Chiropractic Preventative Wellness Care
Presented by Dr. Marc Davis

Many people consider visiting a chiropractor only after suffering years of unnecessary pain. However, Dr. Davis knows that focusing on prevention is the key to long-term well-being. That means adopting a proactive approach to health.

Just as you schedule regular dental cleanings to prevent tooth and gum decay, it’s essential to arrange consistent chiropractic checkups to stave off spinal decay and related ailments.

What is chiropractic preventative care?

Referred to as proactive care, spinal hygiene, preventative care, wellness care or preventative wellness care, this revolutionary chiropractic program rests on the philosophy that long-term well-being stems from eradicating underlying causes of future conditions – stopping them before they start.

Who tries chiropractic preventative care?

Dr. Davis finds that patients embark on wellness care programs in one of two circumstances.

In recent years, reports by the media, consumer action groups and healthcare experts have enlightened the general population about the benefits of preventative care and the dangers of painkillers and other medication. The health-care tide is turning as many individuals shift their attitude about health care from one of “damage control” to one centering on prevention. This renaissance in the way we regard health care has sparked a growing number of forward-thinking, pain-free people to seek out chiropractic wellness care.

A second group of people discover the benefits of wellness care after receiving chiropractic care for pain relief. When their pain subsides, they transition into a wellness care plan.

What happens during a wellness care visit?

A preventative chiropractic checkup typically includes a posture analysis and a spinal examination to detect areas in the spine where movement is restricted or spinal bones (vertebrae) are slightly out of place. These dysfunctional spinal segments are called vertebral subluxations. Dr. Davis then corrects these areas with gentle and effective maneuvers called chiropractic adjustments.

Because wellness visits are focused on prevention rather than pain relief, the doctor takes time to educate patients about factors influencing long-term disease prevention, with a holistic – whole person – emphasis. Therefore, this visit incorporates late-breaking research information on topics like ergonomics, nutrition, stress reduction, the side effects of medication, environmental toxins, exercise and how emotional outlook affects the body. The goal is to identify and remove any risk factors before they trigger disease.

Why should I schedule a chiropractic checkup when I’m not in pain?

Symptoms are not the “early warning signs” many individuals consider them to be. Symptoms like pain or restricted movement usually do not appear until late in a disease process – often when it is too late for the malady to be reversed.

By maintaining a subluxation-free spine, preventative checkups correct the underlying trigger of conditions like back pain, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome and jaw pain.

Chiropractic wellness care also holds more sinister maladies at bay. For instance, scientific studies show that unrestricted joints have better range of motion – making them less likely to be depleted of joint fluid and cartilage. By keeping joints mobile, chiropractic helps prevent conditions like osteoarthritis before the advent of joint degeneration – and long before symptoms emerge.

It’s especially important to ward off arthritis before pain appears, because the severity of degeneration to the spine is not necessarily associated with pain. In one study, 180 patients with neck pain completed questionnaires and a disability assessment. They also underwent X-ray imaging to determine the extent of degeneration in the spine of their necks (cervical spines).

Results revealed no statistically significant difference in pain severity or disability between the patients with – and without – cervical degeneration.

“According to the findings, the number of levels of cervical degeneration and the severity of degeneration in the discs [and joints of the spine] are not related to the levels of pain and disability.” (Spine 2003;27:129-33).

I have heard that chiropractic care may prevent problems not directly related to the spine. Is that true?

Yes. Exciting new scientific evidence indicates that the people who follow a chiropractic wellness plan enjoy a better overall quality of life. Wellness care patients often report a reduced occurrence of colds, allergies and other ailments. Many professional athletes adhere to a chiropractic preventative care program because they say it enhances their performance. Bolstered energy, sharpened mental functioning, decreased fatigue, more restful sleep and diminished stress are other benefits mentioned by preventative care patients.

And, research indicates that chiropractic wellness care may prevent a myriad of diseases not typically related to the spine.

In one recent investigation, 81 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) or Parkinson’s disease (PD) were evaluated for vertebral subluxations. This condition was detected in the spine of the upper neck in every single study participant. After undergoing chiropractic adjustments, 91 percent of MS cases and 92 percent of PD cases “showed symptomatic improvement and no further disease progression during the care period.” (JVSR 2004:1-9).

Struggling with hypertension? A chiropractic wellness plan may help sustain normal blood pressure (J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1988;11:484-8).

Wellness care may also prevent fertility problems. An analysis by Dr. Elizabeth Anderson-Peacock concludes that “although chiropractic care is not a treatment for infertility, it is believed that specific chiropractic adjustments may have contributed to improving the likelihood of conception.” (JVSR 2003:1-6).

Researchers in Australia report that chiropractic adjustments may prevent a condition called dysmenorrhea, which is characterized by pain during menstruation (Chiro J Austral 2003;33:30). Evidence also suggests that chiropractic care can alleviate PMS (J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1999;22:582-5) and menopausal complaints (Obstet & Gynec 2002;100:18- 25).

In one inquiry of 17 patients with the intestinal disorder Crohn’s disease, 12 enjoyed substantial relief from chiropractic care (JVSR 2002;4:2). Chiropractic also appears to ward off chronic constipation (J Canadian Chiro Assoc 2001;45:185- 91).

Youngsters also benefit from regular chiropractic checkups. For instance, in a study of 46 children with ear infections, 93 percent recovered with chiropractic intervention alone. “This study’s data indicate that limitation of medical intervention and the addition of chiropractic care may decrease the symptoms of ear infection in young children.” (J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1996;19:169-77).
 

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