What is chiropractic?

Chiropractic is a natural method of health care that is based on a simple but powerful premise: that a properly functioning body has the ability to respond to any health challenge.

Should you cut your finger, your body has the in-borne knowledge to heal itself ─ no drugs required. The same applies to infections or other illnesses. Every millisecond of every day, the body is producing just the right chemicals at the right time and delivering them to the right place, without you even knowing about it. It is only when this system malfunctions that the body cannot respond in the appropriate manner, and we start to experience “dis-ease”, which ultimately leads to symptoms.

The brain is the “master computer” of the body, and it directs and controls all the body’s functions by sending messages to the cells via a complex system of nerves which branch off the spinal cord. The nerves act as “telephone lines” relaying messages. Chiropractors believe that many health problems are the result of a breakdown of communication between the body cells and the brain (nerve interference). And spinal dysfunction is a major factor in this nerve interference.

How does my spine affect my health?

Spinal dysfunction describes the condition where the spinal bones (vertebrae) lose their normal position or movement. Physical trauma such as improper lifting, car accidents, repetitive motions, and poor sleeping habits can cause spinal problems. Emotional stress and chemical imbalances are common culprits too. The resulting improper motion or position of spinal bones can rub, irritate, pinch or choke delicate nerves. This can impair the function of the tissues, organs and systems controlled by these nerves, increasing the body’s susceptibility to disease.
The vertebral discs and spinal muscles will frequently be affected as well.

The chiropractic approach to better health is to detect, reduce, and help prevent nervous system dysfunction.

The birth of chiropractic

Chiropractic was first established in 1885 by Dr D. Palmer in Iowa USA. Dr Palmer was fascinated by a story told to him by the building janitor of how he had gone deaf after hearing a pop in his neck while lifting an object. Dr Palmer postulated that if a pop had caused his deafness, the cause was probably a vertebra that had moved and pinched a nerve in his neck blocking the signals between the ear and the brain. After examining the janitor he used his hands to “pop” the misaligned bone “back into place”. The result was immediate restoration of the janitors hearing and the birth of the profession chiropractic.

Chiropractic — one of the best kept secrets in health care

From its inception chiropractic has been holistic in nature. The philosophy is one that believes that the human body has the potential to recover from any illness. It therefore stands to reason that if a body is “sick” it’s because the immune system is not functioning as it was designed. Chiropractic places a big emphasis on the spine function because it is our belief that because the brain controls the function of virtually every living cell in your body, it is logical to say that spinal irritation of any sort (nerve pinching, muscle spasm, arthritis, poor posture, injury or any other), impacts upon the nervous systems ability to function normally. This irritation has the potential to cause pain, organ dysfunction and disease.