Chiropractic FAQ's
What to expect at your first appointment?
Your initial appointment includes assessment, report of findings, and first treatment. If further investigation is required the Doctor of Chiropractic will refer you to the appropriate professional. First appointments take forty five minutes to an hour and patients are advised to arrive early to complete initial paperwork.
[back to top]
How does chiropractic work?
Chiropractic is a primary health-care profession that specialises in the diagnosis, treatment and overall management of conditions that are due to problems with the joints, ligaments, tendons and nerves of the body, particularly those of the spine.
[back to top]
What is the typical education for a practioner?
Doctors of Chiropractic are well educated. Chiropractic education and medical education are similar in many respects and different in others because chiropractors do not prescribe drugs or perform surgery, and medical doctors do not correct vertebral subluxations. After complete degree in Master of Chiropractic, each Chiropractor has to undertake a post graduate year before being award Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C). Once qualified Chiropractors continue training as outlined by the General Chiropractic Council (requires 30 additional training hours). A chiropractor's education, however, never ends. Most doctors complete regular postgraduate instruction for license renewal and to stay current on the latest research and adjustment techniques.
[back to top]
What is an adjustment?
A chiropractic adjustment is the skill of using a specific force in a precise direction, applied to a joint that is "locked up," or not moving properly. The purpose of this safe and natural procedure is to eliminate interference to the nervous system, improving spinal function and overall health.
[back to top]
Do children need chiropractic care?
Since significant spinal trauma can occur at birth, many parents have their newborns checked for mechanical dysfunction. Chiropractic adjustment procedures are adapted for the child's spine. Most parents report that their children enjoy their chiropractic adjustments and feel healthier.
[back to top]
Are all patients adjusted the same way?
No. The doctor evaluates each patient's unique spinal problem and develops an individual course of care. Each chiropractic adjustment builds on the one before.
[back to top]
Is chiropractic safe?
Yes. Chiropractic has an excellent safety record. It is the result of a conservative and natural approach to mechanical dysfunction that avoids invasive procedures or addictive drugs.
[back to top]
During adjustments sometimes there is a loud crack or pop is this normal?
Yes, adjustments do not always produce a sound. Often, however, adjustments do create the sound of a spinal "release," or "popping" sound. The sound is caused by gas rushing in to fill the partial vacuum created when the joints are slightly separated. This sound is painless and totally harmless.
[back to top]
Can a person who had back surgery see a chiropractor?
Yes. It's an unfortunate fact that up to half of those who had spinal surgery discover a return of their original symptoms months or years later. They then face the prospect of additional surgery. Chiropractic aid in spinal health management post surgery. In fact, if chiropractic care is initially, utilized back surgery can often be avoided in the first place. Approximately 25% of the UK population have asymptomatic discs.
[back to top]
Is it OK to see a chiropractor if I'm pregnant?
Anytime is a good time for a better functioning nerve system. Pregnant women report that chiropractic adjustments improved their pregnancy and made delivery easier for themselves and their baby. Adjusting methods are always adapted to a patients size, weight, age, and condition of health.
[back to top]
Why do chiropractors take x-rays?
Chiropractors take x-rays to reveal the internal structure and alignment of the spine. We are also concerned about underlying disease processes and disorders of the spine such as spinal deterioration, arthritis of the spine, abnormal development, bone spurs, disc disorders, tumors and spinal curvature.
[back to top]
Is a good work-out the same as getting adjusted?
No. Exercise is an important part of good health, yet without normal spinal function a physical workout merely puts additional wear and tear on improperly functioning spinal joints.
