Top 5 Chiropractic Myths - Busted

Myth #1: Chiropractors are not real doctors. 
    Chiropractors complete a 3-4 year graduate program where they receive a Doctorate of Chiropractic degree.  Most chiropractic school terms are divided into 10 trimesters rather than semesters which require chiropractic students to attend school year round, thus allowing students to graduate in less than 4 years.  Recent comparisons show that chiropractic students log more classroom hours than medical students overall, as well as in several important areas of study, including anatomy, diagnosis, neurology, orthopedics and radiology. 

Myth #2: Chiropractors only treat back pain. 

     It is true that chiropractors are experts at treating back pain; however, we are very capable of treating so much more!  At Pro Chiropractic, we practice not only spinal care, but sports medicine as well.  We are trained to treat extremity injuries such as shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee and ankle, as well as a multitude of soft tissue problems like muscle strains and ligament sprains.  We offer state of the art technology to aid in treating injuries in and away from the spine. 

Myth #3: Chiropractic is too expensive. 

    In fact, Studies show that chiropractic is more cost-effective when compared to medical care.  Chiropractic care focuses on conservative treatment such as adjustments, soft tissue treatments, and rehabilitation, while medical care focuses on more invasive treatment options such as injections, medication and surgery.  While medical doctors focus on your illness…Chiropractors focus is your wellness! 

Myth #4: Chiropractic adjustments hurt. 

    The chiropractic adjustment itself rarely hurts, in fact, it brings relief to patients.  However, if the patient tenses or does not relax during the adjustment, muscle soreness can follow.   This is typically mild.  An adjustment will correct any misalignments in the spine thus relieving pressure on the joints and spinal nerves, creating space and relieving pain due to the pressure. 

Myth #5: Chiropractic care won’t work for me. 

    Everyone, from babies to elderly, can benefit from chiropractic care.  Chiropractic adjustments remove interference between the nervous system and the body, thus promoting proper movement and function.  There are many facets to chiropractic care including spinal adjustments, soft tissue therapies to relieve muscle tension and trigger points, therapeutic exercises and nutritional counseling, among other things.  Chiropractic care, applied competently and professionally, will work for you!

If you or someone you know in the Gallatin Valley area is looking for a chiropractor, please call Dr. Shea Stark with Pro Chiropractic at 406-388-9915 to schedule an appointment in our Belgrade, Manhattan, or Bozeman Chiropractic clinics.  Dr. Stark is a board certified chiropractor and the author of this blog post.  To learn more about Dr. Stark and the many benefits of chiropractic care, please visit our website: www.prochiromt.com.

Top 5 Reasons to Visit a Chiropractor During Pregnancy

1. Maintain Proper Alignment of the Spine
Misalignments in the spine put pressure on the spinal cord and nerves that supply the body and can cause dysfunction such as pain, numbness and/or tingling.  Spinal adjustments are safe and effective and realign the spine to help relieve tension on the nervous system.

2. Relief of Joint Pain and Inflammation

During pregnancy, many women experience pain and inflammation in joints such as knees, ankles, hips and sacroiliac joints.  Chiropractic care can help relieve this pain by maintaining proper joint alignment and reducing interference in the communication between the brain and the body.

3. Reduce Common Pregnancy Symptoms
Common symptoms experienced during pregnancy include things like nausea, acid reflux and insomnia.  Chiropractic care can help manage and control these symptoms by adjusting different regions of the spine and reducing pressure on the spinal nerves.  For example, your body’s sleep center is located in the brainstem which sits adjacent to the upper cervical spine.  Adjusting this region of the neck can help relieve any pressure there, resulting in improved sleep.  Acid reflux often occurs because of issues related to the stomach, which is innervated by nerves in the thoracic region.  Reducing pressure in the thoracic region (mid back) can help minimize reflux symptoms and severity.

4. Ensure Proper Posture
The body experiences many changes during the course of a pregnancy.  The growing belly shifts the center of gravity forward thus causing an increase in the curvature of the lumbar spine (low back).  This increase in curvature, known as hyperlordosis, can contribute to a significant amount of low back pain experienced during pregnancy.   The postural changes in the low back can start a snowball effect in the rest of the body.  For example, the thoracic spine (mid back) tries to compensate for the shift of the center of gravity and increased curvature in the low back by hunching the shoulders forward creating a hyperkyphosis or hunch back, which then causes the cervical spine (neck) to protrude forward affecting the musculature of the neck and upper back creating tension.  All of these postural changes can be easily managed with consistent chiropractic care including spinal adjustments and soft tissue treatments.

5. Easier Labor and Delivery
Routine chiropractic care throughout pregnancy can help decrease labor time because maintaining proper pelvic alignment allows the baby more room in the uterus to move into the vertex (head down) position before labor begins.  This can also help to lessen the necessity of a cesarean delivery.  Proper alignment of the pelvis also helps to reduce the need for pain medication during delivery.

If you, or someone you know, is pregnant, in the Gallatin Valley area and looking for a chiropractor in Bozeman, please call Dr. Shea Stark with Pro Chiropractic at 406-388-9915 to schedule an appointment.  Dr. Stark is a board certified chiropractor and the author of this blog post.  To learn more about Dr. Stark and the many benefits of chiropractic care, please visit our website: www.prochiromt.com.