How Chiropractic Care Works
The Basics
A chiropractor is a person who specializes in diagnosing and treating joint-related issues. The chiropractic profession is founded on the belief that a number of health problems arise because a person's vertebrae are not in proper alignment. Chiropractors work to realign these vertebrae. The chiropractic profession also examines the relationship between these unaligned vertebrae and a person's central nervous system.
The Procedure
A chiropractor will use his or her hands to "adjust" a person's spine and extremities. They look for signs of stress and weakness in a person's body that may be impairing their movement or otherwise causing pain and massage those areas. After that, the natural healing process of the body takes care of the rest. The main form of hand treatment a chiropractor uses is referred to as an adjustment or a manipulation.
Pain Relief
Chiropractic care claims to be able to cure a number of types of body pain. Among them are headaches and migraines (as well as a number of other types of head-related pains), neck- and back-related pains, and abdominal pains. A chiropractor also may be able to relieve pain in a person's extremities, namely in the shoulders, arms, hands, legs, knees and feet.
Effectiveness
Opinions differ greatly about the overall level of effectiveness that chiropractic care has. While the ultimate goal is to realign vertebrae in damaged parts of the body to improve a person's overall movement (which will reduce pain in these areas), chiropractic care relies heavily on what your body is already doing to get you better. Back pain, for example, often goes away over the course of a few weeks. However, seeing a chiropractor may result in a more comfortable wait as the back heals on its own. Chiropractic care does not claim to help muscles or organs, but it does help the central nervous system by relieving pain.
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