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Chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses on
disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous
system, and the effects of these disorders on general
health. Chiropractic care is used most often to treat
neuromusculoskeletal complaints, including but not
limited to back pain, neck pain, pain in the joints of
the arms or legs, and headaches.
Doctors of Chiropractic – often referred to as
chiropractors or chiropractic physicians – practice a
drug-free, hands-on approach to health care that
includes patient examination, diagnosis and treatment.
Chiropractors have broad diagnostic skills and are also
trained to recommend therapeutic and rehabilitative
exercises, as well as to provide nutritional, dietary
and lifestyle counseling.
The most common therapeutic procedure performed by
doctors of chiropractic is known as “spinal
manipulation,” also called “chiropractic adjustment.”
The purpose of manipulation is to restore joint mobility
by manually applying a controlled force into joints that
have become hypomobile – or restricted in their movement
– as a result of a tissue injury. Tissue injury can be
caused by a single traumatic event, such as improper
lifting of a heavy object, or through repetitive
stresses, such as sitting in an awkward position with
poor spinal posture for an extended period of time. In
either case, injured tissues undergo physical and
chemical changes that can cause inflammation, pain, and
diminished function for the sufferer. Manipulation, or
adjustment of the affected joint and tissues, restores
mobility, thereby alleviating pain and muscle tightness,
and allowing tissues to heal.
Chiropractic adjustment rarely causes discomfort.
However, patients may sometimes experience mild soreness
or aching following treatment (as with some forms of
exercise) that usually resolves within 12 to 48 hours.
In many cases, such as lower back pain, chiropractic
care may be the primary method of treatment. When other
medical conditions exist, chiropractic care may
complement or support medical treatment by relieving the
musculoskeletal aspects associated with the condition.
Doctors of chiropractic may assess patients through
clinical examination, laboratory testing, diagnostic
imaging and other diagnostic interventions to
determine when chiropractic treatment is appropriate or
when it is not appropriate. Chiropractors will
readily refer patients to the appropriate health care
provider when chiropractic care is not suitable for the
patient’s condition, or the condition warrants
co-management in conjunction with other members of the
health care team.
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