CHIROPRACTIC: FAQ

Chiropractic is a science based on the theory that disease and ill health are caused by irritation of the nervous system by mechanical, chemical, or psychic factors. As such, Chiropractic seeks to restore and maintain health by identifying noxious irritants to the nervous system and removing them with conservative, all-natural therapies.

Yes Chiropractic is holistic medicine, which means therapy is focused on assessing and treating the whole person, not just their local area of symptoms.

Patient care is based on correcting the underlying causes of pain and dysfunction, rather than suppression of symptoms with drugs

The word Chiropractic comes from the Greek  “kheir” (hand) and “praktikos” (to do).

Doctors of Chiropractic specialize in the diagnosis of neuro-musculo-skeletal disorders, and treatment is done by hand.

There are hundreds of Chiropractic techniques, so a visit to one practitioner may be quite different from that of another. However, all Doctors of Chiropractic use a non-pharmacological, non-surgical approach and most perform manual therapy to the spine and extremities.

Dr. Morrison incorporates various techniques, adapting them according to the patients’ needs.
 
As a graduate of Western States Chiropractic College and board certified Diplomate in Applied Kinesiology (D.I.B.A.K.), Dr. Morrison’s major concentration is on combining Applied Kinesiology with standard Chiropractic. www.appliedkinesiology.com

Standards vary from state to state and country to country. The degree of Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) in the U.S. is a 4-year program of approximately 5000 academic hours. Some states require 2 years of undergraduate studies that include a pre-med program while others require a full 4-year Bachelors degree. For licensure in the U.S., one must pass both state and national board exams.

We invite you to click on Western States Chiropractic College for the complete curriculum of Western States Chiropractic College in Portland, Oregon where Dr. Morrison studied.  It is a typical scientific-based program of a U.S. Chiropractic college.

Apart from seeking relief from a particular problem, people seek regular chiropractic care to maintain good health.

Many pathologies and injuries can be prevented if confronted early on. This is the purpose of maintenance care visits.

We invite you to click on CONDITONS TREATED to view some of the more common problems seen by Doctors of Chiropractic.

On the first visit, the doctor asks detailed questions about your past your current health concerns. This part of the exam is very important because it helps guide both the physical exam as well as the treatment program. The physical exam begins with postural analysis and ranges of motion tests. The doctor will basically ask you to move in certain directions. This is followed by standard orthopedic and neurological tests when applicable. Gentle muscle testing is also used throughout the examination and treatment.

Therapy is always applied on the first visit and may consist of vertebral and extremity adjusting, cranial techniques, deep tendon or muscle massage, acupuncture-meridian therapy, myofascial techniques or various neuro-reflex procedures. We invite you to click on SERVICES for a detailed explanation.

Vertebrae and other bones that are not in alignment are called subluxations. Vertebrae that are in alignment but stuck in place are called fixations.

Vertebral subluxations and fixations cause pain and restrict the way one moves. Subluxations and fixations can lead to nerve interference, joint degeneration, herniated discs, muscle weakness, and organ dysfunction.

The chiropractic adjustment unlocks vertebral fixations and restores general skeletal alignment thereby creating proper transmission along spinal nerves.

The manipulation is highly effective form of therapy for reducing pain and inflammation. For a more detailed explanation, we invite you to click on chiropratic manipulation

X-rays are not required, however, if you have them it is advisable to bring them along on your first visit. In most cases X-rays are not necessary to receive therapy, however, if you have x-rays, MRI or other potentially relevant exams, it is advisable to bring them along on your first visit and Dr. Morrison will evaluate them accordingly.

The aim of therapy is to arrive at the roots of a problem so that once corrected, the problem won’t recur. Many problems are resolved permanently while others may depend on the extent to which a person maintains their own health. Dr. Morrison provides counseling on ergonomics, exercise, and diet, specific for each case.

Virtually everybody can benefit from chiropractic care.

Naturally, there are times when surgery or pharmacological intervention is the most viable option, but in many cases they can be avoided. Chiropractors treat people not diseases. Sometimes the goal of therapy is simply to provide pain relief without side effects. Other times, one may not be in pain at all but are simply looking to improve and maintain their state of health.

For example, a patient with multiple sclerosis does not expect chiropractic to cure his disease, but he may find that his symptoms are greatly reduced from chiropractic therapy.

This is just one of hundreds of examples. We welcome you to consult our center if you have any questions about whether chiropractic therapy is for you.