Healthcare is a vast ocean comprising multiple macro and micro specialties supporting and providing cures and solutions for human ailments and maintaining their health. One of the most helpful yet often overlooked medical practices is chiropractic care.
Gonstead Chiropractic was started by Dr. Clarence Selmer Gonstead in 1898 and focused on the body’s structural foundation and intervertebral discs. It works on identifying the source of the discomfort with a thorough analysis of the spine and any subluxations that might be the source of the problem, curing the problem at its root. The Journal of the American Medical Association recently reported in favor of chiropractic methods. The journal recommends that patients seeking back pain treatment consider chiropractic care before taking invasive measures such as electing surgery.
Chiropractic is often misunderstood due to misinformation, so it is beneficial to understand the science with the help of the following facts shared by a veteran Gonstead chiropractor.
- Certified medical doctor: A chiropractor is a medically certified and licensed doctor who treats patients using natural and manual remedies and adjustments of the skeletal system. Chiropractors study for and go through the same basic medical education as MDs. While MDs choose pharmaceuticals or surgery as their specialties, chiropractors specialize in neurology and nutrition.
- Detailed assessment: Gonstead chiropractic uses several intensive methods to examine the characteristics of intervertebral disc lesions, the alignment of the pelvis and the spine, and the neurological ramifications due to the subluxation of the vertebra. The neuro-muscular-skeletal assessment is made by analyzing the following:
- Full-spine radiographs, which are an integral tool of assessment,
- Static and dynamic palpation of para-spinal bone structure and soft tissue
- Visualization of spinal motion
- Posture and gait
- Signs of inflammation around the joints
- Para-spinal skin temperature
- Improves brain function: Chiropractic care extends beyond adjustments of the spine, as a trained Gonstead chiropractor helps the patients by also assessing their general overall health, from their immune system to healthy pregnancies, neurological functioning, and more. Chiropractic adjustment of the subluxated spine boosts brain function, leading to better control over the body and its functions, reduced inflammation, improved muscle strength, and hormonal regulation. The reduced pain, discomfort, and alignment affect the prefrontal cortex, a brain conductor.
- Safe during pregnancy: chiropractic care is safe and very beneficial during pregnancy. The adjustment helps balance the uterus and pelvis, reducing the lower back pain that most pregnant women suffer from and creating more room for the baby and mother.
- Beyond back pain: Chiropractic care is not limited to spinal adjustments, as the trained practitioner is primarily a doctor with whom you can discuss various issues concerning the digestive system, urinary tract, insomnia, and mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and so on.
- Prevents illness: The effect on the brain of boosting its activity and functioning affects the immune system by strengthening it and preventing seasonal ailments, allergies, and infections like the flu, sore throat, etc.
- Crackling joints: Many people make mistakes and are scared of the sound of cracks during adjustments, like the bones cracking. The sound is made due to the release of gas that has built up in the joints, which adds to your pain and discomfort. Upon its release, the discomfort from the gas pressure alleviates, allowing the skeletal structure to be aligned to its original position.
- General health check-up: A Gonstead chiropractor is a qualified doctor who can diagnose you and order blood work and annual check-ups. The blood test reports help them assess the patient’s gut health, nutritional state, hormonal balance, and more and recommend treatment like a regular physician.
- Improves mental health: Since chiropractic adjustments boost brain function and activity, they immensely help improve mental health. The continuous pain, discomfort, difficulty of movement, limited mobility, etc., can often affect mental health, leading to depression, irritability, aggressive behavior, etc. Adjustment and alignment of the neuro-muscular-skeletal system remove the pain and discomfort, which directly affects the patient’s mental health.
- Chiropractic is safe: One of the biggest fears of chiropractic practice is that it will break or misplace a joint or cause severe or irreversible harm to the neck and spine. An extensive study on the safety of chiropractic care, including neck adjustment, reveals the practice to be safe with a very low risk of serious complications, with the risk factor being the same as in any other medical treatment. Chiropractors are professionally trained to employ conservative techniques, prioritizing the patient’s safety.
Chiropractic methods support the orthopedic branch of medicine and focus on diagnosing and naturally treating disorders relating to the muscles, nerves, and joints by manipulating and aligning the skeletal system. One can certainly choose a veteran Gonstead Chiropractor to meet their requirements.