Frequently Asked Questions

What is Chiropractic?

Modern chiropractic originated in 1895 with D.D. Palmer, but chiropractic can even be seen thousands of years ago in the writing of the ancient Egyptians and the Tang Dynasty in the orient. Chiropractic is a science, art and philosophy that combine to correct the cause of the body’s problem, not just mask the symptoms. Our bodies are built with a main control network: the nervous system. The nervous system is made of the brain, spinal cord and nerves that reach all tissues and organs. These structures are so important that they are surrounded by bone, the skull and the vertebral column.

The vertebrae are separated by discs that allow for movement. Conditions like injuries, trauma, repetitive movements and congenital defects often misalign the vertebrae and create nerve irritation and joint dysfunction. When the nerves become irritated, warning signs appear such as pain in the lower back and neck, pain in the arms and legs, headaches and organic problems. Chiropractic philosophy embraces the fact that our bodies have an innate ability to heal and fix itself.

Chiropractors use a system to locate and correct the misalignments in the spine to reduce the nerve irritation and restore proper motion to the joints. A chiropractic adjustment is done by hand and a specific line of correction is used to re-align the vertebrae and allow for proper joint motion. The art of the adjustment is specific for each patient due to the differences in age, conditions, and spinal structure. By removing spinal misalignments, with an adjustment, the body has less interference to the nervous system, thus allowing the body to heal itself. Most medications, like pain pills, only cover up symptoms instead of healing the body and often have side effects that cause other problems.

Is Chiropractic for Only Spine Problems?

No. Many people come to the office with conditions other than low back and neck pain. We see problems in the extremities such as knee and shoulder irritation, organic conditions such as stomach and bowel irritation, ear infections and blood pressure. In these cases we check first to see if there is any spinal nerve irritation to the associated area of the body. In most cases, this will help the symptoms being experienced. If the condition does not respond as anticipated, we will look at adjusting the extremities, nutritional supplements and consultation with other health care providers.

Does Chiropractic Hurt?

No. Rarely does a person experience any discomfort. In most cases, the person has some amount of relief with the very first adjustment.

How long will it take?

Everyone’s body is different, and there are many variables involved, such as the problem area or areas and the length of time condition has been present. Many people begin experiencing positive results in the first week. From that point there are several options:

Relief care - simply getting a reduction in symptoms

Corrective care - after seeing relief, continuing care to make long-lasting corrections to the spinal joints

Maintenance care - once the misalignments are corrected, this is a way to ensure you stay healthy with the many daily activities and stresses.

Is Chiropractic Good for Children and the Elderly?

Yes. Chiropractic affects the spine and spinal nerves, which everyone has. As we grow up, we learn to walk, ride a bike and participate in various physical activities. With each of these activities, we also fall and bump into things, which can cause spinal misalignments. Kids do not have the pain pathways developed, which is the reason they can fall and will then continue playing again. But the spinal misalignments occurring at a young age often emerge at a later date and cause problems in adulthood. Elderly see conditions such as arthritis and degeneration of joint spaces. Improving the position and motion of the spinal joints work to combat the degeneration. In both the young and old, special considerations are made in adjusting a small, developing spine and a more brittle and fixated spine.

Does Dr. Allen Get Adjusted?

Definitely! I want to keep myself as healthy as I can. I get adjusted on a regular basis and adjust my entire family to stay healthy.