Have you ever been told to go to a chiropractor yet not really understand why or what you can expect when you get there? As a chiropractor I would like to apologize on behalf of my profession for the terrible job chiropractic has done at explaining what chiropractic is and who can benefit. Chiropractic is a science, philosophy and art of all things natural. It is the practice of locating spinal subluxation or misalignment and specifically adjusting the subluxation to restore full capacity of healing intelligence to the body. The chiropractic adjustment is largely misunderstood as a general manipulation. A specific, scientific chiropractic adjustment restores proper spinal alignment thereby allowing full expression of life force through the nervous system to the body. Chiropractic has very little to do with auto injuries or a “crick” in the neck. Chiropractic has everything to do with maximizing expression of life through the body. The adjustment normalizes quantity and quality of mental impulse from the brain to the tissue cells fortifying the growth, function, and health of the body as a whole.
Chiropractic was discovered in 1895 when D.D. Palmer found a lump in a deaf man’s neck and decided to “push” the bump back into place. The man’s hearing restored and chiropractic took root. In 1897, Palmer School of Chiropractic was established in Davenport, IA. Palmer is widely known as the fountainhead of chiropractic because this is where it was discovered and then developed by the legendary, Dr. B.J. Palmer. Just last weekend, I had the great fortune of touring the B.J. Palmer Mansion on the campus of Palmer College of Chiropractic. Learning more about B.J. Palmer never ceases to amaze me when I think about all one man accomplished in his lifetime. Dr. Palmer was an inventor, scientist, School President, Owner of radio and television stations, owned a printing press, researcher, and author of 36 books, world traveler and humanitarian. Not to mention Chiropractor in private practice seeing thousands of people per week from all over the country.
A common misconception about chiropractic is that all chiropractic is the same. It is not uncommon for a misinformed consumer to say,” I already tried a chiropractor” with no understanding of what that actually means. That reminds me of my friend Jon who does not like the taste of bananas. If he decided he dislikes all fruit because he tried a banana once and did not like it, he would miss out on all the wonderful fruits the world has to offer. What a shame. In Chiropractic, there are over one hundred techniques of adjusting the spine so I will describe some of them to you.
It is critical to understand that only chiropractic techniques will be discussed because physical therapy, massage, footbaths, nutritional counseling and distribution or any other modality is not chiropractic and has an insignificant role in this discussion. If chiropractic is what you are seeking, find a chiropractor that has a passion for practicing chiropractic and has become a master at his or her art.
The most commonly practiced techniques are full spine techniques of osseous adjusting or adjusting different areas of the neck, middle back, low back and pelvis. These adjustments are most often accomplished with the patient laying face down on a chiropractic table and the Chiropractor applying a quick thrust to a vertebra. A small amount of gas is often released from the joint creating an audible. Examples of full spine techniques include Gonstead, Diversified, Motion Palpation and Thompson to name a few. These techniques typically analyze the spine using x-rays and palpation of the spine.
There are several techniques developed more recently using adjusting instruments. The Activator, Atlas Orthogonal, and Torque Release techniques use an adjusting instrument to accomplish what is being done by hand utilizing other techniques. Again, these techniques are gentle, safe, and effective when done by the skilled, well trained chiropractor. The instruments may be applied to several levels of the spine or to one area in particular.
A smaller percentage of the chiropractic profession focuses on upper cervical or upper neck adjusting. In fact, BJ Palmer focused his efforts on teaching and practicing upper cervical chiropractic. The reason Upper Cervical Chiropractors choose to adjust the upper spine only is simple. The Upper neck bone called the atlas is the only freely movable vertebrae in the spine and protects the most important part of the spinal cord. If you remember back to when Christopher Reeves (superman) fell off a horse and fractured his atlas (c1), his body stopped functioning from the neck down. The reason being he damaged nerves in his neck that control all body function. Even a small misalignment in the top of the neck can cause health problems throughout the body. Upper Cervical Chiropractors often rely heavily on very specific x-rays of the head and neck. The adjustment is done with the patient lying on his or her side. The adjustment is gentle, painless, and effective at restoring proper head and neck position thereby maximizing life expression. NUCCA, Kale, Knee Chest, and Blair are a few examples of upper cervical chiropractic techniques.
Regardless of technique, when the chiropractic adjustment is given with the right analysis, specificity, intent, and skill, it restores the brain’s power to the body and maximizes self healing from above down and from the inside out. All techniques mentioned are effective for children, seniors and everyone in between. So you ask, “Who can benefit from Chiropractic.” The better question is “Who wouldn’t benefit from chiropractic.”
Dr. Justin Brown is an upper cervical Chiropractor practicing NUCCA technique. To learn more visit www.nucca.org or www.familyspinalcare.com. He and his wife are owners of Friends and Family Spinal Care in Coral Springs. For questions or comments, you may contact Dr. Brown at (954) 369-1212 or drbrown@familyspinalcare.com.
