What Is A Chiropractor?
Your back is killing you. Again. You feel as though you’re walking all hunched over like your grandfather and you’re far too young to be moving so slowly and with such pain. Hot baths, aspirin and even hanging upside down hasn’t seemed to help you feel any better. Now what?
Well, you can see a traditional medical doctor who will more than likely prescribe muscle relaxants and pain killers that may or may not take care of the problem, or at least mask it enough so that you can get by, or you can try an alternative form of medicine; you can visit a Chiropractor.
Don’t be frightened by stories about how a cousin of a friend of your sister’s dog-walker once went to a chiropractor and it hurt so badly and damaged them to the extent they never walked again.
It’s not like that. Modern chiropractic practices are pain-free experiences that do help many people with debilitating spinal pain.
The word Chiropractic comes from the Greek chiros and praktikos which means it’s done by hand.
You probably already know someone who’s gone to see a chiropractor or perhaps even visited one yourself. The premise behind the word that chiropractors do is that spinal joint dysfunctions or injuries interfere with the nervous system, causing not only pain but can also result in diminished health in other areas of the body.
Just as medical doctors differ in their assessment and treatments, so too do Chiropractors. Most visits to a Chiro’s office will net you a spinal adjustment, but other interventions might be used by doctor as well.
There are four distinct groups of chiropractors:
- Traditional Straights
- Objective Straights
- Mixes
- Reforms
The main differences in each group are based on their various treatments, their philosophy on adjusting, the things they say about how their adjustments work and simply their style. As with any doctor, you should take some time to interview them to see if you are a good match. Does their method mesh up with what you’re looking for in a Chiropractor? Always look for one that you feel comfortable with because chances are you’ll be spending a lot of time with them in the near future and your spine will be in their hands. Literally.