A chiropractor is a health care professional focused on the diagnosis and treatment of neuromuscular disorders, with an emphasis on treatment through manual adjustment and/or manipulation of the spine. Most chiropractors seek to reduce pain and improve the functionality of patients as well as to educate them on how they can account for their own health via exercise, ergonomics and other therapies to treat back pain.
Chiropractic is based upon the understanding that good health depends, in part, upon a normally functioning nervous system.
Chiropractic works by helping to restore your own inborn ability to be healthy. When under the proper control of your nervous system, all the cells, tissue, and organs of your body are designed to function well and resist disease and ill health. The chiropractic approach to better health is to locate and help reduce interferences to your natural state of being healthy.
A common interference to the nervous system is the twenty four moving bones of the spinal column. A loss of normal motion or position of these bones can irritate or impair the function of the nervous system. This can disrupt the transmission of controlling nerve impulses.
Chiropractors aim to improve nervous system function primarily through chiropractic adjustments (with particular attention to the spine, skull and pelvis), to help remove any interference that may be impairing normal health.
Chiropractors diagnose, treat and prevent mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the effects of these disorders on the function of the nervous system and general health. Chiropractors treat a range of musculoskeletal conditions, such as back pain, neck pain and headache. Spinal manipulation is the main treatment used by chiropractors. It is a therapy that involves using the hands to move a joint beyond its usual range of motion. Manual pressure is applied to the spine using different techniques, and some movements may give an audible crack or pop.
No. Chiropractors are primary health care physicians. Our Henfield chiropractor clinic does not require referrals from a doctor. All you need to do is contact the office and book an initial consultation. Our team will take the time to understand your problem, and may request X-rays before carrying out any treatments.
It depends on the treatment. Many people feel stiff after the first treatment as the body begins to readjust and realign. This is expected to last only 24 to 36 hours. Speak to the chiropractor or your health professional if you're feeling discomfort after a visit.
Each patients treatment is tailored to their body, and their particular problem.
Treatment consist of spinal adjustments to improve spinal function. Adjustments are a gentle force ‘thrust’ into the spine which is referred to by some people as a manipulation. At Henfield Chiropractic Clinic we use the Gonstead technique which is a specific, manual adjusting technique. This technique involves significant additional training and we are one of only a handful of clinics north of Henfield utilising the Gonstead technique.
Often there is a noise made with an adjustment which is the release of gas when a joint is stretched similar to the noise made by firmly pressing your hands together and quickly releasing them, or opening a cork from a bottle.
Other treatments including stretching, muscle release work, postural advice and exercise prescription.
We don’t accept patients for care if we don’t think we can help. We will discuss expected results before we begin your care. If we don't think we can help, we will refer you to the most appropriate person.
Response time varies from person to person and can depend on how bad the problem is, how long the problem has been there, your age, current health status, and several other factors.
Occasionally people may feel minor discomfort before improvement occurs as restricted joints start to move again, causing muscle and ligament changes. This is usually mild.
Again this varies from person to person, some people needing just a few and others needing more. Initially you will be adjusted more frequently until you start to function better. As your spine gets stronger, your appointments will be spaced further apart and we will start to shift the emphasis more on self-care by you.
Once feeling better most people choose to continue their Chiropractic care to help them continue to feel good and function better.
Yes, pain can be the last thing to come on and the first thing to go away. Often problems can simmer away under the radar until lots of damage has occurred and by the time you get the pain, the problem can be serious and take longer to be helped.
No, in-fact the majority of people find their adjustments comfortable and enjoy getting adjusted.
If you are in a lot of pain, you may experience some mild discomfort, often less than what you are already going through. This happens as restricted joints start to move again, stretching muscles and ligaments that have become shortened over time.
No, age has nothing to do with whether you can be helped by a chiropractor. We have patients in their early nineties who enjoy the benefits of chiropractic care including better posture, more mobility, better balance, and less aches and pains from arthritis.
Yes, we help many people with arthritis every day. Arthritis occurs because things aren’t working well. People often think that arthritis occurs with age, but this is not true, we just see more arthritis in older people, because the spinal joints have been working badly for longer. Sometimes we see a 70 year old with a healthier spine than a 50 year old, so therefore it isn’t all about age.
By improving function, in many cases you can slow down the arthritic process and assist with the associated pain.
Yes, we can identify at risk areas of your spine and look after them gently. We will always modify our technique & tailor your care to suit your body. We can also give you advice on the things to do to decrease the chance of your bones continuing to weaken.
We all have the same goal and that is to get you well. But it is the way we go about helping you that is different.
At Henfield Chiropractic Clinic we have the goal of helping your immediate symptoms and actually getting rid of the underlying cause to decrease the chance of your symptoms coming back. For example, if you had knee pain we would be treating your knee, but we also know that knee problems without direct trauma to the knee can be caused by a pelvic or foot problem. If we only treated your knee, we wouldn’t really be doing all we can to help you. At Henfield Chiropractic Clinic we take a holistic approach and look at the site of your symptoms but also the reason those symptoms are occurring.
Since significant trauma can occur at birth, many parents choose to have their newborns checked for any spinal health related problems. Later, learning to walk, riding a bicycle, and other childhood activities can cause spinal health related problems.
While a bandage and some comforting words can help a skinned knee, the potential underlying structural damage to the child’s spine, skull, pelvis and extremities is the unique domain of a chiropractor.
Many childhood health complaints that are brushed off as “growing pains” may be able to be traced to the spine. Regular chiropractic checkups may be able to identify these problems and help avoid some of the health complaints seen later in adults. Naturally, Chiropractic adjusting procedures are modified to a child’s spine, particularly babies.
In understanding the difference between Chiropractic and Physiotherapy, we recommend referring to the definition of each practice. Chiropractic is a health care discipline based on the scientific premise that the body is a self-regulating, self-healing organism. The practice of Chiropractic focuses on the relationship between structure (primarily the spine, and pelvis) and function (as coordinated by the nervous system) and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health. Physiotherapy, as described by the Australian Physiotherapy Association, “uses a variety of techniques to help your muscles and joints work to their full potential. It can help repair damage by speeding up the healing process and reducing pain and stiffness.
Each individual is different and must make their own choice about the most appropriate method of care for them. We believe Chiropractic, with its central focus on the spine, nervous system and their impact on entire body provides a health care option that can help manage pain as well as assist in achieving optimal well-being.
Most Chiropractors will take care of people in the clothes they come in with. However any bulky clothing, such as a heavy winter jacket or thick jumper would need to be removed. If x-rays are taken you will be asked to remove any metal items for the x-ray.