Chiropractic treatment helps your body to heal naturally
Frequently asked questions about chiropractic
Q: What is chiropractic?
A: Chiropractic is a natural method of healing that takes a "hands-on" approach to health. The origin of the word chiropractic comes from the Greek word "chiropraktikos," meaning "effective treatment by hand."
Chiropractors correct subluxations of the spine - a subluxation being a technical term for a vertebra that's out of place. The vertebra is not necessarily dislocated, but it is not exactly where it should be.
Subluxated vertebra doesn't move as easily or have the same range of motion as does a healthy, adjusted vertebra, and can become stiff and sore. Since the vertebrae also contain and shield the nerve fibers of the spine, this swelling and stiffness will adversely affect the body's central nervous system, and can lead to a variety of illnesses and dysfunctions.
Correcting these subluxations with chiropractic will help restore your body to health and prevent further degenerative changes like arthritis.
Chiropractic treatment is very effective in relieving musculoskeletal pain, and often people think of chiropractors as "bone doctors," while in reality, chiropractors are doctors who assist the body's nervous system in healing the body itself.
Chiropractic is beneficial in helping the body heal from a variety of different ailments, including asthma and allergies, digestive disorders, headaches, and neck and back pain and stiffness.
Q: How long has chiropractic been around? Is it a new healing method?
A: Spinal manipulation has been used as an effective healing art for thousands of years, in a number of different cultures and civilizations as diverse as ancient Egypt, Greece, and China. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, also used spinal manipulation.
During the 19th century, in the West, there were healers often referred to as 'bone setters," who practiced a healing art similar to modern chiropractic. The chiropractic that we know today was developed in 1895 by Daniel David Palmer.
Q: How often will I need to come in for treatment?
A: Everyone is different, and has different goals for care and treatment. A treatment to relieve pain will take less time than a treatment designed to rehabilitate and stabilize the problem area in order to prevent future health problems. A number of people like to come in for regular chiropractic care in order to maintain their balanced and optimized nervous system.
Q: What type of training and education is required in order to become a chiropractor?
A: The American Chiropractic Association states that "Doctors of chiropractic - who are licensed to practice in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and in many nations around the world — undergo a rigorous education in the healing sciences, similar to that of medical doctors. In some areas, such as anatomy, physiology, rehabilitation, nutrition and public health, they receive a more intensive education than their MD counterparts."
The Council on Chiropractic requires 4,200 hours of education, and chiropractic colleges require between 4,800 hours and 5,200 hours for graduation, depending upon the college.
In chiropractic schools, the average total number of hours of anatomy, biochemistry, microbiology, public health, physiology, and pathology that is taught to the chiropractic student is a little over 1,400 — in the 3 medical schools used in comparison; the total number of hours was far less, averaging about 1,200 hours.
Chiropractors also spend a significant amount of time performing hands-on learning of adjustment techniques and other manual therapies, usually close to 2,000 hours on average, as well as receiving even more intensive training during their clinical internships.
If you would like more information about how chiropractic can benefit your health, or to schedule an appointment, call Olney Chiropractic Center today at 301-774-0081.
