Have you ever pre-judged someone only to discover you have gained an appreciation or came to like the person when you took the time to get to know them? In the same way, there are misconceptions many have regarding chiropractic where the truth can lead to a new perspective. One of the goals of Revelation Health in Santa Rosa, CA is to educate our patients and community about true health care. One major component of that is your spinal health, which Revelation Health’s specialty of corrective care chiropractic addresses. The following are a few chiropractic misconceptions:
Once you go to a chiropractor, do you have to go forever? No, only as long as you want to continue to receive the benefits. Eliminating symptoms is only a part of chiropractic care, maintenance of health and preventing illness is the goal – just like a healthy diet, exercise, dental care, or even car maintenance can help you avoid bigger problems in the future.
I don't need a chiropractor because my pain is gone. Pain is usually the first thing to go in the healing process. But a lack of pain does not necessarily equal health. For example, as soon as a broken arm is set, the pain goes away, but it takes time to heal. Someone may have stage four cancer and have no pain or symptoms. Pain (or the lack thereof) is not a reliable indicator of health.
Can chiropractic adjustments cause strokes? There is no evidence of excess risk of stroke with chiropractic compared to primary care. The increased risk of stroke is likely due to a patient’s headache and neck pain from an artery clog or hemorrhage seeking care before their stroke. The risk is 1 in 5 million. Let me ask you a question. Which medical profession has the lowest Malpractice insurance? That's right, chiropractors! Why? Because we are the safest. If strokes were such a high risk, malpractice insurance would not cover neck manipulation.
My back is "out." Backs DO NOT go in and out. The "out" feeling is really a stuck or fixated joint that then develops into a more serious health problem.
Is it OK to crack my own spine? Usually you are only able to adjust the joints that are easy to move or hyper mobile. It feels good for a while (endorphins release and muscles relax) but you will probably have to repeat the process multiple times per day because you are not mobilizing the correct joint. As the wrong ligaments become stretched and the fixated joint continues to not move, this creates a secondary condition. Now your healing takes longer and your suffering is greater. Fact: Doctors of chiropractic choose to get adjusted by another doctor instead of doing it themselves.
What is the "cracking" sound? When you are being adjusted the joint capsule stretches increasing the volume within the joint. A partial vacuum is created in the synovial fluid in your joint rapidly releasing GAS (such as: oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide) due to the change in pressure. It takes about 20 minutes for the gases to return to the synovial fluid. And FYI... there are no studies that suggest "cracking" your knuckles will cause arthritis. Sorry grandma!
If you’d like to learn more about how corrective care chiropractic and taking care of your spinal health can save you future suffering, please call Revelation Health – Bartlett Chiropractic, Inc. today! Call 707-579-8150.