The Difference between Chiropractors and Medical Doctors

People have many misconceptions when it comes to chiropractic care and treatment. Some people believe visiting a chiropractor is only necessary when they experience a back injury or severe back pain. Other people fail to understand the extent of training chiropractors must complete and believe treatment options are limited. Most people are actually surprised to discover chiropractors have to complete rather complex medical training and most complete similar courses, training, and education as medical doctors.

One of the differences between medical doctors and chiropractors is how they approach diagnosing and treating aliments. Medical doctors tend to treat the symptoms rather than the underlying causes. Chiropractors, on the other hand, look at the symptoms, but also identify the underlying causes and develop treatments for those, too.

Another difference is chiropractors use drug-free and surgery-free treatment methods. Their overall goal is to help restore the body to proper functioning while promoting natural healing. To help achieve this, they focus on two primary systems within the body: The skeletal system and the nervous system.

Why the Skeletal and Nervous Systems Are Related

The nervous system is responsible for controlling every organ, cell, and body function. The skeletal system provides pathways for nerves to send feed back to the brain. When the skeletal system is out of alignment, it can place pressure on nerves and other trigger points within the body, which causes a disruption to the nervous system. One way our body responds is by alerting us to the problem through the use of pain, such as a headache, joint pain, lower back pain, and so on.

There are all sorts of underlying reasons the skeletal system can become misaligned. One of the more frequent ones is due to poor posture. We lean over our desks, tilt our heads to talk on the phone, and do not use the correct sitting postures to keep the spine straight.

Did you know that there have been studies on posture? From these, it was discovered there is about an extra ten pounds of stress placed on the neck and spine for every one inch your head is away from its natural center of gravity.

The added stress can cause muscles to tighten, stiffen, and place even more pressure on the spine, causing the vertebra to shift out of alignment. Once this happens there can be a wide array of side effects including:

• Neck Pain
• Increased Blood Pressure
• Headaches
• Back Pain
• Ear Infections
• Increase Arthritic Discomfort

Regular chiropractic care helps maintain the alignment of the spine and proper nervous system functioning. Treatments are designed to address current issues and concerns, like lower back pain. Once the primary complaint has been resolved, ongoing care serves as a preventative form of treatment. Chiropractic care has been used to successfully treat conditions such as:

• Joint Pain
• Arthritis
• Asthma
• Stress
• Back, Neck, and Shoulder Pain
• Scoliosis
• Migraine and Tension Headaches
• Muscle Tension

Keep in mind this is just a few of the conditions treated by a chiropractor. To learn more about chiropractic care and treatment, or to schedule an initial consultation appointment, please call P&C Rehabilitation Services at 416-652-6223 today!