Is Chiropractic Care Safe?
Yes! Did you know that insurance companies charge chiropractors a lot less for malpractice insurance than they charge medical doctors? This suggests that the risk associated with chiropractic procedures is quite a lot lower than you might’ve expected.

Despite that fact, and despite the results of countless scientific studies that consistently confirm the safety of chiropractic adjustments, a popular misconception about the safety of chiropractic care is that our procedures, specifically regarding neck adjustments, are dangerous.

Unfortunately, this misconception couldn’t be more hurtful, especially since it causes many people to disregard chiropractic treatment that would otherwise benefit them greatly. Of course, even the most routine medical procedure or misuse of a medication may pose a risk or lead to complications that result in serious injury or death. However, most people still opt to go to the doctor when they’re sick or injured — so why not consider an evidence-based chiropractic treatment plan that involves significantly lower risk?

So, while surgery and medications are absolutely necessary and sometimes miraculous, most chiropractors (including Dr. Alex, and millions of happy chiropractic patients) believe that they should not be the first resort in every situation. Chiropractors graduate from highly specialized chiropractic colleges having learned how to assist the body in countless situations to heal itself without drug and/or surgical intervention.

This very point was nicely summarized by ABC’s Dr. Tim Johnson in a May 25, 2006 report on World News Tonight: “The truth is that 90 percent of back pain can be resolved without surgery if both doctors and patients are willing to try other treatments that basically help the back to heal itself.”

Do Chiropractors Have to Go to College?
Yes! And contemporary educational requirements for chiropractors are among the most demanding of any of the health care professionals; in fact, they are comparable to those required of medical practitioners.

Before acceptance to a four year chiropractic college, prospective chiropractors must complete a minimum of two years of undergraduate study with a heavy emphasis on the basic hard sciences.
This focus is greatly expanded in chiropractic college with lab and classroom emphasis on anatomy, biochemistry, microbiology, pathology, and physiology. As chiropractors don’t prescribe drugs or perform surgery, they receive even more extensive training in anatomy, physiology, diagnosis, X-ray, and rehabilitation; they also receive considerable training in nutrition that, incidentally, it is estimated that 80% of medical schools do not even offer. Because chiropractors are encouraged to develop an understanding of nutrition, they often are just as attuned to disease prevention as they are to disease treatment.

Later, the focus becomes even more specialized when they study the philosophy and practice of chiropractic diagnosis and learn and practice several adjusting techniques that are not taught in any other health field. Finally, before being awarded their Doctor of Chiropractic degrees, chiropractors, like medical doctors, must complete a specified number of hours as residents.

Are Chiropractors Real Doctors?
Yes! Both medical doctors (MDs) and doctors of chiropractic (DCs) are doctors, and both have received a doctoral degree from a government-accredited medical school or chiropractic college. However, while each discipline looks at health and healing in different (but sometimes in complementary) ways, chiropractors and medical doctors often approach patient examinations the same way.

First is the consultation, next is the discussion of your case history, and then a physical examination is performed. Further tests, such as laboratory analysis and x-ray studies, may then be needed.

Although both medical doctors and chiropractors know that your nervous system controls every cell in your body, the critical difference between the two disciplines is that many medical doctors prefer to treat symptoms with medication and surgery. Chiropractors, on the other hand, prefer to use non-invasive methods and adjustments that often go beyond the symptoms to treat the root cause.

These adjustments play a critical role in reducing or eliminating the causes of nerve malfunction, therefore improving the integrity of the nervous system and promoting proper bodily function – all without drugs or surgery.

As David Perlmutter, M.D. of Naples has written, “There is no one discipline that has a corner on the market of techniques useful in patient care. No one discipline has all the tools”.

Is Chiropractic Scientific?
Yes! The “low tech” nature of some types of adjustments has led to erroneous conclusions that chiropractic is not based in science. However, chiropractic adjustments are entirely evidence-based, and are supported by many studies conducted with the scientific method.

Why do I need X-rays?
Please be assured that we will take only the most essential X-rays need for treatment diagnosis and planning. They help us help you by:

• Confirming examination results
• Identifying evidence of long term spinal deterioration
• Potentially finding or ruling out diseases and other pathologies
• Identifying signs of trauma, such as fractures
• Providing a more complete structural record of your spine