If you are considering chiropractic care, we know you’ll have lot of questions. For your convenience, we would like to take the time to answer the most commonly asked questions below.

If you have a specific question you would like to ask the Dr, please email Dr. Robert Russell and Dr. Robin Lucia.

What is chiropractic care?
There's nothing mysterious about chiropractic. It's a natural method of health care that focuses on correcting the causes of physical problems, rather than just treating the symptoms. Chiropractic is based on a simple but powerful premise. With a normally functioning spine and healthy nerve system, your body is better able to heal itself. That's because your spine is the lifeline of your nervous system. It controls feeling, movement, and all function through your body.

How does chiropractic work?
Chiropractic works by restoring your body's inborn ability to be healthy. When under the proper control of your nervous system, all the cells, tissues, and organs of your body are designed to resist disease and ill health. The chiropractic approach to better health is to locate and remove interferences (subluxations, misaligned vertebrae) to your nervous system. With improved spinal function, there is improved nervous system function. The goal of the chiropractor is to remove interference that may be impairing normal health through specific chiropractic adjustments, allowing your body to heal itself. A healthy spine and a healthy lifestyle are your keys to optimal health!

Is Chiropractic Safe?
Yes!  Statistics prove that chiropractic care is one of the safest types of health care in the world.  You only need to compare the malpractice premiums paid by chiropractors to those paid by medical doctors.  Doctors of Chiropractic pay only a small fraction (approx. 1/20) of the price medical doctors pay in malpractice premiums. Close to 250,000 people will die this year as a result of bad medicine, making this the third leading cause of death in the United States of America (The Journal of the American Medical Association, JAMA; Vol.284, July 26, 2000).  Of the millions of people receiving chiropractic adjustments, each year, only a handful will even make a complaint.

What is a chiropractic adjustment?
A chiropractic adjustment is the art of using a specific force in a precise direction, applied to a joint that is subluxated, "locked up," or not moving properly. The purpose of this safe and natural procedure is to eliminate interference to the nervous system, improving spinal function and overall health. An adjustment is a specifically directed force, normally by hand designed to 'unlock' the subluxated vertebrae returning normal motion and alignment to the spine. There are a variety of different methods used in Chiropractic to analyze and adjust the spine. Our doctor will choose the most effective technique for a person as well taking into consideration the physical build of the patient, the age or any other health matters. Additionally the doctor will make sure the adjustment is as comfortable as possible.

What is a subluxation?
Subluxations are problem areas of your spine that affect your entire nervous system. In these problem areas, the spinal bones are misaligned or have lost their normal range of movement. This irritates or puts pressure on local nerves, which interferes with the communication between your brain and body. It may involve your muscles, discs, ligaments, tendons and other body parts as well.

How do subluxations happen?
The stresses and strains of everyday living such as housework, gardening, desk work, lifting, or even sleeping on the couch, can cause spinal problems. So can falls, accidents (especially car accidents), sports activities and injuries. In children, subluxations can initially occur during the birth process, learning to walk, in play and from everyday childhood activities.

Can I tell if I have a subluxation?
Not always. A subluxation is like a dental cavity--you may have it for a long time before symptoms appear. That's why periodic spinal checkups are so important. Although it may be possible to know you have a subluxation, it is rarely possible to be sure you don't. Regular spinal checkups are always a good idea, and they promote good health from the inside out.

What are some warning signs of subluxations?
Symptoms such as headaches, back pain, neck stiffness, pain in your shoulders, arms or legs, numbness in your hands or feet, fatigue, or nervousness are the most common signs of subluxations. But, like a tooth cavity, most people will have a subluxation long before they notice any symptoms.

Why do my children need chiropractic care?
The birth process is often the cause of your child's first subluxation.  A very soft and undeveloped spine of an infant can suffer trauma during delivery.  It is estimated that as much as 80lbs of pulling pressure can be exerted to remove a baby from the birth canal.  Then, as children grow up and become more adventurous, the number of injuries to their spine become countless.  The repeated falls as children learn to walk, the running, jumping, twisting, bumping and falling all over the place while playing in the yard or on an athletic field will often cause your child to become subluxated.  However, often children do not show any signs or symptoms of being subluxated until later in life.  Many times childhood complaints are brushed off as growing pains yet in fact are more than that.  Chiropractic care offers your child a more responsive body, a more balanced flow of energy and overall increased performance as she/he passes through their windows of development.  A subluxation free child also minimizes the risk of future health challenges. Chiropractic adjustments are modified for children of different ages.

Are all patients adjusted the same way?
No. The doctor evaluates each patient's unique spinal problem and develops an individual course of care. Each chiropractic adjustment builds on the one before. The resulting recommendations are based upon years of training and experience. Each patient's care is uniquely different from every other patient.

Does Everyone need to be X-rayed?
Not everyone needs to be X-rayed.  Chiropractors practice with this principle in mind: "Above all, do no harm."  The benefit must outweigh the risks.  The benefit of taking X-rays must outweigh the risk of not taking the X-ray and potentially doing harm to the patient.  X-rays are taken only when they will help the doctor understand more clearly what will benefit the patient.  X-rays are a great way to gather information without being invasive.  Many times X-rays help in diagnosing what is the actual cause of the problem.

Is it bad to "pop" your neck or back?
Yes it is very bad to "pop" your own neck or back.  Many times you can twist or turn in such a way to create a popping sound, but this is usually counterproductive.  By "popping" yourself you could actually be doing your body harm, rather than good.  Damage can be seen to the ligaments and discs in the area being "popped" if not under the care of a chiropractor.  Many people go to all kinds of lengths to adjust themselves, but it is impossible to adjust yourself correctly with accuracy.

Does chiropractic work for all types of health problems?
No, however chiropractic care is successful with a very wide variety of health problems not necessarily considered "back" problems because of improved nerve system function. With a normal nerve supply the body's natural healing capacity can improve a variety of health problems.

Is chiropractic care addictive?
No. If only it were, there would be more healthy people around and chiropractors would not get patients who last saw a chiropractor a few years ago when their back went out. It is possible to get used to feeling more balanced, less stressed, and more energetic as a result or regular chiropractic care. Chiropractic is not addictive, however, good health is. Chiropractic should be used as part of a complete healthy lifestyle.  Regular exercise and healthy eating habits are a lifestyle decision and so is chiropractic care.

What type of education do chiropractic doctors receive?
Doctors of Chiropractic are well-educated. Chiropractic education and medical education are similar in many respects and different in others because chiropractors do not prescribe drugs or perform surgery, and medical doctors do not correct vertebral subluxations. After graduating with a Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) Degree, each candidate passes the demanding four part National Board Examinations. Then, doctors apply to a governmental or professional licensing board and pass a still more difficult test before being granted the privilege to practice. A chiropractor's education, however, never ends. Most doctors complete regular postgraduate instruction for license renewal and to stay current on the latest research and adjustment techniques.