What does a chiropractor in Bowie, MD do?
Chiropractors treat conditions related to your body’s structure. Their goal is to relieve pain and improve
function. They don’t prescribe drugs or do surgery. Rather, they adjust or manipulate your spine and other body parts to get them in the right position, or proper alignment.
What is a Chiropractic Adjustment?
When you suffer neck or back pain, such as after sustaining a whiplash injury in a car accident, you have
two basic health care options: medical care or chiropractic care.
Chiropractors do not hold medical degrees such as MD or DO. Instead, the state requires them to obtain
a doctor of chiropractic degree from a college accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education. The
state also requires them to pass a test and obtain a chiropractic license in order to practice.
In addition, it requires them to receive a certain number of continuing education credits each year in order to maintain their license.
Another major difference between medical doctors and chiropractors is that the former are licensed to
diagnose and treat all parts of your body, while the latter are licensed to diagnose and treat only spinal
disorders.
Chiropractic Adjustment
The treatment a chiropractor gives you is called an adjustment. After diagnosing your condition by means of taking a complete medical history and probably taking x-rays of your back, he or she, in all likelihood, will have you lie face down on a padded chiropractic table. Then he or she will use his or her hands, or possibly an instrument, to manipulate, i.e., adjust, the joints in your neck and spine. Basically, he or she will be applying more than usual sudden, but controlled, force to these areas. You may well hear popping or cracking noises during the adjustment as your joints respond to this treatment.
Are Chiropractic Adjustments Safe?
Chiropractic adjustments are safe when performed by a knowledgeable and experienced chiropractor.
Nevertheless, you may feel some pain or other discomfort after your procedure. In addition, medical
experts warn that you should not seek chiropractic treatment under the following circumstances:
• You have severe osteoporosis.
• You have cancer of the spine.
• You have a bone abnormality in your upper neck.
• You are at increased risk of stroke.
• You are experiencing tingling, numbness or strength loss in an arm or leg.
How long does a treatment take?
Most adjustments take about 30 minutes to complete. How many of them you will need will, of course,
depend on the nature and extent of your underlying injury. You can expect your chiropractor to recommend 2-3 adjustments per week for up to four weeks. At that point, you and he or she will evaluate how well your condition is responding to treatment and determine whether or not you need further, less
frequent, adjustments.
To find out if a chiropractor in Bowie, MD can help with your condition, consult with a chiropractor today.
At Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab and Chiropractic, our team will treat the root of the issue by providing safe, non-invasive, effective treatments. With our help, chiropractic adjustments may be a way of living your life free from pain.