STRAIGHT CHIROPRACTIC

Straight chiropractic adheres to the original mission of the profession as stated by Daniel David Palmer: to contribute to health through the correction of vertebral subluxations which interfere with the body's innate striving to maintain its own health. Straight chiropractic is not intended to be a treatment for symptoms or disease. It is intended to remove major interference to the body's many innate potentials. The potential for regaining and/or maintaining health is an important one. The potential for physical, mental and social well-being, including spirituality, creativity and self awareness are other examples of innate potential.

Chiropractic science teaches that the health of the spine is essential to the health of the body. The design of the spine is quite splendid, incorporating flexibility, strength and resilience in its critical role of protecting the spinal cord and nerves. It is susceptible to the stress and strain of everyday life and from time to time may require professional attention. Extending from the skull to the pelvis and formed of 24 vertebrae and 122 joints, the human spine is an engineering marvel. Along with 300 muscles and 375 ligaments, the spine supports the head, trunk, upper limbs and itself, while transferring the weight of the body to the lower limbs. The spine also houses and protects the spinal cord and the 31 pairs of spinal nerves which branch from the spinal cord and travel through openings between the vertebrae, called intervertebral foramen, to the rest of the body.

Chiropractic science teaches that vertebrae of the spine can become misaligned sufficiently to interfere with the transfer of impulses from the brain to the tissue of impulses from the brain to the tissue cells of the body. These impaired impulses produce an alteration of function and the resulting condition is referred to by chiropractors as a state of dis-ease, or life in altered form. In this condition, resistance to social stress, micro-organisms, pollen and hundreds of other external elements is impaired, and susceptibility to many problems increased. Chiropractic science focuses on the relationship between the structural and neurological aspects of the spine and recognizes that this relationship has a profound influence on the functioning of the entire body. To impart a clear understanding of how this interaction affects the restoration and preservation of health is paramount.

The most important part of chiropractic care is the examination of the patient's spine. It is the basis for determining the necessity of intervention and the effectiveness of care. A vertebra, when found to be subluxated, is analyzed and safely adjusted. The chiropractor must select the appropriate technique for each patient's unique situation and be able to execute that technique with great skill. The subluxated vertebra is adjusted through the introduction of small forces onto the spine. These forces are intended for the body's use in repositioning the vertebra. The chiropractor must know as precisely as possible, where, when, and in what direction the force should be introduced. The ability to perform a technique expertly requires much practice under close supervision. Knute Rockne, the famous coach at Notre Dame said, "Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect."

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