Chiropractors Are Not Real Doctors:
This myth has been around for a long time. The basis is that because chiropractors don’t receive an M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) that they aren’t real doctors. However, Chiropractors hold a D.C. or Doctor of chiropractic degree meaning they specialize in locating, detecting, and correcting vertebral subluxations also called misalignments of the spine.
Like all doctors after finishing their undergraduate program chiropractors must complete a graduate program which typically last 4 years. Licensure for chiropractors must be held on a national level and requires that the chiropractor pass a four part National Board of Chiropractic Examiners Test. Again, like all doctors, chiropractors are required to take part in continuing education each year to keep their licensure.
I Can “Crack” My Own Back:
Everyone has felt or heard their back “crack” or “pop” at some point. Many people can crack their back on demand and do so often because it feels good and seems to relieve tension or the “stuck” feeling.
The problem with this is that there is not plan or knowledge of what the underlying issue is that is causing the “stuck” sensation. When someone “cracks” their own back they are forcing bones into random places until they feel relief. This can be very dangerous often time causing more damage than good and can have harmful long-term affects.
When you get adjusted by a chiropractor you receive relief while having the reassurance that your bones are being helped back into the correct places so that your spine is properly aligned. When subluxations, a bone out of place that is not completely dislocated, of the vertebrae in the spine are present it can cause nerve interference, nerve irritation, or even a pinched nerve leading to pain and deteriorating function.
Adjustments to your spine can correct the subluxations affecting your nervous system allowing for better communication within your body and greater overall health. A chiropractor is the only doctor scientifically trained to detect and correct subluxations and restore normal nerve function.
Once You Start Getting Adjusted You Have To Come Back Forever:
The “once you start you can’t stop” myth has been floating around for years leaving many confused about the length of chiropractic treatment needed. For many, treatment length depends on any injuries or illnesses they are experiencing at the time and may range from 1 week to 3 months or more.
However, in no case, once you begin chiropractic care are you required to continue coming regularly for life to keep receiving relief. Chiropractic, unlike pain medicine, gets to the root of your pain and works to fix the underlying issues so that you can live life naturally pain free.
When you solve the root problem you are always looking at a more permanent fix than that of just covering up the pain. Once any initial issues are resolved many choose to continue getting adjusted here and there for “tune ups” just as you would go to the dentist for cleanings.