There has been an increase in chiropractic acceptance in the past decade. The rise of natural and holistic health care has a lot to do with it. This is in spite of the criticism the practice has received over the years from the medical community. I used to think seeing a chiropractor was crazy, basically because I didn’t really understand it.
Chiropractic is based on the principle that spinal joint misalignment can interfere with the nervous system, which can result in lower resistance to disease and other conditions that can diminish your health. Chiropractors focus on the overall health of the patient and provide natural treatments that rely on the body’s innate ability to recuperate. They also recognize that many factors affect health, including exercise, diet, rest, environment, and genetics. Chiropractors will recommend changes in lifestyle that affect those factors. In many instances, they will refer you to or consult with other health practitioners.
General chiropractic treatments deal specifically with the spine and the manipulation of the spine by giving you an adjustment. The definition of adjustment means “harmony achieved by modification or change of a position.” I like the word harmony, makes it sound pleasant. On the first visit, your health history is reviewed, and your posture and spine are analyzed. A recommended plan is then developed for you.
You have chiropractors that specialize in sports injuries, neurology, orthopedics, pediatrics, nutrition, internal disorders, or diagnostic imaging. Did you know many professional athletes have regular chiropractic adjustments? Athletes include Usain Bolt, Emmit Smith, Jerry Rice, Carl Lewis, and Tiger Woods; there are so many more.
Here are 5 reasons to get chiropractic adjustments regularly:
The first chiropractic adjustment for me was 12 years ago after falling on ice. I first went through the typical route to see a medical doctor, x-rays, pain pills, and then physical therapy for 8 weeks. There was still pain after all of that. My husband was the one to recommended meeting with a chiropractor and voila, the pain dissipated after a couple of weeks. The first visit was very funny in hindsight because I screamed when my neck was initially adjusted… not from pain, but because of the loud POPPING noises from my neck! I wasn’t expecting that.
My personal chiropractor was very supportive through my breast cancer diagnosis and treatments. Even more important, he really encouraged me through my brain tumor ordeal (my benign tumor is pushing on the brain stem and already affecting the nervous system). Those regular adjustments definitely helped my body recover faster.
If seeing a chiropractor is crazy, then I am crazy and fit right in.