Chiropractic, a Latin word, translates to "done by hand," which means we help people with our hands. This traditional definition of chiropractic has evolved as we've learned other ways to help people with their pain and health concerns by asking the right questions, listening, and providing proper education and instruction.
Most people seek chiropractic care for pain relief, but other reasons include: Feeling your best, performing your best, keeping a trained eye on your general health, improving mobility and biomechanical efficiency, learning the truth about how to best care for your own health, inspiration to get stronger, having a professional confidant to talk to and guide when needed, or just confirmation that everything is going to be okay.
Chiropractors don't prescribe medicine or perform surgery or any incisive procedure, but rather treat patients with a holistic and conservative approach using a bio-psycho-social model. Bio-, meaning the biology, the structure, the tight muscle, the arthritic joint, what's the physical problem? Psycho refers to the neurology of pain and how the brain processes it. What's the mental problem? Stress, pessimism, lack of confidence, anger, and anxiety are all potential pain generators. Pain is not always dependent on tissue damage or actual injury. Some people who are injured have no pain, while others who have no injury are in a lot of pain. Pain is weird, multifactorial, and not yet fully understood which is why we use the biopsychosocial model. Lastly, social refers to your social health and it's effect on your overal well-being. Being around loved ones, feeling supported and safe in your environment, and having meaningful relationships seems unrelated to back pain but research says otherwise.
"Adjustments" are an extremely safe and effective way to restore motion to joints, reduce pain, and to improve the function of associated tissues (brain-body connection). Some people describe getting adjusted as feeling like bones are being "put back into place." Others call it getting "popped" or "cracked." What you're really feeling is a sensory input from a mechanical force to which the brain either responds positively or negatively depending on various factors. If the chiropractor is good at what they do, then they will have determined through thorough exam and patient interview whether or not a patient is a good candidate for certain chiropractic techniques. (Which is why you should only get adjusted by a trained chiropractor.) Adjustment techniques can vary widely between very gentle and very aggressive, but are always done with care and intent. Patient safety and comfort is number 1. Drs. Bronson can use a variety techniques based on patient preference to make sure that every patient recieves the most comfortable and effective care possible. You know you got a good adjusment when you notice things like less pain/discomfort, sense of peace, feeling like you're moving better/more fluid, and more confidence in moving.
When people find out about my chemistry degree, they ask "What does Chemistry have to do with Chiropractic?"
Some of my most amazing memories were made throughout many hours spent in chemistry labs on University of Texas' campus. One of the most fun things for me was learning how to combine starting materials with reactants to produce useful products like nylon and essential oils. I literally made my own soap through a process called saponification. It's real; look it up. Learning the underlying mechanisms that explain why a chemical reaction occurs the way that it does made me feel like a wizard enlightened with the meaning of life. Everything in this world from the clothes we wear to the chair we sit on, to the food we eat, to the bodies we live in when zoomed in is made of chemical components. So if anyone tells you to stay away from chemicals, kindly inform them that's impossible. One of the first things I learned in lab is that pouring two chemicals into a beaker and standing back to watch the reaction occur takes too much time. The reaction occurs much quicker when the beaker is stirred and heated simultaneously. I can talk about thermodynamics later, but for now let’s focus on stirring the beaker, AKA movement!
Now, let's break down why movement is crucial:
Biochemical Reactions: Everything you consume, whether it's food, beverages, or even things absorbed through your skin, goes into this "biochemical beaker" inside your body. Nutrition plays a critical role in providing the necessary ingredients for these reactions. We need macronutrients like proteins, fats, and carbs. We also need micronutrients like vitamins and minerals which serve as cofactors for these reactions. Eating a variety of real food, not junk food, is the best way to get all these important things into your system.
Stirring the Beaker: In chemistry, you'd stir a mixture to speed up a reaction. Similarly, moving your body acts like stirring the beaker. It accelerates these biochemical reactions, ensuring that your body functions optimally.
Full-Body Movement: While activities like walking are great, they aren't enough on their own. To fully benefit from movement, you should engage all your body parts in various directions. This comprehensive approach ensures that no part of your body is neglected.
Resistance Training: Adding resistance to your movements, such as weightlifting, strengthens your tissues while moving them. Strong muscles provide better support to your joints and have a positive impact on your metabolism, health, and longevity.
Chiropractic Adjustments: Despite our efforts to move every part of our bodies, certain areas can get "stuck" due to various factors. Think of these areas as stagnant joints that need a little help. Chiropractic adjustments play a crucial role here. They restore proper function to these restricted joints, not only allowing them to move freely again but also reducing pain and enhancing local tissue health.
In essence, nutrition is like medicine, and movement distributes that medicine and accelerates associated biochemical reactions for optimal health. So eat well, move often, get adjusted regularly, stay positive, and keep on thriving.
