Welcome to the Limerick Chiropractic Clinic
Chiropractic is a profession that specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of biomechanical disorders of the neuro-musculoskeletal system, particularly involving the spine and its effects on the nervous system.
Spinal dysfunction and misalignment can be brought on by a number of factors associated with modern day living, including accidents, physical stress, mental stress, anxiety, poor diet, lack of exercise and repetitive movements. Loss of normal function of the spinal bones can cause compression and irritation of the joints and nerves that exit from between the spinal vertebrae. These spinal nerves supply every part of your body. Through this neural connection, spinal problems can affect the function of muscles, joints and organs and interfere with optimum health.
Chiropractic is based on the scientific fact that the nervous system controls the function of virtually every tissue, cell, organ and system of the body. In the majority of cases the treatment is aimed at removing nerve compression and irritation, which most commonly has been brought on by abnormal alignment or dysfunction of the spinal joints. Chiropractors use specific manipulation of these joints to restore their normal function. The result is increase in mobility, decrease in any pain or discomfort and removal of irritation of the nerves with a wide range of health benefits.
Chiropractic can help relieve pain, dysfunction and discomfort from practically every part of the body by releasing the inherent power of the body to heal itself. Not only does it offer hands-on pain management, but it can also promote optimum health and give a general sense of well-being as the body balances itself through treatment and starts to function without interference. An important part of chiropractic management of your health is to ensure that once you get better, you will also stay that way. The ultimate goal is to restore and optimize health and keep irreversible degenerative changes to minimum.
History of Chiropractic
‘Chiropractic’ is derived from the Greek words ‘kheir’ and ‘praxis’, meaning ‘to do by hand’. This describes chiropractic as a drug-free, natural, non-invasive science.
The use of manipulation has been documented for almost 4000 years, first in China and Greece. Hippocrates (400 BC) was the first person to link spinal misalignment with ill health and there are records of spinal manipulation for back problems since that time.
Modern chiropractic was founded by Daniel David Palmer in Davenport, Iowa in 1895. He came up with the term chiropractic and founded the first chiropractic teaching school in 1897. Over the past hundred years chiropractic has expanded to become the world’s third largest health care profession after medicine and dentistry.
How does it work?
Chiropractic works by identifying the underlying cause of pain or health problem and then correcting it. No surgery or drugs are involved - it’s all natural! In fact, one of the first aims is to get patient away from using pain killers, due to their possible side effects. Chiropractors offer hands-on treatment to deliver chiropractic adjustments. This is the application of precise force in accurate direction on a specific joint that is out of alignment or “fixated” (not moving properly). When spinal vertebrae are fixated, spinal nerves may become irritated and compressed. Adjustments will help the bones to realign and joints to regain their normal function. By removing nerve irritation and normalising the function of joints, ligaments, tendons and organs, the inherent healing ability of your body is restored.
Chiropractic Education
Chiropractors are very well trained health care professionals. On average five years full-time university studies are required. The studies include anatomy, neurology, physiology, pathology, biochemistry, behavioural sciences, diagnosis and manipulative skills to mention but a few.
Today chiropractors are the worlds most highly trained and skilled specialists in manipulative therapy.