One of the more welcome public-address announcements at my place of work is “Dr. Church is in the building …” Twice a week, those of us who mostly sit in front of computers for a living get chiropractic adjustments from Dr. Ryder Church of Peoria (Ill.) Chiropractic as a work perk. To be honest, I never cared too much for chiropractors until I started getting adjustments from Dr. Church. He’s knowledgeable and direct, and doesn’t hesitate to respond to questions. So I asked him some. (And no, he doesn’t like the term “back cracker.”)
1. In the past, chiropractors had little respect in some quarters. Has that improved in recent years?
While it is true that in the past we had little respect, I do believe that the many benefits of chiropractic have earned us a respectable position with the public and with other healthcare professionals. Referrals from the medical profession have been on the increase now that they realize the great benefit for the patient in doing what no other treatment can. Advancements in technology have generated hundreds of scientific studies proving the benefits of chiropractic where just decades ago all we had were mere speculations.
2. What does an adjustment accomplish?
In its simplest explanation, an adjustment corrects a subluxation and restores proper nerve conduction back and forth from the body to the brain. A subluxation is when one or more of the bones of your spine (vertebrae) move out of position and create pressure on or irritate spinal nerves. Spinal nerves are the nerves that come out from between each of the bones in your spine. This pressure or irritation on the nerves then causes those nerves to interfere with the signals traveling to the different parts of the body causing malfunctions. Your nervous system controls and coordinates all the functions of your body. If there is interference with these signals, parts of your body will not get the proper nerve messages and therefore will not be able to function at 100%. In other words, some part of your body, organ or tissue will not be able to work properly.
While it is true that most people go to the chiropractor for a pain related event, Chiropractic was founded on and continues to be taught to our patients that restoring overall health is the ultimate goal of the chiropractic adjustment.
3. At what point do you send someone to a medical doctor?
Every patient is different in how they respond to care but most chiropractors follow a protocol as to when to refer to a different specialist. Obviously, if the patient has a condition that is not in the scope of chiropractic (i.e. life-threatening conditions, heart or lung conditions, fractures, tumors, dislocations) the referral is immediate. If a patient under chiropractic care is not responding in a time frame in which the chiropractor feels they should, a referral is made.
4. What other types of healing do you recommend people investigate besides chiropractors and medical doctors?
I have recommended patients seek physical therapists, acupuncturists, naturopathic doctors, nutritionists and other alternative health care providers. I also have recommended exercise physiologists and personal trainers. The body is not a system of individual parts. All parts work together to make up a whole. To focus on only one part and neglect the others only does the body a disservice.
If you want to find out more about Dr. Church’s services, take a look at his web site.
Related Articles
- Chiropractic FAQs – Lansing Chiropractor Tips (slideshare.net)
- Whither Chiropractors? A New Study Shows Many Folding Up The Table (blogs.forbes.com)
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