Why do I need chiropractic care?

You want to feel your best and live life to the fullest without the interference of pain, stress and disease. With chiropractic, you are on your way to enjoying a higher quality of life and better overall health!

Chiropractic care helps your body obtain AND maintain good health. More than 30 million Americans have turned to chiropractic as the first step toward better overall health.

Chiropractic care provides safe, effective and long-lasting relief from many symptoms that lead to poor health. Many people are not aware that the following symptoms are frequently relieved with chiropractic care:

In short, chiropractic care is an excellent preventative approach, very similar to regular dental checkups. It will lead you to good health and help you maintain it!

Okay, so what do I need to do?

The road to recovery will begin on your first visit to our office, which will include some or all of the following:

• Completion of your case history
• A review of your history with Dr. Surkosky
• Examination of the area of discomfort
• X-ray imaging, if required
• A complete computerized spinal analysis

Depending on the severity of your complaint and the findings of the examination, adjunctive procedures like physical therapy may be performed on the first visit, as well as specific spinal adjustments.

On your second visit to the office, you'll review the findings of the examination and be given and explanation of the x-rays, if taken. You'll also be given a thorough explanation of office charges and your insurance coverage.

Why might I need x-rays taken?

In order to tell what is wrong with your body, it is necessary to x-ray the bone structures. This is because the condition is sometimes too small to be seen or felt from the surface. A condition like this is called a subluxation. Current x-rays or tests from other facilities may be used to assist in the diagnosis.

Dislocation, commonly of the shoulder, refers to a bone out of joint. Subluxation, or "less than" dislocation, is a bone out of place.

Spinal subluxations create great stress to the spinal cord and nerves through increased forces of tension, compression and electrical irritation. The result is a reduction of nerve energy (or life force) and a loss of normal body performance.

Once the x-ray is taken, measurements of the positions of the bones are performed. These measurements are placed into formulas which give the exact direction that corrective force must be placed to minimize the discomfort. The human variable of each patient is taken into consideration separately, allowing a correction of all the vertebrae involved with a minimal amount of force.

How much of my recovery depends on me?

Each patient is given specific exercises for the spine. The exercises are also a form of stabilization of the adjustment and will aid the patient in the relief of their symptoms. The exercises, when properly done, will allow the patient to enhance and maintain the spinal corrections brought about by the chiropractic adjustment. They will also allow the patient to rehabilitate the soft tissue in and around the spine and regain range of motion to the discs and ligaments. To successfully correct the problem, the patient is required to cooperate fully with the exercise program.

Here are some suggestions to help you maintain the adjustment after you leave our office:

• Check your sleeping habits. Your body does most of its housekeeping while you are at rest. Sleep on your side or back - avoid sleeping on your stomach.
• When turning in bed, use your shoulders and elbows for support. Do not pivot on your head and neck.
• Do not turn or bend your head rapidly or to extremes. Do not work with your arms over your head. In other words, be conscious of the positions you ask your head and neck to work through.
• Symptoms may recur as the body repairs damaged tissue. If you are in doubt about your progress, call for an appointment right away, even if you have an appointment scheduled for a later date.