Not all chiropractors are alike. Although they go by the same name,
chiropractors today differ greatly in technique and philosophy. The traditional philosophy that chiropractic
was based on has never changed, but for social acceptance, on a cultural level
some chiropractors have. As a result,
when patients go to different chiropractors they get different opinions, care
provided and results This can be both
confusing and frustrating to the patient.
If expectations aren’t met, patients stop chiropractic care, and never
get to experience the great results chiropractic care can give them. Basically, there are two types of
chiropractors. The musculoskeletal chiropractors who work on symptom relief and
the traditional wellness chiropractors who work on subluxation and structural
correction.
The symptom relief
chiropractors primarily focuses on, you guessed it, relief of
symptoms. Adjustments are performed on
the spine to decompress the joints, free fixations and reduce pain. In addition, electrotherapies such as
ultrasound, muscle work, physical therapy, electrical stimulation, laser and
acupuncture are often used. In some
states chiropractors are even trying to “expand their scope of practice” to
prescribe drugs. The length of care
under symptom relief chiropractors is usually dictated by the patient’s
symptoms or insurance coverage. Under
this type of care, the treatment plans are determined according to symptoms or
what the insurance will reimburse, neglecting the fact that your body is unique
and heals different than everyone else, resulting in shorter treatment time yet
still leaving the cause of the symptom untouched. The patients typically feel better
temporarily, but since the spine is still structurally misaligned, it continues
to degenerate silently resulting in damage and dysfunction to the discs, joints
and whatever part of the body the nerve supplies.
The wellness
chiropractor practices the traditional philosophy of chiropractic,
dating back to 1895, which focuses on detecting and correcting vertebral
subluxations and correcting the structure of the body. Simply put, a subluxation is a misaligned
vertebra which interferes with the nerve impulses. Nerve impulse is the electrical impulse from
the brain that regulates all function of the body and keeps us alive. Although wellness chiropractors want their
patients to “feel better,” their primary focus is removing the nerve
interference and restructuring the spine and posture to it’s most stable
biomechanical position, thus leading to lasting symptomatic relief. By maximizing the integrity of the discs,
joints and nerves through spinal adjustments and postural correction, the
body’s wellness, health potential and ability to function improves! This is done through a corrective care
plan. By focusing on the cause of the
problem, not only do the symptoms disappear, but the patient’s overall health
and well being are much improved as well!