Patient Education
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The more you understand your body and how it functions, the better equipped you'll be at taking care of yourself to achieve optimal health. Our team of chiropractic professionals empower patients to take charge of your own health and future, educating you about your condition to decrease your need for future care. We've included the Patient Education section on our website to provide you with valuable, practical wellness information which you can incorporate into your lifestyle to improve the quality of your life. We hope you will turn to these pages whenever you have a question about health related issues and urge you to contact our practice at any time to make an appointment with one of our chiropractors.
The purpose of chiropractic is to improve and sustain quality of life.
This is achieved by awakening the body's natural healing ability through treatment of the musculoskeletal system, the healing power of touch and guidance in proper nutrition and exercise.
On Health
Many People think that health is how you feel. But lack of symptoms doesn't mean you're healthy. If you look good and feel great but have undetected cancer - you're sick.
True health is how well your body works mentally, physically and socially. If something isn't working right, then you're sick.
It is the purpose of your brain and nervous system to control the function of every cell, tissue, organ and system of your body. A properly working nervous system in concert with musculoskeletal integrity, proper nutrition and exercise is the key to good health.
We believe in the body's ability to heal itself. We believe healthy people are happy people.
On Chiropractic
Besides medicine and dentistry, chiropractic is the third largest doctoral health profession in the United States.
The typical applicant at a chiropractic college has already acquired four years of pre-medical undergraduate college education including course in biology, inorganic and organic chemistry, physics, psychology and related lab work. Intensive studies include course in anatomy, physiology, rehabilitation, nutrition and public health.
The curriculum includes no less than four years of classroom, laboratory and clinic experience - all aimed at preparing the doctor of chiropractic to be a portal-of-entry healthcare provider. The course of study is approved by an accrediting agency which is fully recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. This has been the case for 25 years.
Chiropractic involves the study of philosophy, science and art. Philosophy considers the fundamental nature of the existence of human beings and their interaction with the environment. The sciences deal with aspects of the universe related to human biology, and especially the relationship between spinal segments and the nerve system. Chiropractic's art is the expression of its philosophy and the concern with locating and correcting vertebral subluxations.
Instead of treating your symptoms, your Doctor of Chiropractic is primarily interested in detecting, reducing, and preventing the Subluxation.
How Chiropractic Works
To understand chiropractic, one must have a basic understanding about how the body functions. From the time you were born, an "inner wisdom" has known exactly how to keep you healthy and alive. It knows how fast your heart should beat, how often your lungs need to breathe, how to digest food and how to eliminate waste. There are millions of details controlled by this inner wisdom that keep this marvelous machine in prime functioning condition.
Every living organism in our world possesses what chiropractors call Innate Intelligence. The body machine comes out of the "factory" fully able to function, as long as it has regular fuel and adequate maintenance, thanks to this Innate Intelligence.
Innate Intelligence sends instructions to every organ and cell in your body through the nervous system housed and protected by the vertebrae. However, if these vertebrae are misaligned, even a little, those instructions can be interrupted. The result is "dis-ease" and dysfunction.
The word disease is a combination of 'dis' and 'ease'. 'Dis' is a prefix meaning "apart from" and ease meaning a "state of balance." It follows then that dis-ease is a lack of comfort, a loss in harmony in the system. When there is a lack of harmony in music, the musician adjusts the notes to complement each other. That's exactly what a chiropractic adjustment strives to do, restore body harmony, thus restore health.
International Chiropractic Association Children's Info
www.icpa4kids.com
Tennessee Chiropractic Association
www.tnchiro.com
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"Health is worth more than learning."
-- Thomas Jefferson
Try this simple posture "reality check" the next time you are standing in front of a full-length mirror:
- Are your knees and ankles straight (i.e., not angled inward or outward)?
- Are your shoulders and hips level?
- As you stand sideways, does your lower back have a natural curve in it?
- Do the spaces between your arms and sides seem equal?
- Is your chin level or parallel to the floor?
- Is your head straight?
Proper posture is one of the best preventive measures you can take to ensure a healthy spine. Good posture means maintaining your spine in a neutral position. This means standing or sitting so that your spine keeps its three natural curves—the small hollow at the base of the neck, a small roundness at the middle back, and a small hollow in the lower back.
Proper posture is the result of good musculoskeletal balance, which helps protect the joints in your spine from undue stress and guards against injury and deformity. It requires diligence and awareness on your part. Most of us need to gently prod ourselves mentally to ensure we are walking and sitting correctly.
Poor posture can result from regularly carrying excessive weights, or hunching over when working at a computer or watching television. It also has been linked to chronic headaches, shoulder pain, and TMJ dysfunction. It also can lead to such problems as: fatigue (from over-taxed muscles supporting a misaligned spine); muscle aches in your neck, back, arms, and legs; and stiff, painful joints (which may eventually lead to conditions such as degenerative osteoarthritis.)
Sometimes, poor posture is something that cannot be helped. For example, people with degenerative nerve or skeletal problems find it difficult, if not impossible, to obtain a healthy posture.
Posture Tips
Here are some posture tips for various positions and activities throughout the day.
When standing:
- Straight body
- Your ears, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles align in one straight line. (If you hung a string with a ball bearing at the end from your ear lobe, the string would dissect the middle of your anklebone.)
- Chin level but slightly tucked, shoulders slightly back and level, pelvis shifted forward (this allows your hips to align with your ankles)
- Feet are shoulder width apart
- Knees unlocked
- Breastbone lifted (this requires moving your shoulder blades down and in toward each other).
- Jaw and neck muscles relaxed
When sitting:
- Hips touching the back of the chair
- Breastbone lifted
- Shoulder blades in toward each other. This helps push out your breastbone and keeps your rib cage a safe distance from your hips. It also improves your breathing while sitting.
- Level chin.
Stand up, walk around, and take frequent breaks from prolonged periods of sitting.
When driving:
- Allow your head to make contact with the headrest. This keeps your chin level and your neck properly aligned.
- Don't shrug your shoulders
- Ensure that your knees are slightly higher than your hips.
- Ensure that you car seat allows you to keep your back in a vertical, not angled, position.
When sleeping:
Consider investing in a cervical roll or similar pillow specially designed to keep your neck supported and in natural alignment with your head and upper back.
One of the best positions is on your side, with knees slightly bent and a pillow between your knees. Place a pillow under your knees if you are a back sleeper; this helps maintain the curve in your lower back. If you are a stomach sleeper and sleep with your head on an oversized pillow, it sometimes forces your lower back to curve excessively, putting pressure on your diaphragm and lungs.
Exercises to help posture
- Chin tuck – Sit or stand erect while gently pulling your chin back to a comfortable position. Do reps of 10 several times a day.
- Shoulder squeeze – Bring your elbows behind you while squeezing your shoulder blades together. Do reps of 10 or 20 while holding the squeeze for a five count.
Additional tips
- Avoid hyperextending your neck to peer over an obstacle for long periods of time.
- Don't carry excess body baggage.
- Maintain a healthy weight. "Beer bellies" or” spare tires," for example, act like bag of cement, making it difficult for you to stand or walk erect; even trying to walk correctly can place undue strain on your spine and muscles.
- Exercise regularly to keep your muscles flexible and toned properly.
- Have routine eye exams to ensure poor eyesight isn't keeping you off balance when you sit or walk.
- Invest soundly in a good quality box spring and mattress.
- Practice good ergonomics when sitting in front of a computer, watching television, or driving.
- Practice sound lifting techniques.