so that the body is able to repair itself, to retrain movement paterns so that the
body functions at its best, and to improve the quality of life of everyone
who walks through the doors.
Dr. Mathew Ullom, B.S., D.C.
FAQ
Once I start chiropractic treatment, do I have to
go forever?
Can I adjust
myself and get the same benefits?
Why do
chiropractors take x-rays?
What type of
education do chiropractors receive?
What is a
chiropractic adjustment?
Can I tell if I
have a subluxation?
Do children need
chiropractic care?
Are all patients
adjusted the same way?
How do I know if
I have a subluxation?
What makes that
sound during an adjustment?
How can
chiropractic add comfort to my pregnancy and a safer birth?
Why do newborns
get adjustments?
Why should
children have chiropractic care?
Can chiropractic
help with childhood earaches (acute otitis media)?
Can chiropractic
help with colic?
Once I start chiropractic treatment, do I have to go forever?
No. First we
will take a history, perform a physical examination and possibly X-rays, to
help determine if your health concerns can be helped by chiropractic
treatment. If we determine that
chiropractic can be of benefit for you, then we will suggest an estimated,
finite treatment period. If chiropractic
care is not indicated, we will suggest other sources of help or refer you to
another doctor. Every case is different
and each person's response varies.
Can I adjust myself and get the same benefits?
No. Since a chiropractic adjustment is a specific
force, applied in a specific direction to a specific joint, it is virtually
impossible to adjust oneself correctly and accurately. It is possible to turn or bend or twist in
certain ways to create a "popping" sound that sometimes accompanies a
chiropractic adjustment as well as temporary relief caused by an endorphine
release. But a "crack" is not
an adjustment. Unfortunately, this type of joint manipulation is usually
counterproductive, often making an already unstable spine even more unstable, and
can sometimes be dangerous. Adjusting the spine is not for amateurs!
Why do chiropractors take x-rays?
Chiropractors take x-rays to reveal the internal
structure and alignment of the spine.
The nervous system is so important to a person's health that it is
encased within a bony protective structure, the skull and spinal column or
vertebrae. We like to use x-rays to
assess that housing. We are also
concerned about underlying disease processes and disorders of the spine such as
spinal deterioration, arthritis of the spine, abnormal development, bone spurs,
disc disorders, tumors and spinal curvature.
X-rays also provide a blueprint for correcting the spine back to optimal
health and alignment.
What type of education do chiropractors receive?
Doctors of Chiropractic are well educated. Chiropractic education and medical education
are similar in many respects and different in others because chiropractors are
not interested in prescribing drugs or performing surgery, we want to help you
avoid that, and medical doctors do not correct vertebral subluxations. Few even understand what they are and how
they can damage your health and vitality. After graduating with a Doctor of
Chiropractic (D.C.) Degree, each candidate must pass the demanding four part
National Board Examinations. Then, doctors apply to a professional licensing
board before being granted the privilege to practice. A chiropractor's
education, however, never ends. Most
doctors complete regular postgraduate instruction for license renewal and to
stay current on the latest research and adjustment techniques.
A debilitating condition in the body in which a
bone has lost it's proper function or position with reference to the bone
above, the bone below, or both. This can
impede the transmission of mental impulses through a nerve, that control every
cell, tissue, and organ in your body.
What is a chiropractic adjustment?
A chiropractic adjustment is the
art of using a specific force in a precise direction, applied to a joint that
is subluxated, "locked up," or not moving properly. The purpose of this safe and natural
procedure is to eliminate interference to the nervous system, improving spinal
function and overall health.
"Gentle spinal adjustments boost your body's immunity."
Can I tell if I have a subluxation?
How you feel is a poor way to gauge your health. Ever known someone diagnosed with cancer? Ask
them how they were a week before and they would probably answer,
"Fine," when they were really very sick. What is the "silent killer"? Hypertension, with death frequently the first
symptom. A subluxation is like a dental
cavity or cancer or heart disease--you may have it for a long time before
symptoms appear, while your health is silently eroding. That's why periodic spinal checkups are so
important. Although it may be possible
to know you have a subluxation, it is rarely possible to be sure you
don't. Regular spinal checkups are
always a good idea, and they promote good health from the inside out.
Do children need chiropractic care?
Since significant spinal trauma
can occur at birth, many parents have their newborns immediately checked for
vertebral subluxation. Naturally,
chiropractic adjusting procedures are adapted for the child's spine. Many childhood health complaints that are
brushed off or treated with drugs can be traced to the nervous system. Health problems that emerge in adulthood
could often be prevented by having your children's nervous system checked by a
chiropractor early. Most parents report
that their children enjoy their chiropractic adjustments and are healthier than
their peers.
Are all patients adjusted the same way?
No. The doctor evaluates each patient's unique
spinal problem and develops an individual course of care. Each chiropractic adjustment builds on the
one before. The resulting recommendations
are based upon years of training and experience. Each patient's care is uniquely different
from every other patient.
How do I know if I have a subluxation?
You can have subluxations and not
even know it. Like the early stages of
tooth decay, heart disease, or cancer, subluxations can be present before
warning signs (symptoms) appear. The
results of an examination by your chiropractor can show the location and
severity of subluxations you may have.
Chiropractic adjustments usually
involve a quick thrust that helps add motion to joints that aren't moving
correctly. Most methods use the doctor's
hands, but others use instruments, a special table or the force of gravity. There are over 100 chiropractic adjusting
techniques, so not all Chiropractors adjust the same way and not all patients
are adjusted the same way. Each patient
is unique and needs to be adjusted the way their body adapts best.
What makes that sound during an adjustment?
Lubricating fluids separate the
bones of each spinal joint and some adjusting methods can produce a sound when
the gas and fluids in the joint move.
The sound is interesting, but isn't a guide to the quality or value of
the adjustment.
How can chiropractic add comfort to my pregnancy and a safer birth?
A large percent of all pregnant
women experience back discomfort/pain during pregnancy. This is due to the rapid growth of the baby
and changes to your body's normal structure.
Pre-existing unnoticed imbalances in your spine and pelvis become
overtaxed and very apparent during these times.
Chiropractic care throughout pregnancy can relieve and even prevent the
common discomforts experienced in pregnancy.
Specific adjustments eliminate these stresses in your spine restore
balance to your pelvis and result in greater comfort and lifestyle
improvements.
As your baby develops, your uterus enlarges to
accommodate the rapid growth. So long as
the pelvis is in a balanced state, the ligaments connected to the uterus
maintain an equalized, supportive suspension for the uterus. If your pelvis is out of balance in any way,
these ligaments become torque and twisted causing a condition known as
constraint to your uterus. This constraint
limits the space of the developing baby.
If the woman's uterus is constrained as birth approaches, the baby is
prevented from getting into the best possible position for birth.
Even if the baby is in the desirable head down
position, often times constraint to the uterus affects the baby's head from
moving into the ideal presentation for delivery. The head may be slightly tilted off to one
side or even more traumatically, present in the posterior position. Any baby position even slightly off during
birth will slow down labor, and add pain to both the mother and baby.
Published studies have indicated that chiropractic
care does in fact reduce labor time.
Doctors of Chiropractic work specifically with your
pelvis throughout pregnancy restoring a state of balance and creating an
environment for an easier 
safer delivery.
Why do newborns get adjustments?
Birth is a traumatic process, for
both the mother and child, even in natural childbirth. Since significant spinal trauma can occur at
birth, many parents have their newborns checked right away. If a baby is checked for subluxations at
birth, then many signs of spinal distress may not occur, like colic, unusual
crying, poor appetite, ear infections, nursing difficulties, erratic sleeping
patterns allergic reactions and chronic infections. Pediatric adjustments are gentle.
Why should children have
chiropractic care?
As the infant grows, learns to
hold up the head sit crawl and walk, stabilization patterns are being developed
that will be used for a life time. It is an important time to have a child checked by a Doctor of Chiropractic.
As the child begins to participate in regular
childhood activities like skating or riding a bike, small yet significant
spinal misalignments (subluxations) may occur.
If neglected, the injuries during this period of rapid growth may lead
to more serious problems later in life.
Subtle trauma throughout childhood will affect the future development of
the spine leading to impaired nervous system function. Any interference to the vital nervous system
will adversely affect to the body's ability to function at its best.
One of the most common reasons parents seek care
for their child is trauma from an injury.
These misalignments may or may not result in immediate pain or
symptoms. Regular chiropractic checkups
can identify potential spinal injury from these traumas, make the correction
early in life and help avoid man of the health complaints seen later in adults.
Another sought out reason for care is the
resolution of a particular symptom or condition. Parents seek care for conditions such as
colic, ear infections, asthma, allergies and headaches (to name a few) because
they have heard from other parents that chiropractic care can help.
It is important to understand that the doctor of
chiropractic does not diagnose or treat conditions or diseases. The expertise of the chiropractor is in
checking the child's spine for misalignments that impair nervous system
function, therefore affecting overall body function. The bones of the spine, the vertebrae, house
and protect the spinal cord. The spinal
cord is an extension of the brain and carries information from the brain to the
body parts and back to the brain again.
Subluxations interfere with the nerve's ability to transmit this vital
information.
The nervous system controls and coordinates the
function of all the systems in the body: circulatory, respiratory, digestive,
hormonal, eliminative and immune system.
Any aspect of health may be impaired by nerve interference. The chiropractic adjustment restores nervous
system function allowing the body the ability to express a greater state of
health and well-being.
After the case history and exam is completed, if
the child needs to be adjusted, the adjusting procedures are modified to fit a
child's size, weight, and unique spinal condition. They are both gentle and specific to the
child's size, weight, and unique spinal condition. They are both gentle and specific to the
child's developing spinal structures.
Most parents report that their children enjoy their chiropractic
adjustments and look forward to subsequent visits. They also report that their children
experience a greater level of health while under chiropractic care.
Can chiropractic help with childhood earaches (acute otitis media)?
Yes.
Otitis media is an extremely
common middle-ear inflammation, usually caused by an infection that blocks the
Eustachian tube. Up to one-third of the
cild population will have six or more episodes before starting school, and some
can have up to twelve episodes in a year.
Every year in the
Scientific studies have shown little evidence of
shorter duration of symptoms, fewer recurrences or better long-term outcomes
for children given antibiotics for their acute otitis media than for those who
did not receive the medication.
Moreover, researchers have found that giving antibiotics for otitis
media, increases the chance of another earache.
Gentle chiropractic upper-spine adjustments can
help clear the Eustachian tube blockage that causes otitis media. Dietary/nutritional guidance (such as testing
for food sensitivities and vitamin deficiencies) may also be offered.
Can chiropractic help with colic?
The most widely accepted
definition of "colic" is uncontrollable crying in babies, especially from the
ages of zero to three months, and often lasting for more than three hours a
day, more than three days a week for three weeks or more.
No matter how long the condition lasts, parents
that struggling with a colicky child can be frustrating and exhausting. But there is hope, and it could come from
your doctor of chiropractic. A recent study divided 50 infants with colic into
two groups. The first group received
chiropractic spinal manipulation for two weeks;
the second group received traditional drug treatment (dimethicone) over
the same two weeks.
Results revealed that the chiropractic group
improved more than the drug group (less hours spent crying) after the first
five days of the study. After day five,
the dimethicone group showed little or no reduction in average colic hours per
day.
Days 4-7:
Hours of crying were reduced by a total of 2.4 hours in the manipulation
group, compared with only one hour in the drug group.
Days 8-11:
Hours of crying were reduced by a total of 2.4 hours in the manipulation
group, compared with one hour in the drug group.
Days 8-11:
Hours of crying were reduced by 2.7 total hours in the manipulation
group compared with only one hour in the drug group.
Even more revealing, five infants in the
dimethicone group dropped out before the end of the study, described by their
parents as having "worsened" or "much worsened" colic. The authors suggest that if these severe cases
had been included in the results, drug intervention would have appeared even
less effective than chiropractic for reducing the symptoms of colic.