The Philosophy, art and Science of Chiropractic

Chiropractic Philosophy
Chiropractic is a health discipline that emphasizes the inherent recuperative power of the body to heal itself without the use of drugs or surgery.

The practice of chiropractic focuses on the relationship between structure (the spine) and function (as coordinated by the nervous system) and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health.
"Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."
- World Health Organization, definition of health.

Doctors of Chiropractic recognize the value and responsibility of working in cooperation with other health care practitioners when in the best interest of the patient. As such, our office enjoys a great inter-professional relationship with many Medical clinics in our surrounding area.

A) Holism
Chiropractors recognize the importance to treat the whole person and not only focus on symptoms. The purpose of chiropractic therefore is not only to relieve pain and discomfort, but to address the cause of the patient's symptoms in order to optimize health and more importantly, prevent a relapse.
Chiropractic patients report high satisfaction rates with their experience - for back pain, three times the satisfaction rate for medical Doctors - partly because Chiropractors understand their problems and how to prevent future pain and disability in the context of their whole lives.

B) Homeostatsis - a matter of balance
As a basic and broadly accepted principle, homeostasis is the tendency to return to normal health. The human body has its own innate recuperative powers, which is affected and integrated through the nervous system.

C) The role of the nervous system
The nervous system is divided in three components:

1. the central nervous system (CNS): the brain and the spinal cord.
2. the peripheral nervous system (PNS): nerves leading out of the spinal cord to the joints, muscles, ligaments and skin bringing back to the CNS messages of pain, pressure, balance and other stimuli.
3. the autonomic nervous system (ANS): nerves that regulate internal and visceral function (e.g. breathing, digesting, perspiring and others..)

Through mechanical dysfunction in the musculoskeletal system, such as displaced vertebrae, reduced range of motion or tense muscles, the normal function of the nervous system may be disturbed. In other words, delicate nerve tissue that is choked or pinched by a displaced vertebrae - for example- may cause pain, numbness and tingling sensations as well as altered function in the internal organs and viscera. Therefore the purpose of spinal manipulation or adjustments, are not only to improve range of motion and to reduce pain but to restore the normal function of the nervous system and thereby improving the body's homeostasis.

In summary, the goals of chiropractic care are to relieve the patient's discomfort and pain by addressing the cause of the symptoms and to restore the proper function of the muscle and joints of the spine so that the nervous system can better regulate the various body systems and general health.

For more information about chiropractic history, how it works, or research, please click below.

History | How Chiropractic Works | Research