You may be familiar with the concept of chiropractic care, perhaps through acquaintances who have received treatment or through personal experience. However, there are still numerous questions regarding the fundamental aspects of chiropractic practice. Licensed chiropractors possess a Doctor of Chiropractic degree and adhere to stringent standards established by state and federal authorities, akin to those for medical doctors. These professionals are experts in the human neuromusculoskeletal system and its functional movements, offering substantial pain relief and enhanced bodily function. This blog aims to demonstrate that chiropractic care is far from being mere hocus pocus. It has evolved significantly and now extends its benefits well beyond just addressing back and neck issues.
What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic care, like many forms of healthcare, comes from a long and storied history. With the “birthday of chiropractic” being September 18, 1895, it’s been a healing art for 130 years and has advanced and changed a lot in that time. The first documented chiropractic adjustment was performed by D.D. Palmer to a deaf janitor, reportedly restoring the janitor’s ability to hear. Since then, chiropractic manipulation has been through plenty of scrutiny questioning its validity and reliability. Modern research suggests that chiropractic adjustments are among the most effective treatment modalities for neuromusculoskeletal disorders, from the spine to fingers and toes and everything in between, and the best part is chiropractic care is non-invasive and drug free!
The chiropractic adjustment works by restoring normal motion to fixated joints. Joints can become fixated in a number of ways, such as repetitive movements, athletic training, and even trauma. When a joint becomes fixated, the surrounding area is required to work harder to maintain movement. When left unaddressed, this compensation can lead to much more complicated and chronic conditions.
Let’s put it this way: if you put brand new tires on your car, you want to make sure that it is in good alignment, to ensure that the tires wear evenly. If there is a misalignment, your tires may wear unevenly and prematurely. If left unaddressed, this might even progress to damage to the vehicle itself, and pretty soon you will be replacing more expensive parts like ball joints and control arms. If this is true for your vehicle, it is even more true of your body, which moves in dynamic ways every day.
Is Chiropractic More Than Backs and Necks?
The most prevalent reasons that individuals seek chiropractic care often revolve around the relief of neck and back pain, conditions that chiropractors excel in treating with remarkable success. However, it may come as a pleasant surprise to discover that chiropractic care extends well beyond these typical ailments. In fact, this holistic approach can effectively address a variety of other common conditions that many people face in their daily lives. For instance, carpal tunnel syndrome, which can inflict debilitating pain and discomfort in the hands and wrists, is one such condition where chiropractic interventions can lead to significant improvements. Similarly, sciatica—a condition characterized by radiating pain along the sciatic nerve—can be alleviated through targeted chiropractic techniques. Moreover, muscular imbalances—often resulting from poor posture or repetitive motions—can be corrected with the help of a skilled chiropractor who understands the intricate connections within the body’s musculoskeletal system. Plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the tissue on the bottom of the foot that often causes stabbing heel pain, is another ailment where patients have found relief through chiropractic adjustments and therapies. Additionally, TMJ dysfunction—which affects jaw movement and can lead to discomfort during eating or speaking—is also effectively managed with chiropractic treatment methods. Chiropractic care emerges not just as a solution for neck and back issues but as a versatile healing practice capable of addressing various challenges faced by individuals every day.
Isn’t Chiropractic Just Hocus Pocus?
But what about the deaf janitor? It might sound a bit like hocus pucus, right? While chiropractic care is well-researched and established for treating musculoskeletal disorders, it may offer even broader benefits. Conditions such as infertility, indigestion, constipation, and insomnia have shown positive responses to chiropractic adjustments. The science behind this is straightforward: when joints in the spine become fixated, they can exert pressure on nerves branching from the spinal cord to vital organs and systems in your body. This pressure acts like a dam on a stream, disrupting flow and potentially causing symptoms and dysfunctions. Chiropractic treatments aim to restore motion to these restricted areas; once the spinal joint moves properly again, pressure is relieved from the nerve. This restoration can lead to improvements in various symptoms and conditions that you might not expect to respond to chiropractic care. However, it’s important to acknowledge that there are limitations to what chiropractic can address—and modern medicine remains an valuable complement.
But how effective is chiropractic?
So what’s the catch? Well, there really is no “catch,” nearly everyone can benefit with chiropractic care. Studies show improved mobility and quality of life across diverse groups, including military personnel and first responders, athletes, seniors, children, and especially those under repetitive stress, like office workers, mechanics, tradespeople, and logistics workers. Case studies show a significant decrease in musculoskeletal pain and a notable increase physical function.
Some are skeptical of chiropractic and throw out terms such as hocus pocus or pseudoscience, mostly due to bold claims (such as curing deafness), but the chiropractic of 2025 is far more advanced and has research to back all common treatment methods. Just as surgeons and immunologists are constantly honing their craft so are chiropractors. The truth of the matter is that most patients that present to a chiropractor with a neuromusculoskeletal condition experience improvement in their condition and meet or exceed their recovery goals.
Chiropractic Methods and Techniques
There are many chiropractic techniques and even some difference in philosophy. Common joint manipulation techniques include HVLA (High Velocity Low Amplitude), instrument-assisted with an activator or clicker, and light force adjusting. These adjustments are used in both the spine and extremities and can be applied to every joint in the body. Each practitioner uses a different combination that works best for them and for their patient base, but the end goal of these three broad categories is to manipulate joints and ensure that proper joint mechanics are maintained. In order to evaluate which adjusting technique to use, your chiropractor may take X-rays, perform orthopedic testing, use palpation or motion palpation, or even tools like gait scanning and range of motion testing.
On top of the many different forms of adjusting, chiropractors use a wide array of soft tissue modalities. Soft tissue generally refers to anything not bone, but here it means muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves. Common modalities for maintaining these vital tissues include dry needling, fascial manipulation, instrument assisted manipulation, pulse wave therapy, and many more. Evaluations for these soft tissues include palpation and motion palpation, neurological testing, dynamic strength evaluation, and muscle testing.
How often you receive treatment should be based on your condition. During initial treatment, you might visit your chiropractor several times in a short period, but most treatment plans begin to taper off in frequency as treatment goals are met. Often, chiropractic patients choose to follow wellness or maintenance plans even when not actively managing a specific condition. These maintenance plans generally include regular “tune-ups” spaced out in wider increments, such as monthly, every six months, or even yearly. Think of these maintenance visits as getting an oil change on your vehicle; it is a routine task that is done as a preventative measure to avoid developing further problems. The more miles you put on a vehicle, the more often it will need an oil change. Similarly, the more miles you put on your body throughout your busy life, the more often you can benefit from a check for proper biomechanical function and receive adjustments as needed.
Chiropractic care stands as a remarkable and empowering conservative option within the contemporary healthcare landscape, offering hope and healing to countless individuals each year. This holistic approach helps millions of people find relief from pain and discomfort without the need for invasive surgeries or reliance on prescription medications. As a result, it not only promotes overall wellness but also proves to be more cost-effective than many traditional medical interventions. The efficacy of chiropractic care is backed by extensive research and clinical evidence, which attests to its safety and effectiveness in treating a variety of conditions. It has been tried, tested, and refined over the years, evolving into a comprehensive practice that extends far beyond merely addressing back and neck ailments. Today, chiropractic treatment encompasses techniques that can enhance overall bodily function, improve posture, alleviate headaches, reduce stress levels, and even boost athletic performance. What makes chiropractic care truly inspiring is its accessibility; it holds the potential to benefit anyone—from athletes seeking peak performance to office workers battling chronic tension from long hours at a desk. By focusing on spinal alignment and nervous system health, this form of therapy encourages the body’s innate ability to heal itself.
For more information, or to discuss how you can achieve better health through chiropractic care, contact our office.
References:
Blanchette MA, Stochkendahl MJ, Borges Da Silva R, Boruff J, Harrison P, et al. (2016) Effectiveness and Economic Evaluation of Chiropractic Care for the Treatment of Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review of Pragmatic Studies. PLOS ONE 11(8): e0160037. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0160037
Gevers-Montoro, C., Provencher, B., Descarreaux, M., Ortega de Mues, A., & Piché, M. (2021). Clinical Effectiveness and Efficacy of Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation for Spine Pain. Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland), 2, 765921. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpain.2021.765921
Goertz CM, Long CR, Vining RD, Pohlman KA, Walter J, Coulter I. Effect of Usual Medical Care Plus Chiropractic Care vs Usual Medical Care Alone on Pain and Disability Among US Service Members With Low Back Pain: A Comparative Effectiveness Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2018;1(1):e180105. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.0105