What is Chiropractic ?

Chiropractic is a healing discipline founded in 1895 by Daniel David Palmer,
often affectionately referred to as " DD".

Dr. D.D. Palmer

Dr. Palmer was a contemporary of Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, founder of Osteopathic medicine. Both Chiropractic and Osteopathic techniques had similar roots. Dr. Palmer and Dr. Still stressed that if bones and joints lose proper articulation, proper movement, and proper association with surrounding structures, disease can result. Although the physical manipulation of the articulations was common to both systems, the techniques of Osteopathy were so called "low amplitude, long lever", whereas Chiropractic manipulations tend to be "high amplitude, short lever". Chiropractic tends to use smaller, but faster movements to correct joint misalignments.

An interesting source of information on  Osteopathic 's development as a healthcare system can be found at:
http://www.dr-dom.com/osteopathy_history.html

" Organized osteopathy had to battle the powerful American Medical Association which sought to maintain its monopolistic hold on American Medicine. Denied the right to serve as physicians in the military and other government jobs, the osteopathic profession lobbied hard for inclusion. It wasn’t until the Vietnam War that osteopaths were allowed to serve their country as physicians.  Today there are 19 osteopathic colleges.  Some are state supported schools were faculty and facilities are shared with allopathic students.  Osteopathic physicians can practice in all medical and surgical specialties through osteopathic or allopathic board certification.  Osteopaths now serve in all branches of the military and government health service organizations. The curriculum at osteopathic schools is identical to its allopathic counterpart with the exception that D.O.s learn osteopathic philosophy and manipulation. 

However, with equality comes paradox. As the osteopathic curriculum improved over the years it became more like conventional medicine. Even during Still’s lifetime the early osteopathic colleges began teaching drug therapy.  Today there are approximately 35,000 osteopathic physicians in the U.S. yet only about 500 osteopaths practice the original healing art with some osteopaths using manipulation as an adjunct to their conventional practices.  Yet the original osteopathic concept is powerful and has made a lasting impression on medicine throughout the world.  Osteopathic and conventional basic science research has validated and confirmed many of Still’s original ideas.  Today even the conventional medical world has many manual medicine societies and the specialties of Physiatry and Rehabilitation Medicine benefit from much of Still’s pioneering work.  "

Whereas Osteopaths chose to embrace the use of drugs and surgery,
Chiropractic chose to stay away from these interventions, and followed a more holistic, and to treat problems in a more conservative fashion.

Most modern Chiropractic doctors employ various physical therapeutic modalities, and use them in concern with active care such as therapeutic exercise programs, and spinal and extremity manipulation. As such, Chiropractic continues to be more aligned with the physical medicine of physiatrists,  though, in states like Texas, Doctors of Chiropractic not only do not prescribe (physiatrists may prescribe medications) and do not perform injections such as ESIs (epidural steroidal injections).

Chiropractic has, in its philosophical orientation, the notion that we help the body to heal itself by removing blockages or impediments.

Unlike MD (allopathic) medicine, we stress less on mere palliation, or symptom treatment, and more on trying to resolve the internal source to the pain or other symptoms. When a joint does not move as it should, or when there is increased pressure on a nerve root or on the spinal cord, it only makes sense, both in terms of common sense and in terms of physiology , that those structures supplied by the nerves, will begin to show alterations in function and in sensitivity, since there are motor nerves and sensory nerves that sustain both motor function and sensory function, and if there is pressure on these nerves from actual structures such as osteophytes , or the buildup of partial pressures in the foramen secondary to stenosis , then the result will be pain, or altered sensations or altered function.

Restoration of proper alignment and function by Chiropractic manipulations, can dramatically restore function and relieve pain, or altered sensation.

Chiropractic is both an Art and a Science, and no one can guarantee any certain results, but, if you have tried allopathic, MD based care with drugs and surgery, and have not had a satisfactory outcome, please consider Chiropractic care, as the largest drug free healthcare system in the United States.

Call 903-753-5400 today to make an appointment.