Frequently Asked Questions
About Chiropractic Care
Want to know more about chiropractic care? Here are a few frequently asked questions and answers about chiropractic to help you understand the profession and determine if it may be the right treatment for your neuromusculoskeletal ailments.
What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health. Chiropractic care is used most often to treat neuromusculoskeletal complaints, including but not limited to back pain, neck pain, pain in the joints of the arms or legs, and headaches.
Doctors of Chiropractic – often referred to as chiropractors or chiropractic physicians – practice a drug-free, hands-on approach to health care that includes patient examination, diagnosis and treatment. Chiropractors have broad diagnostic skills and are also trained to recommend therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises, as well as to provide nutritional, dietary and lifestyle counseling.
The most common therapeutic procedure performed by doctors of chiropractic is known as “spinal manipulation,” also called “chiropractic adjustment.” The purpose of manipulation is to restore joint mobility by manually applying a controlled force into joints that have become hypomobile – or restricted in their movement – as a result of a tissue injury. Tissue injury can be caused by a single traumatic event, such as improper lifting of a heavy object, or through repetitive stresses, such as sitting in an awkward position with poor spinal posture for an extended period of time. In either case, injured tissues undergo physical and chemical changes that can cause inflammation, pain, and diminished function for the sufferer. Manipulation, or adjustment of the affected joint and tissues, restores mobility, thereby alleviating pain and muscle tightness, and allowing tissues to heal.
Do Adjustments hurt?
Chiropractic adjustments feel good for most people. There is often a sense of pressure being released right after the adjustment, though it may take a while for all of the symptoms to ease. Even in the cases we see where someone's spine has been subjected to extreme neglect or injury, Chiropractic adjustments are normally less intense than the symptoms that the person has been suffering with, and they often provide immediate improvement.
How long will it take to get better?
We help many different people who vary in age, occupation, lifestyle, and overall health. With that in mind, this becomes a difficult question to answer accurately. Generally, significant improvement often begins after just a couple of visits, and more lasting relief of symptoms is usually established after a couple of weeks of Chiropractic adjustments. Of course we can give you a much better idea of what to expect after we meet you, examine you, and show you what`s going on with your spine!
Why choose Chiropractic for back pain?
It`s true there are a plethora of treatments and explanations out there these days making claims and promises about back pain, often leading to confusion in you, the consumer. The important thing to understand is that very few professions are actually licensed to DIAGNOSE the source of back pain. This short list includes medical doctors, medical specialists, naturopaths, and Chiropractors. Of these, only Chiropractors and some surgeons devote their entire practice to spinal health restoration. Surgery is for end stage spinal problems and Chiropractic care is the treatment of choice for earlier stage causes of back pain.
Chiropractic adjustments for back pain are so effective because they are directed at the cause of your pain, not just the symptoms.
How well educated is a Chiropractic physician?
It takes a minimum of 8 years of University/College to become a Chiropractor. The training is very similar to that of a medical doctor, with more class hours spent on anatomy, neuroanatomy, spinal anatomy, radiology, spinal palpation and adjustment, than a medical doctor and less class hours on pharmacology than a medical doctor. This in depth training is essential to enable Chiropractors to be licensed as primary health care providers and also provides them with the excellent clinical skills required to diagnose spinal conditions and determine when an outside referral is necessary.
Does Chiropractic care work?
YES. This question used to be asked commonly, but has been answered by the millions of Americans that have enjoyed relief from back pain, neck pain & headaches. Numerous government and university studies have now demonstrated that Chiropractic is the most effective treatment for low back pain. In fact, Chiropractic has grown to become the third largest primary contact health care profession in America behind medicine and dentistry, through its dramatic success with back pain treatments. Chiropractic care routinely helps people to feel so much better, to be pain free, more flexible, healthier, higher energy levels, better sleep, and so on that many people choose to use Chiropractic care in a preventative way, much like regular oral hygiene at the dentist. For others, once the pain is resolved we send them on their way!
How do I know if Chiropractic will help me?
The most direct way is to book an appointment with Dr. Kyles, come and meet your doctor and discuss your particular health issues. At this point you will find out if Chiropractic care is the right choice for you. If it is not, we will let you know what you may consider doing instead, and why. At a minimum, you will leave feeling that you now have a pretty good idea what is wrong and who you need to see to resolve your health issue.
