Chiropractic is one of the largest healthcare professions in North America. Chiropractic is very well researched and was recently chosen as the number one choice for treatment for back pain by the Consumer Choice Awards. Chiropractic care is very effective for headaches, neck pain, back pain, whiplash and sports injuries but treating pain is only part of the chiropractic story. Pain is only the tip of the iceberg. Spinal health is also critical for our overall health and well-being.
Every health profession has an avenue of approach. Medicine uses drugs and surgery to treat disease. Chiropractic’s avenue of approach emphasizes the importance of the spine. The spine provides the framework for the entire body and protects the spinal cord, the “switchboard” of the nervous system. The nervous system is the electrical communication network of the entire body. This communication system coordinates the 50 trillion+ cells that compose our body. If the function of the nervous system is compromised this may alter the function of the tissue and organs of the body resulting in dis-ease.
Chiropractors commonly see many health conditions improve or resolve with improved spinal health, nutrition and exercise. More research is needed, but studies in the past and new preliminary studies, are proving traditional chiropractic observations that non musculoskeletal conditions are linked to the neurological function of the spine. A study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Orthopedics revealed that 1 in 4 patients also have positive benefits for non-musculoskeletal complaints.