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Doctors' Corner - Helplful Articles

Come here often to find articles on back care and rehabilitation. New information will become available on a monthly basis as well as a complete archive of all articles published.

Dr. Daryl L. Ridgeway

Hello everyone, and welcome to the site. It is a pleasure to be included in the Doctor’s Corner for Amazing Products, and to share the spot with Dr. Michael Wittmer.

Since there may be some people who are still unfamiliar with Chiropractic or may have an incorrect idea of what Chiropractic is, we thought articles such as this might serve to help one better understand what this science is all about. We will attempt to answer your general questions as quickly as possible, but we won’t be giving diagnoses, as that can only be done appropriately after thorough examination with a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic.

Today let’s start at the beginning; Chiropractic is a health profession concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the effects of these disorders on the nervous system and general health. There is emphasis on manual treatments, including spinal adjustment (sometimes also referred to as spinal manipulation).

The word Chiropractic, from the Greek word praxis and cheir, means treatment by hand. Although the practice was defined as a profession in the United States in 1895, history tells us the art (of using hands to correct body alignment problems) was used by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Chinese for many centuries.

The general public often is not aware of the amount of education required to become a Chiropractic physician. There is a minimum of six years full-time university level education, including two years of university credits in prerequisite science subjects (Inorganic, Organic Chemistry, Biology, Anatomy, Physics ) and a four-year graduate level program at an accredited Chiropractic College. In St. Louis, we have Logan Chiropractic College and our program is actually a five-year schedule that can be completed in less than four intensive years, if the student continues classes year round. In order to practice we also must pass a set of four National boards, which lead to licensure. Also, to maintain the state license, the physician must complete a minimum of twenty-four or more hours of postgraduate level training each year. Many Chiropractors will also hold postgraduate certifications in advanced studies such as radiology, orthopedics, acupuncture, sports chiropractic, neurology and nutrition.

Finding a Chiropractor that is right for you is not difficult. I believe one of the best ways is by referral from a friend. There are plenty of physicians listed in the phone book, but like any other business, the largest, most colorful ad only means that the person is spending a great deal of money on advertising.

After making the initial appointment, expect a thorough exam, possibly including X-rays, neurological testing, muscle testing, range of motion testing, not to mention normal physical tests, all designed to look at your body as a whole, and then to focus on your specific problem.

If a manual adjustment is needed, it is a painless procedure that often yields a very quick improvement in the problem. We’ll speak more of this in the next column.

Meanwhile if you have any questions we can help you with concerning Chiropractic, please drop us a message through the Doctor's Corner and we will do whatever we can to help.

So long for now Dr. Daryl L. Ridgeway

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