What is Chiropractic?

Chiropractic is both a health professional body and a form of physical therapy. It is a health body in the fact that many of its members function as educators, researchers, administrators and practitioners. It is a form of physical therapy in that it is identified with the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders and specific in its application of spinal manipulative therapies to these disorders.

History

Chiropractic began as a health profession in the late 1800s after investigation into the relation between the spine and related nervous system, and their relationship to certain physical disorders. Individuals studying the posture and function of the spine found that certain conditions could be influenced by the stimulation of spinal nerves and alleviate pain and physical problems.

A method of treatment was developed by the use of manipulation of the spinal vertebrae and given the name chiropractic, which is from the Greek ‘chiro’ or ‘by hand’.

Chiropractic has developed from its roots in the US as a large health profession, and although its practitioner numbers in New Zealand are relatively few, about 400 registered chiropractors, it has been well established since the early 1900s. Although the New Zealand government was the first in the world to instigate a commission of enquiry into chiropractic, its findings have largely gone unrecognized here and a working relationship between the profession and the medical profession remains very much on an individual practitioner basis. In places such as North America and Australia, where chiropractic teaching and research facilities are established, the two professions recognize the benefits of combined research and therapy.

What Conditions Can Chiropractic Treat?

We at the clinic prefer to be evidence based in our approach. That is, we treat conditions that have been shown through research and personal clinical experience to benefit from chiropractic.

The majority of conditions we see in this clinic are those of pain. Low back and neck pain would make up the bulk and others such as headaches, leg and arm pain a lesser degree. We also treat problems of the extremities, such as hip, knee, ankle, shoulder and others. Basically these are problems that have come from injury, bad posture and or overuse.

 

What Education do Chiropractors Have?

Chiropractors undertake a minimum of five years undergraduate study to obtain their chiropractic degree. In most parts of the world this is a university based program.

Chiropractors are trained as primary contact health professionals and in New Zealand require government registration and license to practice. Primary contact status means that we have the education to accept patients self referred and have the ability to determine whether we are able to help an individual with our expertise or whether it is necessary to refer them to another practitioner for care.

The chiropractor is proficient in the use of diagnostic procedures that are initially necessary to determine the cause of the problem. They not only are trained in taking x-rays and radiography, but also in radiology, the diagnosis of disease from radiographs.

The main form of therapy used by chiropractors is spinal manipulation, of which they have an acute understanding and proficiency to enable them to perform this treatment safely and with specificity.

Why not try chiropractic today?