Why Chiropractors are all different?
I get asked all the time why chiropractors are all different. Patients will come from all over the country or valley that have been to a chiropractor or two in the past, and ask why are they are all different? That is a complicated answer, but I am going to give it a shot in this month’s blog.
The principle of Chiropractic from one practitioner to another should always be the same. The basic principle of chiropractic is that the body is a self-healing, self-regulating organism that will work as nature or God has intended…as long as there is no interference within the nervous system. All chiropractors work under this basic premise. The difference between one chiropractor to the next is simply the way that she has learned or choose to address the nervous system interference.
Chiropractic schools offer 20+ different techniques to address nervous system interference, and it is up to each doctor to decide which one they chose to implement in their practice. Many ask, well why is there not just one technique that has been shown over the years to be most effective? It’s a good question but Chiropractic is a vitalistic profession that believe the body and life is more than just the some of its parts. This means that there is more to removing nervous system interference than just some algorithm. Every patient is treated different, and every doctor will provide the best treatment for that individual patient’s needs. Notice I did not say symptom, Chiropractic at its truest sense does not treat symptoms, they treat the cause of nervous system interference. If that is addressed, then in most cases any symptoms will resolve as the body can now heal itself. Back to the question why chiropractors are all different comes down to how each individual doctor chooses to find and remove nervous system interference. Some doctors use more of tonal techniques which are typically low force and more focused on removing the tension within the nervous system through the movement of energy. Others like myself choose to remove nerous system interference by looking for any spinal restrictions within the spinal joints.
Let’s contrast that to the medical model. The medical model is mechanistic, they believe that for every symptom or problem within the body there is a drug or surgery to fix it. When two people go to a medical doctor with the same condition for the most part the treatment will be the same because they use a standardized algorithm to administer the proposed course of treatment. The key here is that the medical model looks at the human body as if it was a car or a machine. If a part is not working, then to fix it all you have to do is replace the part or remove it completely. If you have a burned-out taillight and remove it, sure the car will still work but there could be consequences down the road when someone does not see that you are breaking. If the body was like a mechanical machine, then in theory you should be able to swap out parts and “cure” everyone. I learned quicky in Chiropractic school that this was not true. We learned on cadavers and most had all their parts; however they were no longer living. So obviously, we are more than just the sum of our parts.
In contrast this is what we call Vitalism. Vitalism is a philosophy that understands that there is some spark within every living being that is responsible for “Life”. Some may refer to it as your soul, innate intelligence, universal intelligence, Chi, or Prana. Every culture recognizes this power and has a name for it. It is here where the chiropractic profession and specifically the chiropractor’s skill come in. The chiropractor’s job is to remove any restrictions or interference withing the body that is getting in the way of the bodies inborn potential to be health and heal itself. This is why the Chiropractic profession is not a one size fits all, there are many different ways and theories as to the best way to do this. In addition, the Chiropractor who is working within a Vitalistic model understands that all the system needs to be working together and the body needs to be looked at in a holistic way and not just based on symptoms.
Here at Reed Chiropractic, we understand that we may not be the best provider for everyone. However, if we are not, we will let you know and find the right provider than may work better for you. If you are looking for a hands-on provider that is going to evaluate your spine for joint restrictions that may be causing nervous system interference, then you are in the right place. We specialize in the Gonstead Chiropractic Technique and have been helping patients experience life to the fullest for over 25 years.
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