Chiropractic care in 100 words
Aches and pains are signs that your body isn’t working right. Your brain, spinal cord and all your nerves control how your body works. Physical, chemical or emotional stresses produce a defensive posture. Muscles contract, locking spinal joints that pinch or irritate nearby nerves. Lack of nervous system integrity sets the stage for disease and ill health. A thorough examination helps chiropractors find these subluxations. Applying a precise force to stuck spinal joints helps the body right itself. Health usually returns as repeated visits restore nervous system integrity. That’s why chiropractic care has helped millions get well and stay well.
Conditions that respond to Chiropractic care:
|
ADD/ADHD
Allergies Arthritis Asthma Autism Bed Wetting Car Accidents Carpal Tunnel Digestive Health Disc Problems Ear Infections Extremity Numbness & Tingling Fatigue |
Headaches
Hip Pain Infertility Immune System Challenges Joint Pain Low Back Pain Muscle Spasms Neck Pain Numbness & Tingling of Arms, Hands, Legs, or Feet Pain Between the Shoulder Blades |
Pinched Nerves
Poor Posture Pregnancy Sciatica (pain down the legs) Scoliosis (curvature of the spine) Slips and Falls Sports Injuries Sprains and Strains Stress Whiplash Injuries Work related Injuries |
Common Chiropractic Terms
Activator:
a handheld instrument used by chiropractors which offers a low-force method of manipulating the joint.
Acute pain:
pain that comes on suddenly and is most often severe. Episodes lasting longer than three months are not considered acute.
Atlas:
the uppermost vertebra in the neck. Also referred to as C1 (1st cervical vertebra).
Axis:
the 2nd cervical vertebra (C2), located underneath the atlas.
Cavitation:
the popping sound that occurs when a chiropractic adjustment is given. This sound is actually caused by air being released from the joint (like a suction).
Cervical spine:
the vertebrae of the neck. There are 7 vertebrae (C1-C7) of the cervical spine.
Chronic pain:
pain episode that lasts more than three months.
Coccyx:
the bone at the very tip of your spine. It is commonly referred to as “the tailbone”.
Cox flexion-distraction technique:
a treatment technique that uses a special chiropractic table that moves in a way to gently stretch the lumbar and pelvic area (low back) and to offer traction to the lumbar vertebrae.
This method is very effective to help patients with herniated disks in their lumbar spine.
Craniosacral Therapy:
treatment of the cranium (skull) and sacrum to relieve dural tension in the spine and restore nervous system function.
D.C.:
abbreviation for “Doctor of Chiropractic.”
D.D. Palmer: The founder of chiropractic. His first chiropractic adjustment was to correct tinnitus (ringing in the ears)!
Diversified Technique:
the classic chiropractic technique which involves locating subluxations and correcting them through chiropractic manipulation to restore function to the nervous system.
Hole-in-One (H.I.O.):
an upper cervical technique which involves adjusting the atlas (the topmost vertebra at the base of the skull).
Herniated disk:
when the intervertebral disk protrudes out. This can press on the nerve root and cause radiating pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness.
Innate Intelligence:
the ability of the body to heal itself.
Intervertebral disk:
the ligament located between 2 vertebrae that acts as a shock absorber. It is this disk that can bulge or protrude and form a “herniation”.
Leg-length testing:
a method of observation by the doctor to find different biomechanical imbalances in the body.
Low-force technique:
an alternative form of treatment to a typical diversified chiropractic adjustment. There is usually no audible or “popping” sound.
Lumbar spine:
the vertebrae of the lower back. There are 5 vertebrae (L1-L5) of the lumbar spine.
Maintenance care:
when a patient receives periodic chiropractic adjustments to help prevent pain or injury.
Motion palpation:
useful method of locating subluxations and loss of mobility in the spine by feeling the motion of specific spinal segments.
Musculoskeletal:
refers to structures involving tendons, muscles, ligaments, and joints.
Nerve root:
the base of the spinal nerve where it comes out from the spinal cord.
Occiput:
the bone that sits at the base of the skull. It attaches to the atlas (C1).
Sacro Occipital Technique (SOT):
a method of normalizing the relationship between the bottom of the spine (sacrum) and top of the spine (occiput).
Sacrum:
the triangular bone that sits at the base of the spine.
Spinal adjustment:
this is the term used to describe the high velocity thrusting motion used to correct a subluxation. This increases motion in the joint which improves nerve function, increases blood flow, decreases inflammation, increases lymphatic drainage, and relaxes tight muscles.
Subluxation:
the literal translation is “incomplete or partial dislocation”. A subluxation occurs due to lack of motion in a joint, and it can be corrected through a chiropractic adjustment.
Thompson technique:
a chiropractic technique which uses drop pieces on a table to perform the adjustment.
Thoracic spine:
the vertebrae of the mid back. There are 12 vertebrae (T1-T12) of the cervical spine.
Toggle recoil technique:
chiropractic manipulation performed with a sudden shallow thrust (toggle) followed by quick withdrawal (recoil) of the chiropractor’s hands.
Vertebra:
the bony segment of the spine that helps protect the spinal cord and nerves. The plural of vertebra is vertebrae.
Vertebral subluxation complex:
a term used to describe subluxation of a vertebra and what happens when that vertebra becomes out of alignment.
a handheld instrument used by chiropractors which offers a low-force method of manipulating the joint.
Acute pain:
pain that comes on suddenly and is most often severe. Episodes lasting longer than three months are not considered acute.
Atlas:
the uppermost vertebra in the neck. Also referred to as C1 (1st cervical vertebra).
Axis:
the 2nd cervical vertebra (C2), located underneath the atlas.
Cavitation:
the popping sound that occurs when a chiropractic adjustment is given. This sound is actually caused by air being released from the joint (like a suction).
Cervical spine:
the vertebrae of the neck. There are 7 vertebrae (C1-C7) of the cervical spine.
Chronic pain:
pain episode that lasts more than three months.
Coccyx:
the bone at the very tip of your spine. It is commonly referred to as “the tailbone”.
Cox flexion-distraction technique:
a treatment technique that uses a special chiropractic table that moves in a way to gently stretch the lumbar and pelvic area (low back) and to offer traction to the lumbar vertebrae.
This method is very effective to help patients with herniated disks in their lumbar spine.
Craniosacral Therapy:
treatment of the cranium (skull) and sacrum to relieve dural tension in the spine and restore nervous system function.
D.C.:
abbreviation for “Doctor of Chiropractic.”
D.D. Palmer: The founder of chiropractic. His first chiropractic adjustment was to correct tinnitus (ringing in the ears)!
Diversified Technique:
the classic chiropractic technique which involves locating subluxations and correcting them through chiropractic manipulation to restore function to the nervous system.
Hole-in-One (H.I.O.):
an upper cervical technique which involves adjusting the atlas (the topmost vertebra at the base of the skull).
Herniated disk:
when the intervertebral disk protrudes out. This can press on the nerve root and cause radiating pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness.
Innate Intelligence:
the ability of the body to heal itself.
Intervertebral disk:
the ligament located between 2 vertebrae that acts as a shock absorber. It is this disk that can bulge or protrude and form a “herniation”.
Leg-length testing:
a method of observation by the doctor to find different biomechanical imbalances in the body.
Low-force technique:
an alternative form of treatment to a typical diversified chiropractic adjustment. There is usually no audible or “popping” sound.
Lumbar spine:
the vertebrae of the lower back. There are 5 vertebrae (L1-L5) of the lumbar spine.
Maintenance care:
when a patient receives periodic chiropractic adjustments to help prevent pain or injury.
Motion palpation:
useful method of locating subluxations and loss of mobility in the spine by feeling the motion of specific spinal segments.
Musculoskeletal:
refers to structures involving tendons, muscles, ligaments, and joints.
Nerve root:
the base of the spinal nerve where it comes out from the spinal cord.
Occiput:
the bone that sits at the base of the skull. It attaches to the atlas (C1).
Sacro Occipital Technique (SOT):
a method of normalizing the relationship between the bottom of the spine (sacrum) and top of the spine (occiput).
Sacrum:
the triangular bone that sits at the base of the spine.
Spinal adjustment:
this is the term used to describe the high velocity thrusting motion used to correct a subluxation. This increases motion in the joint which improves nerve function, increases blood flow, decreases inflammation, increases lymphatic drainage, and relaxes tight muscles.
Subluxation:
the literal translation is “incomplete or partial dislocation”. A subluxation occurs due to lack of motion in a joint, and it can be corrected through a chiropractic adjustment.
Thompson technique:
a chiropractic technique which uses drop pieces on a table to perform the adjustment.
Thoracic spine:
the vertebrae of the mid back. There are 12 vertebrae (T1-T12) of the cervical spine.
Toggle recoil technique:
chiropractic manipulation performed with a sudden shallow thrust (toggle) followed by quick withdrawal (recoil) of the chiropractor’s hands.
Vertebra:
the bony segment of the spine that helps protect the spinal cord and nerves. The plural of vertebra is vertebrae.
Vertebral subluxation complex:
a term used to describe subluxation of a vertebra and what happens when that vertebra becomes out of alignment.
