Chiropractic : Aligning and balancing the spine
“One of the first duties of the physician is to educate the masses not to take medication.”
Sir William Osler
Chiropractic is a drug-free, hands-on approach to health care that includes, as virtually any form of medical intervention, patient examination, diagnosis, and treatment. This branch of the healing arts recognizes the connection between good health and a normally functioning nervous system (especially the spine and the nerves extending from the spine throughout the body). “Chiropractic” comes from the Greek word Chiropraktikos, meaning “effective treatment by hand.” Chiropractors have broad diagnostic skills and are also trained in therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises, as well as nutritional, dietary, and lifestyle counseling.
Chiropractic is a healing art. It addresses “dis-ease” not by the use of drugs and chemicals, but by locating and adjusting a musculoskeletal area of the body that is functioning improperly. The conditions that Doctors of Chiropractic treat are as varied and as vast as the nervous system itself. While Doctors of Chiropractic use the same time-honored methods of consultation, case history, physical examination, laboratory analysis and x-ray examination, they also conduct a careful chiropractic structural examination, paying particular attention to the spine. The examination of the spine to evaluate structure and function makes chiropractic different from other health care modalities.
Accidents, falls, stress, tension, overexertion, and countless other factors can result in spinal imbalances, displacements or derangements of the spinal column, causing inflammation and irritation to spinal nerve roots. These irritations are often what cause malfunctions in the human body. Chiropractic teaches that reducing or eliminating this stress and inflammation to spinal nerves can cause your body to operate more efficiently and more comfortably. Spinal manipulation also called chiropractic adjustment restores joint mobility by manually applying a controlled force into joints that have become hypo-mobile or restricted in their movement as a result of tissue injury. This manipulation alleviates pain and muscle tightness, allowing tissues to heal. Dr Dreicer practices a gentle form of low force manipulation. She has also been practicing Network spinal analysis for many years. The Doctor incorporates many techniques into her practice which have evolved over the years.
Chiropractic also places emphasis on, not only nutritional and exercise programs, but wellness and lifestyle modifications for promoting physical and mental health. While chiropractors do not use drugs or surgery, Doctors of Chiropractic do refer patients for traditional medical care when those interventions are indicated. In fact, chiropractors, medical doctors, physical therapists and other health care professionals routinely work as partners in occupational health, sports medicine, and a wide variety of other rehabilitation practices.
The Benefits of Chiropractic
- Makes you feel balanced and relaxed, free from spinal stress
- Corrects the cause rather than treat symptoms
- Restores normal nerve supply
- Improves immunity
- Improves overall health and well-being
- More energy
- Improves athletic performance
- Allows better sleep
- Restores normal mobility and improves posture
- Counteracts the effects of gravity
- More efficient body function
- Slows or stops spinal degeneration
- Improves spinal structure
- Slows the aging process
- Makes spinal discs healthier
- Quicker recovery
- Back to work faster
- Can help prevent surgery
- Relief from pain and stiffness
- Safe
- Natural
- Provides non-invasive and conservative treatment to the spine
- No drugs or needles
- Relieves stress, tension and many symptoms
- Prevents many health problems
Athletes are aware of the natural benefits of chiropractic used in combination with proper hydration, nutrition, stretching, and training techniques. Many organizations and individual athletes have chiropractic doctors as integral parts of their health care team.
- Increases circulation
- Increases removal of lactic acid
- Increases delivery of oxygen and nutrients
- Increases flexibility
- Increases training effectiveness
- Reduces soreness and pain
- Reduces adhesions
- Reduces recovery time
- Reduces muscle spasms
- Reduces chance of injury
- Helps the body to relax, repair and prepare for the next athletic event