What is health?
According to the World Health
Organization, "Health is a state of complete
physical, mental, and social well-being, and
not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." In
Webster’s Dictionary, it states, "Health
is a condition of WHOLENESS in which the organs
are functioning at 100% at all times."
What is chiropractic?
The Association of Chiropractic
Colleges’ definition of chiropractic is: "Chiropractic
is a health care discipline that emphasizes
the inherent recuperative power of the body
to heal itself without the use of drugs or
surgery. The practice of chiropractic focuses
on the relationship between structure (primarily
the spine) and function (as coordinated by
the nervous system) and how that relationship
affects the preservation and restoration of
health."
What is a subluxation?
A subluxation is a problem in
the spine where abnormal position and/or movement
of the spinal bones (vertebrae) disturb communication
within the nervous system causing abnormal
function in the body.
How do you get subluxations?
Your first subluxation probably
occurred from the birth process. Childbirth
methods can put tremendous pressure on an infant’s
spine. Beyond that, there are three basic causes
of subluxations. Physical causes include slips,
falls, accidents, repetitive motions and improper
lifting. Stress, anger and fear are examples
of emotional causes of subluxations. Alcohol,
drugs, pollution and poor diet can be chemical
causes of subluxations.
How do I know if I
have a subluxation?
You may suffer from vertebral
subluxations for years before symptoms appear.
You may feel no overt symptoms while nerves
are damaged and the bones surrounding the nerves
begin degenerating. By the time the first symptoms
appear, your health may have already been badly
compromised. A thorough chiropractic examination
can show the location and severity of any subluxations
you may have even if you have no symptoms at
this time.
Who can chiropractic
help?
Improved nerve communications
between your brain and your body can help everyone.
The intent is to restore your body’s ability
to be self-healing and self-regulating. Patients
commonly seek care initially because they suffer
from neck or back pain. Other conditions include
headaches; migraines; knee pain; hip pain;
numbness/tingling in the arms or legs; carpal
tunnel syndrome; tennis elbow; jaw problems;
shoulder problems; fibromyalgia and so on.
Many people seek chiropractic care simply to
stay well and active over the course of their
life. In other words, just about anyone can
benefit from regular chiropractic care.
What is an adjustment?
There are many methods a chiropractor
can use to "adjust" your spine or
extremities. The key to an adjustment is to
use a precise amount of force in the right
place at the right time and in the right direction
in order to improve normal positioning, movement,
and function of the spinal bones and joints
with the intent of reducing nerve interference.
Adjustments are remarkably safe and are modified
to suit the needs of each individual patient
from infant to geriatric. In contrast, taking
an over-the-counter pain reliever is about
100 times more risky than a specific chiropractic
adjustment.
What can I expect on
my first visit?
You’ll meet Dr. Roelofsen
after filling out some brief paperwork describing
you, your health history and you health goals.
We offer this initial consultation so we can
get to know each other. If you are a good candidate
for chiropractic care and we think we can help,
a thorough examination follows including physical,
orthopedic, neurological, and chiropractic
tests, which will help locate the source of
your health problem. X-rays and other types
of diagnostic imaging are often helpful to
complete the examination. The initial visit
will require about an hour of your time.
Then what?
Next, Dr. Roelofsen will give
you his report of findings telling you what
he has found and what he can do to help you
regain your health. If he finds you might better
benefit from a different practitioner, the
proper referral will be made. Otherwise, he’ll
present you with a recommended action plan
designed to fulfill your health goals and offer
you some choices. This is followed by your
first adjustment. Subsequent visits will require
only a few minutes of your time. Each adjustment
builds on the ones before. Therefore, we recommend
you keep your appointments in order to obtain
the best results.
How should I feel after
an adjustment?
The chiropractic adjustment to
remove pressure on your nerves and rebalance
your body structure is a very powerful procedure.
Hundreds of bodily functions and activities
are affected. Many people experience a feeling
of deepening peace and relaxation; others report
a soothing, warm feeling flowing to sundry
parts of their bodies. Some patients experience
almost instant relief while others find that
the healing process can take weeks, months,
sometimes years. Every patient recovers at
his/her own pace depending on age, overall
health condition, diet, exercise regimen, muscle
tone and even attitude.
Will I have to go for
the rest of my life?
Like Dr. Roelofsen, many patients
opt to continue with some type of regular chiropractic
care. Their interest in wellness and prevention
helps make sure that once they get well, they
stay well. Maintenance care plans are designed
to help you stay well and active over the course
of your life. But it’s up to you as to
how long you wish to benefit from chiropractic
care. Regardless of your decision, we will
help you achieve your individual health goals.
Why spinal checkups?
Just as periodic dental checkups
can help detect early signs of decay before
painful symptoms appear, regular chiropractic
checkups can help identify and correct little
problems before they become serious. Among
the many things contributing to your health
(eating nutritious foods, drinking plenty of
water, exercising, getting plenty of rest and
relaxation, handling emotional stress, and
so on) having your spine and nervous system
working at their best is essential for good
health. Include monthly chiropractic checkups
as part of your routine!
