Health is not merely the absence of symptoms, but functioning at peak efficiency 100% of the time.
It is actually the harmonious union of physical, emotional, and well being. The problem with a traditional medical approach to HEALTH is that medicine deals with sickness care or crisis care, and NOT wellness care or true health care. The focus of traditional medicine is on germs and symptoms. They believe in treating the symptoms and thus eliminating the patient's complaints.
The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Vol 284 in the July 2000 article written by Dr. Barbara Starfield, MD, MPH, of the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, shows that medical errors may be the third leading cause of death in the US. There are 225,000 deaths per year with the leading of these being non-error adverse reactions to medication accounting for 106,000 deaths.
Chiropractic treatment neither removes nor adds anything to the body. It stimulates self-healing, the way our bodies were designed to overcome disease and stress. Chiropractic identifies the cause of the problems and then eliminates it. If the cause is addressed, then the symptoms can no longer occur. Chiropractic produces results by maintaining proper functioning of your spine and nervous system while maintaining the philosophy "The Power that Made the Body Heals the Body".
Just as periodic dental checkups can help detect the early signs of tooth decay before painful symptoms appear, regular chiropractic care can help to identify and correct little problems before they become serious.
Many people go to a chiropractor because they are in pain. In this first phase of care, the main goal is to reduce your symptoms. Sometimes this will require daily visits, or two to three visits per week for a time.
Most people are under the assumption that if they don't feel any pain that there is nothing wrong with them - that they are healthy. Unfortunately, pain is a very poor indicator of health. In fact, pain and other symptoms frequently only appear after a disease or other condition has become advanced.
For example, consider a cavity in your tooth. Does it hurt when it first develops or only after it has become serious? How about heart disease? Regardless of whether you are talking about cancer, heart disease, diabetes, stress or problems with the spine, pain is usually the last thing to appear. When you begin chiropractic care, pain is also the first symptom to disappear, even though much of the underlying condition remains.
Most chiropractors regard the elimination of symptoms as the easiest part of a persons care. If all that the chiropractor does is to reduce the pain and stop there, the chances of the condition recurring are much greater. In order to prevent a rapid recurrence of symptoms, it is necessary to continue receiving care even though your symptoms are gone.
During the correction / restorative phase of your care, you will not have to receive adjustments as often as you did during the first phase of care and, depending on your particular circumstances, you may begin doing exercises and stretches either at the center or at home to help accelerate your healing.
Do not be discouraged if you have mild flare-ups in your symptoms on occasion. This is normal. Flare-ups are bound to occur during this phase because your body has not fully healed. Depending on the severity of your injury or condition and how long you have been suffering from it, this phase of your care may last anywhere from a few months to a couple of years.
Once your body has fully healed, routine chiropractic care can help ensure that your physical problems do not return, and keep your body in optimal condition. Just like continuing an exercise program and eating well in order to sustain the benefits of exercise and proper diet, it is necessary to continue chiropractic care to ensure the health of your musculoskeletal system.
When you make routine chiropractic care a part of your lifestyle, you avoid many of the aches and pains that so many people suffer through, your joints will last longer and you will be able to engage in more of the activities you love.