Choose Health. Choose Life. Choose Chiropractic.

0710511.handout.qxd
6/1/09
10:54 AM
Page 1
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Date:_____________________
The Solution
Spinal Adjustments – are the most important
treatment in your chiropractic care. The adjustment corrects the spinal joint fixation (hypo
mobile) which allows the increased compensating
spinal joint (hyper mobile) to heal. This treatment
is safe, effective and usually doesn’t cause
increased pain.
Physiotherapy – helps to speed healing of the
inflamed soft tissue and give pain relief. This
is accomplished by use of cold packs, hot
packs, electromuscle stimulation, ultrasound,
intersegmental traction and exercise. Like the
adjustment, this too is directed by your doctor.
Schedule of Care – Your schedule of care consists of
2 basic phases: Phase 1 and Phase 2. Phase 1 is to
relieve your pain. Most experience at least 50% pain
relief within 10-14 days from the onset of care. Phase
2 is the corrective phase. This phase is equally as
important because it corrects the spinal fixation
(Subluxation). It is important to complete your
schedule of care so your joints can become stable
and long-term pain relief can be realized. If care is
discontinued prior to completion of treatment, you may
be susceptible to reoccurrence.
Treatment Schedule
Stage 1
Time/Duration
_________________
Frequency
_________________
Stage 2
_________________
_________________
Stage 3
_________________
_________________
Re-Exam: ________________________________________________________________
2110 E. Santa Fe • Olathe, KS 66062
Clinic Hours:
Monday - Friday ......................7:30am - 7:00pm
Saturday ....................................8:00am - 5:00pm
Sunday ....................................12:00pm - 5:00pm
(913) 764-6237
Choose Health.
Choose Life.
Choose Chiropractic.
What is Chiropractic?
The History of Chiropractic
new profession practicing an ancient therapy.
In this country there are about 60,000 chiropractors.
It’s the 2nd largest healing profession in the
United States.
Chiropractic Facts
Joint manipulation is an ancient therapy. Primitive
forms of modern chiropractic were used for centuries.
2500 years ago, Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine
talked much of spinal misalignment problems. In fact,
he believed in it so much, that he wrote a textbook on
it called On Joints - a procedural manual about how to
adjust the spine.
Germany has had “bonesetters” for years, but
professional chiropractic as we know it today originated
in 1895.
As Hippocrates passed his ideas through time, a man
named D.D. Palmer picked up those ideas and thought
there should be a profession that specialized in
manipulation. He came up with the word “chiropractic”
which means practice with your hands and started the
profession over 100 years ago. So, chiropractic is a
Chiropractors treat about 40% of people who seek
treatment for back pain. In 1985, we saw only about
10%. It was within the last decade that the number of
people who are now seeking chiropractic care quadrupled.
This is because chiropractic is a safe therapy, and
it’s very effective in making you feel better. Most
importantly, it gets to the cause of why you feel bad,
and by correcting that, you not only feel better, but the
problem is corrected.
• 31 million Americans experience low-back pain at
any given time.
• One-half of all working Americans admit to having
back pain symptoms each year.
• Back pain is one of the most common reasons for
missed work. In fact, back pain is the second most
(Continued Inside...)
0710511.handout.qxd
6/1/09
10:56 AM
Page 2
common reason for visits to the doctor’s office, out
numbered only by the common cold.
• Most cases of back pain are mechanical or nonorganic—meaning they are not caused by serious
conditions, such as inflammatory arthritis, infection,
fracture or cancer.
• Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on
back pain—and that’s just for the more easily identified costs.
• Experts estimate that as many as 80% of the population will experience a back problem at some time in
our lives.
Why Chiropractic Works: The Evaluation Process
1. Case History – All new chiropractic patients
begin their care with a consultation. During
this consultation, we discuss their history and
health problem. At this time, the doctor will
decide if the patient has a condition that chiropractic can help.
2. Orthopedic, Neurological and Chiropractic
Exam – This exam includes different neurological, orthopedic and chiropractic tests. These
tests help to confirm a chiropractic problem.
3. Chiropractic X-Rays – Health of the spine is
an important key to treatment. X-rays allow
your doctor to evaluate bone health.
Degeneration or arthritis can be seen on X-rays.
Spinal Degeneration
One of the most effective ways to determine the amount of care needed is by assessing the damage or degeneration of the spine. With trauma, the damage can be sudden, but degeneration wear and tear of the spine often
occurs slowly and without symptoms.
■ Near Normal – Normal curves, equal disc spacing,
and good bone structure. While subluxation can
still exist in near normal spines, their response to
chiropractic care is very good and treatment
programs can be short.
■ Moderate Degeneration – Misalignment and considerable degeneration including loss of disc space,
calcium deposits, and loss of good bone structure.
Chiropractic care may slow or stop the degeneration.
■ Mild Degeneration – Misalignment and low-grade
tissue damage. With chiropractic care, return to
normal or near normal can be expected.
■ Severe Degeneration – Misalignment, joint
immobilization, soft tissue damage, and excessive
bone degeneration. Chiropractic care may slow or
stop the degeneration.
The Degenerative Process:
Why Do I Feel This Way?
Nerve Irritation – occurs when the nerves
are stretched or damaged by an injury or
spinal fixation.
Muscle Changes – occur due to direct
injury to the muscle, abnormal spinal
movement, or changes to the nerves that
control the muscles.
Tissue Damage – occurs in the tendon,
ligament, disc and surrounding tissue either
by injury or as a progressive deterioration.
Spinal Wear and Tear – is another phrase
for arthritis. It takes place over a period of
time and affects both the spine and the
tissue around the spine.
Abnormal Motion – occurs when there is a
loss of correct spinal joint motion. This can
happen when improper lifting, accidents,
repetitive motions, poor sleeping habits,
emotional and chemical imbalances occur.
The Cause: Subluxation
When the joints of the spine are unable to function
correctly – either due to reduced mobility
(hypomobile) or increased mobility (hypermobile),
they cause irritation to the closely associated
nerve roots. The altered motion of the vertebrae
that irritates the spinal cord and nerve roots is
called a Subluxation. Since the nerves control
every aspect of our body, many symptoms can
develop such as:
PHASE 1
PHASE 2
PHASE 3
PHASE 4
Near Normal
Mild Degeneration
Moderate Degeneration
Severe Degeneration
■ Headache, pain at the base of the skull, pain
or numbness of the face, stiffness or loss of
normal movement in the neck, neck pain,
shoulder, arm and hand problems including
pain, numbness and loss of strength and nerve
related problems involving eyes, ears, nose
and throat.
■ Tension between the shoulders, mid-back pain,
pain wrapping around rib cage, problems
affecting the heart, lungs, stomach, gall bladder,
and other digestive organs.
■ Low back pain, pain in the legs, disc problems,
hip pain, groin pain, lower abdominal pain,
bladder and bowel problems, many different
reproductive problems, and circulatory problems
in the lower body.
■ Pain at the base of the spine, bladder and bowel
problems, hip pain, and sacroiliac pain.