The following is an excerpt from "A Natural Method of Health Care - Introduction to Chiropractic" 10th edition. This important reference, a $12.95 value, is given to all new patients. If you would like a copy please contact our office, the Florida Chiropractic Association or you may order from Amazon.com.

What Does a Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) Do?

Most doctors use a standard procedure of examination to diagnose a patient's condition. Your doctor of chiropractic uses time honored methods of consultation, case history, physical examination, and when indicated, X-rays or other modern imaging tests or laboratory analysis to arrive at a diagnosis. In addition, he or she provides a careful chiropractic structural examination, with special emphasis on the spine, extremities, nervous and musculoskeletal system.

The examination of your spine and muscle system to evaluate structure and function is what makes the chiropractic approach different from that of other health care practitioners.

Your spinal column, or vertebral column, is a series of movable bones which begin at the base of your skull and end at your hips. Although the spine is composed of 24 individual vertebrae, it functions as one dynamic structure upon which the total body skeleton is dependent for support and movement. There are seven cervical (neck) vertebrae, twelve dorsal (mid-back) vertebrae, and five lumbar (low-back) vertebrae. These vertebrae are stacked up like building blocks, with discs (shock absorbers) between them. These discs help to cushion shock, reduce friction, bind the vertebrae together, and allow movement to occur more easily.

Thirty-one pair of spinal nerves extend down the spine from the brain and exit through a series of openings between the vertebrae. The nerves leave the spine and form a very complicated network which ultimately influences every living tissue in your body; Accidents, falls, uneven stress, tension, over-exertion or other factors may not allow the spine to move properly within its normal range of motion. This can result in minor displacements or derangements of one or more of these vertebrae, causing irritation to spinal nerve roots directly by pressure or indirectly through reflexes.

These irritations, in turn, may cause malfunctions in your body; Many chiropractors believe that nerve pressure, or nerve reflex changes, can cause a disturbance to delicate body functions resulting in an increased susceptibility to disease processes. Spinal subluxations (lesions) have been shown to cause improper function of organs, leading to increased susceptibility to infection or chronic disease.

Back to Top