Frequently Asked Questions
These are some of the questions you may be asking yourself about Chiropractic care.

What results can I expect from Chiropractic Care?
People seek the help of a chiropractor for many different reasons including pain relief, health care and performance enhancement. Pain is the body's warning system, but it's not fool proof. Judging your health by how you feel can be dangerous. Many conditions and diseases are well advanced by the time you are aware of them. Chiropractors correct spinal malfunctions called vertebral subluxations, which may cause severe pain or be completely painless. The harmful effects of vertebral subluxations are the result of irritation and interference to the nervous system. The nervous system controls and co-ordinates all body parts, and its optimum function is essential for good health. Fortunately, good health and the absence of painful symptoms usually go together. However only your chiropractor can tell you if you are free of vertebral subluxations, and associated nerve interference. Pain relief and rapid recovery from a vast array of diseases and disorders have placed chiropractic as a leader in Natural Health care. Many of theses results have been confirmed by scientific research.  Many athletes have utilized Chiropractic Care as a means of enhancing their performance. Parents and teachers often report children dramatically improve their attention span with Chiropractic Care. Others report chiropractic care as being the main reason for improved academic performance. Dancers and artists are more graceful and creative when they are free of nerve interference caused by subluxations.

What symptoms do I need to see a chiropractor?
Pain and symptoms are nature's way of telling us "something is wrong:" They are the result of your body dealing with tissue damage or breakdown, infection and poisons. You may be desperate at times to get relief from symptoms such as back pain, sciatica, headaches and symptoms associated with many other conditions such as tummy upsets, breathing problems, allergies and so on.

It is foolish to treat only the symptom and ignore the cause!
Many people consult chiropractors seeking relief from all sorts of symptoms, the most common being back and neck pain, shoulder and arm pain, low back, buttock and leg pain and headaches. The objective of chiropractic care is to enhance the natural healing abilities of the body by correcting a malfunction of the spine called a vertebral subluxation. A vertebral subluxation is a complex of abnormal vertebral movement, irritation and interference to the nervous system. Alterations to muscle balance, inflammation of the tissues, and changes to the chemistry of the tissues. The body is much better off without vertebral subluxations! You would expect vertebral subluxations to cause pain, and some do, but many do not, going completely undetected until you have a chiropractic examination. Corrections of vertebral subluxations usually results in relief from pain, but more importantly, enhance the body's innate ability to heal itself. This takes time and a number of visits to achieve. It is wise to maintain your spine free from vertebral subluxations. Many vertebral subluxations do not cause obvious pain or other symptoms; so don't wait until you are in pain before you have a chiropractic examination. If you are in pain, remember theses five dangerous words..."Maybe it will go away!"

Who sees Chiropractors?
Making sure the spine and nervous system are working in harmony for good health is just as important for a newborn baby as it is for a senior citizen. Indeed the benefits of Chiropractic care start during pregnancy. Mother needs all systems working at 100% to help ensure baby's development is not hindered. The birth process can place great stress on the newborn's delicate spine. Toddlers and children frequently fall and play rough games. All this may result in a malfunction of the spine called a vertebral subluxation, which hinders the body's effort to maintain organs and systems working in harmony (homeostasis). Correcting vertebral subluxations in the young has been shown to help recovery from a wide range of diseases and disorders including infantile colic, ear and throat infections and general irritability. It is rare for vertebral subluxations in babies and children to cause back and neck pain. If in doubt have your child checked out! Adults frequently have stressful occupations and recreational activities and repetitively strain the spine and its supporting ligaments and muscles. Vertebral subluxations may result. Many adults consult chiropractors for back and neck pain, headache and sciatica. However chiropractic care enhances the ability of the body to deal with its injuries, resist disease and maintain optimum health.

Education
Chiropractors usually receive a 4 year degree in pre-med from a 4 year university. They then attend a chiropractic school for 4 more years. Study includes chiropractic philosophy, biological sciences, neurology, orthopedics, radiology, clinical sciences and practical clinical experience.

Why are X-rays taken?
X-ray pictures of your spine are often necessary to determine the condition of your spine. They are an important part of designing your specific plan of chiropractic care. Modern x-ray equipment minimizes the radiation, and the benefits of x-rays well outweighs the risk of the low amount of radiation you absorb.