spine and extremities.

The spinal adjustment or manipulation is the process of a quick but gentle corrective force into the affected spinal vertebra. The doctor can also adjust the pelvis, sacrum and every other joint in the body (including joints of the shoulders, hips, ribs, jaw, hands, feet, ankles, wrists, and knees). These extremity joints can also become fixated.

5. Are chiropractic treatments safe? (Top)

Chiropractic treatments are among the safest and most cost-effective treatments in the health profession.

Chiropractic treatments are safe for patients of all ages -- from infants to the elderly.

6. Are chiropractic treatments painful? (Top)

The adjustments and therapy treatments are generally not painful but patients who are acute may experience some discomfort due to inflammation.

Recovery and healing can be accelerated by eating a well-balanced, nutritional diet, drinking lots of water, and taking supplements. Dr. Anderson is a nutritionist and will give you recommendations if needed.

7. Should pregnant women receive chiropractic treatment? (Top)

Definitely! Pregnant women should seek chiropractic care due to the additional stress of the baby's weight on the body's framework.

8. Should infants receive chiropractic treatment? (Top)

The infant should be checked to detect any spinal problems which may have been caused during the birth process. Chiropractic treatments can help prevent ear infections and colic and future health problems.

9. Should children receive chiropractic treatment? (Top)

Spinal misalignments often occur during the birth process, especially if it was difficult. Tossing your child in the air or yanking the child by one arm can cause severe whiplash. Falling off a bicycle or the everyday bumps that happen to children can also cause spinal misalignments.

All children should be checked for spinal misalignments due to their active lifestyles and falls. Many childhood symptoms can be relieved and prevented; i.e., bed wetting, ear infections, colds, digestive problems,seizures, colic, back pain, attention deficit problems, hyperactivity, allergies and asthma.

Signs to look for are:

• Do your children get colds often?
• Do they get ear aches or sore throats often?
• Are they hyperactive?
• When they were babies, did they have colic or cry a lot for no reason?
• Are they bed wetters?
• Is one shoulder or hip higher than the other?
• Do their clothes fit unevenly?
• Does one foot point out or in?

A 1989 study compared the health of two hundred children under chiropractic are and two hundred children under medical care. The chiropractic children had fewer ear infections, fewer allergies, fewer cases of tonsillitis, and needed less medical treatments (antibiotics, medications and vaccinations). The health of the children under chiropractic care was noted to be superior to that of children under medical care.

10. What are the signs that you have a problem that needs chiropractic treatment? (Top)

• Neck pain, soreness and/or stiffness
• Back pain, soreness and/or stiffness
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Muscle spasms and/or weakness
• Pain, numbness or tingling of extremities
• Joint pain and/or stiffness
• Low energy or fatigue
• Digestive problems
• Heels on shoes wearing unevenly
• Poor posture
• Sinus and allergies

IMPORTANT: Being symptom free does not necessarily mean you are problem free. A chiropractic evaluation is the only way to tell. Just like with dental problems, the damage is present before the pain is felt.

11. What conditions can be treated effectively with chiropractic care? (Top)

• Neck pain/stiffness
• Back pain/stiffness
• Headaches and migraines
• Leg pain, numbness, tingling, weakness
• Arm pain, numbness, tingling, weakness
• Extremity joint pain (shoulders, knee, wrists, ankles and feet)
• Carpal tunnel syndrome

12. Is chiropractic effective in treating injuries? (Top)

Yes. Common injuries treated by chiropractic effectively include slip and fall injuries, athletic and sports injuries, automobile and whiplash injuries, and lifting injuries.

Non-musculoskeletal conditions treated include allergies, asthma, ADHD, dizziness, colic, fatigue, ear infection, and digestive problems.