What is a Doctor of Chiropractic?
A Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) commonly sees patients who suffer from low back and neck pain, joint pain, or headaches. DCs are also called chiropractors or chiropractic physicians, and they restore and maintain balance in the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. A DC attends a 4-year nationally accredited doctoral program and must pass a national board exam in order to obtain a license to practice. Once in practice, doctors of chiropractic are regulated by state licensing boards and they must participate in continuing education on an annual basis to maintain those licenses.
Chiropractic treatments are a drug-free, surgery-free natural form of health care and are often referred to as alternative medicine. The treatments involve spinal manipulation, rehabilitative exercises, and other therapies to counteract muscle, skeletal and nervous system imbalances that negatively impact a patient’s overall health. Additionally, many chiropractors provide dietary and nutritional counseling and recommendations as part of the overall treatment approach. A typical visit to our chiropractor in Knoxville, TN includes a patient exam, diagnosis and treatment. Our doctor will gather a detailed assessment of the patient’s description, duration and frequency of symptoms, will discuss family and work history, and will likely do x-rays to look at the spine or other joints.
Knoxville Chiropractic Treatments
A chiropractor’s goal is to improve functionality and reduce pain, and this is done by re-establishing optimal spinal mobility and nerve function. Chiropractors also educate patients on proper ergonomics and exercises to maintain optimal health. Spinal manipulation, also called chiropractic adjustment is the primary treatment, and involves applying precisely directed and controlled manual forces to specific areas of the spine in order to restore spinal alignment and mobility of the joints.
Slight misalignments in the spine can become progressively worse over time, eventually restricting movement in the vertebrae. The spine and joints can become restricted due to a one-time traumatic event like lifting a heavy object, or from repetitive stress over time. Poor posture or sitting in awkward positions day after day can create spinal misalignment that eventually leads to reduced function, inflammation and pain. These misalignments are called subluxations, and they impede regular transmission of nerve impulses, thus creating issues far away from the spinal cord. Restoration of spinal alignment results in restoration of normal nerve transmission, which then allows the body to naturally heal.
Are Our Knoxville Chiropractic Adjustments Painful?
One common misconception is that these adjustments are uncomfortable and painful. Actually, chiropractic adjustments are very effective and very safe, and rarely create discomfort, but a patient might have mild muscle soreness immediately following treatment.
Patients with a single ailment such as lower back pain may use chiropractic care as a primary method of treatment. Patients with multiple or more complex medical issues might have a primary care physician who can work with a Knoxville chiropractor like Dr. Bert Solomon to support or complement an overall treatment plan. And, if chiropractic care is unsuitable given a patient’s condition, the chiropractor will inform the primary provider as well as the patient.
If you have any questions, feel free to call our Knoxville chiropractic clinic at (865) 337-5574!