Chiropractic care is the name given to alternative medicine that is focused on the diagnosis and treatment of different mechanical disorders of the skeletal system, most prominent on the spine.
The term was first used by Joseph G. Siegel, MD, who advocated the benefits of chiropractic care for his patients suffering from headaches, back pain, neck pain, and a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. Today chiropractic has grown into a powerful profession that serves a wide variety of patients with a wide range of health problems.
Its success is attributed to its effectiveness in providing relief from pain and other health conditions. It has also become a popular alternative therapy in many countries. The primary purpose of chiropractic care is to ensure alignment of the spine, particularly the spinal column.
This is achieved through the gradual and controlled manipulation of the bones of the body, particularly the vertebrae. Although most chiropractors use only their hands to perform spinal manipulation, in some cases other tools such as devices or ultra-light laser beams may be used.
New advances in technology have also allowed chiropractors to perform targeted spinal manipulation without the use of tools. One of the most common complaints that chiropractors see involves headaches, or what doctors call “minor aches.”
Many people are able to treat their headaches themselves by taking over-the-counter medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen. These over-the-counter pain relievers may temporarily relieve a headache, but once the medication wears off, the headache comes back in full strength.
For this reason, chiropractic care is recommended when taking pain medications to avoid a cycle of pain that occurs repeatedly. Neck pain is another frequently seen condition in patients seeking chiropractic care. Common causes of neck pain include strains, injuries, repetitive movement, or improper sleeping habits.
The chiropractic practitioner will usually start by ruling out conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome or a herniated disk, which could take months or even years to treat. After these conditions are ruled out, the chiropractor will then begin treatment based on the client’s specific needs.
Common treatments include acupuncture, massage, traction, heat and ice treatments, electrical stimulation, and manual adjustments. Another common condition that chiropractors see is low back pain, which is often caused by everyday stresses and activities that lead to low back tension and pain.
To treat low back pain, chiropractic care specialists will often use manipulation, but they will also use low-pressure heat, and cold therapies as well as ultrasound and light therapies. Manipulation is almost always the first step in any program of chiropractic care, and the treatment usually involves at least three to four visits to the office before a treatment is recommended.
Another branch of the health care discipline that chiropractors often treat is that of the neuromusculoskeletal. This field of medicine seeks to find cause and effect relationships so that chiropractic care can be used to correct conditions such as herniated discs, arthritis, spinal cord injuries, and other problems with the musculoskeletal.
The most common types of manipulation that chiropractors use for neuromuscular issues include ultrasound, electric muscle stimulation, and laser therapy. In order to become licensed as a chiropractic doctor, you need to complete an education program that includes both classroom study and clinical training.
The chiropractic care education program includes both sciences and liberal arts courses, and the clinical training will help the chiropractor learn how to evaluate patients and administer chiropractic care. There are two national centers that offer accredited chiropractic care schooling.
One is the American Chiropractic Athletic Association or ACAA, and the other is the National Certification Board for Chiropractic. Each of these chiropractic care schools offers both classroom courses as well as on-site clinical training. Learn a lot more when you use the resources provided by chiropractor Sioux City.
For anyone who is interested in becoming a chiropractor, you first must decide what specific type of chiropractic care is right for you. If you are new to the world of chiropractic care, then the best thing that you can do is to contact one of your local chiropractic care clinics and ask to speak with the chiropractic physician on staff.
He or she will be able to evaluate your medical history and see if chiropractic care would be a good fit for you. If it is, then your path is already narrowed down to a career that will fit with your interests and abilities.
If you decide that chiropractic care is not right for you, then keep in mind that there are still other options out there that you can pursue in order to achieve pain relief and help your body return to health.
