Chiropractic (from the Greek kheir hand and praktikes practical) is a widespread complementary medicine system. Founded by D.D.Palmer in the 1890s describing it as ‘healing without drugs’, it is based on the theory that a healthy spine will enable the body to repair itself due to the nervous system it protects being undamaged by vertebrae joint misalignments. Manipulation of the spine protecting the spinal cord can correct misalignments, or subluxations, between any of the 24 vertebrae so enabling the body to heal itself. Although some conventional medical doctors still disapprove of chiropractic, it is widely accepted in Australia and is covered by most private insurance funds and even funded by the federal government should a patient be referred to a chiropractor. Most Australians go to chiropractors for the relief of low back pain. The problem is that most do not go before their forties when much damage has been done. They miss out on the benefits of good general health they might have enjoyed had they come to a chiropractor earlier.
Benefits of chiropractic
Some chiropractors restrict themselves to the relief of muscular-skeletal problems while others attempt to improve the health of the whole person. Such general benefits tend to come with longer term chiropractic care. Most chiropractors give relief from back and neck pain, conditions such as bursitis and other forms of arthritis, elbow, shoulder, arm and wrist pain as well as improvement in the movement of joints. Much of this is done on a relatively short term basis making the benefits likely to be temporary. However, much more is possible with chiropractic care over a longer period.
The benefits of long-term chiropractic care
The most obvious benefit is that of the long-term reduction of pain, particularly back pain and headaches. One study showed that the majority of migraine sufferers under long-term chiropractic care found that their migraines either disappeared or were much reduced (62% male and 81% female). According to chiropractic each organ is aligned, via the nervous system, to a specific vertebra so a misaligned spine protecting the central nervous system will affect many organs. These include the heart and lungs so if the nervous system works optimally cardiovascular health will be good as will be a person’s lung capacity which reduces the risks of developing asthma, heart attacks and strokes. A fully functioning nervous system also results in quicker reaction times, better balance and sharper vision as well as an efficient immune system. In a most striking study, conducted by The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, people in the United States who were in long-term chiropractic care had 43% fewer hospital admissions, 52% reduction in medicine costs and 43% fewer surgeries and outpatient procedures.
Spinescan.com.au
Spinescan have two chiropractor centres in Western Australia. One is South Perth chiropractor and the other is chiropractor applecross. Why not make an appointment and discuss your long term individual needs with a skilled chiropractor?