Best Elmhurst Chiropractor

How to choose a chiropractor

When selecting a chiropractor, take time to find a DC who:

Is recommended by your physician, other health care professionals or friends. Is licensed to practice chiropractic. Has experience treating your specific condition or symptoms.

Is board certified if you need specialized care in areas such as such as

chiropractic neurology, chiropractic rehabilitation, chiropractic orthopedics or chiropractic pediatrics. Board certification indicates the DC has completed studies and testing beyond

those required to be a Doctor of Chiropractic. Is willing to work with your other physicians as part of your medical team. Uses diagnostic tools such as x-rays, ultrasound and paraspinal digital infrared imaging. Offers holistic, preventive care and counsel. Will provide an initial consultation free-of-charge.

10 signs that you should see your chiropractor

The therapeutic disciipline chiropractors practice is called chiropractic.

1. Chronic pain in your joints, muscles or head hasn't improved with traditional medical treatments.

2.Your job requires you to sit for long periods of time or to perform repetitive physical tasks.

3.An injury to a muscle, joint or spine hasn't healed with initial medical treatment, medications or physical therapy

4. Sharp pain shoots from your hip down your leg.

5. Pain, achiness, a burning sensation or stiffness comes and goes in parts of your body, with no explainable cause.

6. You want to address joint or muscle pain without drugs or surgery.

7. The soles of your shoes consistently wear differently. For instance, the left outer heel of shoes for your right foot wears down more quickly.

8. One of your shoulders is lower than the other.

9. The hem of your skirts or pants hangs unevenly.

10. Your head is positioned forward rather than directly over your shoulders.

Techniques and tools of the chiropractic trade

Doctors of Chiropractic use more than 55 different procedures and methods. Practices you may experience include:

Chiropractic adjustments restore motion to joints, reducing pain and enabling the injured tissue to heal.

The Activator Technique involves use of a small device to apply pressure or gentle force to misaligned vertebrae.

Mysofacial treatments use massage or pressure to relieve pain from knotted muscle fibers called .trigger points.

Flexion-Distraction treatments use a motorized table to gently stretch and relieve pressure on your spine while your DC focuses on problem areas.

Applied Kinesiology helps balance tense or loose muscles that pull a bone out of alignment. A combination of massage and manipulation is typical of this technique.

Logan Basic Technique uses sustained, gentle pressure at the sacrum, located at the base of the spine, to correct the spine. Cox Flexion Distraction relieves lower back pain through stretching or traction of the spine.

How your back works and why it hurts

Your back has an important job. It supports your head and torso, enables you to bend, twist and stretch and provides protection for your spinal cord. In order to perform all these tasks, your back is made of a complex maze of bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons, each being susceptible to pain and injury. When your vertebrae are out of alignment, because of injury, muscle tension, muscle spasms or loose, weak muscles, you experience pain.

Vertebrae

Your spine comprises 33 bones called vertebrae. Vertebrae contain canals for nerves, intricate joints and are attached to muscles and ligaments. Because your vertebrae are not all the same and have different functions, they are defined in the following three segments.

1. Cervical vertebrae in your neck are smaller and more delicate, so you can move your head freely, in a number of directions.

2. Thoracic vertebrae connect with your ribs and provide some flexibility.

3. Lumbar vertebrae, located where your lower back curves, do heavy lifting, providing support for the body and important mobility. Because they carry the bulk of the weight and have a major role in bending at the waist, they are most prone to pain and injury.

The sacrum and coccyx are actually fused vertebrae. The sacrum is the larger, shield-shaped bone that supports the lumber vertebrae and protects the pelvic area. And your coccyx, a reminder of our very early ancestors, is a tail.

Disks

Its likely you have heard the terms ruptured disc and herniated disk. Disks are fluid-filled sacs that fit between each of your vertebra, serving as shock absorbers, holding your vertebrae together and making it easier to move. Sometimes disks slip out of position or rupture. This causes pain, particularly if it presses on a nerve.

Spinal Cord/Nerves

Made of nerve fibers, the spinal cord has the critical job of sending messages to and from the brain and the rest of your body. Sometimes these nerve fibers become irritated because of conditions such as a herniated disk,