FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS IN Erie

A chiropractor is a health care profession that mostly focuses on the treatment and diagnosis of the neuromusculoskeletal system. The neuromusculoskeletal system is a really big word for how muscles, bones, and nerves work together for movement which is essential to life. Chiropractors hold professional doctorate degrees which is a 4 year program from an accredited university. Chiropractors don't prescribe any medications, and treat dysfunction of the neuromusculoskeletal system by spinal manipulation or adjustments. A lot of chiropractors will also help treat these conditions by implementing an exercise and nutritional program.

Chiropractic care is a natural approach to treating the neuromusculoskeletal systems of the body. What this means is that by utilizing many different treatment types, primarily by hand, chiropractors can affect how nerves, muscles and joints of the body move and function with the ultimate goal of optimizing the function of each of these systems. While chiropractic care is very effective at reducing pain, pain is only a sign of the body that something isn’t working as well as it should. The main goal of care is to improve a patient’s health quality, ergonomics/sleep hygiene, knowledge of their own body as well as other factors of daily life that may contribute to pain and dysfunction.

Chiropractic care includes manual joint manipulation, which most patients allude to "popping their joints". While most people think of chiropractors as creating a loud "pop or crack", this is only one of the tools in their toolbox. Chiropractors are trained to provide joint manipulation in gentle ways that don't create pops or cracks. They also specialize in soft tissue release, exercise prescription, nutritional advice, instrument assisted soft tissue manipulation (IASTM), Kinesio taping, diagnostic analysis/prescription (chiropractors are trained in reading all forms of imaging and are qualified to order necessary labs and imaging) as well as a first point of referral for any other health care specialization. Chiropractors go through rigorous schooling to establish themselves as primary care providers that allow them to determine if a patient should be in their office or with another health care provider and as such are able to dictate a patient's entire health care needs even if that means not with their own services.

Chiropractors are one of a handful of health care providers who can manually improve a person’s quality of life without the intervention of drugs or surgery. In fact, a multitude of research studies have shown the connection of patient’s receiving chiropractic care use far less over-the-counter analgesics/pain medications as well as steroid injections and spine surgeries. While not all patients are able to prevent the necessity for drugs/surgery for their specific condition, any possibility of reducing the chance for them by noninvasive means is worth exploring.

Chiropractic adjustments are the most common alternative treatment option in the United States (Cleveland Clinic). Chiropractors are also a part of almost every professional sports medical team as well as the U.S. Olympic team. Given the prevalence of use among Americans seeking alternative care from medication and recognized as a major part of the most elite athlete’s health care team, the usefulness of chiropractic care speaks for itself.

Yes chiropractors are safe when seen by a licensed professional. There are some risks or complications that can arise from a chiropractic adjustment, but they are overall very rare.

There can be side effects after a chiropractic adjustment. The most common side effects include: soreness, fatigue, headache, or increased pain to the areas that were treated. Similar to after receiving a massage, patients should increase water intake and apply ice or heat after receiving a chiropractic adjustment. Side effects (if they occur) usually only last for the first couple of chiropractic adjustments one receives.

Chiropractors hold a professional doctorate degree. Education wise chiropractors hold a Bachelor's degree as well as a Doctorate of Chiropractic degree. All together totalling about 8 years of higher education. As for training, during chiropractic college there are multiple levels of clinical training that are accomplished in the curriculum. Chiropractors also have to take and pass 4 parts of National Boards to be able to receive a license. There are several diplomates that chiropractors can work toward into a number of different specialties. Continuing education is another vital part of the training chiropractors receive and are required to keep licensure in good standing.

Lower back pain is one the most common reasons patients seek out a chiropractor. The reason for this is due to the nature of our society and the amount of time we are forced to sit throughout our day. Chiropractors help to provide mobility to the joints of the body as well as relieve associated muscle tension. Given that the majority of lower back pain stems from loss of motion, receiving a chiropractic adjustment can restore a person’s joint range of motion and therefore decrease their pain. More importantly, your chiropractor will provide tips and knowledge on how to strengthen your muscles, stretch, work, sleep and move better to prevent the pain from returning again.

Yes! You can absolutely get chiropractic care during pregnancy. Chiropractic care is safe during a majority of pregnancies and has a lot of benefits during pregnancy. During pregnancy, the body goes through a multitude of biomechanical changes as the baby grows. Most women have complaints of low back or hip pain during pregnancy. Chiropractic adjustments can help alleviate this pain and also help the alignment of the pelvis. Proper alignment of the pelvis helps decrease the risk of birth injury to both the mother and baby during labor and delivery.

Yes chiropractic treatment is appropriate for children. Chiropractic care can be very beneficial for children. Children grow rapidly and are rough and tumble on their bodies. Though they don't often complain of pain, there are other symptoms that children complain about that can be attributed to a malfunctioning neuromusculoskeletal system. Some of these other symptoms include: poor sleep, mood swings, poor digestion, irregular bathroom habits, poor balance, and behavioral issues. Being checked by a chiropractor regularly can also ensure that your child is hitting all their developmental milestones.

Neck pain is also one of the most sought out reasons a person will see their chiropractor. The term “tech neck” is becoming widely understood as our daily lives are engrossed with computers and cell phones. While this is only one possible reason for neck pain, the principles are all the same. For every inch of forward head posture, it can increase the weight of the head on the spine by an additional 10 pounds. Chiropractors are able to manipulate the joints of the neck as well as release muscle tension to improve its function and position. This is why chiropractic care is one the most useful non medicinal ways people are able to receive decreased frequency and intensity in headaches.

Sciatica is a term that describes compression of a nerve, typically originating from the lower back region. There are many causes of sciatica, such as a disc herniation or bulge, muscular tension, sacroiliac joint (SI joint) dysfunction or persistent compression such as from sitting on a wallet. By manually adjusting the joints around the site of the compression as well as releasing muscle and other soft tissue tension, chiropractors are able to decrease localized inflammatory processes and improve the function of the sciatic nerve. Typically most patients will notice their sciatica progress in a centralized manner with each visit, for instance feeling shooting pain that was going down to their knee now only going to the bottom of their glutes and eventually not shooting at all.