Chiropractic is a healthcare approach that focuses on the relationship between the spine's vertebrae and overall well-being. Chiropractors recognize that issues like pain and illness can result from misaligned or abnormally moving vertebrae in the spinal column, known as subluxations. Chiropractic treatment aims to correct these subluxations, alleviating pressure on nerves, restoring joint mobility, and promoting the body's return to normal function.

Numerous studies have underscored the effectiveness of chiropractic care in addressing various musculoskeletal problems such as back pain, neck pain, headaches, whiplash, and sports injuries. Additionally, chiropractic care has shown promise in reducing high blood pressure, lowering the frequency of childhood ear infections, and ameliorating asthma symptoms. Ongoing scientific research reveals the significant negative impact that subluxations can have on the body's tissues. To achieve true health, it's essential for the nervous system to function without interference from subluxations. Chiropractors possess unique expertise in detecting, locating, and correcting the vertebral subluxation complex through chiropractic care.

A fundamental aspect of chiropractic care is the chiropractic adjustment, which involves a swift thrust applied to a vertebra to correct its position, movement, or both. Adjustments often produce an audible release of gas, resembling a 'crack' sound. While this sound might initially surprise some individuals, it typically provides relief. In some cases, minor discomfort may occur, particularly if surrounding muscles are tense or the patient tenses up during the procedure. Occasionally, the audible 'cracking' may not occur due to significant muscle tightness or patient difficulty in relaxing during adjustments.

Manual manipulation of the spine and other bodily joints has a long history. Ancient texts from China and Greece, dating as far back as 2700 B.C. to 1500 B.C., make references to spinal adjustments and the manipulation of lower extremities to alleviate lower back pain. Notably, Hippocrates, the celebrated Greek physician (460-357 B.C.), authored a text emphasizing the significance of manual manipulation. In one of his writings, he asserted, "Acquire knowledge of the spine, for it is essential in addressing many diseases." Evidence of manual manipulation of the body can be traced to ancient civilizations such as Egypt, Babylon, Syria, Japan, the Incas, Mayans, and Native Americans.

The official inception of the chiropractic profession can be traced back to 1895 when Daniel David Palmer restored Harvey Lillard's hearing through manual neck adjustment, leading him to believe he had discovered something valuable. Just two years later, in 1897, Dr. Palmer founded the Palmer School of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa, which continues to train chiropractic doctors to this day.

Throughout the 20th century, the chiropractic profession gained substantial recognition and support from scientific research. Research studies have consistently demonstrated the positive impact of chiropractic care in reducing healthcare costs, enhancing recovery rates, and increasing patient satisfaction. Notably, a comprehensive study conducted in Canada in 1993, known as the Manga Study, concluded that chiropractic care had the potential to save hundreds of millions of dollars annually in work disability payments and direct healthcare costs. Multiple significant studies conducted by the U.S. Government, the Rand Corporation, and other research institutions have all underscored the remarkable value of chiropractic care.

Chiropractic's primary mission is to realign the spine and eliminate factors that hinder the body's inherent ability to heal naturally. Chiropractors stand out from other healthcare practitioners due to their expertise in performing spinal adjustments, which are designed to rectify subluxations – abnormal movements or disruptions in normal vertebral function.

A chiropractic adjustment involves applying precise force to vertebrae with irregular movement patterns or impaired function. The aim is to rectify the subluxation, leading to enhanced range of motion, reduced nerve irritation, diminished muscle tension, decreased pain, and improved bodily function. These adjustments typically produce an audible release of gas within spinal joints, resembling a "crack" sound. While this sound may startle individuals during their initial adjustment, it usually brings relief. On occasion, minor discomfort can occur, particularly when surrounding muscles are tense, or if the patient tenses up during the procedure. In some instances, the audible "crack" may not be present, often due to significant muscle tightness or the patient's difficulty in relaxing during the adjustment. Certain chiropractic techniques are designed to manipulate the spine without generating this sound. It's essential to recognize that chiropractic encompasses more than just pain relief.

The ultimate objective of receiving chiropractic adjustments is to restore the body to its natural state of optimal health. To achieve this, chiropractors may employ and recommend various natural healing methods, such as adjustments, massage, trigger point therapy, nutrition, exercise rehabilitation, and lifestyle counseling, which influences one's overall health. The central focus remains on eliminating obstacles that obstruct the body's inherent healing capacity. The primary goal is spinal adjustment, though some chiropractors also address extremities and employ other physiological therapeutics like electrical stimulation, ultrasound, traction, neuromuscular re-education, and diverse manual therapies.

In contemporary practice, chiropractic offices are evolving into comprehensive wellness centers, providing a wide range of wellness services. An emerging trend in chiropractic wellness centers is wellness coaching, which can be conducted in-person or remotely through various communication channels. These centers often host seminars on topics like spinal alignment, posture enhancement, ergonomics, weight management, relaxation, smoking cessation, nutrition, and exercise. Some even offer pre- and post-natal health programs. The expanding availability of wellness programs through chiropractic centers makes it accessible and affordable for nearly everyone to embrace a wellness-oriented lifestyle. Chiropractors acknowledge the presence of innate wisdom or natural energy within each individual that seeks expression as perfect health and well-being. Therefore, the primary purpose of chiropractic care is to eliminate any physiological obstructions that impede the body's innate wisdom, leading to the natural restoration of improved health. It's an aspiration that holds broad appeal.

What's the main difference between wellness care and standard medical care? Wellness care seeks to turn on the natural healing ability, not by adding something to the system, but by removing anything that might interfere with normal function, trusting that the body would know what to do if nothing were interfering with it. Standard medical care, on the other hand, seeks to treat a symptom by adding something from the outside - a medication, a surgery, or procedure.

Inside Out vs. Outside In

If a patient has high blood pressure, a standard medical approach would be to choose a drug that lowers blood pressure, and ask the patient to take the drug. This may serve to lower the blood pressure, but ignores the underlying cause that is making the blood pressure high, and runs the risk of side effects complicating the person's recovery. Whether it's a nutritional issue, faulty control by the nerve system or a manifestation of stress, the medication could decrease the blood pressure, leaving the problem causing the symptom of high blood pressure unaddressed.

The Wellness Approach

Wellness is a state of optimal conditions for normal function… and then some. The wellness approach is to look for underlying causes of any disturbance or disruption (which may or may not be causing symptoms at the time) and make whatever interventions and lifestyle adjustments would optimize the conditions for normal function. That environment encourages natural healing, and minimizes the need for invasive treatment, which should be administered only when absolutely necessary. When the body is working properly, it tends to heal effectively, no matter what the condition. When the body heals well and maintains itself well, then there is another level of health that goes beyond "asymptomatic" or "pain-free" which reveals an open-ended opportunity for vitality, vibrant health, and an enhanced experience of life. This is true for mental and emotional health as well as physical health. While some people may suffer psychological disorders, creating an atmosphere of mental and emotional wellness will address all but the most serious problems.

How Does It Work

Chiropractic doctors practice natural, drugless, non-invasive health care and rely on the body's ability to self-heal. Sounds ideal, but just how does it work?

We look at the whole picture

Like other health-care providers, we follow a standard routine to gain information about the patient. We consult, review the case history, conduct a physical examination, and we may request laboratory analyses and/or x-rays. Unlike other health-care providers, however, chiropractic physicians also conduct a careful analysis of the patient's structure and pay particular attention to the spine. We also ask you about your life- Do you eat well? Exercise at all? How do you deal with stress? Do you have children? What do you do for work? And so on.

We seek the origin of the problem

Using this information, a diagnosis is made. Included in the diagnosis is the probable reason for your pain or discomfort. It is important to note that chiropractors seek the origin of the illness in order to eliminate it-we do not simply treat the symptoms.  If your roof is leaking, do you simply catch the drips in a bucket for years on end, or do you repair the roof to prevent it from leaking? Similarly, if the migraine headache you've had all week is being caused by misaligned vertebra and an irritated nerve, do you continue to take pain killers indefinitely, or do you realign the vertebra to prevent the pain? You get the picture.

We fix the origin of the problem

Chiropractors have a term for misalignments: subluxations. A vertebral subluxation is a misalignment of the bones that protect the spinal cord. It's a leak in the roof. Or a kink in the wiring of your nervous system.  The severity of the subluxation can vary, and there are a number of potential contributing factors that can be physical, emotional, mental, or chemical. The subluxation can be caused by any number of incidents, from birth trauma to an auto accident to simple repetition or over-use.

In this section, you will find articles on the mechanics of chiropractic care, its effects, and misconceptions.