Frequently Asked Questions in Kent WA

Most people think of Chiropractic care as the “cracking of joints”, but the popping sound that sometimes happens during a chiropractic adjustment, which is pressure being released from the fluid in the joints, has little to do with the actual treatment. Helping the body heal itself is the goal.

Chiropractic care is the treatment of the nervous system and soft tissue around the spine, by realigning displaced vertebrae, which may have been injured during a car accident, sports injury, sudden or repetitive injuries at work, or even just the wrong sleeping posture. It is performed by gently moving the spine back into an optimal position, allowing the soft tissue to heal faster and allowing for the nerves to flow normally, calming the pain cycle, stabilizing the spine and helping the body to heal itself.

Chiropractic treatment is well known and researched as the best non-drug related care for back sprains and strains, like work injuries, sports injuries and injuries due to car collisions. However, we also have great success helping people eliminate headaches, arm and/or leg pain, sleeping problems, ear infections for infants and adults, as well as helping people with balance issues, scoliosis and many other spine related issues.

Chiropractors don’t necessarily treat conditions. We align the spine in specific ways, which balances the systems of the body and allows your body’s innate ability to heal itself to function better.

Chiropractic adjustments are safe when performed by a trained and licensed Chiropractor. Doctors of Chiropractic have undergone at least 3-4 years of undergraduate study, then 4 years of Chiropractic college, including over 4200 hours of instruction.

At Pfeiffer Chirowellness, we use gentle manual adjustment techniques, which are safe and effective for correcting spinal alignment, postural problems and soft tissue injuries.

Many chiropractors actually use forms of physiotherapy, along with the actual chiropractic spinal adjustments that correct the alignment, as we do at our clinic. By using massage, stretching and strengthening exercises, heat and/or cold therapy and postural instruction, the spinal adjustments can hold longer and will become more stable over time.

Physiotherapist do not perform chiropractic spinal adjustments.

Yes. Research has shown chiropractic care to be more effective and less costly for low back pain than other conventional methods. In fact, all NFL teams include a doctor of chiropractic on their staff to treat the players injuries, increase their performance and prevent further injuries. Also, most MLB, NBA and NHL have chiropractors on staff as well.

Chiropractors are designated as Doctors of Chiropractic, not Doctors of Medicine. The college hours and instruction are very similar between D.C.s and M.D.s, but the focus on anatomy, nutrition and body mechanics are much more extensive in Chiropractic college and the medical school focus is more on internal medicine and pharmacology.

Chiropractors and Medical doctors refer patients to each other these days, if the needed treatment is out of their scope of practice, or if the patient would be better served by a particular specialty.

Each patient has individual needs, when it comes to any type of care. Therefore, a Chiropractor will perform a complete history, exam and possibly take x-rays, in order to determine the best approach to take for that particular patient and condition.

Most chiropractic patients start feeling better after the first adjustment or two. However, if the spinal condition has been there for a long time, or if the injury is severe, it will take more time for the healing to optimize and become stable.

Chiropractic treatment works to relieve pain and restore optimal functioning of the spine(and extra-spinal articulations like TMJ, wrists, ankles, hips…), through a series of gentle adjustments, instructing the patient about ergonomics of daily life and providing specific exercises for the patient to perform at home.

If even a minor car accident, lifting injury, fall or work injury heals without the proper alignment of the injured joints, it can lead to chronic pain and/or recurring flare-ups. That may then result in the patient avoiding the activities that make a healthy quality of life. Chiropractic care works to not only resolve the patient’s pain but to also allow for them to lead the active life they deserve.

It is not a good idea to “pop’ your own spine. If you are stretching or just moving in a popper position and you hear a pop without any resulting pain, that is not something to be concerned about. However, if you are contorting yourself, forcing a jerky motion or having an untrained person “pop” your neck or back, you can cause injury to your spine.

The spinal segments that are fixated in malposition will get more locked and the ones that you are “popping” will get hypermobile, eventually resulting in an acute injury, or a condition where you can’t move without significant pain. I have given over a million adjustments, but I never adjust myself. I go to a trained Chiropractor who has extensive experience for my adjustments.

The scar tissue that is triggered by a spinal “whiplash”, or any injury resulting from a vehicular collision, will heal by itself to a point. However, when the spine is violently pushed out of position, causing the supportive soft tissue to tear, that will not go back into the correct position and the injured joints will not have normal range of motion or

stability without the proper Chiropractic alignment and treatment protocol. Research demonstrates that even an 8 mph rear end collision can result in a change in the normal/optimal cervical curve, which may lead to headaches, chronic neck, upper back and shoulder pain, TMJ disorder and even radiating arm pain.

In fact, the sooner you seek the proper Chiropractic care after such an accident, the faster you will feel better and the better chance you have of avoiding chronic pain.