The Truth About Chiropractic

Many are confused about the benefits and value of chiropractic treatment. According to Dr. DeMoss, a chiropractor with a practice in Newport Beach, who believes chiropractic is vastly underutilized. He’s also the founder one of the largest chiropractic teaching events in the world. Many will only consider chiropractic when they have back or neck pain, but its scope actually goes far beyond that. “I try to get people to understand that your nervous system and your brain control every function of your body.” “When we have a condition in chiropractic we call subluxation, which is misalignment or dysfunction in the spine as far as mobility is concerned, it can cause nerve interference, which will interfere with the expression of intelligence that flows over the spinal cord and nerves." "It can contribute not only causing pain that most people perceive as a chiropractic problem but also can cause organs not to function 100 percent.” Chiropractic as Preventive Medicine Research by Dr. Harrison and others suggests chiropractic treatments can help prevent progressive spinal degeneration, i.e. osteoarthritis or disc disease. Just like regular dental care will prolong the life of your teeth, getting regular chiropractic treatments can do the same for your spine. Your spinal column, the vertebrae, and the discs, also protect your most delicate and important system — your nervous system — and impingements can contribute to a number of health problems and ailments. According to Dr. DeMoss, anything you do to protect and nurture your spine will promote “greater expression of nerve intelligence” and “a higher vibrancy in health.” “Healthcare is really about doing everything you can to get the body back in alignment, not only chemically but also spiritually and mentally." "Where I think chiropractic shines is that we address the cause of the problem. Your child might have asthma, but it’s not because he’s got a shortage of albuterol; an ear infection is not a shortage of amoxicillin. Those things have their place in a crisis situation. But [chiropractors] don’t look at the symptoms; they look at what caused the symptoms." "Many times if there’s nerve interference lowering the expression and function of organs, it can contribute to the body not functioning at 100 percent and then the body becomes sick or symptomatic." "What we do is look at the individual holistically and see what’s going on with their nervous system." A Brief History of Chiropractic Osteopathic medicine was founded by Andrew Taylor about 140 years ago. Doctors of Osteopathy (DO's), like chiropractors, receive extensive additional training in spinal adjustments. However, in my experience, only a small percentage of DO's are really skilled in this area as they have chosen a more conventional allopathic model, which includes more of an emphasis on drugs and surgery rather than diet and lifestyle changes. Daniel “D.D.” Palmer is considered the father of chiropractic. He opened the first chiropractic school in 1897. In 1910, the Flexner Report, which was funded by the Carnegie and the Rockefeller Foundations, set a new tone for medicine and led to the systematic undermining of natural medicine. In the 1960s, there was a persistent tendency to suppress physicians from referring patients to chiropractors — so much so that Dr. Chester Wilk ended up filing an antitrust suit against the American Medical Association (AMA) in 1976. The lawsuit dragged on for more than a decade, but Dr. Wilk was ultimately successful. In 1987, the court ruled that the AMA had engaged in an unlawful conspiracy in restraint of trade to 'contain and eliminate the chiropractic profession.' How Children Can Benefit From Chiropractic A large portion of chiropractic patients are children. They don’t come in for pain issues, but rather your typical childhood problems such as colic, earaches, allergies, and asthma, for example. “Children are healing machines. As long as you get things properly lined up, their metabolism and capacity to heal is in there." "It’s sad because I’ll see kids that come to me and it’s the same story over and over. It’s like, he’s on his 12th round of antibiotics, and I’m thinking to myself, Why would you continue to do something if it didn’t work the first, second, third, or even fourth time? Why do you keep doing it?" "When you just indiscriminately use an antibiotic ... you’re destroying part of your ... immune function." "The more antibiotics these kids take, the weaker their immune systems and the worse the symptoms get. That’s what I do as a chiropractor. I’m really good about adjusting. But I’m really an articulate teacher. I make it so that people can understand it.” Not All Chiropractors Have the Same Philosophy According to Dr. DeMoss, “chiropractic is like brushing your teeth;” it’s something you need to do on a regular basis to maintain the life of your spine, because regular activities, even prolonged sitting, can contribute to its functioning less than optimally. Some chiropractors focus primarily on pain and injuries, so it’s important to make sure the chiropractor you choose has the appropriate health and wellness philosophy. Most of Dr. DeMoss’ patients come to him via word of mouth, and this is perhaps one of the best ways to find a good wellness chiropractor. You may also want to find out if he or she is trained in any other treatment modalities such as muscle testing, physiotherapy, rehab, or nutrition. There are literally dozens of different techniques that can have a profound impact on addressing the underlying component of disease, not just the structural. Tips for Choosing a Wellness Chiropractor • Ask your friends for a recommendation. A friend who knows both you and the chiropractor may be able to judge whether your health philosophies and personalities are compatible. • Meet the doctor. Many chiropractors will agree to a no-cost consultation to determine whether you are a good match. To make this visit as productive as possible, here are a few things to consider: 1. Does the practice focus on vertebral subluxation and wellness? Physical, biochemical, and psychological stress may result in spinal subluxations that disrupt nerve function and compromise your health. If you’re looking for a wellness chiropractor, it’s essential that this be the focus. Some chiropractors confine their practice to the mechanical treatment of back and neck pain, and this is something you need to be aware of beforehand. 2. Does the doctor “walk the talk”? If he or she is overweight, looks unhealthy, or does not live a healthy lifestyle, this speaks volumes regarding their commitment to wellness. 3. Do the two of you "click"? Do you like each other? Do you communicate well? Avoid a doctor who seems rushed, talks down to you, or seems disinterested in listening to your concerns. 4. Does the doctor use objective measurements of function? Since your care is not based just on addressing pain, your chiropractor should be using some form of objective assessment of your nerve function, as spinal subluxations can sometimes be asymptomatic. (I personally prefer the 'progress graph' that measures palpation, posture, range of motion, reflexes, orthopedic tests, neurological tests, etc.) 5. What treatment techniques are used? Chiropractic techniques can include more forceful adjustments by hand, and less forceful adjustments using instruments. Ask which technique would be used on you, and if they have a preference. As mentioned earlier, many chiropractors are also trained in other complementary techniques, so ask what else your doctor may have in his or her tool bag. Chiropractic Is Good for More Than Just Pain According to Dr. DeMoss, if you’re not healthy, chiropractic can often address the underlying causes. Naturally, diet and lifestyle play major roles. To give you an example of what he’s talking about, a patient Dr. DeMoss has treated for 20 years told him about his daughter-in-law’s infertility problem. She’d been trying to get pregnant for two and a half years, and they’d spent about $75,000 on infertility treatments, without any success. “I said, ‘Gary, why didn’t you refer her here?’ It doesn’t make sense to put the bun in the oven if the oven is not working. He didn’t think there was any correlation between her back and her capacity to become pregnant. So he sent her in. She was in her 10th week of care here when she became pregnant." "I want people to understand that when something is not working in your body, there are things that we can do to make it work, other than drugs and surgery. It’s so sad that people have this limited belief set on what chiropractic is about. It’s more than just you coming in and seeing us as a Band-Aid to get rid of your pain." "In reality, I want people to come and utilize chiropractic to maximize their expression of life and maximize not only the quality but the quantity of the life that God have intended for them.” More Information To make an appointment or refer someone to our office to see Dr. Beck, Dr. Thibodeau or Dr. Gomm, please call this number: 920-954-1002. This simple call could have a life-changing effect on you or someone you love. Source: Mercola.com, 3/10/16.