Chiropractic
Chiropractic - from the Greek Chiropraktikos meaning "effective treatment
by hand".
Chiropractic medicine was originally practiced in the late 19th Century by
Daniel Palmer, a schoolteacher turned healer. Palmer's interest in healing lay
in the cause of illness and he devoted much time to studying other cultures and
races to see how they approached the problem. He was fascinated to learn that
the ancient Egyptians had used spinal manipulation on displaced vertebrae to give
relief from a wide variety of ailments. Palmer became increasingly interested
in this, and began to develop his own methods of manipulation. After a number
of successful treatments, he set up the first training institute to promote and
further develop chiropractic medicine
What to expect
Chiropractors like to say that they practice bloodless surgery - their aim
is to maintain the spine and nervous system in good health through neuromusculoskeletal
manipulation. The same methods of consultation - case history, physical examination,
labatory analysis and often x-rays are uniform throughout the industry.
A client will be asked to strip down to their underwear and posture will be
studied whilst standing, sitting and lying down. Reflexes will be tested, and
muscles palpated for signs of tension and spasm. Legs may also be measured to
ascertain that they are of equal length. It is only after a thorough examination,
that a chiropractor will decide if a problem is suitable for treatment. The aim
of such treatment is to restore a full range of movement to the joints of the
spine, relax and lengthen muscles, tendons and ligaments and relieve pain. Manipulation
may be carried out by stretching muscles and short, controlled thrusts against
a joint, also included in a treatment may be soft tissue techniques such as massage,
heat, ice and kneading.
A treatment may last between 10-30 minutes, and generally a course will be
prescribed to ensure maximum benefits are obtained. Chiropractors recommend the
method for a variety of conditions ranging from chronic back trouble to migraine,
ADD in children and many gynecological conditions. It does also have contraindications
for a number of complaints such as osteoporosis, cancer and serious circulatory
problems, so it is important to ensure that the practitioner is fully qualified
and registered with a suitable governing body.
Useful Organisations:
Send an email to info@chisuk.org.uk
if you would like to have your school or association listed on this page.
|
