FAQ

Table of Contents

Q. How long will it take for me to get well under adjustments?
Q. What brings about healing under adjustments?
Q. How can the chiropractor determine if the patient is making progress?
Q. Why is time required to obtain results?
Q. Does the chiropractor treat every case alike?
Q. Why is it that after an adjustment, I notice other positive changes in my body that are different than the original concern?
Q. Do I get an adjustment each visit?
Q. If I get adjusted more frequently, will it speed up my recovery?
Q. Is it possible to feel fine yet have a Subluxation interfering with my nervous system?
Q. What care should I take of my adjustment?
Q. If I become subluxated again after holding my adjustment for a period of time, will the same symptoms return?
Q. Does it always require an injury to reproduce a Subluxation?
Q. How can I tell if I need an adjustment?
Q. Can my Subluxation correct itself?
Q. Do vertebrae “snap” out of place?
Q. After I have held my adjustment for a period of time, and suddenly require another what has happened if I have had no injury or no other reason is apparent?
Q. Do you recommend lifts in shoes to lengthen the shorter leg?
Q. Should everyone be checked for a Subluxation?
Q. Should I check my Subluxation after recovery from my condition?

Q.How long will it take for me to get well under adjustments?
A.The length of time will depend upon how long the vertebrae (spinal bones) have been displaced, how successful the adjustment is in reducing the displacements, how much damage has been done to the nerve tracts and fibers, how well you can retain the correction made by the adjustment, how many falls, jerks, or other injuries you will have during the service period, how well you cooperate with the doctor, your vitality, and the rate of response of the nerve fibers to the adjustment. Back to Top

Q. What brings about healing under adjustments?
A. The body has an inherent ability to heal itself if it is working normally under the control of a perfectly functioning nervous system. An example of this type of healing is the repair of a fractured bone after it has been set. The adjustment is to restore misplaced bone structures to their normal position, re-establish the normal pathways for the nerve tracts and fibers so that more perfect performance of the nervous system can take place, promoting healing. Back to Top

Q. How can the chiropractor determine if the patient is making progress?
A. Your progress is determined by the presence or absence of the objective and physical signs of the nervous system which include leg length checks, spastic contracture and spinal column distortion, comparison of the symptoms with the objective signs, and methods generally used by all doctors. Back to Top

Q. Why is time required to obtain results?
A. Most subluxations have existed for years, causing harm to the nervous system and its control of the bodily functions. When the Subluxation is removed by the adjustment, repair of the damage caused must take place before you can recover. Repair of tissue takes time. Back to Top

Q. Does the chiropractor treat every case alike?
A. No two subluxations are identical therefore every adjustment is different. Because the chiropractor is “treating” spinal misalignment and imperfect performance of the nervous system, the adjustment is tailored specifically to the patient. In certain cases other components of the spinal Subluxation are addressed such as lifestyle, or nutritional recommendations. Back to Top

Q. Why is it that after an adjustment, I notice other positive changes in my body that are different than the original concern?
A. Many benefits accrue to the chiropractic patient other than those for which they sought chiropractic service. This is because more perfect performance of the nervous system results in improvement in respiration, sleep patterns, circulatory improvement and better functioning of the digestive tract. Other changes include:

Improved spinal balance through correction of the pelvic alignment.
Realignment of the gravity centres of the body, causing better posture.
Correction of spastic contracture in skeletal (body framework) muscles.
Equalization of leg lengths providing better body-weight distribution and protecting spinal discs.
Improved energy.
Reduced stress.
Improved sleep Back to Top

Q. Do I get an adjustment each visit?
A. No. If the nervous system is improving in its performance steadily, no adjustment should be given because it will create interference with that improvement. If the balance of the body is maintained, healing continues. Back to Top

Q. If I get adjusted more frequently, will it speed up my recovery?
A. Healing does not come from an adjustment. The adjustment restores balance and removes interference, which enables the body to heal. Correcting the Subluxation enhances recovery, by the care the patient takes of their adjustment, by good living habits, by the length of time the adjustments holds, and maintaining a healthy life-style balance mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Back to Top

Q. Is it possible to feel fine yet have a Subluxation interfering with my nervous system?
A. Yes, sensation of any kind is conveyed from the sense organs in the body to the spinal cord and brain over those nerves referred to as sensory nerves. If the Subluxation decreases the ability of these sensory nerves to convey messages to the central nervous system, the patient may feel quite well, yet have a problem. This is somewhat like certain drugs given to relieve symptoms, which act by lowering or blocking the sensory input to the central nervous system. Back to Top

Q. What care should I take of my adjustment?
A. Following an adjustment the following precautions should be exercised to maintain the adjustment.

Use care in moving the head: avoid sudden movements.
Avoid lifting heavy objects, weight lifting, or rigorous physical exercise immediately after your adjustment and for the next three days.
When lying down do not use the head to lift or turn the body to another position.
Do not permit anyone to apply manipulation to the spine.
Do not sleep on the stomach.
Never put strain on the neck muscles.
Have a spinal checkup following any fall, jar, or any stress on the body.
Gentle stretching 5 – 10 minutes 2X a day is beneficial in maintaining your adjustment and your flexibility.
Do not “pop” your neck or back.
Do not sleep while sitting in chairs, in automobiles, or on airplanes without proper support.
Sit upright in chairs. Do not sit on the lower back (sacrum). Do not sit in chairs that place pressure against the back of the head, forcing it forwards.
Avoid fatigue, get sufficient rest, or at least recognize that this may be contributing to your adjustments not holding.
Check with your chiropractor if you have a cold, or a fever. Back to Top

Q. If I become subluxated again after holding my adjustment for a period of time, will the same symptoms return?
A. Yes, if the same Subluxation recurs and to the same degree. The intensity of the symptoms corresponds rather closely with the severity of the Subluxation. However, if the patient has held their adjustment for a considerable period of time, it will require time for the symptoms to recur. Just as it takes time to get well, it takes time to get sick. This is the reason you should check after any injury or trauma, not wait for symptoms to appear again. Back to Top

Q. Does it always require an injury to reproduce a Subluxation?
A. No. Any stress on the body from either physical, emotional, chemical or mental stress can cause you to reproduce the Subluxation. We are subject to our environment and must continually adjust to it. Within that environment are disease-producing organisms, pollutants, poisons, and other irritants to which the body is subject and must adapt. If the body cannot adapt through the nervous system mechanisms, a Subluxation can be produced. Stress from emotional upsets is also a common cause of the Subluxation. Back to Top

Q. How can I tell if I need an adjustment?
A. The only sure way is to have your chiropractor check you for the measurable physical signs. Back to Top

Q. Can my Subluxation correct itself?
A. Very rarely does this happen and only after an injury. Patients who suggest that this correction has occurred are judging by the symptoms. They feel better and believe that the reason for feeling better is that the Subluxation has corrected itself. Frequently, an increase in the Subluxation factors due to some injury will make the patient symptom free but only temporarily; later they will become ill if an adjustment is not given. If the Subluxation recurs slowly, the patient will feel exceptionally well for a day or two before the Subluxation sets in. Back to Top

Q. Do vertebrae “snap” out of place?
A. Not unless there has been a rather severe injury. A cracking sound is sometimes heard when you twist or turn the body. It is not necessarily vertebral misaligning but relates more often to a release of joint tension. Re-balancing the spine and establishing stability helps to reduce this. This is accomplished through chiropractic adjustments and gentle stretching exercises to promote balance and flexibility. Back to Top

Q. After I have held my adjustment for a period of time, and suddenly require another what has happened if I have had no injury or no other reason is apparent?
A. The healing of the nerves and the remodeling of the spinal balance requires time. There is a tendency for the body to shift back to its old imbalanced position initially until the body stabilizes in its new and balanced posture. Periodic corrections/adjustments are required to maintain perfect balance and continue the healing process. The healing and shifting may take up to two or three years. Back to Top

Q. Do you recommend lifts in shoes to lengthen the shorter leg?
A. No. Shoe lifts cannot correct the Subluxation and remove the spastic contracture, release the nerve fibers, detractionize the nerve tracts; nor can they bring about more perfect performance of the nervous system. In very rare cases does a heel lift assist to maintain structural balance following an adjustment. Back to Top

Q. Should everyone be checked for a Subluxation?
A. Yes. Checking the nervous system’s performance to uncover conduction blocks, and removing them, could help prevent many conditions from developing. This care is beneficial for people of all ages. Back to Top

Q. Should I check my Subluxation after recovery from my condition?
A. Yes, an occasional check is advisable, as health is a maintenance program. There is always the possibility of a recurrence of the Subluxation, or of a new and different Subluxation giving rise to a new condition with new symptoms. Further keeping a check on the functioning of the nervous system will help prevent many illnesses and help to maintain the body in an optimal state of wellness. Back to Top

Healing is an ongoing process. Getting well takes time just as it requires time to get sick. All healing is self healing (i.e. repair of a broken bone). Self healing is promoted by the adjustment. Such things as the length of time the misalignment-Subluxation has existed, the care you take after the correction by avoiding stress factors, any injured tendons or damaged ligaments and your cooperation with any recommendations all contribute to the progress of your individual case. Self-discipline is not nearly as limiting of one’s personal freedom as disease is. If you wear out your body, where will you live? Back to Top

SPECIAL NOTE
In order to best monitor your condition, it is recommended that initially no-one else treat your spinal condition while you are in the initial phase of healing.