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What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic is a natural method of health care, proven to be effective in the treatment of many musculoskeletal conditions including back pain, neck pain and headaches.
Chiropractic works by affecting the spine and the nervous system. All nerves in the body originate from the spinal cord which is protected by and encased in the spinal column. Joint dysfunction in the spinal column can cause chemical irritation and/or pressure on spinal nerves as they exit the spine. This can lead to pain and discomfort which are signs that your body is not functioning properly.
Joint dysfunction has a variety of possible causes: slip and fall, car accident, muscle tightness or weakness, poor sleep position, lack of exercise, stress and poor posture are some of the most common.
A chiropractic adjustment (or manipulation) is a gentle, specific force placed through a restricted joint in order to restore motion and function to that joint and the surrounding muscles. The adjustment stimulates mechanoreceptors in the joint which are specialized nerve endings that collect information about your body's position in space (called proprioception) and send that information to the brain. If a joint is not moving properly, it's receptors are inhibited and the proprioceptive input to the brain is decreased. Chiropractic adjustments can restore proprioception, increase local blood flow, relax tight muscles, improve coordination and increase kinesthesis (the ability to feel movements of the limbs and body).
Our treatment goals at Upper Cape Chiropractic are twofold: First, to enhance the body's natural healing process in order to maximize function, minimize symptoms and allow a return to activity. Second, to keep the spine and nervous system functioning well for good health in the long term.
What conditions can chiropractic treat?
The following is a list of some conditions that often respond well to chiropractic care:
- Neck and low back disc injuries
- Mechanical low back and neck pain
- Adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder)
- Rotator cuff tendinitis
- Peripheral nerve entrapments
- Tennis/Golfer's elbow
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Sciatica
- Headaches
- Fibromyalgia
- Scar tissue pain
- Trigger points
The Long Term Advantage
Can I benefit from Chiropractic care even if I don't have symptoms?
Yes. When a joint in the spine or an extremity is not moving properly, often at first there are no symptoms. As time goes on, the surrounding muscles, ligaments and cartilage can be affected, movement patterns can be altered, and discomfort or pain can be the result. Long term joint immobility can lead to osteoarthritis (the breakdown of joint cartilage). The cartilage in your joints has no blood supply of its own, so nutrients must be transported into the joint mechanically. As the joint moves it compresses the spongy cartilage material, expelling the fluid it contains and allowing new, richer nutrient-containing fluid to enter. Regular chiropractic care can ensure that joints retain their proper mobility, thus receiving the nutrition they need. Chiropractic helps spinal joints, extremities, and the body as a whole, to function at their best.
New Patient Intake Form (pdf)
Please download, print, and complete the form, and bring it to your first visit.