You’ve most definitely heard of chiropractors, from family, friends or sitcoms. But many people are mystified by the practice and don’t fully understand the chiropractic’s vast array of skills. Below are some of the most common questions regarding chiropractic care.
What Are Chiropractors?
Chiropractors are medical professionals focused on improving relationships between the spine and nervous system. They seek to reduce chronic pain through ongoing physical treatments, in addition to lifestyle education.
Are Chiropractors Doctors?
Since chiropractors do not hold medical degrees, they cannot be considered medical doctors. However, they do receive extensive training in their field. After their undergraduate, they spend five years attending chiropractic college. Because chiropractors must be skilled in adjustments throughout the body, chiropractic college requires a minimum of 42,000 hours of experience in clinics, classrooms and laboratories. Additionally, since there are hundreds of chiropractic methods, chiropractors can also choose to specialize – a process that requires three additional years of training. Even once licensed, chiropractors continue taking classes so they can stay current in an ever-changing field.
What Do Chiropractors Treat?
Chiropractors are widely known for treating back and neck pain, but their capabilities are much broader in scale. Since chiropractic care is rooted in the assumption that the mind and body are self-healing, they are able to treat a variety of issues including:
- Migraines: Since 90 percent of American routinely get headaches, a permanent fix can be enticing. Spinal manipulation has proven effective at treating tension headaches and migraines since most are related to neck irritation.
- Flexibility: While chiropractors probably won’t be able to return you to the full range of motion you had as a child; they are able to use spinal manipulation to realign your joints in order to reduce pain and improve flexibility and balance.
- Stress: Many injuries and illnesses are aggravated by physical and emotional stressors. Chiropractors are able to relieve the muscle tension caused by chronic stress by realigning the body with the spinal column allowing you to relax into a more balanced state.
What Should I Expect At My First Chiropractor Visit?
Your first chiropractic visit will probably be very similar to any other medical intake. There will be a lot of paperwork and questions about current pain or discomfort. The chiropractor will then perform a spinal and neck exam, involving a series of assessments to test reflexes, strength and flexibility. Finally, based on the assessment and your specified pain, the chiropractor will devise a treatment plan involving a series of adjustments and spinal manipulations, in addition to lifestyle or at-home treatment suggestions.
If you or a loved one are experiencing constant bodily pain, do some research and find a chiropractor in Glen Burnie, MD. Join over 22 million Americans who visit chiropractors annually for back pain, injury, headache or muscle strain relief and start feeling the benefits today.
Thanks to Mid Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic for their insight into chiropractic care and common myths about chiropractors.