FAQ's

Chiropractic is now the largest non-medical healing art in the world, attracting millions of people each year: housewives and movie stars, scientists and businessmen, lawyers and laborers, infants and the elderly, professional athletes and "weekend warriors" all come seeking the unique services that only a doctor of chiropractic can provide.

But millions of sick, suffering and dying people, perhaps living on painkillers and other drugs, or facing surgery, have never tried chiropractic care even though help may be literally around the corner.

Who should go to a chiropractor? It depends on whom you ask. For example, if you asked a person who was relieved of migraines, he'd say, "anyone with migraines should see a doctor of chiropractic." A child who no longer wets his bed will say, " Chiropractic is for bed-wetting." Anyone with menstrual problems should go, "says a woman who suffered from menstrual cramps. Someone saved from back or disk surgery would say chiropractic is for people with spine, back and neck problems.

There are case histories of people recovering from nearly every known disease and condition under chiropractic care: heart trouble, hyperactivity, fatigue, allergy, digestive problems, cold, flu, infertility and hundreds of other conditions.

You may be surprised to learn that doctors of chiropractic do not treat migraines or bed-wetting or menstrual cramps or backaches or the flu or high fevers or any other disease. The goal of the doctor of chiropractic is to awaken your natural healing ability by correcting the vertebral subluxation complex, one of the deadliest, most destructive blockages of life and energy you can suffer from.

That's why, if you'd go into the waiting room of a doctor of chiropractic you'd probably see people with many kinds of health problems yet they are there for one thing only, to have their vertebral subluxations corrected, not to have their diseases treated.

If the spinal column is unbalanced, the nervous system that it protects is placed under stress, is damaged and is not able to function at 100% capacity. This cause dis-eases or overall body dis-harmony or malfunction. It interferes with and damages your nerves, ligaments, discs and joints; weakens your muscles; and alters the energies to all parts of your body. Your internal organs may get less blood, even your brain may get less oxygen!

The most frightening thing is that you may have subluxations in your body for years without noticing any effects. Eventually they can weaken you to the point where you'd begin to develop lowered resistance and fall prey to sickness and diseases of all kinds. Doctors of chiropractic analyze your spinal column and structural system for areas of vertebral subluxation complex. They rebalance and realign your body using chiropractic "spinal adjustment" techniques.

Chiropractic's message is simple: You have within you an inborn or innate natural ability that needs to be reawakened and unleashed. Your body is your best doctor! But the vertebral subluxation complex is a serious major stress that interferes with your natural inner doctor's proper function. You'll feel better, heal better and live longer if you have no vertebral subluxation complex inside you.

Periodic chiropractic examinations and adjustments by correcting the vertebral subluxation complex help promote your hidden healing ability.

Because having a healthy spinal column makes good common sense. If you're sick, you should go to strengthen your natural healing ability. If you're feeling fine, you should remember that vertebral subluxations are painless "silent killers." You and your family should get your spine checked periodically to make sure you're living free from vertebral subluxations so you're functioning at your fullest. Why wait for disease to happen before you begin to improve your health?

Absolutely! Chiropractic care will help turn on your body's natural healer and improve your self-healing ability. You'll be better able to fight whatever disease or condition you're suffering from.

Yes. Having your vertebral subluxations corrected is important no matter what other type of care you're receiving. You can have your spinal column checked for vertebral subluxations by a doctor of chiropractic and still visit a doctor of homeopathy, naturopathy, osteopathy or medicine. M.D.s and other healers cannot tell if you're suffering from vertebral subluxations and are not trained in correcting them.

That's a loaded question because not all adjusting techniques that chiropractors use produce the popping noise we associate with "cracking our knuckles." Some chiropractic adjusting techniques makes no noise at all. But many chiropractors do use techniques that create in many instances the popping sound of a spinal "release"; so what causes the noise? A few years ago the mystery may have been solved. A British research team took X-ray movies of a person "popping" his knuckles and found that gas (80% carbon dioxide) rushes in to fill a partial vacuum created when the joint surfaces are slightly separated. It is this displacement of the joint fluid which some believe to be the cause of the noise.

This question is often asked of chiropractors because people associate the cracking or popping of one's neck with a chiropractic adjustment. The two are not the same thing. If a person has a desire to pop his neck or back, it's usually because a part of his spine is fixated or jammed causing another part to move too much and pop a lot, sometimes by itself. It's the jammed or fixated part that must be properly adjusted by a chiropractor so that the rest of the spinal column will stop being so movable and noisy.

When you crack or pop your neck, you're relieving tension for a little while, but not giving yourself an adjustment. After a while the urge to pop or crack reappears because the cause of the spinal tension, the fixation or jammed vertebrae, hasn't been corrected.

Old wives' tales say popping or cracking your joints causes arthritis or makes your knuckles bigger. There isn't any research supporting that, but if tension keeps building up in the joints because of spinal imbalance, it may not be the popping or cracking that's so bad for you, but the spinal stress and balance causing it.

No, chiropractors have chiropractic degrees from chiropractic colleges. The education is similar to that of a medical doctor in some respects and different in others. The letters D.C. after a chiropractor's name stand for Doctor of Chiropractic.

Generally, no. A subluxation can be likened to a dental cavity: you may have one developing for a long time with no noticeable symptoms. That's why periodic spinal examinations by a chiropractor are so often recommended.

However, after a period of time under chiropractic care, some people become much spine conscious and can actually be able to tell when they need an adjustment. The effects of vertebral subluxations are often gradual and slowly eat away your well-being in tiny increments. For that reason, an occasional spinal checkup by a chiropractor is advisable.

Usually just a few minutes to a quarter hour (more or less) after the chiropractor is familiar with the patient's spine. It all depends on the adjusting technique the chiropractor is using. Sometimes it takes a few hours or even a few days of evaluation and spinal analysis for a new patient to get an initial adjustment. Other times it may only take a relatively brief initial visit, case history and evaluation, which can be done the same day.

Yes. Many people who have had various kinds a spinal surgery often discover a return to their same back problems months or years later. There are so many of these people around that the condition has a special name: "Failed Back Surgery Syndrome." These people can usually receive chiropractic care without undue worry. Usually the chiropractic care will save them from future operations. It's best to check with your chiropractor on a case-to-case basis.

If only it was (just a little)! There would be a lot less sick people running (or lying) around, and we chiropractors wouldn't get patients who last saw a chiropractor "a few years ago when my back went out."

It is possible to get used to feeling more "balanced," less stressed and more energetic as a result of periodic chiropractic care. And you may become more sensitive to your body and know when you've "lost" your adjustment. But if that bothers you, no need to worry: stop getting your spine checked and in time those feelings will fade away.

Of course. Once is better than never. And sometimes a spinal problem may be due to nothing more than a slight spinal misalignment rather than long-standing vertebral subluxations. In that case, one visit may be all that's needed. But chiropractic is really more than a glorified aspirin. It's best to ask your chiropractor what your spinal care needs are.

Spinal stress will continue to build up as before. The only difference is that it won't be reduced through chiropractic care. In a way, chiropractic is like a safety valve, releasing pressure from your system. If the pressure stays high, if stress is unrelieved, then the body and overall health will suffer.


	Home Chiropractic is now the largest non-medical healing art in the world, attracting millions of people each year: housewives and movie stars, scientists and businessmen, lawyers and laborers, infants and the elderly, professional athletes and "weekend warriors" all come seeking the unique services that only a doctor of chiropractic can provide. But millions of sick, suffering and dying people, perhaps living on painkillers and other drugs, or facing surgery, have never tried chiropractic care even though help may be literally around the corner. 1. Who Should Go To A Chiropractor? 2. Why Go To A Chiropractor? 3. Vertebral Subluxation Complex 4. The Chiropractic Message 5. "Then, Why Should I Go To A Chiropractor?" 6. "Should I Go To A Chiropractor If I'm Suffering From A Disease?" 7. "Can I Go If I'm Under Medical Care?" 8. What Causes the Noise Of An Adjustment? 9. Is It Bad To "Crack" Your Neck Or Back A Lot? 10. Do Chiropractors Have Medical Degrees? 11. Can You Tell If You Need A Chiropractic Adjustment On Your Own? 12. How Long Does A Spinal Adjustment Take? 13. Can A Person Who Had Back Surgery See A Chiropractor? 14. Can Chiropractic Prevent Back Surgery? 15. Is Chiropractic Care Addictive? 16. Can I Go Only Once? 17. What Will Happen If I Stop Going? 1. Who Should Go To A Chiropractor? Who should go to a chiropractor? It depends on whom you ask. For example, if you asked a person who was relieved of migraines, he'd say, "anyone with migraines should see a doctor of chiropractic." A child who no longer wets his bed will say, " Chiropractic is for bed-wetting." Anyone with menstrual problems should go, "says a woman who suffered from menstrual cramps. Someone saved from back or disk surgery would say chiropractic is for people with spine, back and neck problems. There are case histories of people recovering from nearly every known disease and condition under chiropractic care: heart trouble, hyperactivity, fatigue, allergy, digestive problems, cold, flu, infertility and hundreds of other conditions. 2. Why Go To A Chiropractor? You may be surprised to learn that doctors of chiropractic do not treat migraines or bed-wetting or menstrual cramps or backaches or the flu or high fevers or any other disease. The goal of the doctor of chiropractic is to awaken your natural healing ability by correcting the vertebral subluxation complex, one of the deadliest, most destructive blockages of life and energy you can suffer from. By correcting the vertebral subluxation complex, your doctor of chiropractic promotes natural healing, vitality, strength and health. That's why, if you'd go into the waiting room of a doctor of chiropractic you'd probably see people with many kinds of health problems yet they are there for one thing only, to have their vertebral subluxations corrected, not to have their diseases treated. 3. Vertebral Subluxation Complex If the spinal column is unbalanced, the nervous system that it protects is placed under stress, is damaged and is not able to function at 100% capacity. This cause dis-eases or overall body dis-harmony or malfunction. It interferes with and damages your nerves, ligaments, discs and joints; weakens your muscles; and alters the energies to all parts of your body. Your internal organs may get less blood, even your brain may get less oxygen! The most frightening thing is that you may have subluxations in your body for years without noticing any effects. Eventually they can weaken you to the point where you'd begin to develop lowered resistance and fall prey to sickness and diseases of all kinds. Doctors of chiropractic analyze your spinal column and structural system for areas of vertebral subluxation complex. They rebalance and realign your body using chiropractic "spinal adjustment" techniques. 4. The Chiropractic Message Chiropractic's message is simple: You have within you an inborn or innate natural ability that needs to be reawakened and unleashed. Your body is your best doctor! But the vertebral subluxation complex is a serious major stress that interferes with your natural inner doctor's proper function. You'll feel better, heal better and live longer if you have no vertebral subluxation complex inside you. Periodic chiropractic examinations and adjustments by correcting the vertebral subluxation complex help promote your hidden healing ability. 5. "Then, Why Should I Go To A Chiropractor?" Because having a healthy spinal column makes good common sense. If you're sick, you should go to strengthen your natural healing ability. If you're feeling fine, you should remember that vertebral subluxations are painless "silent killers." You and your family should get your spine checked periodically to make sure you're living free from vertebral subluxations so you're functioning at your fullest. Why wait for disease to happen before you begin to improve your health? 6. "Should I Go To A Chiropractor If I'm Suffering From A Disease?" Absolutely! Chiropractic care will help turn on your body's natural healer and improve your self-healing ability. You'll be better able to fight whatever disease or condition you're suffering from. 7. "Can I Go If I'm Under Medical Care?" Yes. Having your vertebral subluxations corrected is important no matter what other type of care you're receiving. You can have your spinal column checked for vertebral subluxations by a doctor of chiropractic and still visit a doctor of homeopathy, naturopathy, osteopathy or medicine. M.D.s and other healers cannot tell if you're suffering from vertebral subluxations and are not trained in correcting them. 8. What Causes the Noise Of An Adjustment? That's a loaded question because not all adjusting techniques that chiropractors use produce the popping noise we associate with "cracking our knuckles." Some chiropractic adjusting techniques makes no noise at all. But many chiropractors do use techniques that create in many instances the popping sound of a spinal "release"; so what causes the noise? A few years ago the mystery may have been solved. A British research team took X-ray movies of a person "popping" his knuckles and found that gas (80% carbon dioxide) rushes in to fill a partial vacuum created when the joint surfaces are slightly separated. It is this displacement of the joint fluid which some believe to be the cause of the noise. 9. Is It Bad To "Crack" Your Neck Or Back A Lot? This question is often asked of chiropractors because people associate the cracking or popping of one's neck with a chiropractic adjustment. The two are not the same thing. If a person has a desire to pop his neck or back, it's usually because a part of his spine is fixated or jammed causing another part to move too much and pop a lot, sometimes by itself. It's the jammed or fixated part that must be properly adjusted by a chiropractor so that the rest of the spinal column will stop being so movable and noisy. When you crack or pop your neck, you're relieving tension for a little while, but not giving yourself an adjustment. After a while the urge to pop or crack reappears because the cause of the spinal tension, the fixation or jammed vertebrae, hasn't been corrected. Old wives' tales say popping or cracking your joints causes arthritis or makes your knuckles bigger. There isn't any research supporting that, but if tension keeps building up in the joints because of spinal imbalance, it may not be the popping or cracking that's so bad for you, but the spinal stress and balance causing it. 10. Do Chiropractors Have Medical Degrees? No, chiropractors have chiropractic degrees from chiropractic colleges. The education is similar to that of a medical doctor in some respects and different in others. The letters D.C. after a chiropractor's name stand for Doctor of Chiropractic. 11. Can You Tell If You Need A Chiropractic Adjustment On Your Own? Generally, no. A subluxation can be likened to a dental cavity: you may have one developing for a long time with no noticeable symptoms. That's why periodic spinal examinations by a chiropractor are so often recommended. However, after a period of time under chiropractic care, some people become much spine conscious and can actually be able to tell when they need an adjustment. The effects of vertebral subluxations are often gradual and slowly eat away your well-being in tiny increments. For that reason, an occasional spinal checkup by a chiropractor is advisable. 12. How Long Does A Spinal Adjustment Take? Usually just a few minutes to a quarter hour (more or less) after the chiropractor is familiar with the patient's spine. It all depends on the adjusting technique the chiropractor is using. Sometimes it takes a few hours or even a few days of evaluation and spinal analysis for a new patient to get an initial adjustment. Other times it may only take a relatively brief initial visit, case history and evaluation, which can be done the same day. 13. Can A Person Who Had Back Surgery See A Chiropractor? Yes. Many people who have had various kinds a spinal surgery often discover a return to their same back problems months or years later. There are so many of these people around that the condition has a special name: "Failed Back Surgery Syndrome." These people can usually receive chiropractic care without undue worry. Usually the chiropractic care will save them from future operations. It's best to check with your chiropractor on a case-to-case basis. 14. Can Chiropractic Prevent Back Surgery? In a majority of cases the answer is a resounding "yes"! 15. Is Chiropractic Care Addictive? If only it was (just a little)! There would be a lot less sick people running (or lying) around, and we chiropractors wouldn't get patients who last saw a chiropractor "a few years ago when my back went out." It is possible to get used to feeling more "balanced," less stressed and more energetic as a result of periodic chiropractic care. And you may become more sensitive to your body and know when you've "lost" your adjustment. But if that bothers you, no need to worry: stop getting your spine checked and in time those feelings will fade away. 16. Can I Go Only Once? Of course. Once is better than never. And sometimes a spinal problem may be due to nothing more than a slight spinal misalignment rather than long-standing vertebral subluxations. In that case, one visit may be all that's needed. But chiropractic is really more than a glorified aspirin. It's best to ask your chiropractor what your spinal care needs are. 17. What Will Happen If I Stop Going? Spinal stress will continue to build up as before. The only difference is that it won't be reduced through chiropractic care. In a way, chiropractic is like a safety valve, releasing pressure from your system. If the pressure stays high, if stress is unrelieved, then the body and overall health will suffer.