Chiropractic is the third primary health care profession in the world (according to the World Health Organization), which deals with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the spine in particular and the neuromusculoskeletal system in general.
Our objective is the maintenance or restitution of the functional unity of the organism as a guarantee of good health, understood as a state of well-being and harmony in all its dimensions.
We pay special attention to the Nervous System since it is in charge of controlling, coordinating and regulating all the functions of the body. A large part of this system lives inside the spinal column. In this way we can understand that a healthy spine is essential for the body to function properly. One of our most important tasks is directed to the detection and correction of what we call the Vertebral Subluxation Complex (VSC).
Vertebral subluxation complex
Vertebral Subluxation Complex is understood as a dysfunction between two or more vertebrae, which includes a complex of neurological, structural and physiological changes that can occur locally or involve other organs and even systems.
This can compromise the integrity of the nervous system creating interference with other organs or body systems, making communication between them poor. When this happens our state of well-being decreases, some health problem begins to manifest and finally, signs and symptoms appear diminishing our quality of life in general.
Its main causes are:
- Physical stress (falls, blows, bad posture, car accidents, sports injuries, overexertion, etc.).
- Chemical stress (poor diet, smoking, pollution, inadequate self-medication, etc.).
- Emotional stress (stress, depression, family problems, sentimental problems, fatigue and tiredness, insomnia, etc.).
In most cases, CSV does not produce physical pain, as only a small percentage of the nerves involved are associated with pain fibres. However, its damaging effect is immediate and progressive, diminishing our performance at all levels. If these dysfunctions are not corrected in time, more important problems and sometimes irreversible changes can occur over the years. Chiropractors* correct these alterations by means of vertebral adjustments which are manual techniques (mainly) or instrumental, very specific and of great precision and control. Numerous techniques are currently available.
Who can benefit from chiropractic care?
Anyone can benefit from chiropractic care regardless of age, including newborns, pregnant women, children and seniors, and whether or not they have an ailment. Thanks to the wide range of chiropractic techniques and tools we can adapt to all types of people and circumstances. *Some medical conditions will be the responsibility of other health professionals. For this, chiropractors who have received proper training are trained and qualified to assess you on your first visit.
Benefits of chiropractic
More and more people are choosing to seek chiropractic care for an alternative to medications, surgeries and invasive techniques. Although many of them come for a specific reason, they soon discover the benefits that chiropractic care can bring.
IMPROVES:
- Overall health
- Physical and mental performance
- Vitality
- Quality of sleep
- Concentration
- State of well-being
- Immune system
- Circulatory system
- Digestion
- Strength
- Posture
- Mobility
- Adaptability
REDUCES / PREVENTS:
- Pain
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Illness
- Medication use
- Injury
Chiropractic adjustment
According to the WHO, spinal manipulative therapy is the basic therapeutic procedure of chiropractors and, since it involves passive, forceful movement of the joint outside its active limit of motion, chiropractors must identify risk factors that contraindicate manipulation or mobilization. Only a properly qualified practitioner is trained to recognize the risks and contraindications of this practice.
It is for this reason that we want to make sure that if you are looking for a chiropractor, that he or she is part of the Spanish Association of Chiropractic, AEQ who control and ensure that these professionals meet the academic standards of the profession.
Contrary to what many people in the health care field believe, chiropractic is not synonymous with the application of specific manipulative techniques, nor is it limited to them. Adjustment and various manual therapies are essential components of the therapeutic options available to the chiropractor.
The practice of chiropractic encompasses a range of specific and general diagnostic methods, such as skeletal imaging, laboratory analysis, orthopedic and neurological evaluations, as well as tactile and observational assessments. Patient treatment includes spinal adjustment and other manual therapies, rehabilitative exercises, supportive and complementary measures, counseling and patient education. The practice of chiropractic is primarily a form of conservative treatment of the neuromusculoskeletal system, which dispenses with medication and surgery.
Academic training of a chiropractor
The training of a chiropractor is a university degree, equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in Spain. The chiropractic career in Spain has a duration of 5 academic years including the Master’s degree. At the end of the course, the degree of Doctor of Chiropractic (Doctor of Chiropractic) is obtained in the case of the USA, or the Master of Chiropractic (if they study in a European university).
The university training in Chiropractic qualifies you to practice as a primary care physician, being able to diagnose, consult or determine whether the patient should follow medical treatment instead of or at the same time as chiropractic, and if necessary refer to other practitioners.
About the author
Laura – chiropractor / yoga instructor Hacienda Paradiso
From a very young age, I have had a vocational orientation towards health, to know it, to understand it and in a holistic way to restore it. That is why in 2017 I graduated as a doctor of chiropractic from Madrid College of Chiropractic (MCC). Later, after two years of training, I trained as a yoga teacher at the International School of Yoga (EIY), making my profession my life project.
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