The word ‘Chiropractic’ comes from the Greek: ‘chiro’ by hand, and ‘practic’ to work or fix. No diagnostic tool is as sensitive as the well-trained human hand. In the modern health care environment of hi-tech hardware, many doctors have lost sight of this fact.

Chiropractic professionals believe "the power that made the body heals the body." The chiropractic philosophy states that the healing force comes from above to below and from inside to out. Common sense observation will verify this concept. A wound heals from the inside out. The brain sends information from above to the rest of the body below to control the function of muscles and organs. The trend over the last 50 years of prescribing a drug for every ailment or cutting out organs and glands that aren’t working well, would seem to go against this way of understanding body function.

Chiropractors try to work with the innate healing power of the body by restoring proper alignment. This allows information to flow unimpeded from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body. With free flow of information, the body is an amazing self healing organism, able to overcome the large amounts of stress common in modern life. Of course we also need basic raw materials for energy, growth and repair. Mainly, clean air (no smoking, please), water (beer, pop, coffee don’t count), and food (the way God made it).

The Chiropractic model divides stress into three categories; physical, chemical and emotional. Any combination of the three can reduce body function.

Physical stress can misalign the spine or other bones and put pressure on nerves. Chiropractors call this a subluxation. When spinal nerves are compromised by a subluxation, organs can be affected as well as the muscle system. Subluxations are corrected by adjusting the bones into proper alignment. Some chiropractors have extra training in physical therapy, sports medicine, and /or cranial work. These specialties can enhance treatment.

Chemical stress can come from toxins in food or the environment. A lack of vital nutrients also causes chemical stress. As the nutritional value of the average American diet has deteriorated, many chiropractors have made nutritional counseling a priority for their patients. Detoxification programs are often available as well. Organ reflex therapy is another chiropractic specialty that improves chemical balance and organ function with reflex stimulation and nutritional support.

Emotional stress can cause physical stress through tight muscles and bad posture. If your stomach is "tied in knots," chemical stress is sure to follow due to poor digestion. There are chiropractic techniques that address emotional stress; Best, N.E.T. and N.O.T. to name a few. Although there are many chiropractic techniques, they all try to restore function and balance to the body through structural realignment. They all respect the body’s inherent ability to heal itself and they all believe that the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) is the most important system in the body. Keep in mind, no other system in the body can work properly without the right information from the brain and spinal cord.

It never ceases to amaze me that in this information age, there are still pockets of ignorance where it is believed that chiropractic is ineffective or even dangerous. Let’s take an objective look at the data.

Several studies have shown chiropractic care to be the most effective treatment for neck and back pain, while comparing very favorably with other disciplines in headache relief. When com

pared to the standard "remedy" of pain pills and muscle relaxers, it’s easy to see why. Pain is a warning signal that something is wrong. If the oil light comes on in a vehicle, would you put a piece of tape over it, keep driving and expect the problem to go away? Actually it’s not quite that simple. The nerves close to the spine are not designed to feel pain very well. A spinal misalignment can reduce organ function long before pain shows up. Constipation for example, often precedes low back pain as the nerve supply to the colon comes from the lower back.

As far as treatment safety is concerned, the average malpractice insurance premium for chiropractors is 10% of the average medical general practitioner’s and 2% of the average surgeon’s. Medical errors are now the third leading cause of death in this country. I think I’ve made my point! Yours in health, see you next month.