Chiropractic First

Hello, my name is Sheila and have been working as a office manager for a Chiropractic and Multi-Disciplinary practice for over 15-years.  I'm also blessed enough to be married to a Chiropractor.

I am a layperson, writing about what I have learned concerning the benefits of Chiropractic, and the many miraculous recoveries I have witnessed first hand working in the clinic. I hope that if you are suffering and looking for answers, that you might find some here.

One of the most discouraging things I have learned is that for many people, Chiropractic is considered a last resort, after they have tried everything else imaginable without the results they were hoping for, and often after they have agreed to surgery that possibly could have been prevented with Chiropractic Care.  Let me tell you why I feel Chiropractic should be a first resort.  It is less invasive, less expensive, more natural (no drugs), no surgery and they don't start physiologic therapeutics to rehabilitate the muscles until the skeletal systems is properly aligned and ready for it.

Many people think of Chiropractors as a doctor who "cracks bones" or "adjusts necks and backs" and that is about it.  Since this is their perspective, they don't go to see a Chiropractor unless the have severe neck or back pain.

The truth is that Chiropractors treat so much more than backs and necks.  Let me explain.....

Your entire body is controlled by your nervous system.  Your nervous system communicates messages to your brain, which controls all your vital organs (heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, bladder, prostate gland, thyroid, reproductive organs, blood vessels, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, small intestine, large intestine and any others I may have missed).  Visualize your brain as having a long tail (spinal cord) that is protected by your spine.  If there is a problem with your spine, it can interfere with the signals being sent to your brain and thus affect various aspects of your health.  

If any one of the 24 vertebras in your spine are putting undo pressure on the spinal cord that travels through your spine, it can stop or hinder the communication between the network of nerves that send signals to the other parts of your body.  When this happens you can experience any number of treatable medical conditions caused by the malfunction of one or more of the vital organs mentioned above.

You can be experiencing this type of nerve interference without experiencing any pain at all in your neck or back.   Because of this, most people don't even consider chiropractic an option for their health problems.  They run straight to their MD who will do an evaluation, and any one or more of the following:  lab tests, x-rays, ultrasounds, cat scans, MRI's, prescribe medications or physical therapy.  Sometimes they will refer you out to another specialist who will run their own set of diagnostic testing. These visits usually ad up to quite a bit of money, much, much more that a visit to the Chiropractor would cost. 

If you see your medical doctor for a musculoskeletal problem they will usually do an exam, possibly order x-rays, prescribe muscle relaxers and pain killers and may prescribe physical therapy. 

Does it make any sense to get physical therapy, which strengthens the muscles, prior to making sure the spine is in proper alignment? 

Let me explain why I feel this doesn't make sense. The muscles support and protect the spine keeping it in alignment, so if it is out of alignment to begin with (due to an accident, injury or undo stress or strain on the area), strengthening the muscles that hold the spine in place is not going to help your problem.  Pain killers and muscle relaxers may help to alleviate your pain, but they aren't going to solve the underlying problem causing the pain and discomfort either.  It's like putting a band aide on a booboo.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing the medical profession, I definitely feel they have their place and they do save lives, I'm just saying that it makes more sense to try the least invasive, most natural and least expensive approach first.  If a chiropractor can't help you, they will usually let you know and refer you back to your MD.

I've met so many people who have had unnecessary surgeries for their neck, back, shoulders, knees or other areas, when Chiropractic care may have been able to prevent the surgery.

If you ask a few older adults who have had back surgery, I'll bet in most cases they will tell you they had to go back a few years later for another surgery.  I will explain why this occurs. 

The most common back surgery is a fusion of two or more vertebrae, (there have been many advancements in recent years and other surgical options are now available).  However, when a person receives a fusion, it causes extra stress on the joints above and below the fusion point because they have to pick up the slack for the fused vertebrea that used to move freely.  This extra stress takes its toll on the joints over time and eventually they also need to be fused, causing a chain reaction.

Again, I don't have anything against MD's or other specialists, I see them myself sometimes and I take my children to them.  However, I always start with the Chiropractic first, and if that doesn't help, they send me back to my MD for further evaluation and treatment. 

There may be times when surgery is the only option, but I'm certainly not going to allow someone to cut me open unless I have tried Chiropractic FIRST!

My first experience with a Chiropractor was when I was about 23-years old.  I knew nothing about Chiropractic at the time and I waited way too long to go see one.  At the time I couldn't sit for more than about 10-minutes without excruciating pain in my tailbone area.  I was in tears sometimes and at my wits end because I couldn't find anything to relieve my pain.  I started seeing a Chiropractor and within a few treatments the problem subsided.  After 3-4 years of suffering with this condition, I kicked myself for waiting as long as I did.  Now I see one regularly and so do my children.  I can't imagine going through life without regular chiropractic care.

Remember, I am writing this as a layperson, based on my own personal experience and eye witness accounts to what I have seen in the Chiropractic Profession. 

Read below for additional information, real testimonials, and Chiropractic Information.