Understanding
Chiropractic
Popularity of Chiropractic
Chiropractic as we know it today was founded in Iowa in 1895 by
Dr. David Palmer. Chiropractic care is now one of the fastest
growing types of health treatment. More than 30 million Americans
visited a chiropractor in 2003 alone. Due to its effectiveness
and reasonable costs, most insurance company plans and government
insurance (such as Workman’s Compensation and Medicare)
provide coverage for chiropractic treatment.
What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic is the science and art of restoring
good health by restoring and maintaining a properly functioning
nervous system. Chiropractors diagnose and treat patients whose
health problems are associated with the body’s muscular,
nervous, and skeletal systems, especially the spine.
How Chiropractic Works
Accidents, falls, overexertion, stress, tension and other factors
can result in displacements, misalignments or imbalances of the
spinal column, causing irritation to spinal nerve roots. These
irritations are often what cause malfunctions in the rest of
the body. Chiropractic reduces or eliminates this irritation
to spinal nerves causing your body to operate more efficiently
and more comfortably. Chiropractic treatment focuses on the spine,
bones, nerves, muscles and connective tissues.
Chiropractic doctors use a procedure called an “adjustment” to
help restore misaligned vertebrae to a more normal position. An
adjustment is carefully directed and controlled pressure to bones.
It is safe and gentle. This allows your body’s nerves to
properly communicate and allows your body to heal itself safely
and naturally. Chiropractors do not prescribe medicine or perform
surgery.
In some instances your chiropractor may determine that chiropractic
is not the best treatment for a particular condition. In this case
your chiropractic doctor will refer you to a relevant specialist.
Training & Licensing
Required for Chiropractic Doctors
Chiropractic doctors complete rigorous professional education including
both academic and clinical training, similar to other types of
physicians and primary care providers. Chiropractic training
includes at least two years of undergraduate education followed
by four or more years of specialty training at an accredited
chiropractic college. Most chiropractic doctors complete as many
or more hours of classroom education as physicians do in medical
school. In addition to earning a doctorate degree, chiropractic
doctors must pass national and state board exams in order to
treat patients.
For more information
about chiropractic see the answers to Frequently
Asked Questions.
Learn more
about chiropractic services at Pearson
Chiropractic or contact
us today to see a chiropractor and start feeling better.
Chiropractic for Kids
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