Chiropractors, also known as doctors of chiropractic or chiropractic physicians, diagnose and treat patients with health problems of the musculoskeletal system and treat the effects of those problems on the nervous system and on general health. Many chiropractic treatments deal specifically with the spine and the manipulation of the spine. Chiropractic is based on the principle that spinal joint misalignments interfere with the nervous system and can result in lower resistance to disease and many different conditions of diminished health. Any muscles, joints or bone problems are also the main focus of chiropractic care.
The chiropractic approach to healthcare focuses on the patient's overall health. Chiropractors provide natural, drugless, nonsurgical health treatments, relying on the body's inherent recuperative abilities. They also recognize that many factors affect health, including exercise, diet, rest, environment, and heredity. Chiropractors recommend changes in lifestyle that affect those factors. In some situations, chiropractors refer patients to or consult with other health practitioners.
Like other health practitioners, chiropractors follow a standard routine to get information needed to diagnose and treat patients. They take the patient's health history; conduct physical, neurological, and orthopedic examinations; and may order laboratory tests. X rays and other diagnostic images are important tools because of the chiropractor's emphasis on the spine and its proper function,they also help to minimize the risk that might be involved during chiropractic manipulation if patients had previous fracutre, dislocation or any other complications. Chiropractors also analyze the patient's posture and spine using a specialized technique. For patients whose health problems can be traced to the musculoskeletal system, chiropractors manually adjust the spinal column.
Some chiropractors use additional procedures in their practices, including therapies using heat, water, light, massage, ultrasound, electric currents, and acupuncture . They may apply supports such as straps, tape, braces, or shoe inserts. Chiropractors often counsel patients about health concepts such as nutrition, exercise, changes in lifestyle, and stress management, but chiropractors do not prescribe drugs or perform surgery.
In addition to general chiropractic practice, some chiropractors specialize in sports injuries, acupressure combination with chiropractic, neurology, orthopedics, pediatrics, nutrition, homeostasis care, internal disorders, or diagnostic imaging.
Many chiropractors are solo or group practitioners who also have the administrative responsibilities of running a practice. In larger offices, chiropractors delegate these tasks to office managers and chiropractic assistants. Chiropractors in private practice are responsible for developing a patient base, hiring employees, and keeping records.
Work environment. Chiropractors work in clean, comfortable offices. Like other health practitioners, chiropractors are sometimes on their feet for long periods. Chiropractors who take X rays must employ appropriate precautions against the dangers of repeated exposure to radiation.
Chiropractors work, on average, about 20-40 hours per week, although longer hours are not uncommon. Solo practitioners set their own hours but may work evenings or weekends to accommodate patients. Like other healthcare practitioners, chiropractors in a group practice will sometimes be on call or treat patients of other chiropractors in the group.
Chiropractors analyze the patient's posture and spine and may manually adjust the spinal column.
Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement About this section
Chiropractors must be licensed, which requires 4 years of undergraduate education, the completion of a 4-year chiropractic college course, and passing scores on total of 4+ national and State examinations.
Education and training. In 2009, 16 chiropractic programs in the United States were accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education. Applicants must have at least 90 semester hours of undergraduate study leading toward a bachelor's degree, including courses in English, the social sciences or humanities, organic and inorganic chemistry, biology, physics, and psychology. Many applicants have a bachelor's degree, which may eventually become the minimum entry requirement. Several chiropractic colleges offer prechiropractic study, as well as a bachelor's degree program. Recognition of prechiropractic education offered by chiropractic colleges varies among the States.
Chiropractic programs require a minimum of 4,200 hours of combined classroom, laboratory, and clinical experience. During the first 2 years, most chiropractic programs emphasize classroom and laboratory work in sciences such as anatomy, physiology, public health, microbiology, pathology, and biochemistry. The last 2 years focus on courses in manipulation and spinal adjustment and provide clinical experience in physical and laboratory diagnosis, neurology, orthopedics, geriatrics, physiotherapy, and nutrition. Chiropractic programs and institutions grant the degree of Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.).
Chiropractic colleges also offer postdoctoral training in orthopedics, neurology, sports injuries, nutrition, rehabilitation, radiology, industrial consulting, family practice, pediatrics, and applied chiropractic sciences. Once such training is complete, chiropractors may take specialty exams leading to “diplomate” status in a given specialty. Exams are administered by chiropractic specialty boards.
Licensure. All States and the District of Columbia regulate the practice of chiropractic and grant licenses to chiropractors who meet the educational and examination requirements established by the State. Chiropractors can practice only in States where they are licensed. Some States have agreements permitting chiropractors licensed in one State to obtain a license in another without further examination, provided that their educational, examination, and practice credentials meet State specifications.
Most State licensing boards require at least 2 years of undergraduate education, but an increasing number are requiring a 4-year bachelor's degree. All boards require the completion of a 4-year program at an accredited chiropractic college leading to the Doctor of Chiropractic degree.
For licensure, most State boards recognize either all or part of the four-part test administered by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners. State examinations may supplement the National Board tests, depending on State requirements. All States except New Jersey require the completion of a specified number of hours of continuing education each year in order to maintain licensure. Chiropractic associations and accredited chiropractic programs and institutions offer continuing education programs.
Other qualifications. Chiropractic requires keen observation to detect physical abnormalities. It also takes considerable manual dexterity, but not unusual strength or endurance, to perform adjustments. Chiropractors should be able to work independently and handle responsibility. As in other health-related occupations, empathy, understanding, and the desire to help others are good qualities for dealing effectively with patients.
It is importance to understand how much time chiropractors spend on understand human structures and how much knowledge they have before people go visit them. Our clinic located in 2900 Bristol St C-105 Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (714)557-9454. Please call and make an appointment today and find out what's going on in your overall health.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Elbow Pain
Definition
A condition characterized by pain over the lateral or medial epicondyle (bony prominence) of the humerus (arm bone) radiating to the outer side of the arm and forearm. Also known as golf elbow, lateral or medial epicondylitis.
Description
Tennis elbow, one of the most common stress injuries of the arm, is a type of tendinitis that at some point afflicts almost one-third of all Americans who play tennis. Yet tennis players are not the only persons at risk, since any activity that calls for forceful, repeated contraction of the arm muscles can bring on tennis elbow. Working with carpentry tools, gardening, raking leaves, or even tightly gripping a heavy briefcase are only a few of the activities that can cause tennis elbow. Baseball, golf, bowling, racket sports, and even playing darts can bring it on.
Causes
Who Gets It? To some extent, this depends on the condition of your muscles and how much they are overused. In tennis, the injury occurs most frequently among recreational players who are 35 to 50 years of age, when muscles have begun to lose their resiliency, and who play at least two or three times weekly. Occasional players are less vulnerable as they tend not to play often enough or hard enough to overstress their arms. Pros are generally protected by superior conditioning and technique, although they too can develop tennis elbow as they grow older. In recent years, people use computer for prolong period of time tend to develop the symptoms as well.
Symptoms
The injury occurs when you flex, twist or contract the tendons that connect muscles to the elbow joint. In time, the overstressed tendons develop microscopic tears, producing tendinitis (painful inflammation of the tendons) centered around the epicondyle, the point at which the tendons attach to the elbow. The pain can radiate down to the wrist and up to the shoulder. Moving your arm or gripping something aggravates the pain. Most recreational tennis players who are afflicted feel pain in the lateral part (the outer part, when your palm is up) of the elbow. Experts often attribute this to poor backhand technique, improper serving and a late forehand stroke. Advanced players tend to feel pain on the inside (medial part) of the elbow, usually because of strain from hitting powerful serves. Even though people do not over stretch their muscles during computer work, lack of stretching and repetitive motion can produce tendinitis.
Treatment
Treatment is rest and avoidance of activities that exacerbate the conditions. Chiropractic manipulation of the joints on the patient’s wrist, above and/or below and manual therapies on the muscle attachments truly benefit the patients. Cross friction therapy and physical therapy modalities can also help with the symptoms. The use of straps over the wrist are probably poor substitutes for rest. In mild cases, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents may be helpful. Injection of corticosteroids and a local anesthetic into the painful area may be of assistance in cases that have not been helped by conservative therapy. In some cases, surgical intervention may be indicated. After the pain has resolved, a daily physical therapy program involving stretching of the tendons may be helpful. It is also useful to consult a professional about your playing technique and the grip size on your racket.
A condition characterized by pain over the lateral or medial epicondyle (bony prominence) of the humerus (arm bone) radiating to the outer side of the arm and forearm. Also known as golf elbow, lateral or medial epicondylitis.
Description
Tennis elbow, one of the most common stress injuries of the arm, is a type of tendinitis that at some point afflicts almost one-third of all Americans who play tennis. Yet tennis players are not the only persons at risk, since any activity that calls for forceful, repeated contraction of the arm muscles can bring on tennis elbow. Working with carpentry tools, gardening, raking leaves, or even tightly gripping a heavy briefcase are only a few of the activities that can cause tennis elbow. Baseball, golf, bowling, racket sports, and even playing darts can bring it on.
Causes
Who Gets It? To some extent, this depends on the condition of your muscles and how much they are overused. In tennis, the injury occurs most frequently among recreational players who are 35 to 50 years of age, when muscles have begun to lose their resiliency, and who play at least two or three times weekly. Occasional players are less vulnerable as they tend not to play often enough or hard enough to overstress their arms. Pros are generally protected by superior conditioning and technique, although they too can develop tennis elbow as they grow older. In recent years, people use computer for prolong period of time tend to develop the symptoms as well.
Symptoms
The injury occurs when you flex, twist or contract the tendons that connect muscles to the elbow joint. In time, the overstressed tendons develop microscopic tears, producing tendinitis (painful inflammation of the tendons) centered around the epicondyle, the point at which the tendons attach to the elbow. The pain can radiate down to the wrist and up to the shoulder. Moving your arm or gripping something aggravates the pain. Most recreational tennis players who are afflicted feel pain in the lateral part (the outer part, when your palm is up) of the elbow. Experts often attribute this to poor backhand technique, improper serving and a late forehand stroke. Advanced players tend to feel pain on the inside (medial part) of the elbow, usually because of strain from hitting powerful serves. Even though people do not over stretch their muscles during computer work, lack of stretching and repetitive motion can produce tendinitis.
Treatment
Treatment is rest and avoidance of activities that exacerbate the conditions. Chiropractic manipulation of the joints on the patient’s wrist, above and/or below and manual therapies on the muscle attachments truly benefit the patients. Cross friction therapy and physical therapy modalities can also help with the symptoms. The use of straps over the wrist are probably poor substitutes for rest. In mild cases, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents may be helpful. Injection of corticosteroids and a local anesthetic into the painful area may be of assistance in cases that have not been helped by conservative therapy. In some cases, surgical intervention may be indicated. After the pain has resolved, a daily physical therapy program involving stretching of the tendons may be helpful. It is also useful to consult a professional about your playing technique and the grip size on your racket.
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