Chiropractic care consists primarily of spinal manipulation. In spite of sales pressure and practice building techniques for which chiropractors are notorious, spinal manipulation has been around for a long time, has helped a lot of people, and is worth a try. There are large philosophical differences even within the chiropractic camp, and the care you get can vary significantly from office to office. But sometimes, nothing else will do, and chiropractic ‘hits the spot’. Many Naturopaths offer spinal manipulation, and is what most Osteopaths emphasize.
A Chiropractor is licensed as a DC, a Naturopath as an ND, and an Osteopath as a DO. Some Chiropractors also have an ND degree!
Manipulation can help with the following
Premature/Signs of Aging
Spinal manipulation from a doctor such as a chiropractor or Osteopath can reduce the chronic stress on the body that interferes with normal functioning and contributes to premature aging.
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD / ADHD)
Some chiropractors believe that ADD is commonly caused by an occiput that is jammed too far forward on the cranial base, caused as a common result of any sort of birth trauma, even when minor. As many as 60% of children with ADD are claimed to have this mechanical problem and a high percentage experience improvement with adjustment.
Neck Pain / Problems
Acute neck pain may be relieved by manipulation, especially if the pain is due to a spinal “fixation” or “subluxation” which often requires adjustment for rapid relief.
Simply extending the head back for 30 second periods may improve disc position and assist water flow into dehydrated discs. This may also be performed while lying on your back in bed. Hang your head over the edge, toward the floor. Every thirty seconds or so bring your chin up to your chest and then back down again. Mobility exercises help maintain neck flexibility.
Short Leg
After it has been determined which syndrome is evident, a correction can be considered. With an anatomical shortness, correction is made by placing a heel left in the shoe of the short leg. The lift can either be inserted in the shoe itself or constructed onto the inside shoe (or of your orthotic). This can be done by any qualified orthopedist, podiatrist or chiropractor. The chiropractor or orthopedist (and most doctors) will help determine if the SLS is anatomical or functional. A functional SLS may be corrected by manipulation.
Vertigo
An osteopath may suggest a few treatments of gentle cranial manipulation or Craniosacral Therapy (CST). This has caused some cases of recurrent dizziness to disappear.
Low Back Pain / Problems
Osteopathic manual care and standard medical care have similar clinical results in patients with subacute low back pain. However, the use of medication is greater with standard care. [JAMA Volume 341: pp.1426-1431 November 4, 1999[/i>]
Spinal manipulation has been found to be more effective in association with acute low back pain than in chronic low back pain, unless a single adjustment proves helpful.
Most cities in the US will have multiple Chiropractors to choose from. Of all the health professionals, Chiropractors have by far the most training in spinal manipulation.
Key
| May do some good |
| Likely to help |
| Highly recommended |
Glossary
Naturopathy
Medical practice using herbs and other various methods to produce a healthy body state by stimulating innate defenses without the use of drugs.
Osteopath
See Osteopathy.
Osteopathy
A school of healing that teaches that the body is a vital mechanical organism whose structural and functional integrity are coordinated and interdependent, and that the abnormality of either constitutes disease. Its major contribution to treatment is manipulation.