Who is a Chiropractor and What Does He Do?
A Chiropractor is a primary healthcare professional who specializes in identifying spinal misalignments. These misalignments involve the bones that make up the spine, called vertebrae, and are called subluxations. When vertebrae become “subluxated,” it creates interference in the tissues of the body (e.g., muscles, heart, lungs, stomach, immune system, bones, etc.). These spinal misalignments can cause the nervous system to malfunction and manifest in a variety of ways.
To address these issues, a Chiropractor manually works on the misaligned vertebrae, performing specific manual corrections called Chiropractic Adjustments. The goal of an adjustment is to remove any nerve interference caused by the spinal misalignment, restoring optimal functioning of the nervous system, and allowing the body to improve and optimize its health. The long-term benefits that can be obtained from chiropractic are many, and are obtained by focusing on maintenance with periodic checks of the spine. This also allows to prevent the onset of possible symptoms or disorders, therefore optimizing health.
Who can benefit from Chiropractic?
A Chiropractor can help anyone, including infants, children, adolescents, pregnant women and the elderly. Chiropractic adjustments are safe and are adapted based on the age, body type and specific conditions of each patient.
People turn to a Chiropractor for many reasons, representing a natural approach to optimizing health and reducing and controlling pain.
How do you become a Doctor of Chiropractic?om Chiropractic?
The title of Doctor of Chiropractic is obtained at the end of a full-time master’s degree course (5 years), with mandatory attendance and a year of internship at internationally recognized and accredited Chiropractic Universities. The degree program includes in-depth training in Anatomy, Neurology, Orthopedics, Physiology, Nutrition, Pathology, Biomechanics, Radiology and Chiropractic Technique, just to name a few subjects studied.
The first 4 years of study are dedicated to theoretical teaching and learning chiropractic techniques, while the fifth year includes a clinical internship under the supervision of Doctors of Chiropractic at an accredited chiropractic faculty.
At the end of the fifth year, the aspiring chiropractor must pass a series of rigorous nationally and internationally recognized exams to obtain the license and official recognition as a Doctor of Chiropractic.
This path does not exist in Italy, therefore all recognized Doctors of Chiropractic have obtained their degree in Chiropractic abroad at one of the accredited faculties.
What Happens During the First Visit to the Chiropractor?rante la Prima Visita dal Chiropratico?
The first chiropractic visit includes:
Information will be collected about your current health status and past medical history, including any current medical conditions, injuries, or symptoms.
The Chiropractor will perform a thorough physical examination to evaluate posture, spinal mobility, and the functionality of the neuro-musculoskeletal system from a chiropractic perspective.
Thanks to the data collected, the Chiropractic Doctor will be able to identify the origin of the symptoms or disorders found. This analysis will be exposed to the patient.
If necessary and indicated, a personalized chiropractic path will be illustrated to improve the patient’s condition and guide him/her towards a healthy lifestyle.
How does chiropractic work?
The spine houses the nervous system, which provides life energy to every cell in the body. When the spine is properly aligned, the nervous system functions optimally. However, spinal misalignments, also called “subluxations,” can interfere with nerve signals, causing pain, disease, and disorders. Chiropractic adjustments, which are performed manually, remove these misalignments, restoring balance to the nervous system and thus improving the body’s function.
What is a Subluxation?
In simple terms, a subluxation occurs when one or more vertebrae in the spine move out of their natural position and irritate the spinal nerves. Spinal nerves are the nerves that exit each segment of the spine. When a vertebra is out of position, it can put pressure or cause irritation on these nerves, causing them to malfunction and interfering with the nerve signals traveling through them.
How Does It Affect Your Body?
Your nervous system controls and coordinates all of your body’s functions. If nerve signals are altered or hindered, parts of your body will not receive the correct nerve impulses and will not be able to function at 100% of their natural capacity.
In other words, some of your body’s functions will not work optimally.
What is the Role of the Chiropractor?
It is the job of the Chiropractic Doctor to identify subluxations and reduce or correct them. This is done through a series of chiropractic adjustments specifically designed to restore the proper alignment of the vertebrae. Chiropractors are the only professionals who receive years of specialized training to become experts in correcting subluxations.