San Jose, CA 95123
Questions for the San Jose Chiropractor
San Jose Chiropractic Questions
What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic is many things: a philosophy… a science… an art. The foundation upon which it is built is the realization that health is the body's normal state, and good health is perfectly natural. Chiropractic holds that the body possesses a unique internal wisdom that continually strives to maintain it in a state of good health. It is this innate, instinctive intelligence which controls our heart rate, blood pressure, adrenaline production, and other vital bodily functions. (For example, each one of us makes 3 to 5 million red blood cells every second!) It is also the guiding force which allows our body to adapt naturally to the influences of internal and external environment.
To a great extent, the ability of the body to maintain good health is dependent on its ability to adapt to the environment. Ensuring this capability is nature's most miraculous communication network: the human nervous system. As the brain receives and processes the information, it sends out revised commands so that the body will adequately respond to its surroundings and maintain the optimum level of good health. These mental impulses are transmitted to and from the brain via nerves passing through the spine.
Vertebrae in the spine can — and frequently do — lose their natural alignment. These misalignments, called subluxations, cause messages transmitted over the spine to become garbled, modified, or diminished. As a result, the body's response is inadequate to adapt properly. As the natural ability to adapt and respond to its environment is reduced, the body's ability to respond to challenges to its health is likewise reduced and poor health results.
Chiropractic seeks to identify and analyze subluxations. Whenever possible, the doctor of chiropractic reopens the body's natural communication network by adjusting the misaligned spinal segments back into their natural position. With nerve function improved, bodily processes are permitted to become more normal, and the body is better able to return to its natural striving toward good health.
Chiropractic's concern, then, is with the correction of subluxation. Its aim is to ensure that the body's natural health-ensuring processes are allowed to function without nerve interference due to misaligned vertebrae. It does NOT provide "sickness" care, "disease" care, or "symptom" care — it provides health care!
As a philosophy, chiropractic recognizes that the body has a natural ability to express its health potential to the fullest. As a science, it dealt with the relationship between the spinal segments and the nerve system, and the effect this relationship has on the body's innate ability to express and maintain its good health. As an art, it entails knowledge, skill, and dexterity to locate and correct subluxations that can rob the body of the ability to maintain its own health.
The History of Chiropractic
One day in 1878, while working in a stooped, cramped position, Harvey Lillard felt something "pop" in his neck. A few days later, he was almost completely deaf. Seventeen years passed in virtual silence. Then, on September 18, 1895, Lillard told the story to Daniel David Palmer, a magnetic healer who practiced in the Davenport, Iowa building where Lillard worked as a janitor.
Palmer examined the deaf man's spine and discovered a big bump in the area where Lillard had said he felt the "pop." Reasoning that this bump was the result of one of the spine's vertebrae moving out of line with the others, Palmer persuaded Lillard to let him try to restore it to the normal position. He had the janitor lie down on his stomach, and applied force to the bump. There was another "pop" and the bump was gone. In a few days, Lillard was able to hear once again. Chiropractic was born.
Palmer began checking other patients for evidence of misaligned vertebrae and adjusting them. He quickly discovered that many of their ailments were alleviated, and even eliminated altogether, after his efforts to reposition the bones. From these observations, and from his own study and knowledge of health, Palmer concluded that good health is the normal, natural state of the body. He also reasoned that the body's own natural ability to fully express its good health was reduced by the interference to the passage of mental impulses to and from the brain; impulses that carried vital information regarding the proper functioning of the body and which were transmitted via the spinal cord.
If misaligned vertebrae could be returned to their normal positions, Palmer theorized, the free flow of information within the body could resume. Thus, the body's former ability to maintain itself in a state of natural good health would be restored. Further study and investigations of the discovery and its implications followed until Dr. Palmer had no doubt of the effectiveness of the correction, which he called "chiropractic," from the Greek words meaning "done by hand." With his son, B.J., who was equally convinced about the life-enhancing benefit of chiropractic, Palmer founded the first college designed to teach the philosophy, art, and science of the unique health care system.
Several of the early chiropractic "pioneers" differed in some of their views and ideas, but almost all of them held fast to several important precepts:
- that the body has an innate intelligence which continually strives to maintain the highest level of health.
- that chiropractic is a natural, non-invasive, and drugless way to remove a major form of interference to health.
- that the sole objective of chiropractic practice should be location, analysis, and correction of vertebral subluxations.
A few, however, began to veer away from the original principles of chiropractic. Dubbed "mixers" by Palmer, these chiropractors adopted the medical objective of treating diseases and used medical techniques in addition to chiropractic. Doctors of chiropractic, who continue to follow the original principles of chiropractic, are said to practice "straight" chiropractic.
Over the past 105 years, through the brilliant work of individual chiropractors, over 40 major chiropractic techniques have been developed. All seek to assess the spine for nerve interference and reduce it with forces called "adjustments". Chiropractic has survived and thrived and grown into the largest drugless healing art worldwide because all of these techniques work to restore health at least some of the time.
What conditions does Dr. Lueders treat?
-
Low Back Pain
-
Neck Pain
-
Headaches (Specialist in Migraines)
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions
-
Sport Injuries
-
Poor Posture
Is Chiropractic Safe?
Absolutely! The safety of modern chiropractic adjustments is unparalleled in the health care system. This is due to the advanced training received by the Doctor of Chiropractic, and the skills are maintained by regular post-graduate training to stay current on health issues and their effective treatment. And, Dr. Lueders has more than 23 years of experience in the diagnosis and treatment of a wide variety of conditions. For those that are helped by chiropractic care, we typically get very good results. And for those conditions that lie outside the scope of chiropractic, Dr. Lueders will recommend the appropriate referral with other health care providers.
Does my insurance cover it?
It may very well provide chiropractic benefits. Our expert staff will determine your eligibility when you come in. You will know exactly what is covered and to what extent. We do the billing for you!
What Can I Expect on My First Visit?
The staff will help you fill out some brief forms. Dr. Lueders will talk with you regarding your health concerns and will recommend the proper steps to determine the cause. If it is a chiropractic condition, Dr. Lueders will advise you and will recommend the correct course of care (including the exact diagnostic tests to perform). You will be told what the problems are and you’ll be given the options as to how to best treat the cause of them.
Why NOT to get care?
-
You DON’T want to have a body that works well for you.
-
You DON’T want to be free of unnecessary pain and problems.
-
You actually LIKE the attention you get from family because of all your stuff.
-
Hey, Grandpa had all these problems, why shouldn’t you?
Why Should I Visit your Office?
Chiropractors locate and correct vertebral subluxations (distortions) in your spine. We do this extremely well. You should especially see us if you are:
-
Ill or in discomfort or pain - Persistent symptoms are a sign that something is wrong! We do not treat the symptom; we find and correct the underlying cause so the symptom(s) resolve and do not come back. We will explain your individual exam findings to you in terms you can understand.
-
In any accident or trauma - Car accidents or simple falls can cause severe spinal stress and result in numerous subluxations. A fall, even as a toddler or young child, can cause or contribute to health problems later in life.
-
Competing in sports - We know how to optimize your spinal and pelvic structure. Proper alignment means immediate improvement in performance. We have many youth, weekend, and elite athletes in our practice. Many Olympic and professional athletes wouldn't dream of entering competition without first seeing their chiropractor.
-
Pregnant - Pregnancy is a time of hormonal changes that "loosen" your ligaments, preparing you for birth. This loosening however can weaken your spine. Breech presentations have been observed to correct themselves under chiropractic care.
-
A baby - the birth process can be very traumatic for the baby and create spinal distortions; subluxations may be created which can affect the baby's health.
-
A child - Chiropractic can have a positive influence on brain function. All children and especially those with problems such as hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, asthma, concentration, reading or math problems, vision problems, and other conditions can benefit from chiropractic care.
-
Walking with one or both feet pointing out or in; toe walking (usually seen in children) - A sign of adverse spinal tension that needs to be fixed.
-
Have one jaw muscle tighter (more sensitive to pressure) than the other, or clicking of the jaw.
-
Under a lot of stress - Physical, emotional, and chemical stresses are tough on your spine-nerve system.
-
Alive and have a spine and want to improve and maintain your health naturally, from the inside out, without drugs or surgery.
