Why we should embrace chiropractic By: health enews Staff

Chiropractic medicine gets a bad rap. It has for years, mostly due to some negative publicity. In the 1920s and ’30s, chiropractors were sent to jail for practicing without a license. At that time it was argued that chiropractic was not medicine. In 1963, the American Medical Association formed a committee to eliminate the profession altogether.

Although chiropractic is more broadly accepted now compared to earlier years, it still has a way to go. That’s largely because most people still truly don’t understand what chiropractic is. The focus of chiropractic is about leveraging the body’s ability to heal itself without using surgery or pharmaceuticals.

“It’s looking at natural healing for the body for many types of medical ailments,” explains Dr. Gerald Monk, an Advocate Medical Group chiropractor based in Park Ridge, Illinois.

“Chiropractic treats a majority of musculoskeletal ailments. It helps to realign the biomechanical structure within the body, reduces pain and muscle spasms, and helps the nervous system function at the maximum capacity possible for each individual,” Dr. Monk says.

Patients come to Dr. Monk with a variety of conditions, not just neck, shoulder and back pain.

“We see people with imbalance disorders, people who cannot walk or move very well, as well as those who have migraines and tension headaches,” he states.

Overall, chiropractic is a holistic, integrated approach to caring for the body. In his sessions with patients, Dr. Monk covers more than just chiropractic care. He talks with them about exercise, stretching, basic nutrition, meditation, breathing exercises and homeopathy, as well.

What’s that sound?

Chiropractic treatments often include adjustments where chiropractors apply sudden force to a spinal joint in a controlled manner using their hands. Because many people don’t understand the cracking sound heard during adjustments, it makes them reluctant to embrace chiropractic.

Dr. Monk explains there is no cracking involved.

“The cracking sound comes from gas within the joint capsule. The joint capsule has negative pressure inside and when it’s opened during manipulation, the pressure changes, becomes positive, and gas is released. That is the sound you hear,” he says.

What you can expect

On the first visit, each patient goes through an examination. During the exam, the chiropractor checks the body’s muscular and nervous systems, skeletal structure alignment, vitals, and the body’s biomechanics.” This includes testing muscle strength, tone, balance, coordination, range of joint motion, reflexes, cranial nerves and mental status.

Once the exam is complete, a preliminary diagnosis is made. From there, “We start a non-pharmaceutical treatment because we want to treat by evoking the body’s natural healing system,” Dr. Monk says.

Since Dr. Monk has a background in acupuncture as well, he also incorporates this into his practice and performs it on his patients.

“Acupuncture stimulates the body’s vital healing system energetically and naturally without drugs,” he says.

The thing about drugs

Although the pharmaceutical component is not a part of his practice, Dr. Monk doesn’t discount it altogether.

“I think medicine and medical treatments are very important when they’re needed, but you have to know when to effectively utilize them,” he says.

Dr. Monk has seen less reliance on medication in his patients with chiropractic and acupuncture treatments. He says that frequently his patients take fewer pain killers and medications over time. For example, an individual with Type II diabetes receiving chiropractic treatments with acupuncture often requires less insulin over time, and sometimes the need for insulin can be eliminated completely.

Despite its checkered past, chiropractic is a highly effective tool for your health.

“Chiropractic is a powerful healing system which enables the body to achieve its optimum level of health mechanically and neurologically,” he says. “It helps to alleviate neurological and musculosketal pain and assists in restoring function, balance and homeostasis in the body.”