A Chiropractic Primer
There was some question not too long ago about how to choose a chiropractor. Since the question was asked on my blog I will assume the real question is how does TeamBettendorf choose a chiropractor.
There are several different types of chiropractic methods. The ones I am familiar with are the Activator Method, the Gonstead Method, the Schoffield Method and the Diversified Method. The Activator Method uses a little popper dealy to adjust your vertebrae. You can click the link to see the popper. My very first chiropractor used the Activator on occasion and it never was a pleasant experience. It feels kinda like someone jabbing their knuckles into your spine and I didn’t really enjoy that.
The Schoffield Method was what our chiropractor in Arizona used and it basically involved him applying one or both hands to our spine in such a way that the vertebrae moved into place. It was never painful.Â
The Gonstead Method is what a chiropractor in Phoenix had used on us. The Gonstead Method was invented by a Dr. Gonstead and involves manipulating the vertebrae by applying pressure to only the spinous process. Click here for a diagram of the vertebrae. My understanding is that Dr. Gonstead had arthritis and hence had difficulty applying the full pressure of his hand/palm on his patient’s backs. So he invented the “Gonstead Method” and touted it’s superiority in effort to build a strong following. Which he did. We found, and most people do, that this was a very painful way to be adjusted. Most chiropractors will use both transverse processes and the spinous process to more easily manipulate their patients.
The Diversified Method is what our chiropractor now uses. My understanding is this is a method which employs the best of several different methods. Kinda fits when you consider the name. When I called his office originally and asked what method he uses I was told “He uses his hands.” Clearly she was differentiating him from the Activator Method. I asked for more clarification and Dr. Vega called me back later that day to explain that he uses the Diversified Method and never the Gonstead Method. So I was sold. It did appear that all of the chiropractors in the Ozark area used “their hands” to adjust so then it came down to price and compatibility. When Dr. Vega said “We need to get you all in here since you understand how important chiropractic care is for prevention of illness. Let me talk to my office manager and she will call you back to set up a deal that will work for you and for us.” I knew that we had found the right chiropractor for us.
Photos taken January 16, 2008 and she almost slept through the whole thing.
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All my littles were taken to the chiro when they were tiny and we still go today. We love it. And yes it is wonderful for the prevention of illnesses… we need to get scheduled for next week!
And again… Jodi is a doll! :D
Love,
Chas
Ok, I only went to 1 chiro for a few months, and it was just so painful that I stopped going. He would have me sit all the way up, roll my back and gradually lay back down. As I was rolling down, the chiro would use all his weight and “crunch” me. Oh, it hurt! What method was this?? I want to know so that I don’t go again to someone who uses this method! :-)
Thank you! I was thinking of you as I lay awake in the middle of the night wondering what a chiropractor could do to help my various health issues.
How does the cost compare to allopathic visits?
I guess we’re really lucky. We’ve never had a painful adjustment. I always leave feeling like a whole new woman. We took Liddy in when she was a week old and it did wonders for her. She cried less during the day and slept better.
I did have that popper used on my jaw when strep gave me TMJ. That was awful, the strep and the TMJ, but the popper thingy felt really good on my jaw. Don’t think it would feel as good on my back. Thanks for the vocab lesson. Very informative.
Awwww, you did that for me, didn’t you?? You know how I love info. So sweet of you!
Katie, why is it important for a baby to see a chiro? I’m honestly asking not being a smarty pants. I did not see the face of a chiro until my teens when it was discovered that I had scoliosis and issues with that time of the month. Neither issue has been resolved with seeing a chiro. However, I am a life long chiro patient just to keep that scoliosis as comfortable as possible. If that makes sense! lol
PS. Forgot to say I really liked how you shared the different methods. Very helpful info! Also, in regards to hurting… the actual manipulations never have hurt me. I always feel good when it’s done. HOWEVER, I have huge adjustments due to the scoliosis so I do get muscle damage that takes a couple of days to heal. Nothing different than say after shoveling heavy snow. ;-)
Thanks for the info! It is really helpful. I would love to go back to a chiropractor!! I had physio at a physio clinic that was run by Chiropractors for six months while I was on a work related injury years ago. I loved every minute of it and felt soooooo good! Problem here in England is that the Dr and all treatment there is FREE – the Chiropractor is NOT FREE. So it isn’t a matter of we would save money if we go. We have to find money that isn’t currently in the budget to prevent having to go to the Dr who we don’t have to pay!! No wonder I’m having trouble convincing dh that we should go!! LOL! He is coming around to the idea – slowly. I’m still praying!
Wow, Sarah, I would look for a different chiropractor if I were you. I have scoliosis as well after seeing the chiro I was only sore after the first two visits. I never had soreness after that as long as I saw him on a regular schedule. If I wait months in between visits, then it was like starting all over, with soreness after the first two visits. If you are having regular adjustments and still having muscle soreness after each adjustment I would think your chiro is doing something wrong.
I realized you asked Katie, but I thought I would chime in on taking babies as well. From the time you are born, you can have your spine out of alignment. Many children with chronic ear infections actually just need their spine aligned. Having your spine in proper alignment is crucial to all body functions. My daughter had terrible breathing problems and asthma. Seeing a chiropractor completely cured her of all of that within 8 adjustments. She has never had an asthma attack in 2 years. In fact, she has hardly had nary a sniffle while we were seeing the chiro. If your vertebrae are not aligned, it puts pressure on your nerves and in turn that slows down the communication between your nerves and the rest of your organs. Adjustments ease that pressure and allow your body to function at it proper peak and heal itself. I’m sure Katie can give a wealth of more information here, but that is why we love chiropractic care.
I have also been told that it is important to have infants/children adjusted as they are growing/developing. Only by having them adjusted at this time, can the subluxations (errors in the spine) be corrected permanently. If a person waits until teen years/adulthood to start being adjusted, the adjustments will help temporarily but if chiropractic care ceases, the subluxation pattern will return. We also love chiropractic care.
I love to see Jodi being “checked out”. All of my children were birthed by midwife- 4 at home- and then promptly “checked out” by my dad, a chiropractor. A baby’s birth process is actually quite traumatic on thier little bodies- especially a medical birth where the woman is encouraged to push for hours against that tiny baby. I have to say that my dad is activater certified and specializes in the activater technique, although it is not the only method he uses. I do not find it to be painful, but often it is irritating. The bennefits are worth the momentary irritation. My dad does not use the activater on the little ones as they will “go in” with just a touch.
As for the health bennefits, If the body is functioning at it’s optimum level it should be able to A) ward off disease and infection, and B) heal itself from illnesses.
Ok, enough chiro-cheerleading.
Looks like Jodi loved her first chiro visit!
I’ve never been myself but I’ve always wanted to try it. I get frequent headaches and wonder if it would help.
~Becky
This is very informative, thank you. I have a question, two actually. I went to my first chiro visit and I was laying on my back and she pretty much just “cracked” my neck side to side. It didn’t hurt, but yuck. Then she had me put my hand over my chest and put her body up on it really quick?? What was that about. Anyway, is the neck thing common? I am 30 weeks preggo, might that be why? I have wanted to try a chiro but what caused me to go in at this time was the fact that I had bronchitis and my right ear was plugged, so I called to see if they could “pop” my ear. I’ve heard so much about chiros helping with ear infections so I thought maybe the same would apply. It did nothing and was not at all what I pictured. Needless to say I was not impressed and it hurt my image of chiros.
Also, do all chiros take x-rays?
I think Jodi looks so comfy. How precious.
Thanks so much!
Laura, I have no idea. That sounds awful!!
Heidi, Cost is different for everyone and varies greatly across the country. Some insurance plans cover chiropractic care.
Flyin, Yes, you usually can hear it when your neck is adjusted being that it is so close to your ears and all. I’m not sure what you mean when you say “Put her body on it”. Did she by chance have her other hand under your back? If that is the case it is quite possible she was adjusting you from the front because you are pregnant and it might be uncomfortable for you to lay on your belly. With regard to your ear I am not sure what you were expecting. My chiro has done this thing where he pulls down on the ear lobe and it does clear the ear kinda like when you clear them after an altitude change. If your ear is still plugged you probably should have told her that and let her try again or do something else. Most chiros will take x-rays on your first visit. We have found that if the chiro knows we have been seeing a chiro for ages then they don’t always feel x-rays are necessary.
Thanks Debbie and Ginger for the explanation as to why babies should go! I wished I had known that because both my boys had terrible ear infections when they were toddlers. Not to mention their awful start in life as malnourished orphans. I guess it just has always creeped me out to think of a child so young unable to fully communicate how they feel after going to a chiro appointment.
As for the muscle pain it tends to always be there no matter if I go 3 times a week or not because of the major sacral turning back they have to do. I have been to a lot of chiros since my teen years and no matter the method or chiro it is still sore when they have to completely turn that sacral area. Not a big deal…. just feels like I exercised too much and I apply moist heat. Within a day or two I’m back to myself except straighter. ;-) I’m not sure if it makes any difference that it’s not a genetic scoliosis but rather caused by an ice skating accident. Basically they keep trying to make the best out of a life long injury not just something like bad posture or carrying a baby on a hip type of thing. It’s a huge adjustment as in even the layman’s human eye can see that I don’t stick out on the left side after I walk out of the office. My injury is quite complicated with other things included such as a close herniation in my L4-5 disk which feels like sand paper in your spine. You can’t move things around in me w/out some discomfort! My current chiro says he has truck drivers that are easier to adjust than I who hardly weighs anything at all. When I was only 90 lbs he couldn’t get my bones to cooperate any more than my childhood chiros. It’s like that EVERY where I go for chiro treatments. We found the magic trick though…. if I get a light massage from my Christian massage therapist first and then go immediately for my adjustments then they can move the sacral area much more easily and I walk out with much less discomfort! The only problem is that I cannot afford to do both. :-(
Oh I just read Flyinjuju’s question…. yes the chiro was correcting your spine from the front! I always crack up when they are going to do the body slam on me. Usually for me it entails several body slams (my words and description of a medical term I do not know!) because my bones are stubborn. lol They don’t always have to correct it that way. Sometimes they do it if they just can’t get it while you are lying on your tummy. Katie is probably right that if you were pregnant than that may be why too.
Don’t you just love those nasty cracking sounds when they do your neck? lol It feels so much better afterwards though! At least in that area it does for me. I get CRANKY when my neck it out of wack.
Katie have you had the activater on your neck done? I was wanting to try that method on my neck only.
Sarah,
You should have your husband give you a massage before you go. Or take a nice hot shower or bath or lay on a heating pad before you go.
It could be the genetic vs. injury Sarah. Could be the location too. My is in my lower spine, which is unusual I think? My lower back just looks like a big “C” on the x-ray.
I love getting my neck adjusted. :) It’s my favorite part actually. I have hereditary “something I don’t remember the name of”, that makes my neck straight and the vertebrae compressed. My daughter had her neck already straight and becoming compressed at her first visit at age 6. That’s when we decided everyone needed to be going. :)
I am trying to avoid the pain with the arthritis in my back like my dad has had all his life, so I do some back strengthening exercises before I go and it really seems to help everything to move.
Thank you. That was ver informative.
I just read the opening primer and I am kind of disappointed for you and your family. You, unfortunately, must have gotten a poor “Gonstead” doctor. Because, if done correctly, it is very comfortable and effective. Also, a gonstead doctor uses more contact points than just the spinous processes, but it depends on your particular listing. It is very specific and focuses on a P-A adjustment with the attempt to minimize rotation because rotation will increase the likelyhood of damaging the disc.