WALSH CHIROPRACTIC
Pleasanton, California
Why does my back hurt?
There are many pain sensitive structures in and around the spine such as ligaments, muscles, joint capsules and nerves. Sports injuries, accidents, heavy lifting, poor ergonomics and regular “wear and tear” are just a few of the stresses that will cause the spinal column to misalign. This misalignment, if left untreated, will eventually result in painful symptoms of the adjacent ligaments, muscles, joint capsules and nerves.
What is a subluxation?
A subluxation is another term for joint misalignment. Subluxations can exist for years in a sub-clinical (non-painful) state before becoming painful.
What is an adjustment?
An adjustment (chiropractic manipulation) is a procedure to realign the spine or affected joint. An adjustment is performed by a Chiropractor as he/she places hands (or an instrument) on the misaligned joint and applies a gentle force to reposition the bone. This repositioning removes pressure from adjacent nerves and allows structures in and around the spine to heal without the use of drugs or surgery.
What is that popping noise?
The popping noise that is sometimes heard during an adjustment comes from carbon dioxide gas. When the joint is placed under a certain amount of pressure or force, gas is released from the internal joint fluid, creating a “pop”. Some people have more gas release than others and therefore make louder noises. Some chiropractic techniques do not produce a popping sound at all. Popping noise is not an accurate measurement of how much movement was produced in a joint during an adjustment.
Does it hurt to have an adjustment?
Most people find adjustments to be very comfortable and will even report immediate improvement in symptoms. For others, the adjustment can produce some slight, albeit temporary discomfort. If your spine is painful during rest and the pain increases to light touch, there is a chance that you may experience some mild tenderness when pressure is applied to the spine during the adjustment. This is nothing to fear and will likely decrease after a visit or two.
How long will an adjustment last? Do I need to have multiple treatments? Are adjustments safe? Is chiropractic only for back pain? Can you treat me if I’ve just been in an accident?Absolutely. In fact, the earlier you seek help, the better results you will have. Waiting to seek help after an accident allows inflammation to accumulate in the body, muscles to shorten and scar tissue to form. Special care is taken to provide gentle treatments following an accident for maximum comfort. Is it okay to pop my own back? Is chiropractic care expensive?
This depends on your current problem, physical conditioning and lifestyle. We can offer you tips to make the most of any adjustment. Adjustments for acute injuries (severe and recent pain) do not tend to last as long, while patients who visit us for preventative spinal checkups (no acute injury is present or the initial injury has effectively healed) can sometimes go 6 months between adjustments. We can recommend an appropriate time for your follow-up.
Multiple treatments are often necessary to re-educate the body’s tissues and to “hold” the newly aligned position. An appropriate series of treatments will be recommended to yield the best results possible for your condition, but how long you decide to benefit from chiropractic care is always up to you. Stopping a treatment program early, however, may not give the spine an adequate chance to heal and could result in residual pain.
Once your initial goal has been reached with chiropractic, you may be like many of our other patients who clearly see the benefits of chiropractic care and decide to schedule preventative check-ups throughout the year.
Statistically, chiropractic adjustments are safer than taking aspirin.
No. While a large percentage of people who visit our office do complain of some symptoms in the neck or back regions, we have many patients who visit us for things like headaches, TMJ dysfunction, indigestion, asthma or extremity problems.
Since the nerve supply to every cell and organ in the body emerges from the spine, chiropractic adjustments have been proven to help with many health conditions in addition to back pain.
Click here for more information on the conditions that we can help you with.
Can you prescribe pain pills for me?
No. Chiropractors do not prescribe medications. Our approach to healing is natural and does not incorporate the use of drugs or surgery. We sometimes co-manage cases with medical doctors when patients are not yet ready to discontinue their medication but wish to begin chiropractic care.
No. If you’re a habitual “back cracker” there’s a reasonable chance that you may not do yourself any immediate harm, but the long-term effects will catch up with you.
Chiropractors only adjust joints that are misaligned and fixated (lacking proper motion). These adjustments help to restore normal motion and alignment. By popping your own back, you’re moving joints that are already mobile and you may cause instability and injury over time.
Furthermore, you could actually subluxate your own back! In the neck region, it is never safe to crack your own spine due to the blood supply that travels through the cervical vertebrae.
Chiropractic care is very affordable. Fees in our office range from $40-55 for an adjustment.
Do you take my insurance?
Click here for information on the insurance plans that we accept.
What does “D.C.” stand for?
Doctor of Chiropractic.
Can I have adjustments if I’ve had back surgery?Yes. In fact, chiropractic can be very helpful for post-surgical patients. In providing care, we adjust areas of the spine around the surgical region (avoiding the area of surgery itself).
By maintaining adequate motion and proper alignment in the adjacent spinal areas, you can often avoid early spinal degeneration and even subsequent surgery.
Can I see a chiropractor if I’ve had a fracture in my back?
Yes. Bones heal over with a calcium “scar” and are actually stronger once the fracture has healed.
What is scoliosis?
Scoliosis refers to an abnormal curvature of the spine which can first develop in juveniles. There is often a family history of scoliosis in afflicted individuals. Chiropractors can assess the spine for scoliosis and help to treat the disorder.
If I feel great, why should I go back to the Chiropractor?
Some spinal problems can only be detected by a Chiropractor. With chiropractic, even “painless” back problems can be caught early on, just as your Dentist might detect “painless” cavities before the tooth has begun excessive decay.
To catch problems early and as they arise, we recommend seeing a Chiropractor at least twice yearly for regular check-ups and/or at the first sign of back or neck stress.
Do Chiropractors treat kids?
Yes, we welcome children in our practice! Some of the most positive influence we can make with our patients’ spines happens when they are young. Kids are always falling, tripping and scraping knees. These little “bumps” are also quite jarring to the spine.
Most kids really like having gentle adjustments and parents enjoy knowing that early childhood injuries will not develop into problems later in life.
How long does it take to become a Chiropractor?
Glad you asked! Click here for more info.
