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Beaverton, OR 97006
What is Chiropractic?
First a bit of history… Manual manipulation of the joints of the body has been a part of human healing since the time of the ancient Greeks. In the latter half of the 19th century a man named Daniel D. Palmer, who since his youth had investigated the health sciences, developed a theory about the relationship between the function of the human nervous system and disease. His hypothesis was based on the fact that the nervous system controls every cell, tissue and organ of our body and if its function was compromised the body would suffer.
The central nervous system consists of the brain and the spinal cord. The spinal cord is the conduit through which the brain communicates to the body and it is housed and protected within the vertebral column. The vertebral column is made up of 24 individual segments which when misaligned can compromise the ability of the brain to properly communicate with the body. Dysfunction of the biomechanics of the spine is what D.D. Palmer theorized led to many of the disease states we suffer from.
Thus, correcting misalignments of the spinal column and restoring proper biomechanics allows the nervous system to function at its full capacity and keeps the tissues innervated by those particular nerves healthy. So in the late 1800’s D.D. Palmer began to organize the different types of joint manipulation into what we now know as the Chiropractic profession. Today, “Chiropractic”, which means done by hand, is a licensed profession in all 50 states and is benefiting nearly 20 million Americans a year. Spinal manipulation (Chiropractic adjustments) which are a series of short, quick thrusts performed on the joints of the spine and/or extremities are a safe a effective way for you and your family to experience better health.
The Science… Doctors of Chiropractic today are highly trained, highly educated men and women. Your Chiropractor has completed four years of undergraduate study as well as four additional years of post graduate study at a nationally accredited Chiropractic school. While most Chiropractors go into private practice, many have dedicated themselves to conducting research so that we may find out more about how spinal manipulation is beneficial to all aspects of health. Chiropractic researchers are producing studies that are published in peer reviewed scientific journals and that are helping the profession validate many of D.D. Palmer’s theories about how a properly functioning nervous system can influence human disease states. The research is also bridging the gap that exists between Chiropractic and mainstream western medicine by providing a forum of communication that is understood by the allopathic medical community.
Today’s Chiropractor… Today is great time in history to be a Chiropractor! We have a greater understanding of the effects of the treatments we provide than ever before, we are gaining popularity as a necessary form of health care and we have a greater number of tools/therapies at our disposal to help our patients. Chiropractic is also gaining popularity around the world in Europe, Asia, Australia and South America. This diversity within the profession has led to an amazing array of practice techniques and styles. There are over a dozen different named techniques in Chiropractic that each have a slightly different way of achieving the same results. This diversity is beneficial to the patient because it provides treatment options and allows you to find the doctor and the technique that best works for you. All Chiropractors, regardless of technique, share a common philosophy about the body’s ability to heal and fix itself and the influence of the nervous system over those innate capabilities.