Doctors of Chiropractic are not licensed to write medical prescriptions or perform surgery in the United States. They rely instead on a variety of manual treatments, including spinal manipulation and mobilization, which are designed and selected to improve function and alleviate pain for their patients. The chiropractic field is based on treatment with as little use of medication as possible, and is defined by the National Chiropractic Association as ideally a “drug-free, non-surgical science.”

That said, most chiropractors recommend that their patients have a primary care physician, and they recognize the efficacy of medications to relieve extreme pain and other conditions. If medication is needed, many chiropractors work closely with their patients’ primary care physicians to determine which medicines may be needed to reduce pain or speed the healing process. If chiropractors are also licensed in a field such as homeopathy or naturopathy, they may recommend those types of remedies, or provide general nutritional counseling. Their ability to do this depends on regulations that vary widely from state to state in the U.S.

One state, New Mexico, has recently passed legislation that allows some chiropractors to prescribe medicines. This legislation was considered valuable to the public because the state contains many areas of low population in which the only medical professionals available are chiropractors. After completing a standardized course, these Advanced Practice chiropractors are allowed to prescribe medicines from a strictly regulated formulary. This program has provided access to these medicines to many residents of New Mexico who would otherwise have had to travel several hours to see a medical doctor. Whether this approach will be taken in other states is yet to be seen.

In many cases, chiropractic care is all the therapy that is needed to treat common problems such as lower back pain. Chiropractors are trained in how to perform the manipulations that correct these problems. However, if the problems are more serious or if concurrent conditions are present, chiropractic care may be complemented by other medical treatment. We certainly urge you to consult with your primary care provider in such cases, and to rely on their specialized training to determine if medication is needed.

Resources:

http://www.acatoday.org/content_css.cfm?CID=2205

http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/chiropractic

http://willistonchiropractic.com/about-chiropractic/

Chiropractors can help you to realign displaced vertebrae by manipulation of the spine.  There are many schools of thought and techniques in chiropractic medicine, and sometimes it’s difficult to choose the right one.

The Thompson Technique focuses on manipulating the leg joints for the correction of misalignments in the lower back area, around the pelvis and the spine. In use for several decades, the Thompson Technique has demonstrated great success, particularly in resolving issues associated with back pain.  The effectiveness of this technique is due to the precise nature of its adjustments for spinal and postural problems.

With the Thompson Technique, the first step of the treatment process is to analyze the length of the legs. By extending your legs on a table, your chiropractor can assess whether your legs are out of balance or not. This assessment may involve flexing and extending the legs to see if one is shorter than the other, and how this may affect your health. Often, the legs are not in balance, and this can be due to misalignments in the pelvic area, which affect how the body is positioned over the feet. Such misalignments can contribute significantly to muscle and joint pain, stress and even general health issues.

Your chiropractor may also request X-rays and conduct additional tests such as range of motion tests and manual palpation of the joints.

After the initial leg length analysis and any complementary examinations, the chiropractor can diagnose the type of misalignment, whether it’s cervical, in the pelvis or in other parts of the spine. Once the problem area is determined, the chiropractor adjusts the legs using a special chiropractic drop table and a combination of manipulation and thrusts with varying pressure on the joints. The drop table has sections that “fall away” as the thrusts are applied, allowing your body weight to contribute to the adjustment process on specific joints or vertebrae.

Thompson Technique adjustments are carried out manually and may be seem more forceful to patients than other techniques. This is because the Thompson Technique is one of several Activator Methods, in which an activator device such as a mallet is used during the manipulation for extra accuracy and precision. Occasionally, due to the enhanced force induced by the mallet, the drop table and the thrusts by the chiropractor, there may be more pain associated with Thompson Technique adjustments. However, this technique achieves significant results and is quite commonly chosen by chiropractic practitioners.

Resources

Manage Back Pain with the Thompson Chiropractic Technique: http://www.locateadoc.com/articles/manage-back-pain-with-the-thompson-chiropractic-technique-1867.html

Understanding Chiropractic Techniques: http://www.chiropractorguide.com/alternatives/understanding-chiropractic-techniques

Chiropractic adjustments, also known as spinal manipulations, are a procedure in which a joint is moved past its usual range of motion in daily life. The purpose of chiropractic adjustment is to improve your body’s functioning and alleviate pain.

Adjustments are most commonly made to joints in your back, but also to joints of the neck or other parts of the body, such as the shoulders. You may be treated by a chiropractor in order to correct such conditions as:

• Neck, back, shoulder, arm, hand, chest, leg, or foot pain and stiffness
• Headaches
• Sciatica
• Arthritis
• Trauma, such as whiplash
• Scoliosis
• Sports injuries
• Repetitive strain disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome
• Fibromyalgia

Moving the joint beyond its range of motion sounds painful, doesn’t it? However, the joint is not moved beyond the range of motion it is naturally designed to move in the body. You may feel pressure or mild discomfort, and the discomfort may be greater if there is significant inflammation or tension around the joint being treated. However, chiropractic adjustments should not be painful.

If you are new to chiropractic medicine, you may have a harder time relaxing during the procedure than more experienced patients. If you stiffen or resist the adjustment, you may feel some discomfort. However as you get used to the procedures you should find not only that the discomfort decreases, but that you may feel relief and a sense of well-being after the adjustment is completed.

During the procedure, you will be placed in a certain position to treat the affected areas. Usually you will be lying face down on a padded table. There may be popping or cracking noises during the adjustment, as the joint is moved. These noises are the result of the release of tiny pockets of gas during the procedure, which is completely normal. In fact, it’s the same thing that occurs when someone cracks their knuckles.

After the procedure, you may feel some soreness or aching in the muscles or spinal joints. If it occurs, this kind of discomfort usually happens within the first few hours of treatment. It should not last longer than 24 hours (and if it does, be sure to contact your chiropractor for assistance). If you like, you can place an ice pack on the affected area which should help reduce the symptoms and help you recover more quickly.

In order to be sure you have as pain-free a treatment as possible, be sure you choose a board-certified chiropractor with good patient references. An experienced, competent practitioner will be able to give you the most effective treatment possible with the least amount of discomfort.

References

Chiropractic Adjustment: What you can Expect. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/chiropractic-adjustment/MY01107

Reactions Following a Chiropractic Adjustment. http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/chiropractic/reactions-following-a-chiropractic-adjustment

Chiropractic adjustments are the foundation of chiropractic treatment. Chiropractors use adjustments to correct mild vertebral subluxations, or dislocations and misalignments of the bones of the spine (vertebrae). The word “subluxation” has its origins in the Latin words “luxare” (to dislocate) and “sub” (mild). Subluxations may put pressure on or irritate nerves and blood vessels in the spine, and cause musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction.

Adjustments, also known as “spinal manipulation”, involve the use of a certain amount of controlled force, applied in a specific direction, to a joint that is not moving properly. Adjustments are usually carried out manually by the doctor, or by using an instrument. Chiropractic adjustments help return your vertebrae to their natural position and range of motion, with the goal of restoring health and normal functioning. In addition to restoring joint mobility, adjustments can also allow healing of tissue injuries involving inflammation and pain.

Before carrying out an adjustment, your chiropractic doctors will thoroughly evaluate your case through collection of a health history, physical examinations, laboratory tests, imaging (such as X-rays) and other procedures. During the adjustment procedure itself, you may be lying down on a specially designed chiropractic table. Your chiropractor will apply the adjustment in a controlled, sudden manner, pushing your joint beyond its normal range of motion.

There are over 96 individual chiropractic maneuvers your doctor may choose from for your adjustment. Factors in this decision include how much force is needed, where in the body the adjustment is needed, the position of both the chiropractor and the patient also contribute to the selection of the best type of adjustment for your particular condition.

Adjustments may be used to treat back pain, neck pain, or pain in other areas of the body such ass arms, legs, and shoulders. The procedure rarely causes pain; however if there is recent trauma or if you are new to chiropractic medicine there may be some discomfort. The popping and cracking noises that occur during adjustments are due to the release of gas bubbles between the joints, and these sounds are perfectly normal. It is a similar phenomenon as when knuckles are cracked.

In many cases, chiropractic care is all that is needed to treat a certain kind of problem, such as lower back pain. However, adjustments may be complemented by other medical treatment if concurrent conditions are present.

Resources

http://www.acatoday.org/

http://www.chiro.org/acc/What_is_Subluxation.shtml

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/chiropractic-adjustment/MY01107

http://www.mdguidelines.com/chiropractic-adjustments-and-manipulations

With numerous chiropractic techniques available, choosing the treatment right for you can be a tough decision. If you’re not an expert, the various techniques can seem confusing, and may complicate your choice in finding the right chiropractor for you. One specific technique frequently seen is the Gonstead technique, named after its founder, Dr. Clarence S. Gonstead, who established the Gonstead Clinic of Chiropractic in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin.

But what is the Gonstead technique, and why is it different from other chiropractic methods? Dr. Gonstead discovered that foot and leg pains, which were previously difficult to treat via conventional medicine, responded to chiropractic care, and this led him to further investigate the health benefits behind chiropractic medicine.

The body’s foundation is grounded in the pelvic girdle, which consists of the pelvic bones and the lower back. If the girdle is rotated or tilted out of place, along with the vertebrae in the spine, it can result in various health issues. Pressure on disc separation in the vertebrae can cause misalignments in the spine, which can in turn compress and inflames the nerves, thus putting pressure on the nervous system. Generally, most chiropractors detect misalignments in the upper portion of the spiral column, but often relief from these adjustments is limited. The Gonstead technique focuses on the lower portion of the spine, which is frequently the origin of the problem. This treatment restores and maintains health by locating and correcting any interference with the body’s nervous system caused by swelling and misalignment of the vertebrae discs.

The Gonstead technique seeks to go beyond the usual treatment offered by most chiropractors, offering a full spinal assessment and analysis with various criteria, in order to determine the location of inflamed or misaligned spinal discs. First, visualization is carried out, in which the doctor examines the patient for any subtle changes in movement and/or posture in the back that could result in potential problems. Instrumentation also plays a key role in the Gonstead technique. A nervoscope detects uneven distributions of heat along the spinal chord, possibly attributed to inflammation or nerve pressure. A chiropractor practicing the Gonstead technique uses a process known as static palpitation –feeling the spine in a stationary position in order to locate areas of swelling, tenderness, and abnormal texture or tightness in the muscles and tissues in the back. The technique of motion palpitation involves feeling the spine while the patient is moving and bending into various positions. In this way the chiropractor can determine how each segment in the spine moves in different directions. The doctor also visualizes the structure of the spine via X-ray analysis, which is helpful to evaluate posture, joint and disc integrity.

After the analysis is complete, the necessary adjustments can then be made. The aim is to be as precise, accurate and specific as possible, with focus on the problem areas of inflammation and dislocation.

References:

[1] http://www.gonstead.com/ Accessed September 2011

[2] http://www.chiroaccess.com/Articles/Technique-Summary-Gonstead-Technique.aspx?id=0000128 Accessed September 2011