What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic. Many of us have heard this word, but I would imagine that most do not know what this word means or WHAT this profession does and WHY they do it.
Let’s break the word down. CHIRO-PRACTIC. Chiro is a Greek word that means hands, and practic means to practice or to use. So, the word “chiropractic” literally means the practical usage of the hands. This term was created by the founder of chiropractic, Daniel David Palmer or more commonly known as D.D. Palmer, in 1895 when he also performed the first adjustment on a deaf patient, which restored his hearing.
Chiropractors specialize in maintaining spinal integrity by removing interference to the central nervous system (CNS). The central nervous system consists of the brain and the spinal cord. The brain acts as the command center and the spinal cord sends the messages for the brain by the spinal nerves. So, the central nervous system is pretty important because it basically controls everything in the body whether it is moving your fingers or toes or pumping your heart. So, it is vital to make sure that this system is working at its best state.
When the body is under stress, whether it be physical, emotional, or chemical, it can cause a disturbance to the CNS. Chiropractors mainly focus on removing physical interferences by correcting misalignments or subluxations of the spine.
The spine consists of 24 bones called vertebrae. These vertebrae are there to encase and protect the spinal cord and to allow movement, so that we can bend and twists our backs. This is also a reason why the vertebrae can slip out of place and put pressure on the spinal nerves, causing a lack of nerve flow.
When chiropractors detect a vertebra that is out of place, they gently adjust it back into place, causing the joint to have less pressure, restore range of motion and circulation, breaking up arthritis, and ultimately stimulating nerve flow so that you can perform and feel your best.