What is Chiropractic?

Chiropractic is a lifestyle. Chiropractic is one of the largest primary-contact health care professions today. Chiropractors provide non-invasive, hands-on health care that serves to diagnose, treat, and help prevent disorders and conditions relating to the spine, nervous system, and musculoskeletal system.

Chiropractors use a combination of treatments, which are tailored to the specific individual needs of the patient. After taking a complete history and providing a detailed diagnosis to the patient, Dr.Beckley will develop and carry out a treatment plan, as well as recommend rehabilitative exercises. Dr. Beckley may also suggest nutritional, dietary, and lifestyle modifications to help the patient reach their health goals. Dr. Beckley believes in addressing the patients overall health and not just their specific symptoms. She is focused on how a patient’s musculoskeletal system and nervous system function in relation to the whole body.

What is subluxation?

The short answer is that a subluxation is a misalignment of the vertebrae of the spine. Chiropractors are the only health care professionals trained to diagnose and treat vertebral and extra-spinal subluxations. Some causes of vertebral subluxations include car accidents, bad posture, sitting for long hours, improper lifting, and emotional stress. These factors can cause the spine’s vertebrae to lose its healthy motion or position, causing various health problems. These abnormalities eventually lead to pain, tenderness, inflammation, and decreased mobility, among other issues. The side effects can vary from person to person. One thing that all sufferers have in common is that these subluxations definitely harm your health and should be corrected.

What is an adjustment?

A chiropractic adjustment or chiropractic manipulation is a non-invasive, highly skilled procedure in which the doctor applies a controlled force in to one or more misaligned “subluxated” vertebrae in the spine or other joints of the body. The goal of this procedure is to improve spinal motion and improve the body’s physical function. An adjustment helps relieve pain and discomfort by optimizing function and increases the amount of nutrients that are getting into the joint capsules. Correcting subluxations reduces pain and inflammation, reduces muscle spasms and tension, and removes nerve irritation and interference which can improve the overall health and wellness of the patient.

What is that “popping” sound during an adjustment?

The sound heard during a chiropractic adjustment is termed “cavitation.” This is caused by small pockets of air or bubbles, which are in the fluid that surrounds your joints. When joint tissues are stretched during a chiropractic adjustment, the pockets of air “pop,” which creates that cracking sound you hear. This process is similar to when you uncork a champagne bottle. Champagne contains dissolved carbon dioxide as a chemical to carbonate beverages. Carbon dioxide produces an internal pressure within beverages that are corked, and this internal pressure is released when the cork is opened and the carbon dioxide escapes the liquid. The sounds are actually chemical reactions taking place within the synovial joints and not the chiropractic adjustment popping your joints back into place, snapping your tissue or cracking your bones.