FYI-- this series of four posts will have a shorter "take home message" section, followed by more in-depth explanation. If you want the 'short and sweet' version -- just read the top. If you're curious like George, then read on :-)
The take home message:
Chiropractic works by restoring balance and movement to your body in an effort to reduce stress and tension on your nervous system. Chiropractors help restore proper alignment and motion to your bones and muscles so your body can heal, and then perform, in the best position possible.
Here at Reschke's Active Chiropractic we focus on having your body moving and working at its best. Our treatment philosophy is generally a 2-step process --
1) Solve the problem
2) Maintain your body to prevent the problem from happening again so you can continue doing the activities you love.
We provide care that keeps you moving.
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Read on for further information and detail as to why chiropractic works and why I chose it as a career:
The messenger system of our body (the nerves) travels through our spine, and any spine or bone misalignment can lead to communication problems from the nerves. If your brain is too busy keeping track of posture changes or pain signals, then its communication can be slowed down or disrupted. Your brain is like a computer; think about how many times your overworked computer performed poorly because you gave it too much to do at the same time.
It does take a lot to overwhelm the brain--The human body is amazing and can adapt and modify to many insults and injuries, often without us being aware. However, there can be a point in time where your body has adapted too much and reached its limit and tells you "I CANNOT ADAPT ANYMORE!" -- This is likely the moment you feel "OUCH, THAT REALLY HURTS" --furthermore; if the adaptation creates bad position or movement patterns that last for a long time, then affected body parts may wear down faster than others.
The idea behind chiropractic care is that your body knows how to heal itself, but it needs to be in the best position to do so. The goal of our treatment at Reschke's Active Chiropractic is finding and fixing the cause of a problem involving the body's nerves muscle and bones, without medicine, as opposed to treating the symptoms and letting the problem continue. Symptoms, such as pain, help me figure out the cause of the problem.
There are times when the body heals in a bad position and thereby adapts new patterns and movements to avoid pain. This is state is your current normal. Your body may have already adapted to previous insults or injuries in a way that the adaptation starts to cause problems, and then the body needs help correct the original problem IN ADDITION TO other problems caused by compensation of your original injury.
The human bodies adaptations and compensations for pain are the reason why pain may travel or "jump" (my mid back no longer hurts but now my neck does, etc.) - or why sometimes we get worse before we get better (it was sore after treatment, but now it feels much better). Chiropractors help you by adjusting the position of the bones, and stretching specific muscles to get your body in the best possible alignment; after that we teach exercises to help you regain better movement patterns and strengthen specific muscles to maintain your best possible alignment. This is your new normal.
Many problems in your body can happen due to bad communication between your brain and body. Think about communication, in general...How many times has a dropped call on your cellphone caused you problems? How many times has a miscommunication or late communication created problems for you in your life?
Why did I pick chiropractic? There are many reasons--one of them is because I am a problem solver and I like puzzles, like "why does my back hurt after I pick up my child" or "why does my knee hurt when I dance", etc. I like providing answers and solutions to the problems that do not need medicine or pills.
As a chiropractor, I evaluate your body for any bone misalignment and I work to get the best alignment possible reduce abnormal stress and tension of the muscles. As a holistic health practitioner-- I evaluate the whole picture and I provide specific suggestions on other types of health and wellness care that may benefit you. Your health is affected by your choices, and I work hard to give you quality information so you can make informed decisions.
With that in mind, please understand that some health-related issues can be very complicated and may require referrals to other healthcare providers. My mission is to help as many people as I can, but chiropractic is not always going to be the answer to help solve a problem, and we will work together to get you the type of help you need. As with any treatment, individual results will vary.
Some hypothetical examples:
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If your bones or discs have degenerated--i.e. worn due to injury or overuse--then you may need to strengthen specific sets of muscles to help "pick up the slack" that was caused by compensating for the worn-down parts. Treatment will likely include recommendations of exercises or other types of care that will aim to help to maintain the condition and prevent further worsening.
OR
The human body is able to get materials to help heal itself from food that we eat and water we drink. Therefore, our body's need the best materials possible so the body has the right tools to fix itself. The body also needs to be able to absorb the nutrients from the food we eat -- that is why stomach and gut health is so important, so we may need to discuss dietary recommendations or get you directed to someone that can help with any nutritional questions or issues.
OR
If you have gall stones inside your gall bladder which sometimes refer pain to your back and shoulder region, sometimes dietary changes can help prevent flare-ups of pain. However, if the stones are too big and dietary changes no longer help prevent pain, then you would benefit from a surgical consult so you can make an informed decision on how to best fix the cause of the problem.
OR
If you have issues that are not improving with conservative care, such as chiropractic treatment, you could benefit from a medical consult, orthopedic consult, nurse practitioner consult or a dental consult so you have more information and can make an informed decision on other treatments available. Some health-related issues are complicated and benefit from many types of treatment during the same time period.
Thank you for reading.
See my next post for further information on the intellectual minds that influenced my decision to become a chiropractor:
Reschke's Laws of Chiropractic, CARE THAT KEEPS YOU MOVING
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