Questions Frequently Asked:
Below are some of the FAQs related to Chiropractic from our patients, do you find yourself having a similar question?
01
The MRI indicates that I have a disc problem. Do I need surgery?
Over half of normal adults with no symptoms will have a disc problem indicated on their MRI. Although each case is different, most problems respond well to conservative therapies, such as chiropractic treatment and massage. Surgery is invasive and irreversible. It’s your body. View surgery as a LAST resort. Research indicates: A bad disc doesn't always mean back surgery.
02
Have I got a slipped disc (Intevertebral Disc Hernia)?
Spinal discs are fibrous rings, containing a soft gel-like ‘cushion’ between each of your spinal bones (vertebrae). Discs cannot slip, because they are attached to the vertebrae, but the term ‘slipped disc’ can mean disc damage, such as a bulge, a tear, or a rupture. The resulting pressure or irritation on the nerves that exit your spine can cause pain in your back, or ‘referred’ pain over an area through which the nerves pass through. Your chiropractor will explain the cause of your pain – it may not necessarily be a ‘slipped disc,’ as many other problems have similar pain patterns.
03
How can chiropractic help treat sports-related injuries or pain?
Chiropractic care can effectively help relieve pain and speed up the recovery process, with focus on healing correctly and avoiding bad habits in preventing further injury. Chiropractic also improves biomechanics (body structure) and helps the body perform better as a whole.
Almost every professional sports team now has a chiropractor on staff. This is because chiropractic can be extremely beneficial for daily maintenance and improvement of stamina and flexibility. It is also useful in treatment of sports-related injuries, aches, and pains. If you have had a sports-related injury, visit Ark Chiropractic for an initial consultation to determine how chiropractic can best treat your condition.
04
After beginning chiropractic treatment, how long does it typically take to feel improvements in my symptoms/pain/overall health?
Each person and condition is different. Many people feel better after just a few treatments; however, others may need multiple sessions. It all depends on the condition, age, lifestyle of patient, previous injuries, etc.
05
Is chiropractic safe when I am pregnant?
According to the American Pregnancy Association, chiropractic care during pregnancy is safe. Changes to the spine occur during pregnancy and can be helped with chiropractic care. All chiropractors are trained to work with pregnant women. In Ark Chiropractic, we have received many pregnant ladies who now enjoy the benefit of our treatment and now have less back pain, hip pain, and a better, smoother, delivery.
06
Is it bad to "crack" your back or neck a lot?
This question is frequently asked because people associate the "cracking" or "popping" of one's back or neck with a chiropractic adjustment. The two are not the same thing. If a person has a desire to "crack" his/her neck or back, it is often because one area of their spine is fixated or jammed, causing another area to move too much and "pop," sometimes by itself. It's the fixated area that needs to be properly adjusted by a chiropractor so that the other parts of the spine will not be overly flexible and noisy. When you "crack" your back, you may be relieving the tension for a little while. But do you notice how it keeps coming back? That is because you are not giving yourself a specific chiropractic adjustment; the cause of the spinal tension, the fixated or jammed (subluxated) spine, has not been corrected. Any person who makes a habit out of "cracking" or "popping" their back or neck needs to go to a Doctor of Chiropractic to have their spine checked. Even a chiropractor cannot adjust him/herself.
07
Is it normal to have soreness or pain after a chiropractic adjustment?
Your chiropractic adjustment itself should not be painful; however, after your first few chiropractic adjustments, you may experience minor soreness. This is normal, and is caused by the muscles around your spine reacting and adapting as your spine is adjusted. If you experience soreness, ice the affected area for relief.
08
Once you see a chiropractor, do you have to go for the rest of your life?
No! We care for problems in one of three phases of care. Patients always choose the level of care they desire. The extent to which you choose to benefit from your chiropractic care is ultimately up to you. Each and everyone of us is solely responsible for the quality of our health and well-being. However, we do strongly urge all practice members to consider lifetime, wellness chiropractic care. This is where the long-term, lasting benefits of care are enjoyed. Regular exercise and healthy eating habits are a lifestyle decision and so is lifetime, wellness chiropractic care. You need to remain subluxation free for life.
AcuteCare Goal - Relieve Pain
Most patients show improvement within the first 2 to 5 visits. Initial treatment usually works best when a person is seen frequently over a short period of time.
Wellness Care Goal — Prevention & Performance
Regular therapy and intelligent habits help people keep moving, stay active and maximize their health span.
09
Should I continue chiropractic care if I don't have any symptoms and I feel better?
Yes. Just because symptoms disappear does not mean your subluxations are corrected. Most of the practice members seen in our office have spinal degeneration (decay), which has taken years to develop. The longer you wait to have your spine checked by a chiropractor, the longer it will take to correct your subluxations. However, how you choose to use chiropractic care is ultimately up to you. It has been our experience that those who stop care when they are "feeling fine" return with the same health challenge(s) which brought them to our office in the first place ... only it's usually gotten worse. On the other hand, those practice members who commit to long-term, wellness chiropractic care, find their health challenge(s) rarely return and they enjoy a higher quality of life and health.
10
What causes the sound made during a chiropractic adjustment?
That sound is not your spine "cracking" or "popping" like most people think. That sound is created by gas (in this case, nitrogen) rushing in to fill the partial vacuum created when the joints are slightly separated. Another example of this phenomenon would be the "pop" sound you hear when the cork is taken out of a champagne bottle. Not all chiropractic-adjusting techniques produce this noise. In fact, some adjusting techniques use little force and thus produce no noise at all.
11
Can chiropractic help with seemingly non-spinal related problems such as migraine, frequent headaches, sinus, gout, and constipation?
Migraine: there’s a difference between “true” migraine and “recurrent headaches.” The general public often confuses recurrent, severe, headache that affects one side of the brain with migraine. If the headache is caused by the nerve being affected by the spinal position or by muscular tension due to bad posture, chiropractic may be very helpful for you.
As for “true” migraine,” it is a chemical imbalance that affects the patient’s brain causing pain and discomfort, therefore it is not directly related to the chiropractor’s domain. However, chiropractors can still provide relief and management for these patients in easing the severity of their condition and frequency of onsets.
Sinus, gout, constipation, and other common ailments: these are often the result of several causes combined. Chiropractic will not claim to cure each of the conditions but can most definitely contribute to the recovery and the management of the pain and discomfort.
12
Is it necessary to take an X-Ray? Can I still have chiropractic treatment without X-Ray?
The x-Ray is meant for the patient. A trained chiropractor will certainly be able to provide treatment without x-ray and still achieve fairly satisfactory results. But with the aid of an x-Ray, the chiropractor will be able to see clearly the underlying condition of the spine; its quality and degrees of degeneration. Armed with such knowledge, the precision of treatment will improve and increase the benefits to the patient. A set of x-ray can also serve as a good record of patient’s postural improvement and change in joint quality change. The doctor can reference it easily when reviewing the patient’s condition.
The bottom line is: the doctor can certainly provide treatment without x-ray. But having the patient’s benefits in mind, both short term and long term, x-ray is highly recommended.