Frequently Asked Questions at Westheights Chiropractic

“Subluxation” is a term used when two or more vertebrae have lost their normal motion and/or position. This causes interruption to the normal nerve flow and interferes with the communication from the brain to the body and from the body back to the brain.

Watch a two year old for 3 hours-how many times do they fall down? Go observe an elementary recess playground-any chance that a child to may play too hard and slightly misalign one of the 24 movable vertebra? Accidents, injuries, improper lifting or body mechanics and inherited spinal weaknesses are common causes of subluxations. Other causes include prolonged sitting, poor sleeping habits, poor posture, obesity, slips and falls, car accidents, stress, a sedentary lifestyle, sports injuries, internal organ dysfunction, and not enough rest or sleep.

A vertebra can easily get misaligned and, unknowingly to the patient, put slight pressure on a nerve. Since you can’t feel your nerve roots you don’t even know its there. Its sort of like stepping gently on a garden hose…whatever is on the other end doesn’t get its life force, in this case water. If it were a garden the flowers or plants would slowly wilt or even die. If it’s your body the effected tissue, whether a muscle or and organ, gets deprived of its life force, nerve impulses and can slowly become dis-eased.

Often, damage is accumulated slowly without symptoms. That’s why some refer to subluxations as “The Silent killer”.

No. Since a chiropractic adjustment is a specific force, applied in a specific direction to a specific joint, it is virtually impossible to adjust oneself correctly and accurately.

It is possible to turn or bend or twist in certain ways to create a “popping” sound that sometimes accompanies a chiropractic adjustment. Unfortunately, this type of joint manipulation is usually counterproductive, often making an already unstable spine even more unstable, and can sometimes be dangerous. Adjusting the spine is not for amateurs!

No, it is a common misconception that your joints must make a noise to be properly adjusted. Rarely does the vertebra make a noise when it becomes misaligned, so why would it have to make a noise in the process of re-alignment?

There are times when your spine is adjusted that a sound will be created. This sound means little, and is a poor indicator of the success of your adjustment. Your Kitchener Waterloo chiropractor employs several techniques that do create this sound and several techniques that do not.

No. A chiropractic adjustment does not hurt. Most patients look forward to being adjusted and often feel an instant sense of well-being after their adjustment.

If you’ve had a recent injury, however, adjustments can irritate inflamed tissue and cause minor discomfort. In these cases, it is important to continue care despite minor tenderness and discomfort. Some people also experience odd sensations in their muscles or extremities after adjustments.

This is a normal reaction to the relieving of pressure on nerves and is no cause for concern.

The answer is no. In fact the evidence shows clearly that chiropractic adjustments can actually prevent arthritis by maintaining joint health. It does this by restoring the proper motion to the joint.

Medical textbooks will tell you that it is loss of motion of a joint that causes damage and arthritis to the joint. Motion is life when it comes to joint health. Restoring proper function to the joint provides the cartilage and disc (in the case of the spine), with improved blood supply. Better blood supply means better nourishment and the ability to dispose of waste products.

What’s more, most chiropractic adjustments are painless. Often, the adjustment may feel good and can provide immediate relief from stiffness or tension.

People of all ages are candidates for chiropractic care. Even babies can have subluxations, due to the rigors of birth. In general, it’s best to care for children’s subluxations early, as they interfere with nerves that control developing muscles and organs. How long would you let your children’s teeth go without brushing them?

We advise that maintaining a structure as intricate and vital to the whole health of the organism as the spine should begin shortly after birth and continue for as long as you would like your spine to be healthy. A rapidly developing spine and all other bones and joints of the body consist of cartilage growth centers that the bone grows from. Abnormal stresses on these growth plates can cause the bones to develop abnormally.

Remember that 65% of neural development occurs within the first year of life and that your child’s spine grows 50% of its length within the first year. With an early checkup, your Kitchener chiropractor can detect any problems that exist and prevent problems from developing.

Children who are colicky, get sick often, and have numerous ear infections should all be checked for subluxation. As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.

I heard if you don’t want your teeth to fall out you have to brush them everyday… forever! I heard if you want to keep your physical fitness you have to exercise 3 days a week…forever. I heard that if you want to stay healthy you have to eat right, 3 meals a day, forever. When do you stop maintaining your car? It’s a hunk of metal that will be thrown away in 10 years. You only have one human body. If you don’t take care of it, where will you live?

Most people who don’t see chiropractors are used to seeing their medical doctor only 1 visit. They get a prescription and that is it. Chiropractic is not about taking drugs to alleviate symptoms. It is about the health and well being of the most important structure in your body, the spine and what it protects, your nervous system.

Chiropractic patients usually choose to get adjusted once a month forever because they have been in pain before and they much prefer the way they feel when they are adjusted. The ball is always in your court at Westheights Chiropractic when making decisions about your health, so choose wisely! We are always here to guide you in making decisions towards optimal health and wellness.

The care a practice member receives is related to the specific condition diagnosed by the chiropractor, and will vary from person to person depending on each persons unique situation.

Chiropractic is a healing discipline firmly grounded in science. Few other health care interventions have been assessed as extensively as chiropractic adjustments, both in terms of safety and effectiveness.

There have been at least six formal government studies into chiropractic worldwide over the last 25 years and all have concluded that contemporary chiropractic care is safe, effective, cost-effective, and have recommended public funding for chiropractic services. In addition, there have been countless scientific clinical studies assessing the appropriateness, effectiveness, and/or cost-effectiveness of spinal adjustments or chiropractic adjustments, most notably for low back pain.

The Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHI) now offers research grants in partnership with the Canadian Chiropractic Association to chiropractors and other scientists for high quality, chiropractic research.