Common Questions About Chiropractic

What conditions can Chiropractors help?

The science, art and philosophy of Chiropractic is centered around restoring your body to perfect functioning, so we do not rely on treating symptoms which are just the expression of something not functioning properly. Instead of treating your condition or masking your symptoms with drugs, we try to correct the cause of any dysfunction, paying particular attention to the spine and nerves. We do this because the brain and nerves control all the other functions in the body, and relate you to your environment. Restoring proper communication through the nerves can have profound positive effects on all aspects of health, not just particular conditions.

If there is nerve disturbance in any spinal nerves, whatever those nerves go to control does not work as well, and is more susceptible to pain, dysfunction and disease. Chiropractic is filled with miracle cases every day, but we are only restoring proper function so that your body can do the self-healing, and function perfectly, the way it was designed to work!

---

That is why we have been able to help patients with:

• tension headaches
• migraines
• sinusitis
• ear infections
• asthma
• allergies
• stomach problems
• colitis
• sciatica
• carpal tunnel
• PMS
• menstrual cramps
• dizziness
• double vision
• arrhythmias
• herniated discs
• numbness
• deafness
• tinnitus

---

Can you help my particular problem?

No one can tell you if this or that approach will cure your problem, since every person is different and no one responds exactly the same way. If a drug is given to 100 different people, it can give 100 different results, making some people better and some people worse! The advantage in our natural approach is that we are working with your body instead of against it, so chiropractic care can nearly always help (usually dramatically), without the side effects associated with medical care. We try to correct the cause of your problem, instead of just masking the symptoms. Because of this, our approach is often more effective and far safer than medical care, while usually being much more affordable! Call us for a complimentary consultation. You have nothing to lose except your problem!

A recent USA Today poll revealed that over 72% of voters responded that they have used chiropractic care.

Another survey showed that an amazing 95% of patients were satisfied or highly satisfied with the care from their chiropractor.

---

How long does it take to heal?

If you have had a problem for 50 years and it involves many body systems, it could take a long time to improve, and never be "fixed". If it simple and happened yesterday, it might respond easily and instantly. Each person is different. What is certain, is that waiting does not make a problem better. The longer a problem is neglected the less chance it can ever be completely corrected. The important point to remember is that we help your own body to heal. Remember, no doctor can heal you: it is the inherent power within the body that does the healing. Chiropractic recognizes the fact that "the power that made the body heals the body." What we do is assist the innate intelligence within the body to do its job and heal itself, as quickly as possible. Once healthy, we help you to stay perfect, expressing true "wellness."

---

How much will it cost?

How much do you value your health? No one knows precisely how much your care will cost until we know what needs to be done for you. Our fees are very reasonable and we work with our patients to make their care affordable and accessible. If you have no insurance or a very restrictive HMO, we make our services very affordable. Even college students can afford us. Call our Parkland chiropractic office and schedule a complimentary consultation today!

---

Why should I come to you?

Ask the thousands of satisfied, enthusiastic (or even thrilled) patients we see! They will tell you that our comprehensive approach to overall health is wonderfully effective.

---

How safe is Chiropractic care?

Some people have been mislead about how very safe chiropractic care really is. A few misguided MDs have scared people into thinking that chiropractors might hurt them, when we are statistically the very safest doctors around! There are approximately 300 million chiropractic adjustments given every year in the United States, and serious problems are almost unknown. In comparison, people willingly take medications prescribed by their medical doctors, but few realize that according to the Annals of Internal Medicine (a respected medical journal), there are 198,000 deaths every year in the US as a direct result from side effects from prescribed drugs, (with the patients' deaths being unrelated to the condition they sought care for)! This would make prescription drugs the second or third leading cause of death in America! Another 90,000 people die from iatrogenic (doctor or hospital induced) infections each year. Wow!

How many people die in a typical year as a result of their chiropractic care? Zero! How many people have complications from being adjusted? Only one person per several million adjustments. Of the very few documented cases of a patient having a stroke after a cervical (neck) adjustment, most were not performed by chiropractors (who are well trained): they were performed by medical doctors or physical therapists who did not have any extensive training in such procedures! Does this mean that spinal adjustments aren't safe? No, it implies that only the type of doctors who are well trained and know what they are doing should do it! Then, it's extremely safe. Millions of people also have surgeries performed on them in any given year. Is surgery any safer than chiropractic care or drugs?

Hiropractic care is not only very effective at restoring health, in an affordable manner; it is also extraordinarily safe. We don't add any toxic drugs to your body, nor do we remove any parts from your body. We simply help your body to work better, the way it is designed to be. Schedule your initial consultation, at 253-535-6677

---

Will I need x-rays?

You might need to have x-rays taken, if we suspect any problems in the structures of the spine or extremities. We like to avoid radiation, so we only take pictures if they are needed, and are very careful to limit your exposure to the minimum. Sometimes x-rays are the only way to see what is causing your problem. For your convenience, we can take the films right in our own office.

---

How are Chiropractors different from other doctors?

Like other doctors, we get an excellent education in how the body works and functions, and our academic education is slightly longer than that of a medical degree (4,400 hours vs. 4,200 hours), but we use only natural approaches in treating our patients, instead of using drugs and surgery. We are the only doctors who examine the spine and nerve system for interference ("subluxation"), and are the primary doctors who study nutrition and exercise. We work with the body's inherent ability to heal itself and express health, since we know that the natural state of the body is to be healthy, provided nothing is disturbing its functions.

---

How are we different?

Instead of masking symptoms with drugs, our goal is to safely, effectively and affordably restore perfect function throughout all the systems in the body! To learn more, click on the Chiropractic in a Nutshell or Spine and Nerves sections.

---

Does research support chiropractic care?

There have been vast amounts of studies performed through the years that support the natural chiropractic approach to eliminating nerve disturbance and enhancing the brain and nerve system's control of all the other systems in the body. There have been studies and published scientific research on chiropractic's effect on asthma, infantile colic, immune function, dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramps), improving vision and brain function, lower back pain, patient's overall health status and many, many other subjects.

Unfortunately, some authors who see chiropractors as their "competition" choose to ignore the volumes of positive research and say that chiropractic isn't scientific enough for them. Yet according to an exhaustive study by medical economist David Edy, MD, Ph.D., only 15% of medical procedures have ever been scientifically verified, and the other 85% of common medical procedures have no "scientific basis!"

For our patients, the most important results do not come from scientific studies; they come from the positive results we are able to get for them personally.

---

What is a "slipped disc " or "herniated disc"?

When the tough but flexible discs between the vertebra (bones in the spine) take too much stress, like in an accident or fall, they can tear and rupture the softer center out of the disc. This "disc bulge" puts pressure on the nerves exiting the spine, causing pain and /or loss of nerve function. The disc does not actually "slip" anywhere, and the bulging is more like suddenly squeezing the jelly center out of a jelly doughnut. To see a graphic diagram of this problem in the low back, click on the Low Back Pain section.

Remember, disc problems can best be managed conservatively, with chiropractic care, and rarely ever need surgery. (Lumbar spine surgery has a 50% failure rate!) I have treated thousands of people, including some Philadelphia Eagles with severe disc injuries, so call us if you suspect this problem. You deserve to know your options.

---

What is a "subluxation"?

A subluxation in the spine is a condition in which the bones of the spine have lost their ability to move properly. Individual segments (vertebra) may be out of alignment, or they might be locked and not be able to move in certain directions. Even though this may not be painful (in the early stages), this has a distinct effect on the nerves which exit the spinal cord. Even slight pressure or irritation on the nerve roots will result in an excess or deficiency of that nerve's signal, and whatever that nerve goes to control cannot work as well since the impulses (communication from the brain) cannot be transmitted properly. This can sometimes cause pain; other times it happens silently, having a devastating effect on one's health and bodily functions. See the question above, to see what health problems this can cause, or click on Low Back Pain section to see a diagram of this process.

---

How do we reach you?

Acts Chiropractic Center of Parkland is open Monday through Friday by appointment. You can call to schedule with Dr. Salmi at a time that will be convenient for you, by calling us at 253-535-6677. You may also reach us with questions regarding your health, by using our contact form.

If all the medicine/drugs in the world were thrown into the ocean, it would be good for mankind and bad for the fish.

- O.W. Holmes, MD, Professor of Medicine, Harvard University