CHIROPRACTIC INTRODUCTION

Chiropractic, now widely practiced in North America, is a system of therapy that is only about 100 years old. Chiropractic therapy was developed in the late 19th century and stems from a single healing event involving a grocer and mystic healer in Iowa, Daniel David Palmer. Daniel apparently helped a janitor regain his hearing by a push on the spine. Palmer later founded the first chiropractic school.

Today's many chiropractors do not necessarily believe, as Palmer did, that a disease is actually caused by a spinal misalignment. Practitioners believe that when body systems are in harmony, the body has the ability to heal itself from within.

Chiropractic seeks to diagnose and treat disorders of the spine, joints, and muscles with techniques of manipulation of the vertebrae, joints and muscles into proper alignment, and to maintain health of the central nervous system and organs. Many primarily treat skeletal and muscular problems instead, including neck and back pain, spasms, sprains and strains. To strengthen and enhance their realigning bodywork, chiropractors frequently offer advice on lifestyle, nutrition, and therapeutic exercise, too.

Chiropractic actually have a remarkable success rate with alleviating lower back pain, one of the most often-heard health complaints. One study showed that 2/3 of the chiropractic patients sought help for this condition alone. As a result of its success in treating back problems, headaches, and sports and other injuries, chiropractic is the most widely practiced branch of complementary medicine in the West, with around 60,0000 practitioners worldwide.

Chiropractors carefully examine the spine and vertebrae, since the spine is the communication highway between the brain and the body.

MAIN USES OF CHIROPRACTIC

Spine and neck disorders. Back pain, especially lower back pain. Shoulder pain. Strains and sprains. Muscle, joint and postural problems. Muscle tension. Restricted mobility. Sciatica. Headaches, migraine. Gastrointestinal disorders. Tinnitus, vertigo. Pain relief. Menstrual pain. Asthma.

MoonDragon's Alternative Health Therapy: Touch & Movement - Chiropractic

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NETWORK CHIROPRACTIC

This variation was initiated in 1979 by Dr. Donald Epstein, an American chiropractic. Using light, supple movements, practitioners adjust each vertebra in relationship to the rest of the spine, since they believe that the spine protects an essential channel of energy and information to the body.

MAIN USES OF NETWORK CHIROPRACTIC

Spinal misalignment. Muscular stiffness. Stress. Improved well-being.

HISTORY

Dr. Epstein's system of Network Spinal Analysis integrates points of agreement from diverse chiropractic approaches. The system diverges in its belief that there are 2 types of subluxations, structural (arising from physical stresses) and facilitated (arising from emotional stresses). The practitioner addresses them in different ways.

A 1995 survey of 3,000 patients of Network Spinal Analysis conducted by the University of California at Irvine suggests that Network Spinal Analysis is associated with improvements in self-reported health, an important indicator of actual health.

Postgraduate training in Network Spinal Analysis was first offered in the US in 1995. Certification is now granted in the three levels of care that the system provides.

CONSULTING A NETWORK CHIROPRACTIC PRACTITIONER

The practitioner uses a specialized system of evaluating the spine that focuses on the way individual vertebrae interact. She makes adjustments to subluxations, following a unique sequence, or "network". The sequence involves 12 different techniques, which are applied with careful timing.

Facilitated subluxations are generally addressed with the Logan Basic Technique - light steady pressure applied to the spine, mainly in the upper cervical area. Structural subluxations may be addressed with the Toggle-Recoil Technique - a quick thrust with the heel of the hand. The types of adjustments used change according to improvements in spinal function.

At your first consultation the practitioner will take a history of previous chiropractic care and an inventory of physical and mental stresses. She will examine your muscle tone, leg length, and any tension in the ankles and heels, and assess spinal function in respect to breathing. X-rays may be taken, but they are not standard. Level 1 care then begins.

The goal of Level 1 care, which is usually given 3 times a week for 1-2 months, is to return as much function to the spine as possible and to increase body awareness. At Level 2, visits twice a week for 2-4 months ease not only the spine, but the whole body. Self-help begins at Level 2, when you have developed sufficient body awareness to be able to focus on specific sites and release any tension.

By this point, the spine is self-correcting. General function and well-being have been improved. Some people continue on to Level 3, also called Wellness Care. Self-directed, it is determined by each person's needs and goals. Sessions may take place once a week; a quality-of-life inventory is made periodically.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICAL OPINION

Many conventional health care providers do not distinguish between the different chiropractic approaches. The effectiveness of the more vigorous manipulations would seem more understandable to a health care provider than the gentle maneuvers of Network Chiropractic, which is currently the subject of research studies.

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MCTIMONEY & MCTIMONEY-CORLEY CHIROPRACTIC

These variations were developed by John McTimoney and Hugh Corley. McTimoney, a British chiropractor practicing in the 1950s, believed that the body constantly compensates for misalignments by making minor structural adjustments, and that the whole body should be reintegrated at each consultation to ensure full alignment. In 1972 he established a school of McTimoney chiropractic in the UK. Corley, also British, trained under McTimoney, but further developed the "whole body" approach with his own techniques, and established a chiropractic college in the UK in 1984 to teach the McTimoney-Corley method. He also designed preventive exercises that allow patients to control problems themselves.

Both methods adjust joints with a rapid thrust followed by immediate release, using the elasticity of ligaments and tendons to encourage misaligned bones to "toggle" back into proper position. McTimoney-Corley chiropractors also practice a gentle technique using only the fingertips. Called the Reflux Recoil Adjustment, it is a light method of vertebral manipulation. These gentle techniques are relatively comfortable to receive, and babies and the elderly may find them particularly acceptable.

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TIPS FOR BACK PAIN

Back pain afflicts most of us at one time or another. Keep the following in mind to avoid back injuries and keep you away from the chiropractor's office.

To lift heavy objects, keep your feet slightly apart, and bend your knees instead of bending at the waist. Straighten your legs slowly. Keep your back straight, and do not twist your torso. Hold the object close to you, no higher than your chest.

Sitting on a ball seat (see below) helps you to adopt a proper sitting position.

Do your best to avoid sitting or standing for long periods of time.

Try not to sleep on your stomach. This position forces the back to sway.

Swimming and walking are excellent vigorous exercises for overall good health and for strengthening the back.

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CHIROPRACTIC PRECAUTIONS

Tell your chiropractor if you have osteoporosis or inflammation, signs of infection, tumors, circulatory problems (particularly aneurysms), or a recent fracture. While chiropractors may decide not to treat some of these conditions, they are skilled in pain relief methods that can ease discomfort in some of the conditions listed.

TAKE CARE! Chiropractic is not advised for those with whiplash, fractures, bone or spinal-cord disease or osteoporosis. For chronic back pain, it is best to see a conventional health care provider first.

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