San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:
It has always been our philosophy to teach our chiropractic patients about the the things that cause what we treat. Chiropractors treat Vertebral Subluxations (VS), which are misalignment's of the spine that interfere with the transmission of nerve energy from the brain to the body and lead to dysfunction and dis-ease.
Physical, chemical, and mental stresses that the body is unable to adapt to are what cause Subluxations.
Physical stresses are things like poor ergonomics, bad posture habits, sports injuries, car accidents, a crummy mattress or pillow, a short leg, bad shoes, etc. It's easy to for most people to understand how physical stress can cause misalignment's in the spine.
Chemical stresses are toxins, drugs, tobacco, and pollution. Heck...the typical American Diet of processed foods is loaded with toxins. Chemical stresses can wreak havoc on the nervous system causing VS.
Mental stress, which is what most people think of when they think of stress, causes tense muscles...usually in the neck, and muscles attach to the bones of the spine, and can pull the bones out of alignment resulting in Subluxation.
All three types of stress cause what chiropractors treat (Vertebral Subluxations).
So as chiropractors...if we can teach our patients how to reduce stress with lifestyle recommendations regarding things like exercise, nutrition, ergonomics, sleeping, stretching, and relaxation..we can help prevent what we treat.
Now this wont do much for Subluxations that have been around for a long time...and most have. These must have treatment. How much?...depends.
How much chiropractic you need depends on the nature of your problem, how long it has been there, your age, your level of spinal degeneration, complications, and over-all health.
When it comes to stress related neck pain...chiropractic will often deliver results when nothing else will. Because if the problem is VS...and most of the time it is...chiropractic is your best shot.
By reducing stress with education and lifestyle modification and increasing resistance with chiropractic adjustments and exercise...we can find that point of balance...which is different for everybody, that allows you to express optimum health.
So can chiropractic help me reduce stress and fix my neck pain?
Oh yeah...and a lot lot more!
Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director and founder of Executive Express Chiropractic in downtown San Francisco at the Embarcadero Center.
Great point, doc. As health care providers, we should strive to motivate by example on how to live a lifestyle which would decrease wear and tear on our bodies.
Posted by: Dr. Michael Pound | August 24, 2011 at 06:27 PM
It comes across clearly in this post that Dr. Davis and his staff believe that educating patients will lead to longer term relief than just merely treating without teaching.
Doctor translated in Latin means teacher.
Posted by: Dr David Livingston | August 25, 2011 at 06:04 AM