Chiropractic Works!
Chiropractic Adjusting provides highly effective treatment for:
- Back Pain
- Neck Pain
- Shoulder & Hip Pain
- Sciatica Pain
- Nerve Pain
- Disc Injuries
- Sports Performance
- Whiplash Injuries
Chiropractic Care at AllAbout Chiropractic Care
At AllAbout Chiropractic Care, we approach Chiropractic Care from a neurological/biomechanical approach that is strongly supported by the latest scientific studies. We use Chiropractic adjusting to musculoskeletal conditions, relieve pain, improve function by restoring freedom of motion and improve nervous system function by adjusting both the spinal column and extremities. At AllAbout Chiropractic Care, we use treatment methods that combine osseous manipulation (hands on adjusting) with soft-tissue techniques (Active Release Techniques).
These treatments are supplemented by specific rehabilitation exercises that strengthen weakened muscle groups, improve flexibility and assist in preventing conditions from returning.
The AllAbout Chiropractic Care Health Perspective Chiropractic is hands-on, manual treatment that can achieve great results for many conditions. In fact if you review recent literature from recognized journals in conventional medicine (Spine, British Journal of Medicine) Chiropractic is considered to be the best choice for treating back pain. Chiropractic care has been shown to be the most effective method for improving and providing long-lasting quality of life for back-pain sufferers. See Cost effectiveness of physical treatments in Primary care UK Beam Trial (Andrea Manca) British Journal of Medicine 2004; 329:1381 December 11, 2004. Chiropractors comprise the third largest segment of the health care practitioners in the U.S., with over 60,000 practitioners. In the U.S. over 30 million people now receive chiropractic services each year. Some of the most recent studies about chiropractic are not only showing how effective it is but also how chiropractic treatments can help lower overall health expenditures. This is being achieved by reducing the need for expensive diagnostic procedures, surgeries and other health related costs. See Comparative Analysis of Individuals with and without Chiropractic Coverage Patient Characteristics, Utilization and Costs. Archives of Internal Medicine, October 11, 2004; 164:1985-1992. Low Back Pain (LBP) Low back pain is often difficult to solve. In fact the literature shows that there is little association between pathological physical findings and the patient’s pain and disability. In other words a lot is unknown about its cause from a conventional medical perspective. What we do know is that low back pain is second only to the common cold in visits to primary care physicians. In fact 43% of the population experience back pain in a given month. Direct cost of treating LBP is $33-$55 billion per year and the indirect cost are $90 billion. The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery Volume 86-A-Number- August 2004. Many factors increase the incidence of Low Back Pain: We know what works, and what does not work in the treatment of low back pain: The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery Volume 86-A-Number- August 2004. Chronic Spinal Pain: A randomized clinical trial comparing medication, acupuncture, and spinal adjusting. Spine July 15, 2003; 28(14)1490-1502. What is an affective treatment for low back pain? So what is the most effective form of treatment for back pain that can be scientifically validated? The answer is simple. Chronic Spinal Pain: A randomized clinical trial comparing medication, acupuncture, and spinal manipulation, Spine July 15, 2003; 28(14):1490-1502. Joint restrictions lead to biomechanical restrictions, friction, inflammation and eventually degeneration. Chiropractic adjusting releases joint restrictions to restore normal range of motion. The chiropractic adjustment helps to break up restrictions of fibrosis (scar tissue) that forms around spinal joints. These restriction cause friction and increased stress on the normal joint function. The increased friction may cause inflammation or just wear and tear of the joints. This wear and tear is no small matter. Wear and tear causes Osteoarthritis, a progressive breakdown of cartilage. The cartilage is a very thin layer inside the joint. Thus it becomes very important to remove stress from the joint in order to prevent complete degeneration of the cartilage. Twelve percent of the population suffers from severe osteoarthritis. It is very important to restore joint function if you are experiencing an inflammatory reaction as a result of these joint restrictions, particularly if you have been experiencing repeated episodes of inflammation. Repeated episodes often lead to chronic problems which affect the surrounding structures: joint capsules, ligaments, muscles and nerves. Spinal Adjusting is a very effective way of alleviating these types of restrictions and preventing further problems. Chiropractic Adjusting also effects soft tissue, not just the bones. Patients often ask me how an adjustment of an osseous (Bones) can affect soft tissue (muscle). The answer is really quite simple. In your muscles you have stress receptors called Golgi Tendon Organs. These stress receptors react to situations where muscle tension suddenly increases such as with a Chiropractic Adjustment. These adjustments are low in force but high in velocity. This causes the stress receptors (Golgi Tendons) to inhibit all muscle activity in the surrounding area. It literally causes the entire muscle surrounding the joint to go into a state of relaxation. A very important function when you are dealing with an acute episode of low back pain. (Guyton Textbook of Medical Physiology p691-692) This is why chiropractic adjustments when performed correctly are done very fast but with little force. How adjustments affects the nervous system. This is by far the most important aspect of chiropractic adjustments. For years chiropractors have hypothesized on how adjustments effect the nervous system, we now can scientifically expand how this works. We can also validate our claims with research from the conventional research community. By conventional I am talking about accredited allopathic medical journals in the world not Chiropractic research. Some times I hear there is no scientific information out there to validate Chiropractic. Obviously these people are not familiar with current research. One of the central hypotheses of the chiropractic theory is that dysfunction of the musculoskeletal structures (Relating to or involving the muscles and the skeleton) have a significant impact on the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is the part of your system that controls involuntary activities, including heart muscle, glands, smooth muscle. The autonomic nervous system is subdivided into sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. Abnormal neurological input from dysfunctional musculoskeletal structures (i.e., injury, inflammation) increases sympathetic traffic or activity in the system. The sympathetic system is responsible for the flight-or-fight response we are hard wired with. An injury to the musculoskeletal system results in an overall increase in the sympathetic nervous system activity. In fact, injury to this system causes a stress on the sympathetic nervous system. The “fight or flight response”, also called the “acute stress response”, was first described as early as the 1920’s. The response was later recognized as the first stage of a general adaptation syndrome that regulates stress responses. The onset of a stress response is associated with specific physiological actions in the sympathetic nervous system, both directly and indirectly through the release of the hormone epinephrine and in a lesser extent norepinephrine from the adrenal glands (medulla). These are stress related hormones. These hormones facilitate immediate physical reactions by triggering increases in heart rate and breathing, constricting blood vessels in many parts of body and tightening muscles. How motion restriction influences neurological function- Pain gate Theory. Injury to the back often involves injury to the facet joints of the spine or the discs. These injuries are often caused by the non-involuntary contraction of the spinal segmental mover (muscles around the spine contracting, such as the multifidus muscles). These non-involuntary contractions occur not only at the level of injury but several segments above and below the level of injury. This non-involuntary movement contraction locks what is referred to as the motor unit (two vertebrae, the disc between them, the nerves that goes through them and the surrounding soft-tissues) into a certain position with reduced movement. This has the effect of opening what is called the “Pain Gate”. Initially the Pain Gate Theory was proposed in 1965 by Melzack and Wall based on the fact small diameter nerve fibers carry pain stimuli through a gate mechanism but larger diameter nerve fibers going through the same gate can inhibit (block) the transmission of the smaller nerves carrying the spinal signal. Chemicals released as a response to the pain stimuli also influence whether the gate is open or closed for the brain to receive the pain signal. This leads to the theory that the pain signals can be interfered with by stimulating the periphery of the pain site, the appropriate signal-carrying nerves at the spinal cord, or particular corresponding areas in the brain stem or cerebral cortex. It is generally recognized that the “Pain Gate” can be shut by stimulating nerves responsible for carrying the touch signal (mechano-receptors) which enable the relief of pain. How this relates to Chiropractic Adjustments. When a Chiropractor adjusts a section of the spine they cause firing of what is called the high threshold mechano-receptors. This initiates a neurological sequence of events that cause pain inhibition (closes the pain gate), and inhibits or calms down the sympathetic nervous system. Considering the wide spread effects of being in a constant state of flight or fight, the ability to reduce these sympathetic activities with a Chiropractic adjustment is quite amazing. Poor healing of the back always results in fibrosis of scar tissue formation and adhesions. Chiropractic spinal adjustments are unique in their ability to break up these adhesions, close the pain gate, reduce involuntary sympathetic nervous system activity, and improve over all function. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological therapeutics January 2005, volume 28, Number 1. Chronic Spinal Pain: A randomized clinical trial comparing medication, acupuncture and spinal manipulations Spine July, 15 2003; 28(14):1490-1502. Gate Control Theory of pain stands the test of time British Journal of Anesthesia. Vol 88, No6, June 2002, Pgs.755-757. Less side effects and a safe alternative. Research shows that chiropractic is significantly safer than comparable pharmaceutical and surgical treatments, and produces far fewer (4,000 times fewer) negative side effects. To further understand chiropractic’s effectiveness, the Canadian Chiropractic profession is currently involved in additional research to further examine neck adjustments. Recent research conducted at the University of Calgary, demonstrated that neck adjustment is done well within the neck’s normal range of motion; that no force is applied to the arteries during an adjustment; and that arteries are not stretched during adjustment. Internal forces sustained by the vertebral artery during spinal adjustment therapy, Herzog W, Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Oct 25(8): 504-20,2002 Diagnosis... All Chiropractors use standard procedures of examination to diagnose a patient’s condition, and to arrive at an appropriate course of treatment. Doctors of Chiropractic use time-honored methods of consultation, case history, physical examination, orthopedic and neurological analysis and x-ray examination (as needed) as any other doctor. In addition, we also carry out a careful structural examination that pays particular attention to the bio mechanic’s of the body. What makes a good Chiropractor? Same thing that makes any good doctor. Patients moving to a new city often ask me for referrals to local Chiropractors. I am often asked about what they should look for in a good Chiropractor. Here are a few of the things I would recommend: Chiropractic Technique- I cannot recommend any single technique as being better than another. In fact, I would be skeptical of anyone who claims their specific Chiropractic technique is the perfect choice for everyone. Chiropractors are trained to use a wide variety of techniques, and can choose from numerous treatment methods for any one condition. Their selected treatment method can vary depending upon. o Patient response to treatment. o Patient’s requests for treatment, (some patients prefer a certain technique). o Patient age and overall health status. Communication: It is very important to talk to, and question your doctor. (Communication is critical with any medical professional, Chiropractic, Medical, Physiotherapist, etc.). o If you have questions, ask them, and expect a reasonable clear answer. o Question the logic of treatment. The more you understand, the better off you will be. o If your doctor is always to busy to answer, or does not provide suitable responses, consider looking at another doctor who does meet your requirements. Treatment Results: Expect results from the selected treatment therapy. Expect to see changes, whether it is Chiropractic, Physiotherapy, Medicine, Acupuncture, or Massage therapy. If you don’t get appropriate results, go somewhere else. o Be reasonable, and provide for sufficient time for the treatment to take effect. o Ask your doctor to provide you with a copy or explanation of his or her proposed treatment plan. o Your doctor should tell you how many visits they recommend, when they review date will be, and what results they are expecting. o Remember A+B always equals C. In other words if you do the same thing over and over you will always achieve the same results, good or bad. If you find the treatment you are using is not achieving the results you desire you need to consider other alternatives. If you don’t achieve some results after a short period of time, then doing the same procedure 112 more times will probably not help. Rehabilitation: Rehabilitative exercises are fundamental to good recovery. Your rehabilitation program should address the four fundamentals of rehabilitation: o Flexibility. o Strength. o Cardiovascular. o Balance and proprioception. o NOTE: if your doctor is not providing you with exercises for a musculoskeletal condition, the doctor is missing the point. Exercise is not an option it is fundamental.