Visiting a chiropractor is a natural alternative to using pharmaceutical or surgical methods to control pain of musculoskeletal origin. In the long term, it is also more effective because chiropractic therapy attacks the source of the pain and restores function. Founded by Canadian DD Palmer (1845-1913) in the late 1890s, chiropractic has grown to become the third largest health profession behind medicine and dentistry.
The cost of a chiropractic visit is about the same as an evening out for a few beers and a curry. Chiropractic treatment is covered by many personal health plans so it makes sense to shop around.
While the vast majority of visits are for low back pain, chiropractors also treat whiplash. Whiplash is normally associated with rear-end road traffic accidents, but can occur in any circumstances where the body is thrown into a sudden, forceful jerk, stretching the soft tissue of the spine. This can happen in diving or other sports injuries, falls or accidents at work.
A visit to the chiropractor should be arranged if any of the following symptoms occur: Headache; pain in the face or jaw; pain or stiffness in the neck or shoulder, upper limbs or legs; blurred vision; difficulty swallowing; nausea; numbness and tingling; vertigo or ringing in the ears. Sometimes symptoms can take months or even years to develop. Whiplash injury can result in subtle changes in the flow of blood and cerebral spinal fluid. Left untreated, conditions such as anxiety, depression and agoraphobia can result.
For your first appointment, wear comfortable clothes and shoes and allow half an hour or forty-five minutes (subsequent visits will be shorter). Your practitioner will ask you about your personal and family medical history, what major illnesses or operations you have had and what medications you are presently taking. He will ask you to describe your current condition, how the incident took place and what you have been doing to manage it. He will also ask questions about your diet and exercise habits and questions about your work routine and sleeping habits.
The examination will include an analysis of your posture, how you walk, bend and turn and how you move around the affected area. He will then ask you to lie down on a special table where he can assess your spine, limbs and muscles. Once your condition has been assessed, your chiropractor may begin treatment to relieve immediate pain and restriction of movement. Complete relief may require more than one visit.
If the injuries are severe or if they have gone unreported for any length of time, corrective care to the spine, muscles and associated tissues and nerves may be required. Once normal function has been restored, supportive or maintenance care may be undertaken in order to maintain the benefits that have been gained through relief and corrective care.
Your chiropractor is also trained to detect problems before they start to cause discomfort, pain or loss of normal function. This is why it is a good idea to make an appointment every six months to a year for a regular 'tune-up', in order to catch issues before they become a major nuisance.
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