What is Chiropractic and how does it work?

Chiropractic is a straightforward method of adjusting the bones of your body in order to relieve pain and restore movement. The aim of chiropractic is to maintain the correct alignment of your spine thus ensuring that your body's nerve supply works efficiently.

Your spinal column is made up of 24 moveable vertebrae, the sacrum, and the coccyx. This column also houses the spinal cord through which nerve information is transmitted to the rest of your body. Whilst the spinal column maintains correct alignment, nerve information is passed accurately. However, if any part of your spinal column becomes misaligned then a nerve may become impinged, compressed or stretched, distorting the information that passes along it. This can lead to pain, discomfort, or restricted mobility. A misalignment of the vertebrae or bones can occur for many reasons, some of the most common are incorrect lifting, car or sporting accidents, childbirth, falls, stress, and poor posture.

McTimoney chiropractors use only their hands to make adjustments to the bones of your body. The key to the success of the adjustments is in the speed, dexterity and accuracy with which they are performed.

Patients report a wide range of improvements. These range from relief from migraines, neck and shoulder problems, tennis elbow and carpal tunnel syndrome which are affected by the nerves coming from the top of the spine, to relief from lower back pain and sciatica which are relieved by adjustments to the lower spine. These improvements occur because the body is no longer receiving incorrect nerve information.

Can Chiropractic help you?

The gentle nature of the McTimoney chiropractic technique makes it especially suitable for people of all ages including young babies, pregnant women and the elderly. The following conditions often benefit from treatment:

• Back, neck and shoulder pain
• Pain, discomfort and stiffness in joints and bones
• Migraine and tension headaches
• Muscular aches and pains
• Sciatica
• Whiplash injury
• Sports injuries

What to expect from your first treatment?

Your chiropractor will first take a full case history regarding your general health background as well as details of your symptoms. This will help in assessing and analysing your particular problem. They will then thoroughly examine all the joints in your body, literally from head to toe, using only their hands, and make the appropriate adjustments where necessary. McTimoney chiropractors have a very finely tuned sense of touch, developed in their four years of training, which enables them to feel for misalignments of the vertebrae and bones. Upon feeling a problem, your chiropractor will use one of a number of light, swift and dexterous techniques, unique to McTimoney Chiropractic, to adjust the bone.

If your chiropractor discovers or suspects a problem that requires medical investigations or an x-ray, they will refer you to your GP. Wherever possible your McTimoney chiropractor will work in co-operation with your GP.

How many sessions will you need?

The number of sessions needed varies considerably depending on:

• Your age: you generally heal more slowly as you get older
• The nature of the problem: a simple backache will often clear more quickly than a sciatic problem
• How long you have had the problem: generally yesterday's injury will resolve faster than one of 20 years standing.

Most patients need between 2 and 10 sessions, initially at weekly intervals, then gradually more widely spaced out, by which time a noticeable change should have occurred, though treatment can continue for longer. Once the problem has been resolved, regular check-ups are recommended to keep your spine and other joints functioning well.

Responses and reactions to treatment

During a course of treatment most patients feel physical changes as the body re-aligns. These may include a brief period of stiffness or tiredness, but more often a feeling of well being and relief from stress.

Prevention is better than cure

Chiropractic is also a preventative therapy and when used in this way greatly improves bodily health and well being, avoiding long spells of discomfort. Regular check-ups are recommended to ensure that your body maintains a healthy balance in all aspects of its daily functioning.

If you need to cancel an appointment, please give 24 hours notice or the usual fee may be charged

The patient's view of McTimoney Chiropractic

In 1997 a survey of McTimoney chiropractic patients was conducted on behalf of the McTimoney Chiropractic Association. The following is a summary of the results:

89% of patients rated their satisfaction with the McTimoney chiropractic treatment they had received as either "extremely" or "very satisfied"

85% felt that McTimoney had been "very beneficial" in the management of their painful condition

62% sought McTimoney chiropractic treatment for low back pain

93% had recommended McTimoney treatment to their friends and family