What is Chiropractic?

Chiropractic is the third largest primary health care profession in the world, after medicine and dentistry. Chiropractors are among the most highly trained manipulative therapists in the world today – the Chiropractors at Healthwise Chiropractic have all successfully completed a five year full time course in Chiropractic care at world renowned Chiropractic institutions.

Chiropractic is a profession which specialises in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions which are due to mechanical dysfunction of the joints and their effects on the nervous system.

How does it work?

Chiropractors use their hands to specifically adjust the joints of your spine and extremities where signs of restriction in movement are found, improving mobility and relieving pain. Your body's own healing processes (which we normally recognise in its ability to heal cuts, bruises and broken bones) will then be able to get on with the task of improving your health. This treatment is known as 'adjustment' or 'manipulation'.

Poor, inadequate or incorrect function in the spine can cause irritation of the nerves that control our posture and movement. This spinal nerve stress (which may be caused by factors such as accident, poor diet, lack of exercise, poor posture and anxiety) can lead to the symptoms of discomfort, pain and even disease which are a warning that your body is not functioning properly.

By manipulating joints, chiropractors stimulate the joint movement and muscle tension receptors – your body's position sensors which provide feedback to the brain on where the joint is in space and the tension of muscles around it. This stimulation can affect the way your nervous system works. Depending on where the nerve irritation has occurred in your spine, your symptoms may include the following:

  • headache or migraine
  • neck pain
  • back pain
  • chest or abdominal pain
  • shoulder, arm, wrist and hand problems  
  • leg, knee, ankle and foot problems

This is because the irritation of the nerve in one area can sometimes lead to pain (known as 'referred' pain) in other parts of the body. Painful symptoms are a warning sign which should not be ignored; your chiropractor is trained to diagnose the cause, and if indicated treat using manipulation.

Treatment may also involve working on muscles and using medical acupuncture. Chiropractors treat people with long standing (chronic) conditions and people with short term (acute) conditions.

The Chiropractic profession takes a holistic approach to the needs of patient, considering physical, psychological and social factors and recognises the value of working with other healthcare practitioners, including communicating with local GPs regarding the care of our patients.

All consultations are private and fully confidential.

Contact Us

For enquiries or to book an appointment please call
01243 790908 or email info@healthwisechiropractic.co.uk

Chiropractor explaining the spine to a patient