I used to think seeing a chiropractor was crazy, basically out of my own ignorance and didn’t really understand it. Maybe part of it was the negative press Life University (chiropractor school in Marietta, GA) received a decade ago because of the offbeat founder and the school’s subsequent financial problems.

Chiropractic is based on the principle that spinal joint misalignment can interfere with the nervous system, which can result in lower resistance to disease and other  conditions that can diminish your health.  They focus on the overall health of the patient and provide natural treatments that rely on the body’s innate ability to recuperate. They also recognize that many factors affect health, including exercise, diet, rest, environment, and heredity.  Chiropractors will recommend changes in lifestyle that affect those factors.  In some instances, they will refer you to or consult with other health practitioners.

General chiropractic treatments deal specifically with the spine and the manipulation of the spine by giving you an adjustment.  The definition of ‘adjustment’ means “harmony achieved by modification or change of a position.”  I like the word harmony; makes it sound pleasant.  Your health history is reviewed, and your posture and spine are analyzed on the first visit.  Some chiropractors specialize in sports injuries, neurology, orthopedics, pediatrics, nutrition, internal disorders, or diagnostic imaging.  Did you know many professional athletes have regular chiropractic adjustments?  They include Emmit Smith, Jerry Rice, Carl Lewis, and Lance Armstrong; there are so many more.

I had my first chiropractic adjustment 8 years ago due to a shoulder and neck injury after falling on ice visiting relatives in Wisconsin.   The typical route was to see a medical doctor first, x-rays, pain pills, and then physical therapy for 8 weeks.  There was still lingering pain after all of that.  My husband actually recommended I meet with a chiropractor and voila, the pain dissipated after a couple of weeks.  The first visit was very funny because I screamed when my neck was initially adjusted….not from pain, but because of the loud noises from my neck!

My family has had regular spine adjustments ever since.  My personal chiropractor was very supportive through my breast cancer diagnosis and treatment; and then really encouraged me through the brain tumor ordeal.   Those regular adjustments definitely helped my body recover from the radiation treatment, as my tumor is pushing on the brain stem and already affecting the nervous system.  We are so happy with the outcome!   If seeing a chiropractor is crazy, then I am crazy and fit right in.