Chiropractic is a complementary and alternative medicine that is concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially the spine. Chiropractors, especially those in the field's early history, have proposed that such disorders affect general health via the nervous system. The main chiropractic treatment technique involves manual therapy, especially manipulation of the spine, other joints, and soft tissues, but may also include exercises and health and lifestyle counseling.
Chiropractic is well established in the United States, Canada, Australia, Asia and in many states of Europe. It overlaps with other manual-therapy professions such as osteopathy and physical therapy. Most who seek chiropractic care do so for low back pain. Back and neck pain are considered the specialties of chiropractic. Many chiropractors describe themselves as primary care providers. The Chiropractic considers vertebral subluxations to be the cause of all disease.
Spinal manipulation, which chiropractors call "spinal adjustment" or "chiropractic adjustment", is the most common treatment used in chiropractic care. Spinal manipulation is a passive manual maneuver during which a three-joint complex is taken past the normal range of movement, but not so far as to dislocate or damage the joint. Its defining factor is a dynamic thrust, which is a sudden force that causes an audible release and attempts to increase a joint's range of motion. High-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation (HVLA-SM) thrusts have physiological effects that signal neural discharge from paraspinal muscle tissues, depending on duration and amplitude of the thrust are factors of the degree in paraspinal muscle spindles activation.
There is conclusive evidence that chiropractic is effective for the treatment of almost any medical condition. Available evidence of healing success covers the following complaints:
- All kind of low back pain included sciatic problems and inflammations
- Radiculopathy
- Dizzy spells
- Jaw problems
- Tinnitus
- Whiplash and other neck pain
- Headache
- Impingement Syndrome
- Pain in the extremities (knee, ankle joint, hip, elbow, hands, shoulder)
There can also be positive effects on degenerative processes like arthritis, osteoarthritis, chondrosis and many more.
