Chiropractic was established way back in 1895 with 3 components; philosophy, science, and art. There is an entire philosophy within my profession which I have studied and taught. It has 33 distinct components, and I am not going to bore you with them here. Then there is the science of the Vertebral Subluxation Complex, that thing we treat in your spine. And finally there is the art of the adjustment, which is why no two chiropractors are the same. Some are adept at their art, some are not, and some use machinery instead…blasphemy!! Just as there are 3 components, there are also 3 phases of chiropractic care; Initial Intensive Care, Reconstructive Care, and Wellness Care. And to round out this story of the #3, there are 3 benefits of chiropractic care. Which benefits you care about and which you don’t determines how you will utilize your care in my office.
Benefit #1: Pain Relief – Your pain is caused by one of two things, inflammation or structural damage. You have to have one or the other or both to have pain. So you can be 10 years old with zero structural damage but lots of inflammation and have the same pain as someone who is 60 with lots of structure damage and zero inflammation. But most of us have both inflammation and structural damage. When I say structural damage I mean disc herniation, joint degeneration, scar tissue, torn anatomy, that type of thing. When you get adjusted function is restored to the joint and the inflammation goes down, and perhaps some structural damage can be repaired. Pain lessens or completely goes away, that is until time, life, and gravity slowly ratchet up the inflammation once again, hence the need for some sort of ongoing program of care for most of us.
Benefit #2: Slowing of Spinal Degeneration – Although you might not think so when you are in pain, this is a way more important benefit. When we restore function to your spine through our treatment program we are helping you to make your spine last longer, to make the joints wear out slower, or perhaps stopping the wearing altogether. This translates into greater mobility as you age which then translates into less pain as you age, since your joints have remained younger. Look around and you will see that the healthiest seniors are the ones with the greatest mobility. And with some exceptions the mobile seniors worked at it when they were younger.
Benefit #3: Health – This is the most complex of the 3 benefits and centers around two concepts. First, your nerve system controls your health. Second, inflammation causes disease. So, when you have subluxation this means you have an inflamed spine, which means you have inflamed nerves, which irritates the nerves, which control the blood supply to your internal organs, which is reduced or cut off due to your inflamed nerves, causing organs to malfunction, work less efficiently, and perhaps eventually fail. And while those inflamed joints spread the inflammation throughout your body thereby setting the stage for all kinds of chronic disease, the best understood is cardio-vascular disease. Studies indicate that the best preventative for a heart attack is to reduce your inflammation levels.
You are healthier when you have less inflammation and when your nerves are calm. This will make your spine last longer. As a result you can prevent pain in the first place.
Benefit #1: Pain Relief – Your pain is caused by one of two things, inflammation or structural damage. You have to have one or the other or both to have pain. So you can be 10 years old with zero structural damage but lots of inflammation and have the same pain as someone who is 60 with lots of structure damage and zero inflammation. But most of us have both inflammation and structural damage. When I say structural damage I mean disc herniation, joint degeneration, scar tissue, torn anatomy, that type of thing. When you get adjusted function is restored to the joint and the inflammation goes down, and perhaps some structural damage can be repaired. Pain lessens or completely goes away, that is until time, life, and gravity slowly ratchet up the inflammation once again, hence the need for some sort of ongoing program of care for most of us.
Benefit #2: Slowing of Spinal Degeneration – Although you might not think so when you are in pain, this is a way more important benefit. When we restore function to your spine through our treatment program we are helping you to make your spine last longer, to make the joints wear out slower, or perhaps stopping the wearing altogether. This translates into greater mobility as you age which then translates into less pain as you age, since your joints have remained younger. Look around and you will see that the healthiest seniors are the ones with the greatest mobility. And with some exceptions the mobile seniors worked at it when they were younger.
Benefit #3: Health – This is the most complex of the 3 benefits and centers around two concepts. First, your nerve system controls your health. Second, inflammation causes disease. So, when you have subluxation this means you have an inflamed spine, which means you have inflamed nerves, which irritates the nerves, which control the blood supply to your internal organs, which is reduced or cut off due to your inflamed nerves, causing organs to malfunction, work less efficiently, and perhaps eventually fail. And while those inflamed joints spread the inflammation throughout your body thereby setting the stage for all kinds of chronic disease, the best understood is cardio-vascular disease. Studies indicate that the best preventative for a heart attack is to reduce your inflammation levels.
You are healthier when you have less inflammation and when your nerves are calm. This will make your spine last longer. As a result you can prevent pain in the first place.