"Is Chiropractic Safe?" and "Are All Patients Adjusted the Same?"
Probably two of the most asked questions we get, so I thought I’d try to shed some light.
Is Chiropractic safe?
Without a doubt chiropractic is safe. Chiropractic is a physical form of medicine and for any physical intervention (exercise, surgery, physio, massage, etc.) there is always a chance of injury. The risks are very low, and although it is always good to know the risks before going ahead with something, the very low incident rate of injury in chiropractic makes it a very safe form of treatment. The risks of drinking fizzy drinks, smoking cigarettes, and frequent prescription medicine intake far out-shadows any risk that chiropractic manipulation might present.
Are all patients adjusted the same?
In short, the answer is No.
Think of exercise, is all exercise the same? Obviously, the answer is also No…but most exercise will induce a faster heart rate, perspiration, and heavier breathing. On a physiological level, it may all look pretty much the same, but the small nuances between specific movements are where the magic lies.
Most exercise will also require flexion and extension of most of your joints, rotation of the torso, and focus on a specific focal point…as well as a few other things that stay fairly consistent across a wide range of activities from Olympic weight-lifting to badminton.
The difference comes with the specific combinations of those movements, the intensity of those movements, and the frequency of those movements.
One of the major goals of chiropractic care is to move a specific joint or movement segment(s) through a full range of motion to stimulate a certain nervous system response that will in turn provoke a specific healing response within your body.
As Fish Hoek chiropractors, we identify a specific area that isn’t moving as it should and then through chiropractic manipulation, introduce movement.
On the surface it may look like all manipulations received are the same…and for the same patient for a specific problem, you would be mostly correct. Your specific adjustment routine will be the same for you and will be repeated as long as your body responds to that specific sequence of manipulation.
If other issues arise then your manipulation protocol would more than likely also evolve. Certain body types, ages, athletic performance, and diseased states or illnesses require more or less force or frequency and this is what your chiropractor decodes when figuring out your specific manipulation technique.
If there are any other chiro-related or health-related topics you’d like me to discuss, please let me know.
Knowledge and understanding is probably the most important part of your treatment plan.
Yours in health
Dr. Peter Solomon
PS. I highly recommend the Metagenics Vitamin D3 Supplement.
