When most people think of the word Chiropractic, they have certain positive, negative or indifferent connotations. Some of the memes that have been ingrained over the years are things like “back crackers” or “manipulation”. Sometimes, as chiropractors, we deserve some of the labels because we perpetuate them and fail to educate people about what is happening when we work on their spines.
A few years ago, a chiropractor was taken to task because he posted a video on YouTube of him “cracking” a baby’s back. He was reprimanded by the registration board. His mistake was putting it out on the internet, which caused it to go viral. Whatever a chiropractor’s technique is, it should be done within the confines of their office. The specific procedure chiropractors use is termed an Adjustment, not manipulation. The adjustment is specific to a particular type of correction.
There are four levels of chiropractic care, beginning with the most basic and ultimately going to the most visionary, which not all but some chiropractors see as having great potential for the health and well-being of humanity.
Level 1: Back and Neck Pain Treatment
This is the most common reason people seek the services of a chiropractor. This has become so ingrained that it is assumed that Chiropractic is about treating these musculoskeletal problems.
There is no doubt that chiropractic care has been highly successful in these areas, but that is a result of the effect of what a chiropractor does. In reality, Chiropractic is not a pain treatment; it’s a corrective process so the body can heal itself.
When discussing back and neck pain, we include associated symptoms such as headaches, shoulder and arm, hip and leg pain.
Level 2: Treating Non-Musculoskeletal Conditions
Initially, Chiropractic never started as a treatment for back or neck pain. In fact, the first chiropractic patient was someone who had been deaf for 17 years. That first chiropractic adjustment was performed on Harvey Lillard in Davenport, Iowa, and even that crude adjustment restored the man’s hearing.
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