Why Chiropractic Care

Chiropractors treat the problem not just the symptoms.

Chiropractic philosophy is such that if you only treat the symptoms, the underlying problem is still there and will continue to recur if left untreated. In most patients, symptoms are the last thing to show up. Our bodies are designed to absorb daily stresses for long periods of time before we notice there is a problem. It’s our body’s “innate” intelligence at work.

After time and continued stress, or when an injury is put on the body, we as patients realize that something may be wrong and only then seek treatment. Commonly our doctors hear, “I didn’t do anything,” or “I just woke up with this,” when in reality the problem had been slowly progressing for some time. It’s like an iceberg—above the surface is the symptom, below the surface is the cause of the symptom.

The science of chiropractic care centers around the body’s spine. The spine houses and protects the spinal cord, which is the “switchboard” through which nerve impulses are transmitted by the brain to all parts of the body.

In the event of a stress to our spines, vertebrae misalign and can interfere with nerve transmissions, inhibit mobility, and cause pain or discomfort. This is called a subluxation. The word subluxation is derived from the Latin word for "somewhat" or "slightly" (sub) and "to dislocate" (luxate).

Subluxations can be caused by:

  • A car accident
  • A fall
  • A sudden jar
  • Trauma
  • Improper sleeping positions
  • Poor posture
  • Improper lifting processes
  • Emotional stress
  • Biochemical stress

Emotional stresses sometimes can be worse than physical stresses. When we are upset or stressed out, we tend to carry all our stress in our neck and shoulders, don’t sleep well, and run our immune systems down in the dumps.

Biochemical stresses refer to anything we are exposed to in our environment or anything we put into our bodies. Intake of caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, aspartame, and lack of water are examples of biochemical ways we affect our bodies.

Chiropractic treatment works to repair subluxations through realignment of the affected vertebrae, so nerve impulses are no longer restricted. When the spine is properly aligned, the cause of pain and malfunction is removed and the body is restored and returned to normal.

Our chiropractic adjustments are not limited to the spine. We are trained extensively on extremity adjusting such as shoulders, knees, ankles, elbows, and wrists.

Chiropractors take the time to listen.

Dr. Shane and Dr. Tonya have been trained to evaluate your total health picture and will ask questions about your lifestyle, work habits, and overall stress level during the initial consultation. This allows them to focus on the core problems and causes.

While the primary goal in a lot of cases is to relieve pain, the larger goal is to restore good health. Good health cannot be attributed solely to medication, surgery, or chiropractic adjustments. Good health comes from a healthy lifestyle and proper spinal function.

Dr. Shane and Dr. Tonya carefully assess each patient using modern diagnostic procedures. Treatment generally focuses on manual spinal manipulation or activator spinal manipulation, both called the chiropractic adjustment. The decision to perform manual or activator spinal manipulation is based on a number of factors:

  • The condition the patient presents
  • Severity of the patient’s condition
  • Prior experience with one form of treatment
  • The doctors’ professional opinion

In some cases, therapy (i.e., electrical muscle stimulation, ultrasound therapy, cryotherapy, trigger point therapy) is also used to provide relief and speed healing.

Chiropractic care helps millions of people get relief from pain without the use of drugs or surgery. Studies show that chiropractic care is twice as effective as medical treatment in returning workers to the workplace following a back injury. The Agency for Health Care Policy Research Guidelines recommends the use of spinal manipulation for acute low back problems over any other treatment.

Our chiropractic care is safe for all ages—newborns to grandparents. We use gentle hands-on and Activator treatment to help you enjoy life without pain.