Chiropractic Wellness: What does that mean?

Chiropractic is a healthcare profession that focuses on injuries and conditions of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems, as well as their effects on overall health. Chiropractic care is commonly used to treat neuromusculoskeletal conditions, including back pain, neck pain, joint pain, and headaches.

Doctor of Chiropractic?

Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs), also commonly known as chiropractors or chiropractic physicians, practice a hands-on, drug-free approach to healthcare, performing patient assessments, diagnosing, and providing appropriate treatment. Chiropractors possess a wide variety of diagnostic skills and are also qualified to recommend therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises to patients, providing them with nutritional, dietary, and lifestyle counseling in the process.

Chiropractors commonly evaluate patients using clinical examinations, laboratory testing, diagnostic imaging, and other diagnostic interventions to establish the most appropriate time to begin chiropractic treatment. Chiropractors may also readily refer patients to other healthcare providers when chiropractic treatment is not suitable for the patient’s condition or when the condition requires co-management alongside other healthcare providers.

In many cases, such as with lower back pain, chiropractic treatment may be a person’s primary treatment. In other cases, when severe, complex injuries or conditions are present, chiropractic care may be used to complement or support medical treatment by addressing the musculoskeletal issues associated with the injury or condition.

Similar to doctors of medicine (MDs), doctors of chiropractic are subject to the boundaries established in state practice acts and are regulated by state licensing boards. A DC’s education in four-year doctoral programs is nationally accredited by an agency that operates under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Education. After graduating, chiropractors are required to pass national board exams to acquire a license to practice, and they must then maintain their license annually by earning continuing education, or CE, credits through state-approved CE programs.

Spinal Manipulation Explained

A spinal manipulation, also referred to as a chiropractic adjustment, is one of the most recognized and common therapeutic procedures performed by chiropractors. Chiropractic adjustments help improve joint and other body part movement by applying precise manual force to joints that have become stiff or less mobile due to injury or damage to surrounding tissue. Tissue injury can be the result of a single traumatic circumstance, such as the improper lifting of a heavy object, or repetitive and constant stress from sitting in improper positions with poor posture for an extended period of time. Both scenarios can physically and chemically alter affected body structures, leading to pain, inflammation, and functional impairment. Spinal manipulation of the affected joints and tissues can ultimately restore mobility, improve pain and muscle tightness, and allow the tissues to heal on their own.

Chiropractic adjustments infrequently cause discomfort. However, patients may occasionally report feeling mild soreness or aching following treatment, which generally resolves within 12 to 48 hours. In contrast to other common treatments for pain, such as over-the-counter and prescription pain medications, the conservative approach of chiropractic care offers individuals a safe and effective alternative treatment option for their specific injuries or conditions.

Why Go With Chiropractic?

Annually, chiropractors care for more than 30 million Americans, adults and children alike. Chiropractors are licensed in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and many other countries.

An increasing list of research studies and reviews has established that the treatment methods and techniques provided by chiropractic physicians are both safe and effective. The evidence strongly supports the natural, whole-body, and cost-effective approach of chiropractic care for a variety of conditions.

Chiropractic treatment is included in most health insurance plans, including major medical plans, workers’ compensation, Medicare, some Medicaid plans, and Blue Cross Blue Shield plans for federal employees, among others.

Chiropractic care is widely used by young and professional athletes to prevent and treat injuries and aggravated conditions and to support optimal health and wellness. Commonly used by the general population, chiropractic care can help restore an individual’s well-being, increasing strength, flexibility, and mobility, and decreasing symptoms such as pain, inflammation, and discomfort associated with spinal conditions. Following the chiropractor’s treatment recommendations can also expedite the individual’s recovery and facilitate their return to everyday activities.

Your First Visit & What to Expect

Many new patients are unsure about what to expect during their first appointment with a chiropractor. Foremost, a doctor of chiropractic will begin the consultation by taking a patient’s history and then performing a physical examination in order to develop a working diagnosis. Imaging or lab tests, including MRI, CT scans, and/or X-rays, may be used to confirm a diagnosis.

The combination of the history, exam, and diagnostic study results will ultimately allow the chiropractor to determine a proper diagnosis for the individual’s injury or condition, which will then allow the healthcare professional to follow up with the best treatment procedures according to the individual’s overall health and wellness. If your chiropractor determines that you would be better managed or co-managed by another healthcare professional, he or she will make the appropriate referral.

You and your chiropractic doctor can decide which treatment approaches and strategies are best for you through a collaborative decision-making process. As part of this process, the chiropractor will explain your injury and/or condition, recommend an appropriate treatment plan, and finally, they will review the risks and benefits of all procedures with you.

As with all forms of treatment, time and patience are required to heal an injury or condition, and regular visits to your chiropractor can ensure the process is smooth and effective. Following the healthcare professional’s treatment plan is the best and most recommended decision you can make as an individual to achieve overall health and wellness.

Dr. Alex Jimenez is an El Paso Chiropractor who has been helping people recover from specific injuries or conditions through chiropractic adjustments and manipulations. With over 25 years of experience, Dr. Jimenez can provide safe and effective care to those in need.

By Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, APRN, FNP

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