Guess Which Question I’m Asked Most Often…

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Guess Which Question I’m Asked Most Often…

I get asked this question at least twice a day, sometimes more.  Chiropractors? Many people love and swear by them. But a large portion of the population just doesn't understand this branch of the healing arts.  Maybe someone had a bad experience with one particular doctor, or heard the stories of others, or they just aren’t sold on the concept yet.  So today's post… addresses the common myths and misconceptions of what chiropractors do.  I know it’s a contrarian idea… but it works, and I’ve got a lot of people who’ve followed this advise for over 20- years, and they keep coming back for more…. periodically.   

As for the misconceptions concerning chiropractic care; there are a lot of them you may hear when talking to friends, or family, at work or at a party.  A lot of people think chiropractic is exclusively about neck and back pain, whiplash injuries or a slipped disc.  

Although chiropractic is very effective for headache, neck, and back pain complaints, it was discovered and developed years ago as, something that supports general health and well being in a very unique way —namely spinal mobility.  

But it doesn’t take a year’s worth of pre-paid care, or 40-60-80 visits either, neither does it take once a week for the rest-of-your-life to be healthy, and have a wellness lifestyle.  Current research and data simply doesn’t support it, and it hasn’t for a very long time. 

Frequently I’m told, “chiropractors aren’t real doctors," and the way I answer it is this, “of course not.”  But it also depends upon your definition of what a real doctor is.  What a lot of people mean by that question is the fact were not  medical doctors trained in the traditional sense of allopathic medicine.  In fact, chiropractors are a complete exception of the Medical Practice Act in most every state, and in other countries as well. Chiropractic isn't even a sub-specialty of medicine like dentistry, naturopathy osteopathy, or podiatry is considered.  There's no judgment call concerning the difference either good or bad… It's just that we have a completely different way in how we approach health, healing, patient care, and the human afflictions that affect people and their vitality for life.   

Like any other discipline, the distinction is in the unique art and science of what is known as chiropractic health care, which makes us another option to choose from.  I suppose there are some people who’ve never seen the inside of a fast food franchise, and others who’ve never purchased a thing from an organic food co-op.  The choices for food and consumption are vastly different just like the choices for doctors, and the type of health care you choose to receive.  

So often people think if they have a back problem, they’ll just see a chiropractor, and get it fixed… like a hair-cut.  But it's way more than that.  Many times people come in initially because of a back problem, and that's what originally drives them in to see me.  Others are dealing with challenges that are being addressed with conventional measures… Those are the ones who say they've "tried everything," and as a last resort may as well try a chiropractor… and the tell themselves, “what do I have to lose?”  

It's important to understand, chiropractic isn't competitive with medicine as some would think.  While some would go as far to say one doesn't like the other, whereas I can tell you, I work very closely and very well with many physicians as part of a team, one that's a group of like-minded cooperative, and integrated health and wellness providers where we share patients. 

You see, it's ultimately the patient's decision, and the patient's choice to work with any willing provider who has unique skills and experience adding a diverse dimension, and complements one another for a true diversified approach to a person’s health.  It’s not at all like chalk and cheese as some think. 

Thus the term Complementary and Alternative Health Care,  it’s unique, it's different, and well recognized.  Ideally, chiropractic care is more proactive in its approach assisting to maintain good health.  Let's not wait until you get sick, or surprised that you have a problem, and then try to do something about it.  Rather, let's keep you healthy in the first place so you don't have to become a repeat customer of the "sick care system."  More than anything else, allopathic medicine treating sickness, and illness, and severe catastrophic problems and injuries.  

People get sick, and physicians want to diagnose and treat diseases.  That’s what they do best, and they’re GREAT at it.  Even though chiropractic is very supportive of people who may have lost their health in any number of ways.  Failing health because of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, or infection what it's really about is keeping you as healthy as possible in the first place —so drugs and surgery becomes a last resort, and not the first line of therapy. 

Chiropractic is proactive, and with the engaging wellness revolution before us, chiropractic is expanding and becoming more popular because of it.  About 12% of the population has ever seen a chiropractor, and only 4% see a chiropractor more than once in any one calendar year —so we've got a long way to go, and a lot of people to influence understanding there’s a better way. 

We don't use drugs and surgery.  Chiropractors don't get that training in school but we do learn about exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle choices.   

What it comes down to is this, everybody knows how lifestyle stress, fatigue, poor diet, over eating, lack of sleep, lack of exercise, smoking, and other high risk behaviors adversely affects your health.  But what lies in between is all the stress in your life.  In one hand is the stress, which at this point is overwhelming to many e.g., the economy, joblessness, war, terrorism, natural disasters —all the crap in your life, and that of others.  While in the other hand is your health, and the way you're able to respond to external factors… Whatever they may be.  In between the two, and the way you perceive your environment is your nervous system.  

The way you hear the world around you, see it, feel it, touch it, the way it pushes you, and the way you push back physically, psychologically, emotionally, chemically and spiritually.  It only makes sense to take care of it, but how?  The manner in which good stress and bad stress is processed and managed is controlled completely by your nervous system. 

Essentially, you live your life through your nervous system, and depending upon how fragile or how robust it is, and your ability to positively respond, is directly proportional to your constitution, and your ability to maintain good health and resiliency.  That’s what most people call vitality. 

What chiropractors do is evaluate your nervous system. We determine how stress is affecting it, and if it's causing disturbance in the way your nervous system functions  because of irritation or restrictions in the spine.  We want to release those disturbances so your body can heal normally.  Sometimes it takes just a few visits, sometimes a dozen visits… it all depends on two things, if it’s “bad,” or “real bad.”  There's a lot going on here, and more than what meets the eye.   

By measuring and assessing neurologic, and related orthopedic, and functional performance we can determine if your nervous system is balanced and healthy or if you are under too much stress and being adversely affected by it.  Not only is your ability to walk, run, think clearly, or wake up refreshed affected by your nervous system, so is your autonomic nervous system which controls your heart, digestion, various glands and hormonal regulation.

Many people ask me the question, "once you start going to a chiropractor don't you always have to go?"  And the answer is, “it all depends, and it depends upon whom you go to.”   

Once you go to an optometrist is it true you always have to go to get your eyes checked?  Or, once you go to a dentist is it true you always have to go to get your teeth cleaned?  Of course, you don't have to do anything. 

But I recommend to our practice members a prophylactic check-up for the purpose of spinal hygiene should be twice as often as you would typically get your teeth cleaned.  In other words, every 90- days or so —especially for those who enjoy an active adult lifestyle.  For others, depending on where you live at the change of every season… winter, spring, summer and fall or at least as often as when you change your clock forward or back.  

Chiropractic isn’t as much about treating specific conditions, (although we treat many who have one or many) the choice we offer is a preventative wellness lifestyle, and that's the difference. 

Although chiropractors are known for headache, neck, and backpain, in actuality, we support all kinds of people who have many different kinds of problems.  I have many patients who come to me with problems of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, ADHD, cancer, asthma… But I don't treat any of those conditions.  Instead, I offer lifestyle support, which helps to strengthen the body mechanically and neurologically so you’re better able to respond to different afflictions allowing the texture of time, and the magic of nature’s healing process to occur without obstruction.  It really is a marvelous thing to witness and experience.  If you’re already on a cocktail of prescriptive medications I usually say, “I didn’t prescribe those to you, so let the person who put you on those drugs take you off them.”    

For parents who truly embrace a chiropractic lifestyle for themselves and their children, some will ask, “how often should I bring the kids?”  For the purpose of spinal hygiene, as a general rule of thumb, evidence based care says your child should be checked at the major milestones and markers of development. When your infant is first able to roll over onto their tummy, and then when they’re first able to sit on their own and begin to crawl.
 

Later, when they're able to stand without assistance or begin to “furniture walk.”  After that, every two years through adolescence unless there's a significant injury or event that would warrant more frequent follow-up.   

I have some critics, colleagues who aspire and advocate to others their desire to deliver 50- infants a year… that is, deliver them from a lifetime of despair requiring they be adjusted within hours of birth, then weekly thereafter until they stop growing.  As far as I'm concerned, that’s the complete opposite of my contrarian opinion, and vastly different from my 30- years of practice experience.    

It comes down to this, if you want to have a healthy lifestyle, then chiropractic is an integral component of it.  

More than going to the gym and exercising every day, or hiring a personal trainer.  It’s more than going for a weekly massage, or taking a yoga class or a Pilates class twice a week or going to the farmer’s market for organic produce once a week —and calling yourself healthy.  

 I know a lot of people simply don't get it, and that is okay.  There's nobody else that does what a chiropractor does.  What we do is completely unique, and it supports what other professionals do… it’s as simple as that.  

And if you haven't done so already, I believe its time for you to make that appointment.  Just call me at (916) 933-2707 —lets talk. 
 

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Bless and Be Blessed ALWAYS...

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Lewis Meltz

Lewis Meltz, D.C., F.A.C.O.