Myth #1: “Chiropractors treat back and neck pain.”
Chiropractors treat more than just back and neck pain!
Chiropractors have a reputation for being good to visit if you are suffering with neck or back pain, and indeed many of our practice members experience frankly amazing changes in the way their body feels and works after starting chiropractic care with us. However, our job is not to suppress symptoms or cure your ailments – we give you something no other profession gives, which is specific correction of nerve interference.
What exactly is the nervous system and what does it do?
The nervous system comprises the brain, spinal cord and nerves. Some nerves are nearly as thick as your thumb, and others are extremely fine. Their purpose is to work as a communication pathway between the brain and the rest of the body. Nothing happens without your nervous system co-ordinating it: every one of your cells, organs and muscles is regulated by this master controller. The spine and skull house the central parts of the nervous system which is why we as chiropractors work on them in particular.
How does nerve interference develop – and what is it?
Things that interfere with the nervous system functioning as it was intended are many and varied but can be grouped into three broad categories:
- Physical. Examples: trauma such as accidents, direct blows in sport. Repetitive microtrauma due to too much sitting, driving, jogging, poor lifting technique.
- Mental. Mental and emotional stress have an enormous effect on the body, causing postural change and high general muscle tension
- Chemical. Your body is composed of what you eat and drink and the modern diet is suboptimal. As an example, chronic high sugar intake can weaken ligaments.
The interference causes what we call a chiropractic subluxation, or slight shifts in the spine and its alignment. Because the spine works as one unit, subluxations change the alignment and mobility of the spine, the pelvis and the sheaths around the spinal cord and brain. These changes in turn lead to asymmetry in posture, affect strength and mobility, and affect the body’s ability to heal itself. Eventually it will all become too much for your system to compensate for, which is when symptoms start.
We encourage everyone to reduce the amount of physical, chemical and emotional stresses they are under which will help prevent subluxations developing. It is often not possible for you to correct your own subluxations – they require specific analysis and correction. This is why you may feel better after a massage or yoga class but the underlying cause of the problem does not resolve.
Once your level of nerve interference is reduced by regular adjustments, the nervous system can resume its job and your body will start healing itself and growing new tissue again. This often results in symptom changes… which is why people will tell their friends that ‘chiropractic sorted my headaches out’. In fact it was their body’s own inner wisdom that made the changes; chiropractic just removed the nerve interference so that healing could happen.
We run 15-minute, complimentary ‘screening’ appointments for anyone unsure of whether they could benefit from seeing a chiropractor, at our practice in central Hungerford. We love helping people regain their health, so give us a call.
“Nature needs no help, just no interference.” -B.J. Palmer, Developer of Chiropractic