Chiropractic treatment is a health care profession. Chiropractors perform adjustments or manipulations to the spine or other parts of the body.

Chiropractors help correct alignment problems, ease pain and support the body’s natural ability to heal itself. They may also use other treatments such as:

• Heat and ice
• Electrical stimulation
• Relaxation techniques
• Rehabilitative and general exercise
• Counseling about diet, weight loss and other lifestyle factors
• Dietary supplements
• Many people visit chiropractors for treatment of low back pain, neck pain and headaches

Dr. Daniel David Palmer is the father of chiropractic theory and he started the first chiropractic college in Davenport, IA, in 1897. Dr. Palmer referred to chiropractics as “a science of healing without drugs.” Based on folk medicine, chiropractic theories embrace vitalism and spiritualism. However, as knowledge of medical science grows, chiropractors have moved away from this “esoteric base.”

According to The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE), vertebral subluxation is “a health concern that manifests in the skeletal joints, and, through complex anatomical and physiological relationships, affects the nervous system and may lead to reduced function, disability or illness.” As per the NBCE, the symptoms of subluxation can include:

• Pain and tenderness
• Asymmetry of posture, movement or alignment
• A range of motion abnormalities
• Tone, texture or temperature abnormalities of adjacent soft tissues

In standard medical terminology, a subluxation is “a full or partial dislocation of a joint or organ.” The World Health Organization (WHO) defines it as a “significant structural displacement, and therefore visible on static imaging studies,” which distinguishes it from the chiropractic form that is not measurable and has its roots in metaphysics.

Chiropractic is the largest alternative medical profession. Among all the alternative forms of medical treatment, it has the largest degree of success in regards to its size and visibility. Chiropractic is licensed in all 50 states and at least one in three people with back pain are treated by a chiropractor at least once.

Health benefits of chiropractic treatment 

Chiropractic treatment offers several benefits such as:

• It triggers the body’s natural healing abilities – Chiropractors recognize that many factors affect your health, including exercise, nutrition, sleep, environment and heredity. Chiropractic focuses on maintaining your health naturally to help your body resist disease, instead of simply treating the symptoms of disease.
• Begins with a thorough evaluation – A chiropractor will evaluate your condition using conventional methods such as consultation, case history, physical examination, laboratory analysis and X-ray examination. Each patient is also given a careful chiropractic structural examination, with particular attention paid to the spine.
• Chiropractic treatment involves no drugs or surgery – With this kind of treatment, chiropractors use a broad range of techniques to locate, analyze and gently correct vertebral subluxations in the spine. Chiropractors may use manual adjustment, electrical muscular stimulation, ultrasound or massage, but they do not use pharmaceutical drugs or invasive surgery. Chiropractic is a natural method of healing that stimulates the body’s communication system to work more effectively to initiate, control and coordinate the various functions of the cells, organs and systems of the body.

Body systems supported by chiropractic treatment 

Chiropractic medicine aims to fix mechanical problems in the musculoskeletal system since these issues can affect an individual’s health and well-being by impacting the nervous system.

Where to learn more

• Chiropractic Advice for Expectant Mothers
• Chiropractic Helps Digestive Disorders
• Chiropractic boosts immunity
• Chiropractic and diabetes – The connection between blood sugar and the spine
• Chiropractic advocacy: Do chiropractors have a professional responsibility to help those less fortunate?

Summary

Chiropractors perform adjustments or manipulations to the spine or other parts of the body. They help correct alignment problems, ease pain, and support the body’s natural ability to heal itself.

Chiropractic treatment triggers the body’s natural healing abilities; it begins with a thorough evaluation and it involves no drugs or surgery.

Sources include:

MedlinePlus.gov

MedicalNewsToday.com

Palmer.edu