CHIROPRACTIC CARE

What is Chiropractic? 

Chiropractic care is a branch of alternative medicine that is becoming widely mainstream, and rightly so. It emphasizes the body's natural ability to heal itself when aligned properly through chiropractic adjustment. Adjustments can involve manual, physical, or tool-based manipulation of the body or spine, depending on the chiropractor you choose for treatment.

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It’s common to hear that chiropractic care is just “cracking the back,” but it’s much more than that, and many different chiropractic techniques do not involve “cracking” the body. For instance, at Better Brain & Body, we utilize a non-invasive and comfortable chiropractic technique called the Activator Method. But more on that later. 

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The Nervous System and Chiropractic

The nervous system is complex and vital in the human body. It controls and coordinates numerous functions, allowing us to live our everyday lives. These functions include cognition and consciousness, motor function, sensory processing, hormone regulation, autonomic functioning, reflexes, and more. Simply put, if your nervous system is not healthy, it is difficult to live a normal life.

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Much of our nervous system is housed in our spine and protected by other body components, including the vertebrae (or vertebral column). The vertebral column is the column of bones that makes up the spine. Inside that column is the nervous system. The spine extends from the base of the skull to the tailbone. Your nervous system in your spinal column or cord sends information from the brain to the rest of the body to perform actions. It is VITAL.

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The nervous system comprises specialized cells and structures that work together to transmit electrical and chemical signals, allowing it to enact our bodily functions. The nervous system includes the brain, spinal cord, and a network of nerves. For example, to move your hand, your brain sends a message to your nervous system, and your nervous system then coordinates this movement through the interaction of these electrical and chemical signals. This process happens at lightning speed. This example only explains movement, but the nervous system controls many functions in many body areas, and it is a crucial component to keep in tip-top shape. Since much of the nervous system is in the spine, maintaining proper spinal health and alignment is integral to proper nervous system functioning.

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What Does a Chiropractic Adjustment Do?

An adjustment refers to the service chiropractors provide during a patient's treatment. Remember, chiropractic care aims to align the body and spine in a functioning and healthy manner that allows the nervous system in the spine to operate at its best. When the body is aligned properly, health will follow.  

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Adjustments aim to correct misalignments or "subluxations," deviations from the spine's normal alignment, or misaligned vertebrae or joints. These misalignments may lead to nerve compression or irritation, affecting the brain and nervous system connection.

Chiropractic care can alleviate pressure on nerves and improve their function by restoring proper spinal alignment, thereby improving bodily function. However, misalignments left unadjusted may cause or contribute to various unwanted symptoms or conditions.

They may lead to nerve compression or irritation, affecting nervous system function. By restoring proper spinal alignment, chiropractic care can alleviate pressure on nerves and improve their function, thereby improving bodily function. Without proper spinal alignment, this pressure on the nerves can cause inflammation. When inflammation reduces, so does pain. Chiropractic care also improves nerve function, range of motion, and circulation. 

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Next, we'll outline chiropractors' different techniques and the tool Better Brain & Body uses with our patients.