This topic is something I feel very strongly about.
I'm pretty sure that we all having an opinion on chiropractors - Whether positive or negative. And unless you already have a great chiropractor, my hope is that this post will encourage you to find one soon.
But before I put the cart before the horse, let me get into what exactly a chiropractor is and does.
A chiropractor is a health care professional who is largely concerned with
"the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mechanical disorders of the neuro-musculoskeletal system and the effects of these disorders on general health". Many chiropractors are considered a type of doctor, as they have gone to school specifically for a "Doctor of Chiropractic" [D.C.] degree.
In short, chiropractors are concerned with helping people move the way we were designed to.
When most people think of chiropractors, however, they think generally of back or neck pain. While chiropractors do specialize largely in back and neck issues, this is only a fraction of what they can do.
Did you know that chiropractors concern themselves also with digestion, sports injuries, heart conditions, vision problems, gastrointestinal issues, breathing issues, and arthritis?
I bet a number of you reading would never think to go to a chiropractor for vision problems or asthma. But a good chiropractor will make it their goal to find out what your "dysfunction" is and work towards the goal of improving, if not entirely eradicating, that issue.
Let me tell you my story.
When Scott and I were first married, I was having Carpal Tunnel symptoms. My right hand would go numb constantly, and sleeping was a nightmare. You know that terrible feeling you get when you wake up having slept on your arm? Yeah, well, I was having that all the time. Blowdrying my hair was a hardship, as well as typing at the computer and driving a car. Anytime my right hand was above my heart, it would reliably fall asleep.
No pain, but just persistent, nagging numbness -
Enough to drive someone nuts.
We finally went to an orthopedist who did some tests only to confirm what I knew to be true. [Thanks, $40 co-pay]
But anyway..
He said that surgery would be my best bet, and that they'd have to cut my hand open and fix it. He said people got "Carpal Tunnel surgery all the time", and that it would be no big deal. A few months of occupational therapy afterwards, and I'd be good as new. But oh, except for that pesky little "30% success rate" thing. What?! Some people would have to go back under the knife and get it done a second time.
Here I was, 24, facing surgery for numbness. NUMBNESS.
So I headed to the place where they made me a sleeping brace for nighttime, and booked a surgery date. I met the OT folks, and thought to myself, "There's GOT to be another way."
Scott had been seeing a chiropractor for many years, and I assumed I didn't need to join him. After all, I didn't have any lower back pain or constant neck-aches like he did. Surely, I was above chiropractic care. But guess what? One day, I asked Scott's chiropractor to examine me, and he said, I quote, "You have one of the top 10% worst necks I have ever seen." What?! I was horrified. But I wasn't having any pain.. How could that be true? Turns out the numbness in my right hand was from pinched nerves in my neck.
Really, it was that simple.
So I started going to his chiropractor, and the numbness was no longer a nagging issue for me. Surgery avoided.
Praise God!
Fast forward a few years, and I'm 6 months pregnant.
We had moved across country, so I no longer had a chiropractor. But as my belly grew bigger, I started to have hideous back spasms that I couldn't get away from. I remember one distinct night where I lay sobbing on the floor because my back hurt so bad. If I didn't have a baby in my belly, I would've begged Scott to jump up and down on my back. I was desperate, and needed a chiropractor.
How could I have been so silly to think I shouldn't have looked for a chiropractor much sooner?
I found an awesome [I mean AWESOME] chiropractor and started going to him regularly. My back spasms stopped almost immediately, and I was a new woman. Pregnancy is hard on a woman's body, so ladies especially need to make sure they're properly aligned at this critical time of life. He explained to me that proper chiropractic care can actually help avoid long labors, back labor, c-sections, et cetera.
The thing is, if a woman's back and hips are out of line, sometimes the baby can't fit through the pelvis easily, which results in stalled labors and medical interventions.
Makes total sense.
My chiropractor adjusted me from that day to this very day.
In the beginning I saw him regularly - Once or twice a week, depending on what I needed. Now, I see him only once or twice a month.
It takes many years to form a dysfunction of the back, neck, etc., so solving it won't happen overnight. It may not even happen inside of a month. But if you've got a good chiropractor, and you're committed to health and proper alignment, it will happen for you.
Remember when I mentioned earlier about chiropractors helping with all those medical issues?
The thing is, the spine is the control center of the entire body.
Each part of the spine correlates to some part of the body, and is responsible for it. Properly adjusting a particular part of the spine will increase blood flow to that part of the body, and bring down the inflammation caused by improper alignment.
For example,
People who suffer from IBS issues may have an issue with their L-1 through L-5, or people who have issues with heart problems may need proper maintenance of their T-1 through T-11.
I had an issue with numbness in my right hand, and it turns out I had an issue with my neck, which is in the "C's", to put it simplistically. Women who suffer from menstrual issues can be adjusted in their sacral area, or very low portion of their back.
Nerves are responsible for so many things in our bodies, and so it only makes sense that proper adjustment of the spine would make for healthier, well-adjusted bodies. It's even true that women who suffer from low milk-supply while breastfeeding can often get a boost from chiropractic care on their spine!
But adults aren't the only ones who benefit from good chiropractors.
Babies, toddlers, and teenagers should also be adjusted regularly. Growing bodies are in serious need of staying aligned so that all of the bodily processes can go smoothly. Think of how often toddlers bump around and hit the floor while learning to walk, run, etc. Being "put back in place" is awesome for a child's growth and development. Newborns who suffer from colic sometimes experience instant relief with an adjustment of their spine. Digestion is largely dictated by the spine, and colic issues are thought to be in direct link with digestion.
Our toddler attends the chiropractor about once every month and a half.
Elderly folk can also benefit greatly from chiropractic care, because it keeps their bodies well-oiled, which staves off stiffness. Stiffness is often the result of inflammation, but inflammation can be eradicated by proper movement and alignment. When someone spine isn't constantly reminded how to be healthy and straight, dysfunction happens. The bones in our spine, neck, etc. can actually fuse together and become terribly arthritic. Bone rubs on bone, and terrible pain occurs.
It's a vicious cycle that needs to be avoided well before it happens.
Getting adjusted regularly can actually help you prevent sickness, too. Removing inflammation from the body gets toxins out, and can help prevent colds and flus. Studies have been done wherein people who are adjusted regularly have a lower likelihood of sickness.
And who doesn't want to be sick less?
Pretty awesome.
I see my chiropractor about twice a month because I do heavy lifting and lots of high-impact exercising. Weighlifting with a misaligned back is a sure-fire way to slip a disc or get an injury. It also largely alleviates the numbness in my hands that has been plaguing me for years. I control it with regular adjustments, a wrist brace during working out, and my amazing Peppermint essential oil. All for much less trouble and pain than a surgery with a "30% success rate".. Wouldn't you say?
My husband gets adjusted regularly because he has a sports injury from high school that will always be a latent issue for him. His line of work also requires top shape and a properly aligned body - Which makes a strong body.
My toddler gets adjusted regularly to help his bones and joints stay strong, his fussiness to a minimum, and sickness at bay.
Since we all have spines, we all need good chiropractic care.
If it hasn't worked for you in the past, maybe you didn't have a good chiropractor.. Or maybe you didn't stick with it long enough.
Chiropractic care is considered "alternative medicine", by some, but I don't see anything lesser quality about it. I actually find it far-superior to much of the "conventional" care I've received in my life. Chiropractic care allowed me to avoid an unnecessary, potentially ineffective surgery, and the confidence to have a natural, drug-free birth outside of a hospital.
My chiropractor was even amazing enough to be on call during my birth, in case I felt I needed him.
Two last things I feel the need to mention:
1) Chiropractic care is a smart choice for avoiding injury and pain. Don't wait until you have constant headaches or chronic back pain before finding one. Chiropractors help you never get to that point of desperation or constant discomfort. I tell all of my fellow CrossFitters that they need to find a good chiropractor in order to safely work out with confidence. A properly aligned back will actually make you stronger! How does that sound, co-WOD'ers?
Chiropractic care is preventative care.
And two:
2) Pain is actually the last symptom of dysfunction. I'll quote a neat website here for this important point:
"A patient’s back is often restricted or unstable for months or years before it presents as a problem and they show up in a chiropractor’s office. In addition, the absence of pain is not health. While medication may be needed, if you take a pill and the pain goes away, the dysfunction that caused it still persists. Muscle, ligament and joint injuries often occur as a result of long-term biomechanical dysfunction, sometimes from past injuries, making the area more susceptible to future injury.
In short - Just because you don't feel pain doesn't mean there's nothing wrong. Case in point, my neck being in the top 10% of worst necks a chiropractor had ever seen. It was causing other issues [numbness in my hand] that I never would have attributed to my spine!
Don't wait for pain to take care of yourself.
See what an awesome chiropractor can do for you and your family.
It's a preventative cost that will keep you healthy and moving for many years.
Convinced, but think you can't afford it? Our chiropractor has a cash plan with is considerably cheaper than paying through our insurance. Go figure. $25 an adjustment is absolutely worth the osts.
Ask if your chiropractor has a cash plan!
This post is dedicated to my awesome chiropractor, Dr. Planck from Estramonte Chiropractic. :)
I'm pretty sure that we all having an opinion on chiropractors - Whether positive or negative. And unless you already have a great chiropractor, my hope is that this post will encourage you to find one soon.
But before I put the cart before the horse, let me get into what exactly a chiropractor is and does.
A chiropractor is a health care professional who is largely concerned with
"the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mechanical disorders of the neuro-musculoskeletal system and the effects of these disorders on general health". Many chiropractors are considered a type of doctor, as they have gone to school specifically for a "Doctor of Chiropractic" [D.C.] degree.
In short, chiropractors are concerned with helping people move the way we were designed to.
When most people think of chiropractors, however, they think generally of back or neck pain. While chiropractors do specialize largely in back and neck issues, this is only a fraction of what they can do.
Did you know that chiropractors concern themselves also with digestion, sports injuries, heart conditions, vision problems, gastrointestinal issues, breathing issues, and arthritis?
I bet a number of you reading would never think to go to a chiropractor for vision problems or asthma. But a good chiropractor will make it their goal to find out what your "dysfunction" is and work towards the goal of improving, if not entirely eradicating, that issue.
Let me tell you my story.
When Scott and I were first married, I was having Carpal Tunnel symptoms. My right hand would go numb constantly, and sleeping was a nightmare. You know that terrible feeling you get when you wake up having slept on your arm? Yeah, well, I was having that all the time. Blowdrying my hair was a hardship, as well as typing at the computer and driving a car. Anytime my right hand was above my heart, it would reliably fall asleep.
No pain, but just persistent, nagging numbness -
Enough to drive someone nuts.
We finally went to an orthopedist who did some tests only to confirm what I knew to be true. [Thanks, $40 co-pay]
But anyway..
He said that surgery would be my best bet, and that they'd have to cut my hand open and fix it. He said people got "Carpal Tunnel surgery all the time", and that it would be no big deal. A few months of occupational therapy afterwards, and I'd be good as new. But oh, except for that pesky little "30% success rate" thing. What?! Some people would have to go back under the knife and get it done a second time.
Here I was, 24, facing surgery for numbness. NUMBNESS.
So I headed to the place where they made me a sleeping brace for nighttime, and booked a surgery date. I met the OT folks, and thought to myself, "There's GOT to be another way."
Scott had been seeing a chiropractor for many years, and I assumed I didn't need to join him. After all, I didn't have any lower back pain or constant neck-aches like he did. Surely, I was above chiropractic care. But guess what? One day, I asked Scott's chiropractor to examine me, and he said, I quote, "You have one of the top 10% worst necks I have ever seen." What?! I was horrified. But I wasn't having any pain.. How could that be true? Turns out the numbness in my right hand was from pinched nerves in my neck.
Really, it was that simple.
So I started going to his chiropractor, and the numbness was no longer a nagging issue for me. Surgery avoided.
Praise God!
Fast forward a few years, and I'm 6 months pregnant.
We had moved across country, so I no longer had a chiropractor. But as my belly grew bigger, I started to have hideous back spasms that I couldn't get away from. I remember one distinct night where I lay sobbing on the floor because my back hurt so bad. If I didn't have a baby in my belly, I would've begged Scott to jump up and down on my back. I was desperate, and needed a chiropractor.
How could I have been so silly to think I shouldn't have looked for a chiropractor much sooner?
I found an awesome [I mean AWESOME] chiropractor and started going to him regularly. My back spasms stopped almost immediately, and I was a new woman. Pregnancy is hard on a woman's body, so ladies especially need to make sure they're properly aligned at this critical time of life. He explained to me that proper chiropractic care can actually help avoid long labors, back labor, c-sections, et cetera.
The thing is, if a woman's back and hips are out of line, sometimes the baby can't fit through the pelvis easily, which results in stalled labors and medical interventions.
Makes total sense.
My chiropractor adjusted me from that day to this very day.
In the beginning I saw him regularly - Once or twice a week, depending on what I needed. Now, I see him only once or twice a month.
It takes many years to form a dysfunction of the back, neck, etc., so solving it won't happen overnight. It may not even happen inside of a month. But if you've got a good chiropractor, and you're committed to health and proper alignment, it will happen for you.
Remember when I mentioned earlier about chiropractors helping with all those medical issues?
The thing is, the spine is the control center of the entire body.
Each part of the spine correlates to some part of the body, and is responsible for it. Properly adjusting a particular part of the spine will increase blood flow to that part of the body, and bring down the inflammation caused by improper alignment.
For example,
People who suffer from IBS issues may have an issue with their L-1 through L-5, or people who have issues with heart problems may need proper maintenance of their T-1 through T-11.
I had an issue with numbness in my right hand, and it turns out I had an issue with my neck, which is in the "C's", to put it simplistically. Women who suffer from menstrual issues can be adjusted in their sacral area, or very low portion of their back.
Nerves are responsible for so many things in our bodies, and so it only makes sense that proper adjustment of the spine would make for healthier, well-adjusted bodies. It's even true that women who suffer from low milk-supply while breastfeeding can often get a boost from chiropractic care on their spine!
But adults aren't the only ones who benefit from good chiropractors.
Babies, toddlers, and teenagers should also be adjusted regularly. Growing bodies are in serious need of staying aligned so that all of the bodily processes can go smoothly. Think of how often toddlers bump around and hit the floor while learning to walk, run, etc. Being "put back in place" is awesome for a child's growth and development. Newborns who suffer from colic sometimes experience instant relief with an adjustment of their spine. Digestion is largely dictated by the spine, and colic issues are thought to be in direct link with digestion.
Our toddler attends the chiropractor about once every month and a half.
Elderly folk can also benefit greatly from chiropractic care, because it keeps their bodies well-oiled, which staves off stiffness. Stiffness is often the result of inflammation, but inflammation can be eradicated by proper movement and alignment. When someone spine isn't constantly reminded how to be healthy and straight, dysfunction happens. The bones in our spine, neck, etc. can actually fuse together and become terribly arthritic. Bone rubs on bone, and terrible pain occurs.
It's a vicious cycle that needs to be avoided well before it happens.
Getting adjusted regularly can actually help you prevent sickness, too. Removing inflammation from the body gets toxins out, and can help prevent colds and flus. Studies have been done wherein people who are adjusted regularly have a lower likelihood of sickness.
And who doesn't want to be sick less?
Pretty awesome.
I see my chiropractor about twice a month because I do heavy lifting and lots of high-impact exercising. Weighlifting with a misaligned back is a sure-fire way to slip a disc or get an injury. It also largely alleviates the numbness in my hands that has been plaguing me for years. I control it with regular adjustments, a wrist brace during working out, and my amazing Peppermint essential oil. All for much less trouble and pain than a surgery with a "30% success rate".. Wouldn't you say?
My husband gets adjusted regularly because he has a sports injury from high school that will always be a latent issue for him. His line of work also requires top shape and a properly aligned body - Which makes a strong body.
My toddler gets adjusted regularly to help his bones and joints stay strong, his fussiness to a minimum, and sickness at bay.
Since we all have spines, we all need good chiropractic care.
If it hasn't worked for you in the past, maybe you didn't have a good chiropractor.. Or maybe you didn't stick with it long enough.
Chiropractic care is considered "alternative medicine", by some, but I don't see anything lesser quality about it. I actually find it far-superior to much of the "conventional" care I've received in my life. Chiropractic care allowed me to avoid an unnecessary, potentially ineffective surgery, and the confidence to have a natural, drug-free birth outside of a hospital.
My chiropractor was even amazing enough to be on call during my birth, in case I felt I needed him.
Two last things I feel the need to mention:
1) Chiropractic care is a smart choice for avoiding injury and pain. Don't wait until you have constant headaches or chronic back pain before finding one. Chiropractors help you never get to that point of desperation or constant discomfort. I tell all of my fellow CrossFitters that they need to find a good chiropractor in order to safely work out with confidence. A properly aligned back will actually make you stronger! How does that sound, co-WOD'ers?
Chiropractic care is preventative care.
And two:
2) Pain is actually the last symptom of dysfunction. I'll quote a neat website here for this important point:
"A patient’s back is often restricted or unstable for months or years before it presents as a problem and they show up in a chiropractor’s office. In addition, the absence of pain is not health. While medication may be needed, if you take a pill and the pain goes away, the dysfunction that caused it still persists. Muscle, ligament and joint injuries often occur as a result of long-term biomechanical dysfunction, sometimes from past injuries, making the area more susceptible to future injury.
In short - Just because you don't feel pain doesn't mean there's nothing wrong. Case in point, my neck being in the top 10% of worst necks a chiropractor had ever seen. It was causing other issues [numbness in my hand] that I never would have attributed to my spine!
Don't wait for pain to take care of yourself.
See what an awesome chiropractor can do for you and your family.
It's a preventative cost that will keep you healthy and moving for many years.
Convinced, but think you can't afford it? Our chiropractor has a cash plan with is considerably cheaper than paying through our insurance. Go figure. $25 an adjustment is absolutely worth the osts.
Ask if your chiropractor has a cash plan!
This post is dedicated to my awesome chiropractor, Dr. Planck from Estramonte Chiropractic. :)
To health, happiness, and good stewardship!