About Chiropractic | West Lethbridge Family Chiropractic

Many people do not realize that there is more to chiropractic than the relief of headaches and back pain! Our primary focus is the integrity of the nervous system, which controls and regulates every cell and tissue of the body. If the moving bones of the spinal column aren’t functioning properly, this vital communication link between the mind and body can be impaired. Chiropractors call this a subluxation. As chiropractors, we help improve the function and structure of your spine, reducing nervous system compromise. The result? Even seemingly unrelated health problems can show improvement.

The nervous system is the master control system of the entire body and consists primarily of the brain, spinal cord and nerves. When everything is functioning properly, the brain sends instructions through the spinal cord and out through the nerves to all the organs and tissues of the body. In turn, those organs and tissues send messages back to the brain letting it know how the body is functioning. This constant feedback between brain and body is what helps us adapt to our environments.

One such example of this is the digestive system. When we eat, the nerves send feedback to the brain letting it know how much food is in our stomach. The brain follows by telling the stomach exactly how much stomach acid is needed to digest the amount of food it contains. Think about this: what happens if the nerves sending or receiving messages from the stomach are being interfered with by improperly moving spinal bones? What if the stomach releases too much acid... or not enough? It is not surprising that many people have reported improvement in heartburn or digestive problems after receiving chiropractic adjustments. Does this mean that chiropractic cures stomach problems? Absolutely not! What this means is that if the problem is caused by interference to the nervous system, then removing that interference will help the body heal and function as it is supposed to.

Once their bodies have begun to function properly, chiropractic patients have reported improvement in conditions such as fibromyalgia, dizziness, sinus troubles, menstrual problems, TMJ (jaw) problems, headaches, childhood ear infections, bed wetting, colic and more!

Performing a thorough examination allows your chiropractor to come up with a specific approach to meet your personal health care needs.

Your first visit will take about an hour. After giving us some basic information on our New Patient Form, either Dr. Amy or Dr. Elliott will take a history and examine you to determine if they think chiropractic care can help you.

Most people will receive a "Myovision" or Surface EMG scan which measures tension in the muscles of your back and neck. Since the nerves from your spine affect the muscles of your back, it gives a visual image of areas with nervous system interference. During your examination, the doctor will evaluate your whole spine, not just areas where you may be hurting. This is because the areas where you experience symptoms may not necessarily be where the problem is coming from. Based on your history and examination, the doctor may decide that you need to be sent for x-rays. When necessary, these films can be an important tool in understanding your case.

After your chiropractic exam, Dr. Elliott or Amy will explain what they have found and what chiropractic can do for your health.

Did you know that the very first chiropractic patient didn't have back pain?

Mr. Harvey Lillard, owned a janitorial services company in Davenport, Iowa. On September 18th, 1895, while cleaning the offices of D.D. Palmer, Lillard and Palmer were having a conversation. They were discussing why Harvey had hearing difficulties, and how long the problem had been present. Mr. Lillard explained that 17 years earlier, he bent over in a stooped position and heard a "pop" in his neck, and that his hearing quickly diminished from that day on.

A keen student of human anatomy and physiology, Palmer examined Lillard, and found a lump on his back. He recognized the lump as a badly misaligned vertebra, and reasoned that since it had occurred when the man went deaf, restoring the vertebra to its proper position might also restore Lillard’s hearing.

Palmer reasoned that the body was controlled through the brain and nerve system by thousands of messages sent every second to control each structure and function within the body, and that pressure on the nerves could distort and block these messages as they traveled from the brain, to the spinal cord and on to the body. Palmer felt that Lillard's hearing loss was due to a blockage of the spinal nerves which control the inner ear. Ultimately, this nerve blockage and bone misalignment "vertebral subluxations", lessened the body's ability to function by disrupting communication over the nerve system.

Parents know the importance of regular check-ups for their children’s teeth, hearing, eyes, ears, nose and throat, but often draw a blank when it comes to a spinal check-up.

A spinal check-up could be very important for your child. If the moving joints of the spine aren't functioning properly, this can create stress to the spinal nerves which communicate messages from the brain to the rest of the body. This communication between mind and body is especially important during the early years of life when development is occurring very rapidly.

When you bring your child to a chiropractor, she will analyze the spinal column and related structures for balance and proper function. Where the spinal column is found to be functioning improperly, the Doctor of Chiropractic performs gentle, precise corrective procedures called spinal adjustments.

Some signs that your child may benefit from a chiropractic evaluation:

• Difficulty sleeping
• A traumatic birth, especially if forceps were used or a breach birth
• "Growing pains"
• Headaches or back pain
• Difficulty turning head one way (or only wanting to nurse from one side)
• Colic
• Asthma
• Frequent (inexplicable) crying
• Frequent ear, nose and throat infections
• Bed-Wetting
• Scoliosis

Receiving chiropractic evaluations during pregnancy can also be a great way to ease many of the common discomforts of pregnancy. Many women under chiropractic care report feeling better during the entire pregnancy, better quality of sleep, less morning sickness and a more comfortable labour and delivery.

Does throwing up after getting food poisoning mean that you are sick, or is it a healthy way for your body to get rid of the poisons you ingested? Where do the poisons go if you take something to prevent yourself from throwing up?

If arthritis is caused by old age, why do many people have arthritis in one part of their body and not the others? Aren't all the parts of the body the same age?

If a pregnant woman has a low back and pelvis that functions improperly, how does that affect the pregnancy and delivery?

The very first chiropractic patient didn't have back pain!

Nervous system interference can be caused by physical, chemical and emotional factors. Physical factors can be obvious but don't forget that stress or a poor diet can be just as harmful to your well-being.

The power that made the body heals the body.