Frequently Asked Chiropractic Questions San Mateo CA

Chiropractic is a healing art created by DD Palmer in 1895. Dr. Palmer believed that true healing comes from within the body, not from the outside. He realized the nervous system controls every function in our bodies by way of a "feedback loop". That is…the brain sends impulses via the nerves to all areas of the body. Those areas in turn send impulses back to the brain. If all systems are balanced and functioning without interference the body is healthy.

Nearly every muscloskeletal issue can be helped by Chiropractic Care. This includes:

• Headaches
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Disc injuries
• Sciatica
• Shoulder issues
• Ankle Sprains
• TMJ pain
• Knee pain
• Leg pain
• Arm pain
• Auto Accidents
• Work Injuries

…on and on.

The "Adjustment" is the manner in which most Chiropractors deliver their treatment and it varies from Chiropractor to Chiropractor. Some Chiropractic techniques utilize machines or hand held devices to deliver the adjustment, while others use hands only. In fact the latin definition of Chiropractic means, "done with the hands".

Chiropractic is very safe, as with all types of healing there are potential risks. However, Chiropractic malpractice insurance is less expensive than dental malpractice insurance and that's not because insurance companies love Chiropractors; it is due to the inherent safety of Chiropractic.

The answer to this question is dependent on multiple variables…How long have you had the condition? How severe are your symptoms? What caused your symptoms, was there an accident, did you fall, have you experienced similar symptoms in the past? Have you had X-Rays or MRI? The answers to these can have a direct effect on the time it takes for a patient to heal. The reality is… the pain you experience is rarely the actual problem, it is the symptom of the problem. Finding and fixing the cause can take longer than just symptomatic relief. Here in my office we leave it up to the patient; if you just want to feel better, fine. If you want to get to the bottom of what caused your pain, fine. You get to decide.

Well, how does a life of less pain and more freedom of movement sound? My view of what I do as a Chiropractor is to add life to your years and years to your life. Every movable joint you have in your body, whether it is in your fingers or in your spine, depend on normal motion to stay healthy. Without motion joints fuse together and stop moving, simple as that. The benefit of what I do is in keeping your body balanced and functional.

Not many if your Chiropractor knows what they are doing and why they are doing it. Most frequent complaints are increased pain, fatigue, and muscular soreness. In very, very rare instances, Chiropractic has been associated with arterial dissection which can lead to stroke. It is best if I quote directly from a book authored by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine which states on page 173 "In rare instances (estimated at 1.0-1.5 per million manipulations) manipulation has been associated with cerebrovascular accident. Some studies suggest that this risk is based on the position of the patient, not the act of manipulation itself. Serious side effects are extremely rare and far less frequent than those associated with commonly prescribed alternatives such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs." So Chiropractic care has fewer risks than Advil or Tylenol.

Not if done properly and without much force. It is not uncommon for people to experience some pain following an adjustment. This is similar to what someone would experience if you started working out at the gym or doing gardening at home; that being said…the adjustment itself should not hurt any more than the pain that brought the patient in.

Because I have tons of experience. I have been a Chiropractor for over 38 years and have thousands of patient files. Our office has been performing a procedure called Spinal Decompression for over 30 years, we are experts at it. This procedure has helped people with disc injuries return to normal daily life without surgery. The other benefit my patients have is this… originally I was a Chiropractic patient, I know what it feels like to go through what they are going through. I tell people all the time, "if you want a really smart Chiropractor find one who just graduated and passed their state license exam. If you want a really good Chiropractor find one who has been in practice for over 20 years." (Did I mention I have been doing this for over 38 years?)

The first answer that came to mind was…" A lifetime". Life-changing miracles can happen with one office visit. It happened that way for me, and for numerous patients in my office since. However, I realize that is not really what is being asked. To answer that, it depends. Depends on the severity of symptoms the patient presents with, depends on the treatment being received. Most first visits include an exam so that visit can take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. Most subsequent visits take half that time.

There are college level prerequisites required for entry into any Chiropractic College, same for medical school. There are 4 years of required Chiropractic College study to graduate, same for medical school. The big difference between Chiropractic education and medical school is what gets studied. The first two years are nearly identical, where the studies differ is after that…Chiropractic focuses on the musculoskeletal and nervous systems along with nutrition where medical school focuses on pharmacology or drugs.

Not only can pregnant women receive Chiropractic care, they should! Many women experience low back pain, sciatica, headaches, or multiple aches and pains during pregnancy. This is primarily due to two factors: the first is the extra weight and where that weight is (in front, causing stress on the low back). The second is a hormone called relaxin. That hormone is released only during pregnancy and causes the ligaments in the body to become more flexible. This can cause bones to move more, leading to potential pain or other problems.

The word "addictive" carries a negative definition I don't like. Is it "addictive" to eat healthy food; to exercise regularly; to get enough sleep; or anything else that improves a person's well being? Those are not addictions, they are common sense. I have heard the phrase, "Once you go to a Chiropractor you will always have to," hundreds of times in my 38 years of practice experience and it is not true. Many people decide to continue care once a problem has been corrected because of the benefit they recognize not because they are forced to or because of some physical reliance. Many other people choose not to continue regular care once their problem has been corrected too; it is always your choice.

If there is one word universally disliked by Chiropractors it is the word "Crack." It gives a really bad impression to people in regard to what we do. Nothing in or around the bones is "cracking" after an adjustment. What is happening is a "Pop" and here is how the pop happens. Every movable joint in our bodies is bathed by a fluid, that nourishes the joint and lubricates it. That movable portion of the joint is in a waterproof capsule made of connective tissues. The fluid inside the capsule has dissolved gasses in it, just like our blood does. When a Chiropractor adjusts a joint, we take the joint to the end of its current range of motion, then quickly add a little more motion. As a result, the joint capsule is stretched creating a vacuum inside the joint. To fill that vacuum, the dissolved gasses become a bubble and when that bubble "pops" the sound is heard. The name for the pop is cavitation, not crack!

In short, the answer is no. I went to school for over 20 years, eight of which focused on physical science and Chiropractic. I have been in practice for over 38 years and I cannot adjust myself. If I, with all that training and experience can't do it, the chance of someone with none of that being able is zero. Now people can certainly twist their own necks or grab the backs of chairs and twist their upper bodies and get the popping sound to occur, but that is a random act with no ability to move a certain, specific vertebra. An adjustment is a specific act.

Yes, most insurance carriers have multiple plans which cover Chiropractic. It is always easy to find out what type of coverage a patient may have.

Yes, absolutely. Nearly all lower back pain is caused by stresses placed on the spine which cause the vertebra to not move in normal ways, either too much motion or more commonly, not enough motion. This can affect the muscles that support the low back as well. Establishing balance and improving range of motion is key to living pain free.

Neck pain is more common now than ever and affecting younger people than in years past. This is primarily due to our usage of cell phones and the improper posture we are in when using them. We all have seen people sitting down, with chins on their chest looking at the phone. This causes incredible stress on the muscles supporting the head and can actually change the alignment of the neck. Chiropractic can help establish a more normal posture and relieve the stress.

Most headaches are caused by muscle tension. Muscle tension is abnormal stress or tension in the muscles that is creating the headache, so by reducing that stress or tension you prevent the headache from occurring. That is exactly what we do.

Chiropractic care is curative meaning it aims to correct a problem through non invasive, non pharmaceutical treatment approaches. Physical therapy is an ancillary therapy used to aid the healing process once a problem has been corrected.

The answer to this really depends on the type of injury. The short answer is yes, but if bones have been broken or surgery is required then in those instances Chiropractic would not be recommended. For all others: sprains, strains, etc. Chiropractic can help greatly.

Posture is more than just standing up straight. It is your ability to: orient yourself, stabilize yourself, move yourself and protect yourself in an ever-changing environment. Therefore “proper posture” is dynamic, it changes with your motions, your body orientation in space, it even changes with your mood. Chiropractic helps by improving motion of your spine and by balancing the systems of your body so you can function in a more normal way.

Not what most people think. Most people think a vertebra has "been thrown out of place" and a Chiropractor puts it back into position. That does not happen! What does happen is the adjustment stimulates nerves and soft tissues around the area being worked on. That simulation is received by the brain and the brain then causes changes to take place around the spinal cord or in that area of the body being worked on. Muscles may get tighter or looser or nerves may become more or less excited. It is those changes that take place as a result of a Chiropractic adjustment.

Yes and children are so much easier to work on than adults for the simple reason most of the problems experienced by children have not had years and years to develop and get worse. Children typically respond to care much more quickly than adults do.