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Question
and Answer
Below
we have listed some of the most common questions and
their answers. If you have any additional questions
that you feel have not been answered, please email
us.
So
you are checking out chiropractic?
Let
me give you a little background on the profession to
start off with. In was discovered and developed in Davenport,
Iowa in the late 1800's and has been growing ever since
with numerous colleges throughout the world. In our
state of Pennsylvania, chiropractic has been a licensed
healing practice since August 10th of 1951. Doctors
of chiropractic pursue their education through graduate
school, are board certified nationally and can be state
licensed in all 50 states. Chiropractic education parallels
medical education and only differentiates itself when
it comes to treatment procedures and objectives.
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So
how does chiropractic check you out?
Your
first visit to a chiropractor is not any different than
any other initial doctor visit you may have participated
in. First there's paperwork, then we review your health
history, then perform an examination of your body. At
the end, pending any diagnostic test results, the doctor
can explain how chiropractic techniques can work with
your condition.
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So
what does a chiropractor look for in an examination?
The
primary goal is to evaluate how the structure of your
spinal column in functioning. Structure and function
go hand and hand in any physical relationship, and this
system has 24 moving pieces. When we speak of the spine,
anatomy tells us that our spinal cord and its' nerve
roots live within the structure of the spine. The network
of nerves is the main communication system that your
brain relies on to manage the body. Trillions of messages
a day are routed through this network, back and forth,
and they like to travel unimpeded.
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So
how do the bones of my spine interfere with my nerves?
The
spinal bones, or vertebra, rarely have direct contact
with your nerves. So let's take the concept of a "pinched
nerve" that everyone has heard about and break
it down. A spinal nerve root lies in a tunnel of bone
that is created by the two vertebra that surround it.
There are also numerous ligaments, muscles and varied
forms of connective tissue that also make up the environment.
When unbalanced postural activities or strains affect
the quality of spinal joint movement, the tissue that
is present begins to swell from the stress. The swollen
tissue will then compress the nerve and begin to irritate
it. Nerves are like people, when they are irritated
they do not function optimally.
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So
how does chiropractic affect the spinal joints and nerves?
Let's
begin with the word posture. Posture is simply defined
by how a person carries their body against the influence
of gravity. You can have an upright balanced posture
or it can be collapsed. Each spinal joint has a posture
that is favorable. Chiropractic techniques look to analyze
the posture and motion qualities of your spinal joints,
and have active techniques to adjust the imbalances.
Through chiropractic adjustments a patient can have
their spine balanced and appropriately flexible. With
balance and flexibility a spine will be better prepared
to handle the postures of your lifestyle.
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So
how much time and money will care cost?
Of
course, it all depends upon what you bring to the table.
The age and severity of your posture and injuries will
factor heavily into how much time it takes to turn things
around. Depending upon your chiropractor's style and
adjusting technique, a visit may be less than 5 minutes
or up to 30 minutes once your initial exam has been
completed. Visit costs can range from $40.00 to $120.00
with portions of the cost reimbursable by your health
insurance. Usually an initial 6-8 weeks of care can
turn things around and then be managed by weekly, monthly,
or quarterly check-ups.
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