Interesting Facts About Chiropractic

Chiropractic is such an interesting and fascinating practice, and there is so much to know about it. Whether you have never been to a chiropractor before and are wanting to know what it is all about, or if you have been going for years and just want to know more, there are so many interesting things to learn about chiropractic. There is so much more to chiropractic than just helping with things like back pain, neck pain, and headaches. Below I have compiled a list of interesting facts about chiropractic for those who want to know what it is all about!

1. Chiropractic helps to look after the nervous system. Areas of your spine can become misaligned over time due to the numerous stressors in our lives. These areas of misalignments can interfere with the nervous system that runs down through the spine. These areas of interference impact the way that the brain and the body are communicating, and can stop them both from functioning at their best. This can lead to things like clumsiness, low energy, poor sleep, and slower healing times. Chiropractors are able to find these misaligned areas of your spine and perform chiropractic adjustments on them. These adjustments get the joints moving in the correct way, which reduces the interference to the nervous system. This allows your brain and body to be able to communicate more effectively and for both of them to function at their best. If you want a healthy, well functioning nervous system, you should definitely think about seeing a chiropractor!
2. The chiropractic profession has been around for over 120 years! The first chiropractic adjustment was performed on September 18, 1895 by Daniel David Palmer (the founder of chiropractic) on Harvey Lillard in Davenport, Iowa. Harvey Lillard was a deaf janitor, who had lost his hearing due to an accident 17 years prior. After this adjustment, Harvey Lillard’s hearing miraculously returned! While this was the first chiropractic adjustment, manual therapies and manipulation of the spine have been around for centuries. Daniel David Palmer then went on to open the first chiropractic school in 1897 in Davenport, Iowa. If you would like to know more about the history of chiropractic, have a look at this website here: https://www.acatoday.org/About/History-of-Chiropractic
3. The word chiropractic comes from the Greek words ‘cheir’ which means hand, and ‘praktos’ which means done, i.e. done by hand. Since it was given its name the chiropractic profession has grown and evolved, and there are now many different chiropractic techniques, some that use more than just hands to adjust, such as using an activator instrument, or using different tables to help assist with the adjustments. 
4. Chiropractors are highly knowledgeable and go through extensive training, earning the title of ‘Doctor’ at the completion of their studies. In New Zealand, chiropractors have to do a minimum of 5 years of studies to earn their degree. This includes 1 year of basic sciences, and then 4 years of specific chiropractic training, which is done at the New Zealand College of Chiropractic, which is located in Mount Wellington, Auckland. This education goes further than just teaching about the spine and nervous system, chiropractors learn all about all of the different body and organ systems, and all the things that can go wrong with them. On top of all their studies, they also do a lot of practical learning, and this starts from the very beginning of their training. In the final 2 years of their studies, they do an internship where they provide care to the public. All chiropractors have done a minimum of 500 patient visits before they can enter the profession as a qualified chiropractor. All of this combined means that chiropractors in New Zealand are highly knowledgeable, and are equipped to provide you with excellent quality care. 
5. Chiropractors can see anyone of any age. You are never too young or too old to receive chiropractic care. Newborn babies benefit greatly from chiropractic care, as the birth process can be quite traumatic on their little bodies. Chiropractic care for babies is very different and interesting from chiropractic care for adults, in fact it is extremely gentle and effective. It helps make sure their bodies and nervous systems are working at their best, which helps them to grow up strong and healthy. Chiropractic is also great for the elderly. It is never too late to start looking after your spine. Chiropractic has many great benefits for the elderly, one of the biggest being that it helps improve balance. This is extremely important as falls and the injuries due to these can be extremely debilitating for elderly adults. It can also help with mobility and therefore independence. Chiropractic is also great for anyone in between. Kids, teenagers, pregnant people, desk workers, tradies, and everyone can benefit from chiropractic care and looking after their spines! The care is always catered to the specific person, so that you always get the most out of your care. 
6. Chiropractic care isn’t just for humans which is interesting, in fact, anyone with a spine and nervous system can benefit from being adjusted. Animals can benefit greatly from being adjusted. Dogs, cats, and horses are all regularly adjusted by chiropractors, and even crazy animals such as tigers and penguins have been adjusted by chiropractors before. If your pet is having issues with pain or mobility, you may want to consider taking them to a chiropractor. It can work wonders for them!
7. Chiropractic care is great for athletic performance, and is used by many top professional athletes. Famous athletes including Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Tom Brady, and Arnold Schwarzenegger all use chiropractic care to stay at the top of their game.
8. Chiropractic care has been shown to improve core muscle activation. This helps to stabilise your spine and can help to prevent spinal injuries from occurring. 
9. There are over 100,000 chiropractors worldwide! And this number is rising as more and more people learn about the power of chiropractic and seek out chiropractors for their services. 
10. Over a million adjustments are performed every single day around the globe!