A chiropractic adjustment is a quick and comfortable, manually applied movement of the spine in a specific direction performed by a highly qualified practitioner or an adjusting tool. It is not painful and has little to no risks or side-effects. In addition, a chiropractor can adjust almost any joint in the body, including hands, wrists, knees, feet and even ears!
Depending on your condition, an adjustment can do many things to relieve pain and improve function...
It can improve movement of the spinal column and other joints increasing function and decreasing the risk of injury.
It can improve blood flow and nutrient delivery to the joints and discs increasing the body's ability to heal and decreasing the rate of arthritis.
It can relax muscles, nerves and surrounding tissues that are in spasm from pain or injury.
It can repair scar tissue from old injuries. (Tissue is broken down and rebuilt to allow healing in the proper direction the joint moves, correcting altered movement and irritation of nerves and muscles.)
It can restore balance, function, and improve performance. (Re-activate nerves called proprioceptors that tell your body how to balance itself.)
It can block pain through neurological gate control. (Provides new and different stimulation so your body does not let you feel pain, similar to acupuncture.)
It can relieve pain by releasing endorphins. (Endorphins are the body's natural chemicals that make you feel good.)
It can relieve tension headaches and migraines.
It can relieve pain in other joints in the body like knees, feet, hands, wrists, and elbows.
It can possibly relieve symptoms of other conditions like tinnitus (ringing in the ear), nausea, double vision, irritable bowel syndrome, or asthma. The exact mechanism of these effects are unknown.
In addition, there are other kinds adjustments for the nose and inner ear (done internally through the mouth and nose) that can relieve ear aches, plugged ears, sinus headaches, nasal congestion and breathing difficulties.
It can help prevent sports injuries. Many athletes know that in sports, your power comes from the body during a baseball pitch or golf swing. Power comes from the center and works outward. If your spine is not moving properly at the center, then the arms and legs can over compensate and/or move incorrectly. With such speeds and force, this leads to rotator cuff tears, knee injuries, wrist injuries and back injuries. That is why chiropractors work with many professional sports teams and at the Olympics.
It can help prevent age related injuries. Imagine a door that is slightly off it's hinges. The door still opens and closes but it is slightly dragging on the floor. Eventually it wears away the carpet or flooring underneath. This is what is happening to your joints when they are not moving correctly due to misalignment, muscle tension, nerve over excitement, and scar tissue formation from old injuries. These imbalances can increase your chances for a fall if you are elderly. A fall or hip injury can be one of the most severely debilitating injuries to the geriatric population leading to hospitalization, years of rehabilitation, risky surgeries, or permanent long term care dependency.
Is chiropractic safe?
Absolutely. This is reflected in our insurance premiums. While rates keep skyrocketing for medical doctors in the tens of thousands, chiropractors are as low as $45 dollars per month. It is simply a matter of risk.
What are the risks?
Roughly 15 percent of patients may experience mild soreness post treatment that resolves within 1-2 days, especially if it is their first adjustment. Some moderate risks include sprains or strains. There have been extremely rare reported cases of vertebral artery tears resulting in strokes after a cervical (neck) manipulation. However, this is estimated to be a 1 in a few million chance across all adjustments performed by chiropractors, osteopaths, physical therapists and M.D.s combined. This occurrence is too rare to even accurately study or measure. Recent evidence suggests that vertebral artery tears are a pre-existing condition causing neck pain and headache thus the patient coincidently seeks chiropractic or medical care. The occurrence of stroke post-manipulation is no more riskier or common than strokes associated with turning your head while driving, playing sports, or seeing a medical doctor for neck pain and headaches. In fact, you take a larger risk taking cold medicine, ibuprofen, or driving on the highway!
Once I go to the chiropractor, will I always have to go?
No. What happens is once you discover how well your body feels after an adjustment, you become more attuned to how your body feels in general. You realize you don't have to live with aches and pains on a day to day basis and may wish to continue wellness or preventative care. Getting adjusted simply feels great!
Every condition and every patient is different. Some people are essentially relieved of their symptoms after one treatment, some require a few more, some have on going or permanent care to manage their pain. Just as one would manage their diabetes with routine blood monitoring and dietary changes, people choose to manage their pain with chiropractic. As much as we would like to permanently fix a problem, that is not always the case. Not every patient has the ability, option, or desire to make the long term lifestyle changes we recommend. Nor is everyone a candidate for chiropractic care. However, when you find something that works, it becomes your first choice for care.
Is a chiropractor a primary care physician or a specialist?
The answer is yes to both. In many states chiropractors are licensed primary care physicians, however, most chiropractors enter the profession to become specialists, just like a dentist, a podiatrist, or a doctor of physical therapy. Chiropractic colleges have been fully accredited by the Counsel for Chiropractic Education for over 40 years. Most chiropractors have their bachelor's degree and/or have completed many chemistry, anatomy, and physiology pre-requisites before attending chiropractic college. Upon graduation, a chiropractor will have taken over 4300 hours (4 years) of class and laboratory time on top of their undergrad education with advanced training in:
Anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, genetics, histology, microbiology, public health, cellular biology, pathology, neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, dermatology, physical diagnosis, cardiorespiratory diagnosis and disease, gastroenterology, biomechanics, geriatrics, pediatrics, nutrition, clinical microbiology, clinical pathology, infectious disease, emergency care, minor surgery, proctology, obstetrics, pharmacology, psychology, radiology, radiographic anatomy, and more.
However, rather than having an extensive background in pharmacology since they do not prescribe medication, a chiropractor takes additional courses in their specialty, neuromusculoskeletal diagnosis and disease, orthopedics, clinical nutrition and supplementation, spinal manipulative therapy, and soft tissue technique. In addition, a chiropractor has the option to take courses to explore other forms of alternative medicine, philosophy, and chiropractic technique not taught in traditional medical schools.
Finally, a chiropractor utilizes all the same standardized textbooks and resources used in traditional medical schools such as UCSD, OHSU, and Harvard. They are also required to complete a one year clinical internship. Recently, chiropractors have been invited to complete these internships at local and V.A. hospitals including Bethesda Naval Hospital. It is this progress in the educational field over the past 40 years that has solidified chiropractic education to stand amongst its peers obtaining wider acceptance filling roles in hospitals, public health administration, and the military.
The increased demand for chiropractic has
led to additional insurance benefits for complementary care,
just like a vision or dental plan. We look forward to further expanding our role into primary care giving patients more choices in
their health care.
West Linn Chiropractic (at Sachi Wellness Center) 2008 Willamette Falls Dr. Suite 200A West Linn, OR 97068 General Office (503) 607-0018 Appointments / on-call (503) 914-7043 info@westlinnchiropractic.com
Easy freeway access from Portland, Tualatin, Wilsonville, Oregon City, Clackamas, and Lake Oswego in the historic district of West Linn!
