By 2021, modern chiropractic care has become increasingly more popular as an alternative health treatment to the sick care model. This traditional health approach focuses on addressing symptoms with drugs and invasive procedures. Chiropractic care takes a different approach, which identifies and treats the source of patients’ pain, discomfort, and illnesses. In turn, patients can achieve sustainable health and wellness, as well as reduce or remove their health issues. Even though chiropractic care is becoming more popular, misinformation still exists regarding this holistic care. Keep reading to learn some chiropractic facts you may not know yet.
1. Chiropractors Must Complete Thousands of Hours of Training
Some people may be surprised to know that chiropractors are doctors and that they must complete extensive training requirements before they can practice. Specifically, chiropractors must undergo at least 4,200 hours of training. This science-based training includes hands-on experience in classrooms, labs, and clinical internships. Like medical doctors, Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) must pass state board exams and earn a four year doctoral graduate degree before they can legally practice in their state. Indeed, this training is crucial for performing safe, gentle, and effective adjustments for every patient.
2. Chiropractic Adjustments Are Not Painful
When you receive your first adjustment, you may be feeling nervous. This is completely normal. After all, this is all new to you and you’re not sure what to expect. If you watch videos or read articles online, the idea of a doctor adjusting your spine sounds slightly scary and odd. However, chiropractors are licensed doctors that receive extensive training. Thus, they are experts at providing gentle and safe chiropractic care for their patients.
During your adjustment, if you hear a sound similar to someone cracking their knuckles, don’t worry. This is just gas releasing from your joint capsules when there is space between two adjacent joints, known as joint cavitation. It’s helpful to remember that these adjustments are not painful. When you have your first appointment, the chiropractic office will discuss all the necessary information with you and answer all of your questions too. When you know what to expect, you will be less worried, so you can focus on benefiting from this science-based holistic care.
3. Chiropractic Care is Safe for People of All Ages
Even though most patients are adults, chiropractic care is safe for people of all ages, ranging from newborns and school-aged to adults and seniors. Chiropractic care is gentle and effective, so it is safe for everyone. Newborns can benefit from adjustments specifically designed to decrease their aches and pains experienced after the stress of being born. Seniors can benefit from adjustments designed to improve their range of motion, as well as prevent future injuries, such as slips and falls.
4. One of the Most Successful Chiropractors in History Was Blind
Did you know people with vision disabilities can perform chiropractic care? Dr. Charles Robinson Johnson is proof of this. Dr. Johnson was born in a mining camp and was blinded during a bad accident at the age of 27. He overcame his life challenges and eventually graduated as the first blind chiropractor at Palmer School of Chiropractic in 1918. He made history that day and opened the door for other people with vision impairments to practice as well.
His inspiring story doesn’t end there either. Dr. Johnson became one of the most successful chiropractors throughout history. He practiced on hundreds of patients a week due to his expert skills and knowledge. For over two decades, this famous chiropractor practiced in Peekskill, New York. Dr. Johnson was known as “the man who made Peekskill famous.”
5. Never Let Your Untrained Friend “Adjust” You
Remember how much specialized training and education chiropractors must receive before they can even practice? This training is essential to avoid possibly injuring a person and causing them more pain or discomfort than they already have.
Some people still believe that chiropractic care is just twisting, popping, and cracking your back. However, chiropractic care is a sound, science-based process that requires extensive training and skills to implement such precise, gentle, and effective adjustments on a patient’s spine. If you allow your untrained friend or family member to “adjust” you, they could potentially injure you.
Consider an adjustment attempt gone wrong when a barber tried to adjust his customer’s neck in India during 2001. Not only did this not “fix” his neck pain, but it caused the man to have severe spinal cord and brainstem issues. Indeed, the lesson here is to never let your untrained friend, family member, or co-worker “adjust” you because it’s not as easy as it looks. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!
We hope you enjoyed this week’s article and hopefully you learned some new facts about chiropractic care. If you are looking for a chiropractor in the Parker, Colorado area, look no further than Awaken Chiropractic. Our office provides holistic and non-invasive chiropractic care that is designed to help you reach your maximum health and wellness potential.
