What is Chiropractic

What is Chiropractic? 

The first thing that comes to my mind is chiropractic is not those videos on YouTube or Instagram of people getting their necks cracked with the microphone right next to it so you can hear the pop. There's something satisfying about hearing the cracks and pops, which is what some doctors and patients chase. However, that is just spinal manipulation. To me, that is not Chiropractic. DD Palmer who was the founder of Chiropractic defined it as “The philosophy, art, and science of things natural. A system for adjusting the segments of the spinal column, by hand only, for the correction of the cause of dis-ease.” 

To me, my view of chiropractic is very similar. It is the science and art of healing the person using all things natural and a system-specific spinal manipulation. When doctors go chasing cracks and pops, that is not specific...and there is no science or system to what they are doing. The flying seven is something many patients are familiar with where it is several adjustments that doctors do that adjust the full spine. It is effective and feels good but it is the basics. I would argue that it is the simplest form of chiropractic devoid of any art or science. Personally, I strive for more. 

Chiropractic should be the use of different systems and modalities to heal the person. It should be using nutrition, exercise, change of mind and thought, and spinal manipulation to heal the person. “Chiropractors adjust subluxations.” I believe it was DD Palmer who claimed subluxations are caused by “thoughts, toxins, and trauma.” I believe that using lifestyle changes to help a patient change their “patterns” is how we heal people. That pattern can be their dietary pattern, the pattern of their thoughts, and their posture pattern. 

We are blessed to live in a day and age where there's so much science showing us how our posture will dictate our mood. Psychoneuroimmunology has shown us that emotional trauma will affect our bodies physically. Nutrition and toxins also affect our very physical body and affect our emotions and our thoughts as well. As a chiropractor practicing chiropractic, I utilize lifestyle changes and chiropractic manipulative therapies to help patients heal and thrive. My life mission is to help people create a new standard of health for themselves and their families. That is what chiropractic means to me.