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Q: What is Chiropractic?
A:
Chiropractic is a modern health care system based on the following
premises:
The body is capable of healing itself, given rest, nutrition, and a
properly functioning nervous system, and providing that no irreparable
tissue damage has occurred.
The nervous system (brain, spinal cord and nerves) controls all the other
systems of the body.
I t is a safe, effective, drug free health care for everyone.
Q: Why would I go
to a chiropractor?
A:
Chiropractic assists in the management of a wide variety of health
problems. People first seek chiropractic care most commonly for the
following conditions: back pain, stiffness and pain in the neck or
shoulders, migraine, headache, disc problems, arm and leg pain, numbness
or pins and needles in the hands and feet, knee problems, other joint
injuries, tension, sciatica, nervousness, infant colic. Only a
chiropractor can tell if your condition will respond to
chiropractic care, and will not accept your case unless there is a good
chance of helping you.
Q: Does
it hurt?
A: In most cases, not at all. Most people
find having an adjustment very relaxing. With some adjustments you may
feel or hear a popping sound from the spinal joints. This is caused by gas
release from the joint as movement is restored, just like popping a
champagne cork! A hand held instrument called an activator gun may
also be used for adjustments. Whatever the technique, skill, not
force or strength is used to carry out a safe, effective
adjustment.
Q: What about
the crunching noise people talk about?
A: The noise is the result of gas escaping from the joint as it
separates. Contrary to what many people who 'self-adjust' believe, the
'crunch' is not necessarily the indicator of a successful adjustment, that
is, where the correct alignment is re-established. Many people do not feel
comfortable with this type of adjustment, and alternatives do
exist.
Q: What will
my GP think of me visiting a Chiropractor?
A: Many GPs not only refer patients to chiropractic care, but are
themselves chiropractic patients. Most Chiropractors have excellent
relationships with their local GPs and cross refer patients to each other
on a regular basis. Chiropractors are the only health professionals
who are specifically trained and qualified to locate and correct
subluxations (misalignments of the spine). Australian chiropractors study
at university for a minimum of five years, full-time. Their
training includes anatomy, physiology, radiology, physics and diagnostic
sciences, as well as chiropractic studies. Chiropractors are fully
licensed health professionals who are governed by Registration Boards in
every state in Australia.
Q: How long
will it take?
A: Children may see results quickly. Adults and seniors with
long-standing problems take longer. Everyone responds differently, most
people can expect some benefits soon after beginning care, and these
consolidate further as treatment continues. If we don't see you often
enough, our ability to reduce negative patterns in your spine is impaired,
and if visits are too close, your body may not have enough time to make
changes. So, we take the middle path and design your schedule to give the
greatest results in the shortest amount of time. This is why it is
important to keep your appointments.
Q: Are there
any risks?
A: Yes as with any form of health care, there are some risks.
Some people may feel slight soreness following their first few treatments
as the body begins to re-align. This is usually very mild and only lasts
for a short time. Then there are the very low risks of infrequent
strain/injury to a ligament or a disc in the neck ( less than 1 in
139,000) or the low back (1 in 62,000). There is also an extremely rare
risk of stroke associated with adjustments of the neck which all published
studies agree is extremely low. The most recent research published in 2001
in the Canadian Medical Association Journal puts such an event at one in
5.85 million adjustments. To put things in perspective, if you drive
your car to see your chiropractor, then you have a greater chance of being
injured in a car accident than from your chiropractic care.
Q: Dr. John said I could have a
problem with my ICV : what is this?
The Ileocecal valve (ICV)
is located in the digestive tract in between the small intestine and the
large intestine; this is right next to the appendix in the lower right
quadrant of the abdomen. The ICV opens and closes periodically to let food
travel through the digestive tract. When it is closed, food sits in the
small intestine where nutrients, vitamins and minerals are absorbed. When
small intestine is done with that portion of food the ICV opens and lets
it go into the large intestine where water is absorbed. The food that is
in the large intestine has considerably more toxins in it than the food in
the small intestine because of the amount of digestion and breakdown that
has taken place over time. In the large intestine the digested food is
prepared to be excreted out of the body through the rectum. When the ICV
is not functioning properly, either stuck closed or stuck open, there is
an imbalance in the digestive system which leads to many problems in the
body.
(Click here for more
information).
Q. What is the TMJ?
The TMJ or tempero mandibular joint of the jaw can influence many
nerves and can be the cause of many weird, complicated, and recurring
problems. Here is a classic case of the cause being far removed from the
site of the problem. A young girl came to me several years ago with an
ankle problem. This had been a problem for more than three years, and
every time she played basketball she was left with a swollen ankle.
She had always been to the physio with her problem but decided to try
something new this time. Examination revealed muscle weaknesses to the
ankle, the cause was found to be the jaw, even though the patient was
not aware of any jaw problem. TMJ problems are VERY subtle, but can have
dramatic effects on almost any part of your body. Correction of the TMJ
instantly allowed the weak muscles of the ankle to work normally, and
when she walked on her ankle her smile said it all. Any unusual case,
but the body doesn't lie! That TMJ correction
and ankle have not given any further problems. |
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