WHAT CAUSES THE SOUND OF AN ADJUSTMENT? IS IT BAD TO "CRACK" YOUR NECK OR BACK A LOT? SO I'M NOT "ADJUSTING" MYSELF? DO CHIROPRACTORS HAVE MEDICAL (M.D.) DEGREES? CAN I TELL IF I HAVE SPINAL NERVE STRESS WITHOUT CONSULTING A CHIROPRACTOR? HOW LONG DOES A CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENT TAKE? AT WHAT AGE SHOULD CHIROPRACTIC BEGIN? IS CHIROPRACTIC CARE ADDICTIVE? WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF I STOP GOING? IS CHIROPRACTIC SIMILAR TO MASSAGE? DO CHIROPRACTORS WORK IN HOSPITALS? CAN CHIROPRACTIC PREVENT BACK SURGERY? CAN A PERSON WHO HAD BACK SURGERY SEE A CHIROPRACTOR? CAN A PERSON WITH A BROKEN BACK OR NECK SEE A CHIROPRACTOR? IS CHIROPRACTIC SAFE? DO CHIROPRACTORS BELIEVE IN MEDICINE AND SURGERY? CAN SPINES AUTOMATICALLY GO BACK IN PLACE? I'M NOT SICK. SHOULD I SEE A CHIROPRACTOR? HOW OFTEN SHOULD I GET A SPINAL ADJUSTMENT? ARE CHIROPRACTIC COLLEGES ACCREDITED? DO CHIROPRACTORS NEED A SPECIAL LICENSE TO PRACTICE? HOW MANY CHIROPRACTORS ARE THERE? DO ALL CHIROPRACTORS USE THE SAME TECHNIQUES? WHO NEEDS CHIROPRACTIC CARE? HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE? WHAT IS A SUBLUXATION? WHAT CAUSES SUBLUXATIONS? HOW SHOULD I FEEL AFTER AN ADJUSTMENT? THE MOST IMPORTANT BENEFITS DOES CHIROPRACTIC HURT? WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO TO BECOME HEALTHY ONCE YOUR SPINAL PROBLEMS ARE CORRECTED?

Actually, not all adjusting techniques produce the sound associated with "popping knuckles." Some create no sound at all, some a little. Many techniques, however, do create the sound of a spinal "release." What causes it? The mystery may have been solved by a British research team that took x-ray movies of people "popping" their knuckles. The sound is caused by gas rushing in to fill the partial vacuum created when the joints are slightly separated.

The desire to pop the neck or back is caused by tension from a jammed or fixated vertebra, which causes another part of the spine to compensate by moving too much and "popping" a lot. The jammed part should be adjusted by a chiropractor so that the rest of the spinal column will balance and stop being so movable and noisy.

Cracking or popping your neck gives relief for a while, but soon the urge to pop or crack reappears because the cause of the spinal tension hasn't been corrected.

Chiropractors have Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) degrees granted from chiropractic colleges. Chiropractic education and medical education are similar in some respects and different in others because chiropractors do not prescribe drugs and medical doctors do not correct the vertebral subluxation complex (spinal nerve stress).

Not Always. A subluxation or spinal nerve stress is like a dental cavity- you may have it for a long time before symptoms appear. That's why periodic spinal check-ups are so important. Although it may be possible to know you have spinal nerve stress, it is rarely possible to be sure you don't. An occasional spinal check-up is always a good idea.

It depends on the adjusting technique your chiropractor uses. Sometimes the initial adjustment is preceded by a relatively brief initial visit, case history and evaluation. At other times it may take a few hours or even a few days of evaluation and spinal analysis.

Newborns have received spinal adjustments especially after difficult or traumatic births.

If only it were (just a little!), there'd be a lot less sick people around and we chiropractors wouldn't get patients who last saw a chiropractor "a few years ago when my back went out." It is possible to get used to feeling more balanced, less stressed, and more energetic as a result of periodic chiropractic care. You may become more sensitive to your body and know when you've "lost" your adjustment.

Spinal stress will continue to build up as before, without release. At which time, hopefully, before you can make the decision to return for periodic check-ups, so that your body and overall health won't suffer.

No. Chiropractic deals with the spinal column, nerve system, meninges and body structure. Massage therapists deal with muscle tension, circulation, and body fluid drainage.

Today chiropractors have privileges in many hospitals. (Who needs healthy spines more than people facing life threatening diseases?) The presence of D.C.s in hospitals is a welcome beginning -- hopefully paving the way toward making drugless, natural methods of chiropractic care available to all hospital patients.

In a majority of cases the answer is a resounding "Yes."

Yes. It's an unfortunate fact that 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. This too common occurrence is known as "Failed Back Surgery Syndrome." Chiropractic may help prevent repeated operations.

After the break heals, yes. In fact, a broken bone forms a callus or bone scar when it heals that is stronger than the rest of the bone which should dispel any concerns about the safety of an adjustment. People who have had broken bones need chiropractic check-ups because accidents usually cause spinal subluxations.

Yes. Having your spinal nerve stress corrected is important, no matter what other type of health care you are receiving. Today many D.C.s and M.D.s are working together in clinics and on joint research projects. M.D.s are quite likely to have patients who are under chiropractic care, in fact many see a D.C. themselves.

Certainly, as Norman Cousins says: "There are times when intervention in the form of medicine or surgery is absolutely necessary but there is never a time when the nourishment one puts into one's body or one's mind is not essential to health." Chiropractors would add spinal care to Mr. Cousins' observation.

Yes. There are verified instances of blind people recovering eyesight after a fall, of individuals able to walk again after their wheelchair was thrown, and of amnesiacs who remember their past after receiving a trauma-- these are examples of " accidental adjustments" in which a trauma accidentally realigned the spine. A visit to the chiropractor is a lot safer. Also, many types of therapy, including massage and various body work can reduce musculoskeletal stress, sometimes permitting the spine to automatically realign, as will cathartic emotional release. Occasionally, even a good night's sleep can release spinal stress.

Yes. Symptoms are not a good way to judge health. They sometimes surface only after years of body malfunction. (like a tooth cavity)

The answer is " as soon as you develop spinal nerve stress." But since spinal nerve stress is often painless, it's good to get your spine checked periodically, as you get your teeth checked periodically for "painless" cavities.

Yes, the CCE (Council on Chiropractic Education) which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, is responsible for setting, evaluating, and enforcing high educational standards.

As a licensed and regulated health professional, the doctor of chiropractic must pass a rigorous national exam, and a state exam for each state he chooses to practice in.

There are almost 50,000 chiropractors in the U.S., serving tens of millions of patients, and their use is growing rapidly as new research revalidates the effectiveness of chiropractic.

As with all professions, chiropractors have a large number of various methods to evaluate and take care of patients. In our office, we use numerous gentle and effective techniques such as Thomson, Gonstead, Activator, Toggle and Diversified techniques.

Everyone can benefit from modern, safe, effective, and painless chiropractic care. In our office, we use chiropractic techniques which are extremely effective for everyone including the elderly and infants.

How quickly you respond to chiropractic care can vary greatly, though most people feel immediate improvement. It is important to remember that even though you may feel better, the underlying condition may take much longer to correct.

A subluxation is a vertebrae in the spine which is out of alignment putting pressure on a nerve affecting health in the body. Furthermore, a vertebral subluxation is a serious spinal condition that interferes with the health of the nervous system, the vertebral column (spinal column) and the general health of the entire body as a whole.
In order for a vertebrae to be subluxated it has to have four qualities:

Different people have different reactions depending on their condition (i.e. presence of swelling and inflammation), the amount of time the condition has existed and the person's degree of sensitivity. Many people however will feel the following:

However, with all the interest in what is consciously perceived, please remember that the true benefits of the adjustment are usually found below the level of consciousness. It is when the nerve communication to the heart, lungs, joints, skin, eyes, ears and the brain itself are improved that the true benefits of chiropractic are experienced. The true benefits of chiropractic care are the preventive benefits: better night sleep, more energy and better nerve system function.

No. In our office we use a gentle effective technique which is painless and provides excellent results. We also use an activator technique, Thomson, hands on diversified, Gonstead and upper cervical techniques.

In our office, we recommend that you do the following once you have corrected your spinal misalignments.
Exercise

We understand that you can not change your lifestyle overnight. However, if you incorporate these ideas slowly, you will most definitely enjoy better health. Keep in mind that you are responsible for your health. Take charge.