What is Chiropractic?

Chiropractic is a recognized form of alternative health care which diagnoses, and treats, nueromusculoskeletal disorders. Chiropractic is also one of the few "hands-on" form of treatment available for numerous aches and pains. Here at Odell Chiropractic, we rely on research-based chiropractic therapies proven to provide assistance in recovery from injuries. Contrary to belief, chiropractors not only treat the spine, but are also trained in treating every movable joint within the body, including all tissues surrounding these joints.

 

Nueromusculoskeletal disorders are a disease state in which the nerves, muscles, joints, and/or surrounding tissues are not functioning properly.  For example, lets say a person is involved in a motor vehicle accident. Thankfully, minimal bodily and property damage occurs. However, a few days later the person has pain and stiffness in their neck with accompanying headaches. In a typical case, muscular damage, and ligament damage has occurred. This is causing the neck pain and stiffness. However, neurological damage is also present due to certain muscles applying pressure on the nerves feeding the head, causing a cervicogenic headache. Typically these small muscles are the sub occipital triangle, applying pressure in the Greater occipital nerve.

 

Chiropractic can stretch these muscles, decrease nerve pressure, and restore the joint movement. Please keep in mind that a muscles job is to move a bone, and a ligaments job is to prevent excessive movement. If there is muscular spasm, a bone may have decreased movement, or be pulled to the side of muscular spasm. If a ligament is damaged/or lax it may allow the joint to move excessively which creates a secondary job of the muscles to prevent movement, aka spasm.