What is Chiropractic? Lexington, MA - Dr Feiring

Chiropractic is a natural method of health care-the second largest branch of the healing arts. Chiropractic does not advocate the use of drugs or surgery. Instead, a chiropractor strives to work with the body's innate ability to maintain a state of good health. Chiropractic is based on the scientific fact that your nervous system controls the function of virtually every cell, tissue, organ, and system of your body. Your nervous system consists of your brain, spinal cord, and all the nerves of your body.

While the brain is protected by the skull, the spinal cord is more vulnerable, covered by 24 moving vertebrae. When the bones loose their normal motion or position, they can irritate the nervous system. This disrupts the function of the tissues or organs these nerves control, and is called the VERTEBRAL SUBLUXATION COMPLEX.

By alleviating the irritation to these nerves through a chiropractic adjustment, the doctor of chiropractic re-establishes the nerve flow that allows the body to heal and operate normally.

A Brief History of Chiropractic
The first recorded chiropractic adjustment was performed on September 18, 1895, by Dr. Daniel David Palmer, a Canadian-born teacher and healer. Dr. Palmer was, at the time, studying the cause and effect of disease. His patient was Harvey Lillard, a janitor working in the same building as Dr. Palmer in Davenport, Iowa. Mr. Lillard, who had complained of hearing problems for over 17 years, allowed Dr. Palmer to examine his spine. Dr. Palmer discovered a "lump" on Mr. Lillard's back and suspected that a vertebra might be out of place, which he then repositioned the vertebra with a gentle thrust. After several such treatments, much of Mr. Lillard's hearing was restored.

Since Dr. Palmer's first chiropractic adjustment, the art and science of chiropractic has progressed significantly. Today, advanced diagnostic procedures, sophisticated equipment, scientific research, and the growing acceptance among other health care professionals makes chiropractic a popular health care choice.

Chiropractic Philosophy
The chiropractic perspective on health and disease emphasizes two fundamental concepts:

1) the structure and condition of the body influences how the body functions and its ability to heal itself;
and
2) the mind-body relationship is instrumental in maintaining health and in the healing processes.

Although chiropractic shares much with other health professions, its emphasis and application of philosophy distinguishes it from modern medicine. Chiropractic philosophy gravitates toward a holistic ("total person") approach to healing which combines elements of the mind, body and spirit and maintains that health depends on obedience to natural laws, and that deviation from such laws can result in illness.

The increasing interest in alternative forms of care has caught the attention of several health associations and government agencies. A 1993 study in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that "The estimated number of visits made in 1990 to providers of unconventional therapy was greater than the number of visits to all primary care medical nationwide," and chiropractic was among the most frequently used non-medical therapies.

A follow up report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1998 found that the use of non-medical treatments had increased significantly since the 1990 survey, with "overall prevalence of use increased by 25%, total visits by an estimated 47%, and expenditures on services provided by practitioners of alternative therapies by an estimated 45%." Of the survey respondents, one in nine (11%) had used chiropractic care within the previous year.

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