The Body is a Self-Healing, Self-Regulating Organism
As a profession, the primary belief of chiropractic medicine is in natural and conservative methods of health care.
Doctors of chiropractic have a deep respect for the human body's ability to heal itself
without the use of surgery or medication. These doctors devote careful attention to the
biomechanics, structure and function of the spine, its effects on the musculoskeletal and
neurological systems, and the role played by the proper function of these systems in the
preservation and restoration of health. A Doctor of Chiropractic is one who is involved in the
treatment and prevention of disease, as well as the promotion of public health, and a wellness
approach to patient healthcare.
The word chiropractic is derived from the Greek words cheir meaning “hand”
and praktike meaning “business or to practice.” The chiropractic discipline focuses on
the relationship between structure (primarily the vertebral column), function
(as coordinated by the nervous system) and how the relationship between the two affects health.
As such, Chiropractic is a form of manual therapy that employs controlled forces applied to
specific joints or anatomic areas to initiate a healing response.
The desired healing response is the result of changes in joint structures,
muscle function and neurological reflexes. The
principle common to all chiropractic theories is that joint malfunction affects
the normal neurological balance found in healthy individuals. Successful
manipulation requires proper technique (i.e., correct direction, force,
amplitude and speed) and a thorough knowledge of vertebral anatomy and
joint biomechanics.
In lay terms, chiropractic works because it relieves pressure on nerves and
relaxes muscle fibers. By manipulating bones and muscles back into healthy
alignment, a Doctor of Chiropractic alleviates pressure on the nerve or nerves
that are causing your pain, discomfort, or other dysfunction.
Guiding the practice of chiropractic medicine are the following
principles.
Natural Healing Principles:
- Human beings possess an innate healing potential, an inner wisdom of the body.
- Maximally accessing this healing system is the goal of the healing arts.
- Addressing the cause of an illness should in most cases take precedence over
suppressing its surface manifestations.
- Pharmaceutical suppression of symptoms can in some instances compromise and
diminish the body's ability to heal itself.
- Natural, non-pharmaceutical measures (including Chiropractic Spinal Adjustments)
should in most cases be an approach of first resort, not last.
- A balanced, natural diet is crucial to good health.
- Regular exercises is essential to proper bodily function.
Core Chiropractic Principles:
- Structure and function exist in intimate relation with one another.
- Structural distortions can cause functional abnormalities.
- The vertebral subluxation is a significant form of structural distortion and
dysfunction, and leads to a variety of functional abnormalities.
- The nervous system occupies a preeminent role in the restoration and maintenance
of proper bodily function.
- The subluxation influences bodily function primarily through neurological means
- The Chiropractic Adjustment is a specific, definitive method for the correction
of the Vertebral Subluxation.
Chiropractic View of Health
Health is not merely the absence of disease and symptoms.
Imagine, you go to dinner and eat tainted food. Are you still
healthy if you haven't yet noticed symptoms of food poisoning? Are
you only in ill-health when you first experience the nausea and
discomfort of food poisoning or when you begin to vomit? Similarly,
are you in good health while cancer is quietly growing in your
system and has yet to produce symptoms of disease?
Just as in dentistry, early detection and prevention is the best
answer to preserving your health. Working with your chiropractic
physician to detect ailments and prevent the development of disease
and discomfort is ideal. Working with your chiropractor, you are
able to eliminate those conditions that are preventing your body
from regulating and healing itself.
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