As a chiropractor in Colorado Springs for the last couple of years I get questions all the time about what chiropractic can help with. Often it is “Can chiropractic cure…?” or “Can chiropractic get rid of…?” So today I wanted to address in general what chiropractic can help with.
First off, I want to say that chiropractic is not a ‘cure’ for anything. Now that may sound surprising coming from a chiropractor, but let me explain what I mean. You see, chiropractic does not do any of the healing, that is the job of your amazing body. Your body does all the healing and any results that may come from being under regular chiropractic care are the result of your body being able to heal and function better. So in that sense I believe that chiropractic can help with just about any condition, but is not a cure for any of them. I hope that distinction makes sense.
So what are some of the things that I have seen improve in patients under chiropractic care? Well, my wife is an interesting case in that her Raynaud’s Syndrome has been much improved after starting chiropractic care. I have seen constipation or diarrhea improved. One thing that many people report is being able to sleep better. Also often people report that they do not get sick as often as they used to. Headaches are another thing that I have seen great improvements with. And of course back pain, neck pain, and pain in many other areas of the body.
Why Can Chiropractic Help
Do you find it difficult to believe that chiropractic could help you? Understanding what chiropractic adjustments do might explain a little more of why I believe chiropractic can help with so many different conditions. As a chiropractor I am looking for what we call ‘subluxation.’ A subluxation is when the bones of the spine (or other joints) are misaligned or not moving properly and causes irritation or interference with the normal function of the nerves. This is the basis of chiropractic and why it can have such a big impact on the overall health of the body.
So let me ask you a question: what do the nerves control? Think about it, what do the nerves do? They send and receive information between the body and the brain. There is not any function in the body that is not directly or indirectly controlled by the nerves. So what could go wrong if there was interference with the information sent through the nerves? I believe the answer truly is anything could go wrong when proper signals are not sent and received between the brain and the body.
As a chiropractor when I find these areas of subluxation, I use very specific adjustments to help restore proper motion and alignment to the bones of the spine. This helps remove that irritation or interference with the normal function of the nerves. Then the body is better able to do what it is designed to do and heal itself! If a subluxation could possibly cause any number of problems, then it stands to reason that helping correct the subluxation could help those problems caused by it. This is why I have seen so many people helped with so many different conditions over the years.
Conclusion
Now in closing I want to make sure that you understand that not everything gets ‘magically’ better under chiropractic care. Again, it is the body that does the healing and there are a number of factors that contribute to the health of the body. These include things like nutrition, proper rest and exercise, and effectively managing stress just to name a few. And to be honest, there are limitations of time and matter. What I mean is that if you have had problems for years and years there may ultimately be changes to the body that will not be able to be undone, or if they can be reversed, it would likely take years as well. However, even in these situations I believe chiropractic helps, even if it does not get the results that may be hoped or expected. A body free of subluxation is always better!
