Chiropractic - a term that derives from two ancient Greek words meaning "manually effective" - is technically described as "the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of conditions that affect the neuro-musculoskeletal system." Through a series of special examination and manipulative techniques, chiropractors can diagnose and treat numerous disorders associated with the nerves, muscles, bones, and joints of the body. The emphasis chiropractors put on the spine has led many people to believe that the therapy is useful only for treating back pain. In fact, skilled therapists can treat almost every structural problem from headaches to ankle problems.
In 1895, Daniel David Palmer, the founder of chiropractic, treated his office janitor for deafness by realigning some small bones in his spine. Fascinated by this discovery, Palmer moved from his native Canada to Davenport, Iowa, where he developed the principles upon which chiropractic is based.
In particular, he devoted considerable attention to the spine, noting that it is integral to all three functional elements of the human body: it surrounds and protects the spinal cord, a major factor in the nervous system; it supports a great number of individual muscles; and in that it actually consists of an entire series of linked bones, it also therefore has virtually as many joints. Palmer believed that any damage, disease, or structural change of the spine can affect the health of the rest of the body, and that through manipulation, chiropractors can not only improve structural problems such as sciatica or the effects of injury but also help with conditions such as asthma, which can be helped by easing tension in the chest muscles.
He then went on to develop the use of spinal adjustment to treat disease, discovering that by gently moving back into place those bones that appeared to be misaligned he could reduce many of his patients' symptoms without recourse to drugs or surgery. Daniel Palmer established his first chiropractic school in Davenport in 1895. In the same year, W.C. Roentgen invented the X-ray machine, which early chiropractors found useful for making accurate spinal assessments. In 1907, Bartlet Joshua Palmer took over his father's fledgling infirmary. His name is now primarily associated in the United States with those chiropractors who use chiropractic as their sole therapy for ailments.
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Craniosacral Therapy, also called CST, was originally put together by reputable medical pioneer John E. Upledger. An Osteopathic Physician, Upledger conducted the majority of his research and scientific research at Michigan State University, in which he was working as a biomechanics instructor. In 1970, while helping with a surgery concerning the neck, Upledger noticed a stroking motion in what he later identified as the craniosacral system. Soon after enquiring of colleagues and discovering they were unclear on what he discovered, he started to be curious and launched a search to uncover what may have prompted the movement he noticed.
As if we haven't shared enough right! Well, we're not quite done. Here's some additional evidence to support the need to change. And I quote…"The backpack load effect on schoolchildren posture should be more carefully evaluated in the future. As we already stated in the past following our previous work, we continue today not to understand why we should have laws that protect workers who carry heavy loads even for a few minutes per day, while we do not look at our children; moreover now, that a recent paper has shown that back pain in youngsters is correlated with back pain in adulthood."
Could you repeat that? Did you say backpack use can alter my child's spine? According to researchers, "Our results suggest that a 12 kg load, fairly common in this population (carried at least once a week), seems to push the postural system to its physiological limits." 12 kg is 26 lbs and 26 pounds is a lot of weight for a child to carry. Did you get that? Backpack use only one time per week can change your child's posture, and not for the better!
Yes, the Waylon Jennings song is a about preventing your child from becoming a cowboy. That's fine, but the title sounds real nice when you sing it and with any luck I've got your attention. If that's the case, GREAT because what I'm about to share could save your child's spine. Let's start with some spine basics. The spine has a normal shape - straight when viewed from the front and curved when viewed from the side. During adolescence your child's spine is still growing and does so according to the stress and loads placed upon it.
Like other forms of alternative medicine, chiropractic also had its share of controversies amid the resistance from the mainstream medicine. Although currently licensed and well established in Australia, United States, and Canada, chiropractic has fought against mainstream medicine throughout the most part of its existence. The American Medical Association rejected chiropractic until 1987 calling the practice as an "unscientific cult" stressing that chiropractors' idea on subluxation is not based on science.
