Frequently Asked Questions
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Chiropractic is the second largest health care field in the United States and the leading natural healing art in the world. It is based on the foundation that good health, in part, relies on a healthy spinal structure which affects the function of the nervous system and body. Your body is a self-regulating, self-healing organism. The body’s functions are controlled by the brain through the spinal cord and all the nerves of the body. If the spine misaligns and puts pressure on the nervous system (this is called a subluxation), it can cause malfunction of the tissues and organs throughout the body. Chiropractic is the science of locating nerve interference and adjusting the spine to remove it. This non-drug and non-surgical approach to restoring health was founded in 1895 by D.D. Palmer.
Yes. Chiropractic is among the safest of the healing arts. Every health procedure, from taking Tylenol to giving blood involves a level of risk, but chiropractic enjoys an excellent track record because of its non-surgical and non-drug approach to health. The NUCCA adjustment is gentle and doesn’t involve any twisting, popping or jerking of the spine. Rest assured that all adjustments are delivered by a licensed practitioner, and risk factors are identified in patients before any type of care is administered. Chiropractic takes nothing out of the body and puts nothing in.
Chiropractors don’t treat any specific disease or condition. They detect and correct misalignment (subluxation) of the spine putting pressure on the nervous system. Once the nerve pressure and body balance is restored, the body is better able to heal, regulate and maintain itself. Many practice members see relief from a variety of symptoms when the body is in proper alignment. Chiropractors are looking for one potential cause of dysfunction in the body (nerve interference), and are not as concerned with treating the effects (like many medications). Click here to view a list of some conditions that have responded to upper cervical chiropractic.
NUCCA (National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association) is an upper cervical organization and technique. This organization has been doing research in the upper cervical area and educating Chiropractors to do the work since it began in 1966. It is a system of analyzing and aligning the top neck bone, called the atlas, by hand to restore the spine to a balanced and less stressed position. This rebalancing decreases pressure on nerves thus improving health.
NUCCA Chiropractors adjust the top neck bone to improve structural balance, and hope for improved spinal mobility. This adjustment influences the postural reflexes by returning the head to a more balanced position on top of the neck. The laws of physics and mechanics are used to determine the proper adjustment angle. “Regular” Chiropractic attempts to primarily address joints that aren’t moving properly by giving a short, quick thrust to the area to increase mobility and hope for improved structural balance.
It can definitely help low back pain. When a person has a trauma to the head and neck, the rest of the spine will compensate and shift out of place like a stack of dominoes all the way down to the pelvis. When the body’s posture is distorted like this there will be uneven weight distribution over the joints. Pain will show up in primary compensation areas over time (the low back commonly feels this stress). Receiving a NUCCA adjustment to reduce postural distortion allows for the possible relief of pain in these compensated areas.
Even though NUCCA has been around for decades not all chiropractic colleges have it available for students to be exposed to. The technique also requires a lot of time and energy to become proficient.
