FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
WHAT IS CHIROPRACTIC?
Chiropractic is a natural healing art that developed from the research and clinical work done by Dr. D.D. Palmer in 1895, in Davenport, Iowa. Since then, Chiropractic has grown to the second largest primary healing art in the United States. Doctors of Chiropractic are now licensed in all 50 States and most Western Nations.
Chiropractors evaluate the muscular, skeletal, and nervous systems for problems that cause pain and loss of function. Chiropractors commonly treat problems that can cause low back pain, neck pain, headaches, pinched nerves, disc problems, sciatica, joint pain, etc. By relieving the cause of your symptoms, we can help you get your life back.
WHAT KIND OF EDUCATION DOES A CHIROPRACTOR HAVE?
Chiropractors attend specialty graduate colleges that focus specifically on Chiropractic education. Dr. Kunisch graduated Cum Laude from Life Chiropractic College in Marietta, Georgia.
Today’s Chiropractors have a minimum of a two year course of study leading to a B.A. or B.S. degree. This “pre-Chiropractic” course of study is much like that required of pre-med. students. Chiropractic students then must complete an additional four years of professional education plus a prescribed internship. Internships are completed through clinics incorporated into the colleges, as well as in the surrounding communities.
WILL I NEED X-RAYS?
Not necessarily! A lot of people assume that all Chiropractors x-ray all their patients all the time. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
X-rays are a means of diagnostic evaluation. As with other diagnostic tools, they are necessary in some cases, not necessary in others, and contra-indicated in a few.
We NEVER x-ray a woman we know or suspect to be pregnant!
We SELDOM x-ray anyone under the age of 18 years old.
We AVOID x-raying nursing women if possible.
Although x-rays are deemed safe, excessive exposure can be harmful to the body. For this reason, we impose various restrictions on our use of this form of diagnosis. Since every case is unique, it is best to discuss your concerns about x-rays with the Doctor.
HOW LONG WILL I BE UNDER CARE?
That all depends on you. Every case, every condition, every person we see is different. There is no magical formula to determine how long a patient will need care or how much care must be rendered.
We treat all of our patients on an individual basis, determining your response to care and what follow-up is required at each visit. As your body responds and changes, your treatment type and schedule are altered for the greatest results. Like you, we want to see fast, long-lasting results because we take pride in our work.
In order to speed yourself along in the healing process, you can take several steps in your daily life.
Rest. The body requires energy to heal. Allowing for enough rest and avoiding over exertion helps the body provide the necessary energy.
Eat well. If a mason doesn’t have enough bricks, he cannot build a wall. Likewise, if you don’t provide the proper building blocks, your body cannot complete it’s task.
Drink plenty of water. It’s the single most important element in your body…need we say more?
Avoid alcohol, tobacco, recreational drugs and excessive physical activity.
Limit stress/relax.
Follow the Doctor’s instructions.
Over all…Be Patient! Healing takes time. Chances are, it took a long time for you to get this way…It will take time to get better.
CAN A CHIROPRACTOR TREAT SOMEONE AFTER BACK SURGERY?
Absolutely! Not only is it possible for your Chiropractor to treat you after surgery, it is recommended in most cases.
Surgery traumatically alters the natural structures of the body. Like other forms of trauma, the typical process is for scar tissue to develop, biomechanics to be altered, and supportive tissues (muscles, ligaments, tendons and cartilage) to become compromised. Chiropractic care helps to maintain the highest degree of function in the tissues and joints surrounding the surgical site. Although the body needs time to heal after surgery, visiting a Chiropractor regularly may help to prevent future problems from developing.
WILL I BECOME ADDICTED TO CHIROPRACTIC?
If you mean “Could I get addicted to a feeling of wellness and health, in which my body functions at the greatest possible level, where I have more energy, strength and stamina, and am able to perform my daily activities in the safest and most efficient manner?”
Then…yes, you may never want to stop.
But if you are referring to the over used adage, “Once you go to a Chiropractor, you have to keep going forever,” then the answer is a firm, “NO”.
Those who choose to make Chiropractic a long-term or life-long addition to their personal health habits do so, primarily, as a form of preventative health care, much like a healthy diet or exercise.
There is nothing about Chiropractic treatments/adjustments that would cause a need for extended care. On the contrary, research has shown that the benefits of Chiropractic care are longer lasting than those achieved by Medical care for some conditions. (See “Is Chiropractic care effective?”)
IS CHIROPRACTIC CARE EXPENSIVE?
Not at all! Several studies have demonstrated the cost effectiveness of Chiropractic in relation to other forms of care for the same conditions. Chiropractic care repeatedly proves to be cheaper than other treatment methods.
In a report by S. Wolk, “Chiropractic vs. Medical Care: A Cost Analysis of Disability and Treatment for Back-Related Workers’ Compensation Cases,” the cost of Chiropractic care was only 55% and 56% of Medical care for nonsurgical and surgical patients, respectively.
IS CHIROPRACTIC CARE SAFE?
Chiropractic care is safe enough to be of use for your newborn infant as well as for your 90 year old grandmother!
Researcher A. Terrett, in a review of literature between 1934 and 1994, found Chiropractic to be the safest in the delivery of vertebral manipulation.
The risk of death from using NSAIDS (ie: ibuprophen) is 400 times the risk from manipulation, when performed by a Chiropractor.
Chiropractors are the musculoskeletal specialists, with the greatest degree of education and experience in this field.
IS CHIROPRACTIC CARE EFFECTIVE?
Chiropractic care has been evaluated extensively over the past fifty years to determine it’s safety and effectiveness for spinal conditions. In fact, no other health care modality has been researched to the extent as has been done to evaluate Chiropractic effectiveness for low back pain relief. Although the majority of Chiropractic research has been in regard to low back pain, current research is providing evidence of a myriad of other health benefits.
WHO CAN RECEIVE CHIROPRACTIC CARE?
Anyone with a spine! Chiropractic care is a safe and effective way of treating people of all ages and walks of life. We care for spines from 2 days to 102 years old. Infants, children, adolescents, expecting mothers, middle aged or elderly, all spines need proper care.
Occasionally, someone presents to our office with a condition that would prohibit us from treating them Chiropractically, but this is a rare occurrence. Since each case and condition should be evaluated and treated independently, it is best to discuss your options with the Chiropractor directly.
COULDN’T I JUST “CRACK” MY OWN BACK/NECK, OR HAVE A FRIEND DO IT FOR ME?
Anyone can move bones. Anyone can make joints “pop”. Not just anyone can do it right.
Chiropractors have extensive, specialized training in the art, science and philosophy associated with spinal manipulation.
The sensation of tightness, restriction or pain that you are feeling in your back or neck is caused by a jammed or fixated bone (vertebra) or joint. Often, this fixated joint is accompanied by one or more joints that moves too much (hypermobile), as a compensation. When you, or a friend, “crack” or “pop” your spine, you are introducing a force and a motion into a series of bones. Without the proper control of this force, it will tend to be taken up by the hypermobile joints, since they are easier to move. The fixated joint stays fixed…the hypermobile joints are forced to move even more. Not only does the problem remain…it gets worse.
“But I feel better when I crack my neck (back).” — Research shows that the mobilization of joints, whether they need it or not, causes the body to release special pain killing compounds, known as endorphins and enkephlins, which cause a brief period of euphoria and pain relief. If the proper correction is not performed, the pain returns when the ‘pain killers’ wear off. That’s why most self-adjusters need to “crack” themselves more and more all the time, until they do it every few minutes. The more they do it, the worse they get, the more they need to do it…
When a Chiropractor performs an adjustment, he/she controls the force/motion to alleviate the fixated joint, without applying undue stress or strain to joints that are already moving enough or too much. This is why a Chiropractic student has over a thousand hours of training specifically in manipulation techniques. Add to that the years of experience that Dr. Kunisch has, and you have a level of care that you cannot easily match.