Chiropractic is a non-invasive, hands-on health care discipline that focuses on the neuro-musculoskeletal system. Chiropractors practice a manual approach. Doctors of Chiropractic are specifically trained to detect and correct problems in the spine, often before the patient is even aware they exist.
Chiropractic Therapy
There are many options when it comes to Chiropractic therapy. Generally, Chiropractic therapy includes some form of spinal manipulation in conjunction with passive physical therapy modalities. Passive modalities may include; hot/cold therapy, electrical muscle stimulation, ultrasound, and/or intersegmental traction. Many offices utilize massage therapy and exercise as well.
Science and Art
While Dr. Alvarado incorporates all of these therapeutic procedures; Thirty years of clinical experience provides the knowledge necessary for the appropriate medical application of these procedures. As noted previously, effective physical medicine requires both science and art. Scientific knowledge is required to properly diagnose a musculoskeletal (muscle and joint) disorder. If the diagnosis is incorrect, treatment will be ineffective, detrimental or provide temporary relief which ends up causing the patient to remain reliant on the healthcare provider for pain control. The art comes in to play during treatment. Manipulation of the spine is an art form. Anyone can “pop” a back. It takes a specialist to manipulate the spine in a manner that results in improvement of a condition as opposed being ineffective or perhaps making it worse.
Some physical medicine procedures can “be learned” at a weekend seminar. The question becomes do you want to put your spine in the hands of someone with 16 hours of training or 30 years of experience?