subject: How Are Chiropractors So Good At Increasing Range Of Motion? [print this page] Have you ever known anyone that has gotten GREAT results with a chiropractor in respect to how much better they can move their neck or back? Why is this? One of the reasons is the fact that chiropractors are "doctors of the nervous system" and we affect the body, not only on a mechanical aspect (bones, joints, muscles), but on a neurological level.
In my post doctorate work in chiropractic neurology we used the text "Principles of Neural Science", by Kandel and Schwartz, which is a 1400 page text book about the ins and outs of neurology. In this book it gives us a perfect model of how we as chiropractors restore normal motion in the body.
The chiropractic treatment puts a fast stretch (just what it sounds like) on the muscle spindles and the golgi tendon organ in the muscle, which in turn creates a reflex relaxation response and activates the 1B fibers of the golgi tendon organ which creates relaxation with the muscle. Simply put, we tell the brain which is what controls your muscles, to relax. This whole crazy reaction then allows you to turn your head normally, or bend forward at the waist the way you are supposed to. Sound complex? It really is, but this is how chiropractors get such great results is that we affect the nervous system so profoundly!
Many times we get so used to our stiffness in our bodies that we consider it normal. Many times it is a husband or wife that call my office to tell me that they are worried about their spouse. Listen to your loved ones, colleagues or friends when they mention that you look like you are stiff, they are probably right. A trained chiropractor will be able to assess your spine for any of these problems and let you know if you are a candidate for the kind of care that they deliver.
Bellevue chiropractor Dr. Michael Weir is the clinic director at Back in Action Chiropractic. He is board eligible for his diplomat in chiropractic neurology through the Carrick institute of graduate studies.
