"May the work of your hands be a sign
of gratitude and reverence to the human condition."
— Mahatma Gandhi

Understanding Chiropractic: art

It is thanks to high patient satisfaction that chiropractic is the largest alternative health-care system in the world. Indeed, in our pharmaceutical-based and sometimes impersonal medical system, many people find it particularly refreshing to have a doctor that simply uses his hands to help them feel and function better.

It takes years of study, training, and practice to develop the dexterity to effectively detect and correct subluxations. Patients are always amazed at how a chiropractor's hands seem to magically feel exactly where their problem is.

The specific therapy a chiropractor uses is an extremely refined procedure called an adjustment. An adjustment is a controlled impulse applied through a subluxated joint in a very specific direction and depth in order to restore proper joint motion, muscle balance, and nerve function.

Like a skilled piano tuner,
a chiropractor restores functional harmony in the body
 
 
As with any art, many different adjusting techniques have developed in the last 100 years. More traditional adjustments are sometimes accompanied by a popping sound, called a cavitation. The sound produced results from a change in pressure in the joint capsule and a release of gas, similar to what happens when the cork is pulled from a wine bottle. Other techniques resemble stretching or massage and rarely produce cavitations.

Regardless of the technique used, an experienced chiropractor who has mastered the skill of adjusting can treat a patient with great ease and comfort. There should be no pain felt during a treatment, in fact, adjustments typically bring about immediate relief.