"Look well to the spine for the cause of dis-ease."
                      - Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine.

What is Chiropractic?

"Chiropractic is the science of locating and removing interference with the transmission or expression of nerve force in the human body, by the corrections of subluxations of the body articulations and adjacent structures, more especially those of the vertebra column and pelvis, for the purpose of restoring and maintaining health."

So what does this really mean..??? 

Chiropractic is based on the scientific fact that your nerve system controls the function of every cell, tissue, and organ of your body.

Your nerve system begins with the brain, which becomes the brain-stem towards its base, and then extends out of the skull as the spinal cord. (Please refer later to the educational links tab for graphics and more info).

The spinal cord is encased and protected by the Spinal Vertebra (or backbones). Between these vertebra exit more nerves that branch out to all parts of the body.

A good way to envision this is to think of your spine like a fuse-box, and each of the vertebra are like switches and the nerves are like wiring going out to your house. In this case, your body is the house and your brain is a big generator or master computer powering up and innately  coordinating "your house."

Proper care and alignment of the switches or vertebra allow normal quantity of nerve flow out along the wiring or nerves, and a normal balance of health can be achieved and maintained for that individual.

Improper care and misalignment of the vertebra or switches causes a decrease quantity of nerve flow out to the body and, with time, results in a "lack of ease" or often referred to as "dis-ease."

Chiropractic concerns its focus on re-aligning the dis-placed vertebra to allow normal function to occur.

In the Chiropractic field, the term used to describe a  vertebra out of alignment  is a "Subluxation" (sub-lux-ay-shun).

The act of re-aligning or correcting the Subluxation is called an "Adjustment."

A chiropractor who focuses his technique and skills on adjusting the spine only, is, in a sense, similar to an electrician for the human body.

What is Specific Chiropractic?

There is a specialty within the field of Chiropractic known as Upper Cervical Specific. The chiropractors in this specialty will focus their advanced skills primarily on the upper two cervical (neck) vertebra.

These top two vertebra of the neck are are similar to the main switch on a fuse-box. That would be the switch that controls the entire electrical panel. If these vertebra are "subluxated," then the ill-effects could reach most any part of the body. The top two vertebra are commonly known as the Atlas and the Axis.

Secondary compensations or misalignments could then occur at other levels of the spine creating compounded interferences.

An electrician may use a "volt-meter" to  measure balance or interference  along electrical wiring.  It aids him in his repair of a switch on the fuse box.

As well, a Specific Chiropractor will utilize a special  non-invasive diagnostic  device such as Computerized Thermal Imaging or a Bilateral Temperature Gradient Scan.  These devices are used to indirectly measure nerve activity by comparing heat differentials emitting from either side of the spine.

It helps the Specific Chiropractor in determining if the series of adjustments to the vertebra are actually doing what is intended, balancing nerve output. 

It also informs a Specific Chiropractor when NOT to adjust the vertebra. There are times when an adjustment is holding the vertebra in its correct position and should be left alone. 

This is different from generalized spinal manipulations that do not rely on pre- and post diagnostic testing at each visit.