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Contact Us for An Appointment Today! FAQ'S – Frequently Asked Questions for Dr. Lawson-What is the chiropractic approach? Chiropractic approach is a combination of science-based medicine, art, & philosophy of natural health. Chiropractic is famous for locating & correcting bony misalignment (know as subluxations) then treating by gentle, specific adjustments thus allowing your body to repair and function to its optimum potential.
Chiropractic can also covers including nutrition, health care, homeopath, muscle work, diet, and life style.
-What is an adjustment? A chiropractic technique delivered by a chiropractor trained to correct a bio-mechanical (structural) problem of a joint - know as a subluxation. This is a gentle, specific procedure in the most conservative of treatment approaches. A chiropractic subluxation is a misalignment of a joint in the body, such as the spine (back, neck), knee, wrist, shoulder, etc. This chiropractic subluxation can cause nerve interference which in turn can affect the affect your body's natural ability to heal itself. A chiropractor’s job is to reduce or remove such chiropractic subluxations, allowing the body to heal it. Does it hurt to get a chiropractic adjustment? Not normally. Chiropractic adjustments are not usually painful at all. An adjustment to a joint usually relieves a lot of pressure and feels very comfortable. This can help heal your body and give you a sense of relief and relaxation after care. -Is chiropractic care safe? Yes. Scientific research in peer reviewed Medical Journals all provide evidence that chiropractic care is one of the safest types of health care in the world. Of the millions of people receiving chiropractic adjustments (from infants to seniors), each year, only a handful will even make a complaint. -Should I continue chiropractic care if I don't have any symptoms and I feel better? It depends if you want better health. Just because your symptoms disappear, does not mean the problem is gone. Just imagine not brushing your teeth over time. Over time your teeth and gum will go bad and can even rot away and fall out. Yet not brushing your teeth you would feel no pain until it is too late. The same can happen to your body. A lot of times you may feel fine, but try to perform activity that can “stress” your body which can cause injury or health problems to show up. You have most likely heard someone complain of a significant injury that was attributed to very little trauma. The most common might be: I just bent over to pick up the newspaper and my back totally locked up on me. Many times it is not the light paper, the person had problems in the past that finally caught up to them. -What causes the sound made during a chiropractic adjustment? Most people incorrectly think your spine makes "cracking" or "popping" sounds of bones rubbing together. That sound actually is created by gas (in this case, nitrogen) rushing in to fill the partial vacuum created when the joints are slightly separated. Another example of this phenomenon would be the "pop" sound you hear when the cork is taken out of a champagne bottle. Not all chiropractic adjusting techniques produce this noise. In fact, some adjusting techniques use little force and thus produce no noise at all. -Can I "pop" my own spine? Not really and not recommended! Why? Because you tend to move the joint above and below the problem spot, which "feels good" for the moment but not fixes the problem! The joints above and below become too loose (hyper-mobile)if moved all the time while the stuck joint becomes even more jammed and fused (hypo-mobile) leading to more problems and pain. In addition the person tends to move the wrong joints again and again several times a day making it worse over time. Chiropractors are train to only move the "stuck joint", allowing the body to heal. Over time & adjustments the need to move the stuck joint becomes less and less, hence the feeling to "pop" that joint lessens as well. That is why an untrained person trying to do what we do only makes things worse over time, often "popping" themselves several times a day leading to the point when they need to visit us "to fix right"! As a chiropractor I will never try to "self adjust" myself, instead I will get adjusted by another chiropractor. -Will my pain / problem go away by itself treatment? Scientific research shows that 80% of pain will resolve over time (average 4-6 weeks). The problem often times does not disappear. In time pain will return because the problem is not fix. Not only does it perpetuate a cycle, it often gets worse with each subsequent episode. -Is it bad to "crack" your back or neck a lot? Or have a non-train professional "pop" your spine? This question is frequently asked to Dr. Lawson, DC, because people associate the "cracking" or "popping" of one's back or neck with a chiropractic adjustment. The two are not the same thing. If a person has a desire to "crack" his/her neck or back it is often because one area of their spine is fixated or jammed causing another area to move too much and "pop", sometimes by itself. It's the fixated or jammed area that needs to be specifically adjusted by a chiropractor so that the other parts of the spine or joints will not be hyper mobile (too much motion between the joints) and noisy. When you "crack" your back you may be relieving the tension for a little while. Do you notice how it keeps coming back? That is because you are not giving yourself a specific chiropractic adjustment. The cause of the spinal tension, the fixated or jammed (subluxated) vertebrae, has not been corrected. Any person who makes a habit out of "cracking" or "popping" their back or neck needs to go to a Doctor of Chiropractic to have their spine checked. Proper adjustments by a train chiropractor over a period of time lessen such spinal stress which lessens need for treatment. Untrained people trying to self adjust themselves or other people can actually make spinal problems worse by moving the bones that already move too much. A train chiropractic knows which segment is "stuck" that needs adjustment versus the ones that don't. Even a chiropractor gets chiropractic adjustments from another chiropractor, they do not "pop" themselves! -Once you see a chiropractor, do you have to go for the rest of your life? No. The extent to which you choose to benefit from your chiropractic care is ultimately up to you and your life style. However, we do strongly encourage you to seek help before there is a major problem. There are always warning signs, and a chiropractor can help teach you how to recognize them. -Is chiropractic care safe for my children? Yes. It is just as safe for a child or baby to be adjusted by a chiropractor as it is for an adult. From the time of birth to repeated falls as children learn to walk, run, jump, play in the yard or in sports will often cause your child to become subluxated or fixated. Most of the time, a child's symptom shows as pain but other times show as health problems or sickness. This is usually diagnosed later on in life as the symptoms progress and affects the child's health. Chiropractic care offers your child a more responsive body, more comfortable growth spurts, and overall increased performance as she/he passes through their windows of development. -What happen on my first visit? Consultation On your first visit to our office you will be welcomed quite warmly You will then be asked to fill out our required forms which will help us gain some information about you and your condition. During the consultation we go over your health history to get a thorough understanding regarding your symptoms. At this point, Dr. Marc Lawson, DC, will be able to tell you if your condition is one that can be helped through chiropractic care. If so, he will continue on with the examination process to narrow the differential diagnosis to a single specific diagnosis. If chiropractic care isn't the best option, he will then help find you the doctor that can help you the most. Nothing will be done in our office without your consent. Examination After a thorough consultation with the doctor, you will have a complete chiropractic examination. This can include testing your reflexes, checking your range of motion, performing multiple comprehensive orthopedic tests, neurological testing, postural, and physical examinations. The doctor will gain valuable information regarding your condition so he may have a better understanding of how to help you. X-rays / Special Studies If necessary, the doctor may need to take X-rays or perform special studies of the problem area. This is considered on a case by case basis. Review of diagnosis Once all the information and examinations have been performed, the doctor will give you a diagnosis and tell you his recommendations for treatment. Treatment If he can help you with your condition, he will thoroughly explain to you the procedure she would recommend, inform you of your alternative options, educate and answer any questions you have about your condition. -What happens on my next visit? Report of findings On your second appointment, you will be given a comprehensive report of findings consisting of detailed information from your first visit. It will include the history, the physical exam results, any ancillary studies or X-rays, the diagnosis, and the treatment plan. Your diagnosis will be explained in detail and the prognosis will be given. This is a time for questions and concerns as you begin the road to better health. -What conditions can chiropractic treat? Most people know about chiropractic care for back or neck problems, as well as headaches. But chiropractic care can treat more conditions then just the spine. Chiropractic is the largest natural healing art in the world. It is based on the premise that the body is a self healing organism and that the nervous system is the master control system of the body. Remember that the nervous system controls every function performed by the body directly or indirectly. Therefore, ANY problem may be related to the nervous system and could benefit from chiropractic care. Chiropractic helps the nervous system perform better by restoring function that may be preventing you from health. Who can benefit from this? Everybody! • Children - Children experience a more comfortable growth as they enter adulthood. • Pregnant Women and Infants - For a more comfortable pregnancy, easier delivery, and for a healthier baby. • Athletes - For peak performance, stable framework, faster results, a safer workout, and quicker recovery from injury. • Students - For higher attention potential, better concentration, improved ergonomics, better posture and improved physical coordination. • Families - To help the entire family get healthy and stay healthy. • Office Workers - Sedentary workers can suffer less from headaches, neck, shoulder, and TMJ and wrist problems with chiropractic care. • Workers - The more physically demanding the job, the more likely the chance of getting injured. • Elderly - For more energy, mobility and to help prevent osteopenia/ osteoporosis. • Anyone Working in One Position - Sustained bad posture creates a multitude of problems over time, otherwise know as repeated micro trauma. Do you have any questions or concerns Chiropractic and how it can help you? Contact Us or call Dr. Lawson DC directly at 858-576-6329. He will be happy to answer your questions and set up a prompt appointment. Contact Us |
