The clinic philosophy at Belmont Chiropractic is based on the following simple, common-sense principles. They serve as a guide as we assess your health, explain what we’ve found and make our specific care recommendations:

• Being healthy is your normal state
• Your nervous system controls everything
• Stress can overload your nervous system
• Spinal joint dysfunction is a coping strategy
• Adjustments help reduce spinal dysfunction
• You’ll likely need more than one adjustment
• How long you benefit from care is up to you

Chiropractic is a natural solution that is attracting the interest of researchers who want to know why chiropractic works so well.

Your nervous system, consisting of your brain, spinal cord and all your nerves, is the most vital system of your body. Its purpose is to coordinate and regulate all the other systems of your body as well as help you adapt to your environment. Just a few of the jobs it looks after, without a conscious thought from you are:

Producing stomach acid after a meal
Communicating with the immune system
Increasing your pulse when climbing stairs
Reducing your blood pressure when seated
Learning to crawl, walk or ride a bicycle
Producing pain when touching a hot stove
Perspiring to cool you when it’s hot

Your nervous system controls every cell, tissue, organ and system of your body. Your DNA may determine your height or the colour of your eyes, but your nervous system controls and regulates how your body functions.

If your nervous system were to be impaired, interfered with or compromised so nerve messages to or from your brain were distorted, parts of your body may not work as intended. Stroke victims and those confined to wheelchairs are tragic and severe examples of this simple neurological fact.

That’s why the most significant parts of your nervous system are protected by bone. Your brain is protected by your skull and your spinal cord is covered by the moving bones of your spinal column.

Yet, even with this protection, interferences can happen. Especially along the spinal column. The most common (and overlooked) cause is stress.

These days, stress is so common it’s often seen as “normal.” Since it’s unlikely that we can eliminate stress in our lives, improving our ability to withstand and accommodate it is important for our health.

There’s good stress and bad stress.
Positive Stress Negative Stress
A workout at the gym Lack of adequate sleep
One-day water fast Daily diet of fast food
Learning the piano Paying the bills
International travel Airline seats
Trying new foods Food poisoning
A glass of wine Three glasses of wine

Generally, stress falls into three categories:

Physical Stress – Repetitive motions (painting the ceiling), postural distortions (falling asleep with your neck twisted) and whiplash injuries from a car accident are physical stresses. So are slips and falls. Even a difficult birth or learning to walk.

Emotional Stress – Ever face an impossible deadline at work? Or grieved the loss of a loved one? Notice the posture of someone who is depressed. Anger, or a sense of hopelessness, are common forms of emotional stress that may affect the spine.

Chemical Stress – Today’s environment constantly assaults us with chemicals. Drugs, preservatives, tobacco, alcohol, pollen, pet dander, detergents, fabric softeners and a host of other substances that can affect our nervous system and muscle tone.

Stress produces a reaction in your body. Besides increased levels of stress hormones, the fight or flight response may produce spinal joint dysfunction. Think of it as your body’s circuit breaker.

If you suffer from spinal dysfunction, in which spinal bones are stuck, fixated and not moving properly, your ability to turn and bend can be compromised. When a spinal bone loses its normal relationship with the bone above or below it, it may set in motion a cascade of effects:

Reduced joint motion
Nerve irritation
Inflammation
Muscle spasm
Disc bulging
Joint degeneration
Pain
Numbness in the hands and feet
“Pins and needles” sensations

As a short-term solution to overwhelming physical, chemical or emotional stress, spinal joint dysfunction is a brilliant coping strategy. Yet, when this stress response doesn’t resolve in a timely manner, or the stress is chronic, it may lead to other consequences.

Chiropractic is a natural healing art which detects the presence of these spinal joint dysfunctions and reduces them using chiropractic adjustments.

After a thorough examination, a chiropractor adds energy to your spine at an opportune time and place to help your body “right” itself. Think of a chiropractic adjustment as a gentle “nudge” to help restore better movement to the spine.

While the word chiropractic comes from the Greek meaning “done by hand,” there are many ways to adjust the spine.

Whether done with actual hands, various types of handheld instruments, blocks that harness the effect of gravity or by other means, a chiropractic adjustment is distinguished by the chiropractor’s intention.

It surprises many to learn that the intent of chiropractic adjustments is NOT to treat a disease, reduce pain or any other symptom. Granted, that’s a frequent result, but that’s not the purpose of chiropractic adjustments! Instead, the intent of chiropractic adjustments is to help revive your spine’s ability to function more normally.

Helping your spine and nervous system to function to the best of its ability is the century-old basis of chiropractic. Treating symptoms and curing various diseases is the practice of medicine. Both have their place.

What do chiropractic adjustments feel like? Usually quite pleasant. Often patients mention that not only do they move better, but that they feel more “connected” and report a pleasant sense of ease and well-being. That’s important, because repeated visits are often necessary.