What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic means "done by hand", and as such it is a natural, complementary/alternative, hands-on, drug free, surgery free approach to healthcare. Since its inception, Chiropractic has risen to become the third most frequented primary health care profession in the world after medicine and dentistry.
Chiropractic works on the premise that good health is partially dependent on a normally functioning spine and nervous system.
Who can benefit from Chiropractic care?
Chiropractic care has been known to treat and help almost any condition that is nerve, muscle and joint related. Such neuromusculoskeletal conditions can range from neck pain, headaches including migraines, whiplash, shoulder pain, arm and elbow pain, tingling in the arms and hands, all the way to back pain, leg pain, knee and even foot pain. Therefore, any condition that is related to any joint in the body can potentially be helped through Chiropractic care.
An everyday action, such as a fall or an accident, lifting of heavy objects or even high stress levels, can cause any of the moveable vertebrae in your spine to lose its normal motion. This causes the joint to become fixed or jammed, which in turn can lead to further irritation of both the joint and the nerve. Irritation of the joint may result in spasm of the surrounding muscle, which can lead to a trigger point developing within the muscle. Irritation of the nerve can lead to pain in the vicinity of the joint or it may cause referral of pain elsewhere in the body. Alternatively, the nerve’s functioning may be altered causing either an increase or decrease in nerve sensitivity.
Due to the fact that Chiropractic is a non-invasive treatment option, virtually anyone can benefit from Chiropractor care.
This includes:
- Babies and Children: who suffer from spinal problems as they grow older and their nervous system adapts
- Pregnant women: chiropractors can help ensure an easier delivery and minimise backache
- Office workers: who often sit in front of a computer for extended periods of time resulting in poor posture and back/neck problems
- Factory workers: who spend much of their time performing repetitive, heavy load bearing activities
- The elderly: who have years of wear and tear on the body which can leave them more susceptible to different spinal problems
- Athletes: who are constantly striving to improve their performance and who often push their bodies to the limit in order to achieve their goals. Such constant stress on the body can in time cause much strain and in later years many neuromuscular problems can develop
How does Chiropractic work?
A Chiropractor's main concern is with your spine and nervous system and how well both are functioning. The spine is made up of 24 individual moveable vertebrae which starts just below the base of your skull and ends in the centre between your hips. Although each vertebra is separate, they are all connected together by ligaments, muscles and cartilaginous intervertebral discs, which enable the entire spine to function as one dynamic unit.
A pair of spinal nerves exits between each vertebra. Each one of the 31 pairs of nerves comes from the spinal cord, which runs the length of the spine, and extends outward to form a complex network which ultimately supplies and influences every organ, tissue and cell in the body.
A Chiropractor will evaluate the biomechanical structure and functioning of the spine to ensure that each one of the individual vertebra are moving freely and are not displaced or fixed in any way. Any such displacement or fixed jammed vertebra can cause the spinal nerve that exits from the intervertebral foramen/ opening, to become irritated either through direct pressure of through indirect stimulation/ irritation. Therefore any problem in any one of the vertebral joints can affect the related part of your nervous system, which in turn can lead to such symptoms as pain in the back or neck as well as many other spinal problems and symptoms in any part of your body.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Chiropractors opposed to medical treatment?
Certainly NOT! Chiropractors recognise that there are many things that can go wrong with the body and frequently either medication or surgery are the only appropriate option. Each Chiropractor is trained to know when they can help and when it is time to refer the patient to another health care provider.
What causes the cracking sound of a manipulation/adjustment?
When some adjusting techniques are applied, a popping/cracking sound may be heard. This sound is merely due to the gas and fluid inside the joint shifting around. However, the sound has nothing to do with the quality of the manipulation/adjustment.
Will my medical aid pay for Chiropractic care?
Virtually all medical aids provide reimbursement for Chiropractic care. However, it depends on each person’s payment plan as to the extent to which they are covered. The best option to find out if you are covered to receive Chiropractic care is to contact your medical aid and ask them yourself.
Is Chiropractic care covered by Workman’s Compensation (COIDS)?
Yes, since 1994 Chiropractic care has been covered by Workman’s Compensation, also known as COIDS (Compensation for Occupational Injury and Disease). Therefore, any injury which occurs whilst on duty may be treated by a chiropractor without referral from another physician. All costs, including X-rays, if necessary, will be reimbursed by COIDS. Second only to the common cold, lower back pain is the most common cause for loss of man hours at work each year. Experience in the USA shows that Chiropractic care costs up to 50% less than comparable medical care and requires 50% less sick leave before returning to work.
Are there any risks associated with Chiropractic care?
As with everything in life and every medical intervention, Chiropractic care does have its own set of risks. These can include an aggravation of any inflammatory condition, neuromusculoskeletal sprain/ strain, osseus dislocation or fracture and very rarely a Vertebral Artery syndrome. These potential risks should be considered when making your decision to receive Chiropractic care, however it is important to know that you have a greater chance of being struck by lightning (1> 100 000) than suffering from a complication of a spinal manipulation (1>1 000 000).
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Chiropractor:Dr Dylan Herwill – M.Tech Chiro (UJ).
"I always take a holistic approach when approaching a patient with healthcare needs. Diseases don’t always follow a natural progression and therefore it is in the patients best interest to look at them as a whole- work, social, mental and physical stresses can all present in an adverse way and therefore a healthcare practitioner must be open to a multidisciplinary way of thinking in order for the patient to have a maximal benefit."
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