Myths and Facts

Myth # 1 Chiropractors are not Real Doctors
Fact. Chiropractors have the same level of education as medical doctors, and are licensed as primary health care doctors. The difference between chiropractors and medical doctors has to do with how they treat the human body. Medical doctors rely on external chemical compounds to treat ailments such as medications and surgeries. Chiropractors focus on structurally correcting the internal conditions of the human frame, which cause the ailments in the first place. Because of this, chiropractic is highly effective in treating a wide range of conditions.

Myth #2 Chiropractic Adjustments are Dangerous
Fact. This is absolutely not true. As a matter of fact, you are hundreds of times more likely to suffer an adverse reaction to taking an aspirin than you are from having an adjustment. Most people don’t realize that there are more than 100,000 adverse reactions each year from taking a simple aspirin, while there are fewer than 100 adverse reactions to chiropractic adjustments. When you consider the fact that there are over 3 million people who get adjusted every year, you can see the risk from being adjusted is very rare.

Myth #3 Once you Start Chiropractic You Must Continue Forever
Fact! While this is not 100% true, it is important that you remember ALL doctors treat you for your entire life, at least ideally. Think about this for a second. How often do you go to your dentist? Is it not true that your dentist will keep scheduling visits even when you have no tooth pain? Do you stop going to your dentist once your teeth "feel better"? We all learn at an early age the value of routine maintenance for our teeth, but for most of us we never learn the importance of the same type of routine maintenance for the rest of our body. Chiropractors focus on clearing the body of nerve interference. The nervous system controls and coordinates EVERY function in the human body. So, don't you think you should take care of your nervous system just as you take care of your teeth?

Myth #4 Medical Doctors don’t like Chiropractors
For the most part there is little animosity between chiropractors and the medical community. Maybe a few medical doctors don’t like chiropractors and vice versa, but for the most part we just want to work together to give our patients the best health care possible. Also, more and more medical doctors and nurses are being treated by chiropractors every single year. Chiropractors are now on staff at many major hospitals, VA medical clinics, the military and work side by side with medical doctors in their own private clinics.

Myth #5 People can Adjust Themselves by “Cracking” Their Neck or Back
Fact. It would be almost impossible to adjust oneself in a way to free any fixations or correct any subluxations. Certain people are able to get their neck or back to “crack”, but this usually only affects the segments that are NOT the true culprit. Over time can lead to other problems, such as multiple disc bulges. You wouldn’t perform surgery on yourself, and it is best to leave the adjustments of your back and neck to the professional chiropractor.