Frequently Asked Chiropractic Questions in Spokane WA

Chiropractic literally translates to "with hands". It is a science, art, and philosophy in which a doctor of chiropractic uses their hands to both assess and treat a patient to allow the body and nervous system to function at full potential.

While most people go to the chiropractor because they have neck or back pain, the benefits of chiropractic care can help with much more than that. Chiropractic helps the nervous system function optimally. Every muscle, bone, organ and tissue in the body can benefit from a healthy nervous system... so chiropractors treat the whole body by addressing the nervous system.

The chiropractic adjustment is the most important and powerful thing that happens in a chiropractic office. A restricted, or subluxated, joint is mobilized to restore proper function of that joint and allow the joint and the surrounding tissues and nerves to function and feel better.

Every individual case is different, with some needing more care and some needing less care. Your doctor will perform an exam and, based on his findings, will recommend the necessary amount of care.

Chiropractic care can benefit any tissue that is connected to the nervous system... which means everything. While a chiropractor focuses on the Spinal and extremity joints, proper chiropractic care allows the nervous system to function to its full potential. If the nervous system works correctly, the body has its best chance to function optimally as well.

Usually, people feel better after a chiropractic adjustment. It is common to feel sore or achy after an adjustment as your body adjusts to the changes that were made.

Most of the time, chiropractic adjustments feel great. Usually, an adjustment is associated with a "pop" sound coming from the joint, and it provides a feeling of release and a decrease in pain or symptoms. Sometimes an adjustment can briefly cause some increased pain, but such instances are usually brief, and relief is found shortly after.

In our office a new patient appointment usually takes about an hour. Routine visits after the first treatment usually take around 10 minutes.

Chiropractors must receive a doctor of chiropractic degree from an accredited chiropractic school, which is accomplished after meeting necessary requirements from undergraduate studies.

Yes, pregnant women can benefit greatly from seeing the chiropractor. Care through pregnancy can help reduce pain, and help the mother's body move and feel better from the beginning of pregnancy as well as near the end and after the baby is born as well.

Chiropractic care is not considered addictive. Chiropractic care is, however, very effective at helping patients feel better, and generally speaking, if something makes you feel better, it's common to want more of that thing.

Oftentimes, a chiropractic adjustment will produce a "crack" or a "pop" sound. This is usually explained as gas being released from the tissues around the joint, kind of like when you squeeze and stretch silly putty. This is called a "cavitation." The cavitation is common, but it isn't necessary for an effective treatment.

It is not recommended to try to give yourself a chiropractic adjustment. While you may be able to get a "pop" or a "cavitation" out of a joint, you're likely not moving that joint in the way it needs to be moved to restore function to the nervous system.

Most insurance plans have chiropractic coverage. If you call in to our office, we will be able to help you figure out what your coverage is and how we can best help you.

Chiropractic is one of the most effective and safest treatments you can try for back and neck pain.

Yes, chiropractic is a great treatment option for headaches. Headaches can be very complicated, and our doctors are experts at examining and finding the cause of most headaches and treating them effectively with chiropractic care.

Chiropractic is an approach to provide correct alignment and function of the spine in order to allow the best possible function of the nervous system. Physical therapy is used to treat dysfunction in the body through exercises and movement.

Yes, chiropractors can help with sports injuries. All injuries whether they are to muscle, joint, bone, or other tissues, can benefit from an improved and high-functioning nervous system. Removing any interference in the nervous system caused by joint misalignment will put injured tissues in a better position to heal.

Posture is controlled by muscles, which are controlled by the brain through nerves. Chiropractic care restores alignment of the spine, which will allow those nerves to do their job better. When the nerves are working, the muscles they control work better. At our office, we also teach posture-specific exercises to help your postural muscles function better and aid in maintaining spinal alignment.

During a chiropractic adjustment, your chiropractor will assess your spine, extremities, and potential related structures and tissues to determine what treatment may be needed to restore proper alignment and function. The doctor will then provide an "adjustment," which is a specific correction to those joints to restore motion and function to the joint and the nervous system. Usually, this involves using the doctor's hands or an instrument to provide a correction to the involved bone in the correct direction with as little force as possible. Often, this will produce "pop" or a joint "cavitation." In most cases, patients feel improvement in their symptoms after a chiropractic adjustment.

Chiropractic is very effective and safe for children. Many common complaints that children suffer with can be treated or helped with gentle chiropractic care, without the use or complications of medications.