Question 1

What is Chiropractic?

Accepted Answer

Chiropractic is a highly regulated profession in the UK, requiring chiropractors to complete a four-year degree course at university, and a one-year post-graduate development course to register with the General Chiropractic Council. To maintain their registration, chiropractors must continually update their skills through continued professional development each year.

Chiropractic care focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mechanical disorders of the muskeletal system and the nervous system through the emphasis of manual treatments and spinal manipulation to assist with overall health and well-being.

Question 2

Is Chiropractic safe?

Accepted Answer

Chiropractic adjustments are well recognised as safe and effective manipulative procedures. This is provided they are carried out by qualified professionals who are able to accurately diagnose and safely treat each patient. All our chiropractors are registered with the General Chiropractic Council (GCC). As with any procedure applied to the body, temporary side effects are possible for around 24-72 hours after treatment.

Question 3

What do chiropractors treat?

Accepted Answer

Chiropractors provide conservative management of a variety of disorders including, but not limited to...
 Back, Neck, Head and Joint Pain (over 90 per cent of conditions are treated).

Chiropractors treat an enormous range of conditions including:

Acute and Chronic Low Back Pain
Neck Pain
Joint, Muscle and Nerve Pain
Headaches Arising from the Neck
Prevention of Migraine
Foot Knee and Hip Pain
Hand, Arm and Shoulder Pain
Minor Accident Related Injuries
Disk Problems
Symptoms Associated with Osteoarthritis
Minor Sports Injuries.

Question 4

What are the aims of chiropractic care?

Accepted Answer

Depending on the skills of your chiropractor and the therapies he chooses, the aims of treatment are:-

• Reduce pain and inflammation
• Improve tissue healing
• Balance nervous system activity
• Reduce tension in tight joints
• Improve muscle strength and flexibility
• Refine posture and body movement
• Help with ergonomics and exercise regimes
• Assist a healthier mental and emotional life
• Enhance balance and coordination
• Optimise cranial function
• Correct breathing patterns

Question 5

Will I hear my bone "Crack"?

Accepted Answer

Adjustments are not always required however, When you are adjusted, depending on the technique used, you may hear a popping or cracking sound. This noise is nothing to worry about, as it is simply a release of gas when the joint is moved. Very similar to cracking your knuckles - However, don't be alarmed, it’s not your bones breaking!

Alternatively, If you are still uncomfortable with hearing the cracking noise, there are a number of alternatives that can be made to the adjustment that don’t involve anything getting ‘cracked’.

Question 6

What happens in a chiropractic treatement?

Accepted Answer

During your first visit, the chiropractor will want to know about your health history as well as your current complaint. Your home and work life as well as your level of physical activity may also affect your health, so don’t be surprised to be asked questions about these.

Although chiropractors use their hands for most treatments, they also use other methods such as ice, specialized adjusting instruments, and personalised exercise programs, muscle-testing and neurological exercises. Your chiropractor can also give you information and guidance on how you can stay healthy through proper nutrition, general exercise and lifestyle changes.

Question 7

How many sessions will I need?

Accepted Answer

This is a very tricky question to answer as it’s not a one size fits all situation, it will totally vary from patient to patient and is varied from your presenting complaint, Age, health, lifestyle habits and how well you have looked after yourself over the course of your life, which will all be factors to consider.

Some people come to chiropractic to help them get out of pain quickly. This usually doesn’t take too long. However, a lot of people utilise chiropractic as part of their ongoing wellness and as a preventative for future potential damage as It is much easier, and more beneficial for the body to maintain wellbeing rather than trying to fix it when something goes wrong.

Your chiropractor will give you a schedule of recommended care but it is always your decision as to how long you wish to benefit from chiropractic care.

Question 8

What results should I expect from treatment?

Accepted Answer

Your response to treatment depends on your condition, the length of time you have had the problem, your age and the degree of your disability.

Your chiropractic doctor will tell you the frequency and length of treatment typically recommended for your condition.

People choose chiropractic as they often get quick results. Individual cases vary and chronic conditions obviously need more treatment, but studies show that people with low back pain get back to work much faster with chiropractic care.

You might also consider the benefits of regular chiropractic adjustments even when you feel healthy. Sometimes you won’t know you have a disorder of the joints, muscles, ligaments and nerves until it becomes acute and painful. So, very similar as you see your dentist to have your teeth checked or the opticians for eye exams.

With regular visits to your chiropractor we  can catch related health conditions early,  By the theory of helping prevent them developing into more severe painful episodes.

Remember, your spine is  susceptible to wear and tear like your teeth and your eyes, so we recommend a regular service to look after it.

Question 9

Can chiropractic be good for arthritis or Osteoporosis?

Accepted Answer

Arthritis

We see a lot of clients with arthritis, which is essentially wear and tear of the joints. Like most things in life, when something doesn't move smoothly for long enough, it'll start to wear out - our spines are no different. chiropractic care aims to help restore a better function and movement to a damaged joint, and by doing this, symptoms usually improve or in some cases even resolve completely.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a little different - this is when the density of the bones decreases. Unfortunately, X-rays aren't the best  diagnostic too to detect this bone condition as there needs to be about 30% reduction of bone density before it shows on x-ray. Therefore a specific bone density scan is generally required.

Interestingly though, osteoporosis itself doesn't really cause any symptoms, but overtime it can predispose the bones to fracture more easily. On the other hand, many clients present with osteoporosis and still gain benefits from having a spine which is moving better - we just might need to adapt our techniques to best suit them.

Question 10

How many adjustments will I need?

Accepted Answer

The number of adjustments varies with each patient and their individual health goals. Each patient senses progress at different times and is generally influenced on what the underlaying cause is. However, many patients sense progress within the first few weeks of treatment. At the beginning stage treatments are usually twice weekly if you are in pain and as you make progress, the frequency of visits become less.

For most people the rehabilitation stage is weekly visits for 2-6 weeks, spreading to fortnightly and then monthly as your joints, muscles and nervous system start to stabilise. In chronic cases, complete healing can take months or even years.

Spinal care can be like looking after your teeth. We teach you back exercises – analogous to brushing your teeth and recommend check-up visits usually once every 3-4 months. How long you choose to benefit from our care is always entirely up to you.

In summary, it is important to come in for your treatments on a regular basis. Most people will feel a lot more comfortable within 6-8 treatments, and often a lot less. Further treatments are usually required to help consolidate and maintain progress – initially this is again about 6-8 treatments on average, depending on the underlying problems. Your chiropractor will discuss with you your likely need for treatment depending on what they find.

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