what is chiropractic?

Chiropractors are experts in the musculoskeletal and nervous systems; we look for signs of dysfunction in the body, the cause of that dysfunction, and then work with you to restore function + health to your joints, muscles and, well, your whole body.

You might have heard that chiropractors only treat the back - this is a common assumption. But the truth is that we look at the whole body - top to toe - to work out how to help you feel your best. BUT we do focus on the spine, and for good reason.

Your spine houses the spinal cord and is the highway for communication between your body and your brain; it’s how your brain sends messages to your body and how your body sends messages back to the brain. This highway makes sure that we know how and when to run, jump, move, duck and dodge in response to movements, balance, uneven surfaces, sharp knives, hot stoves and all other sensory + tactile feedback from the external environment.

It’s also how we communicate, and respond to, musculoskeletal pain. Sometimes, the pain is external and we need to move away from it. Other times, the pain is internal and we need to change our actions or behaviours to address it.

When there is a fixation or loss of movement at a spinal level, you might feel aches and pains, notice a loss of flexibility, be unable to take a deep breath in, or maybe just feel a little “off-kilter”. You might even notice these things developing into neck pain, back pain or headaches.

Chiropractors look for spinal restriction, as well as function movement disorders, postural changes and other reasons why there might be an increased load on certain areas of your body.

This is why chiropractic care isn’t just about the hands-on treatment in the clinic, it’s also about lifestyle, exercise and so much more.