Frequently Asked Questions in Raleigh NC

A chiropractor is a healthcare professional trained in the analysis and correction of vertebral subluxation, musculoskeletal conditions, and other holistic modalities. Chiropractors utilize specific and short lever manipulation, unlike other practitioners that utilize a unspecific or long lever manipulation. This allows for chiropractic adjustment to achieve better long-lasting results.

Chiropractic care is a holistic approach to correcting vertebral subluxations that cause a plethora of symptoms and conditions like headaches, ear infections, neck pain, back pain, gastrointestinal dysfunction like constipation or colic, sleeping problems like insomnia, reproductive problems like infertility or impotence, menstrual cycle irregularities, and much more.

Yes. Chiropractors attend a doctorate-level program specifically focused on anatomy, physiology, nutrition, diagnostics and radiographic analysis, neurology, and chiropractic manipulation for a holistic approach to common ailments.

The manipulation of the spine has been utilized to correct basic ailments dating back to as early as b1500 and 2700 B.C. in the Chinese and Greek cultures. Chiropractic care started to gain popularity in 1895 when D.D. Palmer named the practice “Chiropractic”, which means done by hand, and began teaching others to heal utilizing spinal manipulation.

Depending on the state or country that determines the chiropractic scope of practice, Chiropractors are able to perform manipulation of the skeletal system, therapeutic modalities, reading blood and urine labs, meridian therapy, acupuncture and functional rehabilitation, functional medicine, and neurologically based therapies.

Chiropractors are useful in supporting healthy immune systems and regulating stress responses within the nervous system. Similarly, when you have basic upkeep work performed on a car to ensure it operates the way it was designed to, so can you also support healthy functions of your body and nervous system through consistent and specific chiropractic care.

Chiropractic care absolutely works. A common misconception is that once you go to a chiropractor once you HAVE to keep going. Most patients willingly choose to continue to see a chiropractor to optimize their body's function and maintain higher levels of quality of life.

Chiropractic care is very safe and effective in aiding the body to heal itself. There is very little risk of causing injury to patients when practicing specific and appropriate chiropractic manipulation with a proper examination and a complete medical history before treatment. Many uninformed individuals may associate stroke with chiropractic manipulation however, according to the research "there is no significant association between exposure to chiropractic care and the risk of VBA stroke. We conclude that manipulation is an unlikely cause of VBA stroke. The positive association between PCP visits and VBA stroke is most likely due to patient decisions to seek care for the symptoms (headache and neck pain) of arterial dissection. We further conclude that using chiropractic visits as a measure of exposure to manipulation may result in unreliable estimates of the strength of association with the occurrence of VBA stroke." This means that many patients unknowingly already experiencing stroke symptoms present to a chiropractic office to seek relief for the headaches and neck pain that are associated with stroke.

• Kosloff TM, Elton D, Tao J, Bannister WM. Chiropractic care and the risk of vertebrobasilar stroke: results of a case-control study in U.S. commercial and Medicare Advantage populations. Chiropr Man Therap. 2015 Jun 16;23:19. doi: 10.1186/s12998-015-0063-x. PMID: 26085925; PMCID: PMC4470078.

There are little to no negative side effects from chiropractic care as long as the patient is a good candidate for care. Some negative side effects include soreness following chiropractic treatment and occasional flare-ups in musculoskeletal conditions as your body adapts to better function. The many positive side effects include a better range of motion, less painful symptoms, better sleep quality, healthier menstrual cycle regulation via your body’s design, and much more.

The amount of chiropractic care a person needs largely depends on the condition of their spine upon initial evaluation, their lifestyle stressors that could delay results, and compliance with recommendations by the doctor. As a general rule of thumb, healthier individuals usually will need less care as their bodies are less stressed and can adapt quicker to specific adjustments. On the contrary, unhealthy individuals with a various number of co-morbidities, poor lifestyle or workplace-related stressors, poor nutrition, and trauma will respond slower to chiropractic care and will require more treatment to obtain various personal goals established by the patient.

At Liberty Chiropractic Institute, we utilize the Gonstead method in addition to Chiropractic Bio-Physics (CBP) curve correction methods, as well as static and motion study x-rays to obtain the best possible foundational correction to any underlying structural dysfunction. Each patient’s care is closely monitored with regular exams and specific therapies to ensure that we are not another failed option.

The easiest way to find a chiropractor near you is with a simple Google search. If you are looking for a specific method or technique of chiropractic, calling different offices and inquiring about the method commonly used in their office is another easy way to find a chiropractor that works for you. Not every chiropractor is the right chiropractor for you so it is important to do your research just like you would for any other health care service.

Common chiropractic techniques include but are not limited to Gonstead, Diversified, Upper Cervical, Thompson Drop, Activator, Sacro-Occipital Technique, and Atlas Orthogonal. There are hundreds of different chiropractic techniques. Some patients respond better to certain techniques. Tt is critical that you do your research and find which chiropractor works best for you. The chiropractic technique utilized here at Liberty Chiropractic Institute is a core technique that is taught at all chiropractic colleges and universities.

Chiropractors treat vertebral subluxations, or misalignments in the spine to take pressure off of spinal nerves and thus allow the body to heal and regulate on its own as it is designed to do.

Physical trauma is one of the main stressors in life that can lead to spinal misalignment. Chiropractic care, being the only profession specifically focused on correcting spinal misalignment, helps relieve pain from injuries, accidents, and many other life stressors.

Chiropractic care specifically treats the vertebral subluxation complex which is the misalignment of the spine causing neurological implications such as pain or dysfunction. When a chiropractor corrects these vertebral subluxations, you may find symptom relief in other areas like headaches, ear infections, neck pain, back pain, gastrointestinal dysfunction like constipation or colic, sleeping problems like insomnia, reproductive problems like infertility or impotence, menstrual cycle irregularities, and much more.

You can absolutely receive chiropractic care during pregnancy. There is a specific technique designed to help symptoms related to pregnancy called the Webster technique that targets the bones, muscles, and ligaments in the pelvis to allow for proper alignment of the hips, allowing the uterus to relax, and giving the mom a more comfortable pregnancy and labor/delivery experience. When the the mom has a proper pelvic alignment, there is less twisting on the uterus creating more space for baby to do all of the things a baby needs to in order to prepare for delivery. Both doctors at Liberty Chiropractic Institute are trained in the Webster technique as well as infant chiropractic adjustments.

Chiropractic adjustments target and specifically remove the pressure placed on spinal nerves in different parts of the spine that can lead to decreased low back pain, neck pain, or sciatica pain.

Chiropractors treat musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction.

Depends on the status of the condition the patient presents with on their visits to receive treatment. Although some adjustments may be uncomfortable during times of increased inflammation, normal and regular chiropractic treatments are comfortable, and many patients express that they feel good.

Chiropractic adjustments are safe and effective for treating misalignments in the spine as long as the patient has been deemed a good candidate for care via proper examination and testing by the doctor.

The popping sound sometimes heard during a chiropractic adjustment is nitrogen gas being released from the joints between spinal vertebrae and is similar to opening a soda cap or Snapple top. It is a normal part of human physiology when this type of force is introduced into the joint via specific chiropractic adjustments but is not indicative of a successful spinal correction. Meaning you do not need to hear a popping sound to have received proper spinal manipulation or alignment.

At Liberty Chiropractic Institute, each visit requires analysis and evaluation of any present misalignments a patient possesses at the time of the treatment rendered. That often changes between visits as the body adapts to better alignment and as it heals. There are many positions where an adjustment can be delivered and you will not necessarily experience the same adjustment on every visit. Furthermore, the position utilized to adjust may be similar between visits but the specific bone being adjusted may vary between visits depending on the office or chiropractor you receive care from.

Complete resolution of back pain is dependent on lifestyle changes made to support healthy spinal habits and continuing with a maintenance program with your chiropractor (usually less often in frequency) to best optimize adaptation to life stressors unique to your lifestyle. Chiropractic philosophy believes the core causes of subluxation are the body’s inability to adapt to thoughts (negative emotions, stress), traumas (car accidents, sports injuries, falls), and toxins (poor nutrition, water, or even air quality).

Creating the sound of a pop is not the sign of an adjustment. However, many individuals can twist and turn their necks and backs to elicit those popping sounds which in turn releases endorphins (feel good chemicals in the body) that feels good in the moment but often times returns to the same degree or worse. The twisting and turning of your own spine don’t correct the true and main misalignment in your spine and that is what a chiropractor is trained to do. Leave it to the professionals and their technique for your best results. You wouldn’t try to drill your own cavities, put on your own braces, or perform your own surgery, would you?

This depends on the office where you receive care and the technique of chiropractic performed. In the Gonstead technique, patients are gowned from the waist up to utilize a temperature differential device to identify swelling and inflammation in the spine specific to that visit or that person’s spine. Other offices do not utilize this tool to find vertebral subluxation and this is yet another thing that makes our office different.

Chiropractic care is absolutely appropriate for children. A child’s adjustment varies from an adult’s adjustment and is comparable to the amount of force used to check a ripe tomato or avocado at the grocery store depending on the age of the child.