I Want to be Your PCP . . . For Your Spine and Joints
The word chiropractic comes from two words, “chiro” means hands and “practic” is from the same root word as our modern word “to practice.” So, in short, a chiropractor primarily uses his or her hands as their main treatment “instruments.”
While your primary care physician’s chief focus is on your biochemistry, your chiropractic physician’s primary focus is on your biomechanics, that is, your frame and movement.
Chiropractors work on your spine and joints. Because the spine is made up of 24 separate bones with very intricate joints, it gets most of the attention in a chiropractic office. Furthermore, the spinal column contains your spinal cord, which keeps your brain in constant contact with the rest of your body. When the spinal joints fail to work properly, it can create a long list of problems. The chiropractor also diagnoses and treats problems with the feet, ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, ribs, elbows, wrists, and fingers.
The chiropractor can detect deficiencies in the position and function of the spine and joints and make corrections to these movement patterns through a series of “adjustments.”
Some spine and joint problems require other interventions. Your chiropractor will know exactly who to refer you to for the help you need, just as your primary care physician may refer you to a dermatologist for a suspicious-looking mold on your skin.
Think of the chiropractor as a PCP for your spine and joints!
A Message to “Do-It-Yourselfers”
I am a do-it-yourselfer. I try to do EVERYTHING! I don’t really think that’s the worst trait in the world. I think it’s OK to be a sort of McGuyver. I am learning, though, to sometimes just let a pro do it.
My wife and I recently purchased a house here in East Nashville that needed some work. We needed a new kitchen and we needed to update the entire main level of the house. My first instinct was to do it all myself, because I’m a pretty smart dude and I can figure it out. And I was right. If I really set my mind to it, I could design and install a whole kitchen. It would function well and probably even look decent.
After a month of pulling out old carpet, asbestos tile, and dilapidated kitchen cabinets, my wife and I made one of the best decisions we have ever made — let a pro design it, and let a pro build it. It was actually a difficult decision. Professionals are EXPENSIVE!!! AND I’M SMART!!! I CAN DO IT MYSELF!! (said the cheap-skate voices in my head).
Our designer interviewed us. I, being the visionary, told her what “we” were thinking, and she went to work. A few days later, she e-mailed me with these computerized drawings of our new kitchen. It was unbelievable! It was similar to what I had envisioned but so much better! And the colors she picked out for the entire house are just incredible!! I would have NEVER picked those colors or even known how to go about matching all these things based on how the light from a window hits a certain surface or how things look from certain vantage points where you can see several rooms at one time.
And we hired a contractor who unlike me, has built many kitchens. When I embark on any d.i.y. project, I spend more time driving to Lowes and Home Depot than I do actually working on the project! Well, my contractor knew exactly what to buy, and even carried all of the tools he needed WITH HIM (what a novel idea!).
So, I figure, it would take me at least a year to do what they accomplished in 3 months. My wife and I would live in a house with an unfinished kitchen for that long. And then, It would look like a normal, boring kitchen. And, the walls throughout the house would be boring.
BUT WE WOULD HAVE SAVED A LOT OF MONEY!!! Probably not! By the time I drove to Lowes and Home D about 5,000 times, ate out most of the time (no working kitchen), tore down and rebuilt things that didn’t fit . . . I’m sure we came out ahead financially.
So the question is, will I EVER pick out paint colors again? NO WAY!! Will I pay somebody handsome bucks to do it for me? YOU BETCHA!!
My area of expertise is the musculoskeletal system (spine and joints). So many people think that they can solve their own back problems. Example: “I don’t need no chiropractor, I can pop my own back.” OK, there, Mr. Expert! Why is your problem getting worse over time instead of better? Why do you feel the need to “pop” your back 25 times per day? Another example: “My back kills me, but it’s my mattress.” Further questioning reveals that they have been through 4 mattresses, some of them costing upward of $2,000, in the last year. OK, there, Mr. Expert!! Why does your back still hurt!! Maybe you should spend $10,000 on a mattress! Certainly THAT would solve your problem!! The truth is, an average treatment plan in our office NEVER crosses the $2,000 mark! In fact, it’s usually much less than that. Furthermore, Mr. Expert, if you leave the problem alone long enough for it to become a crisis, will it be any “cheaper” to address it then?
I can usually tell you in just a few minutes what your musculoskeletal problem is. I can usually help you with it. I know pretty quickly if it’s something I can’t help and I know where to refer you if that’s the case. I’ve worked on THOUSANDS of spines and joints! How many have you worked on?
So, don’t be afraid to hire an expert. There is a cost involved, but believe me, It’s worth it!!
