Have problems with kidney stones, gallbladder or pancreas? Do you suffer from sinus headaches, asthma or allergies? Do you have health woes that medical science just can’t seem to pin down? Perhaps it’s time you see the chiropractic connection.

Chiropractic is a natural, nonsurgical health care system that relies on the body’s inherent ability to heal itself without resorting to drugs. It focuses on the nervous system, on the relationship between structure (primarily the spine) and function (as coordinated by the nervous system), and how that relationship affects the restoration and preservation of health.

Information flow from the brain goes awry when the bones of the spine become misaligned or move out of their normal position. Since information is no longer processed properly, this can cause nerves to behave abnormally and manifest as pain.

Natural doctors

“We are natural doctors. We manipulate the spine with our hands and create a change in the spine that in turn creates a dynamic improvement in the nervous system. That’s why people heal,” said Dr. Michel “Mike” Yves Tetrault, CEO of Chiropractic Services Corps Inc., operator of Mabuhay Chiropractic Clinics.

Spinal adjustments correct any interference to the nervous system and restore the body’s ability to control and coordinate many of its functions. Symptoms are relieved, and the body’s health is restored.

Sounds simple? Before viewing chiropractic health care as the last resort to your problems, know your choices when it comes to taking care of yourself. Medical science and chiropractic practice can coexist. The choice really should be which one to see first, Tetrault said.
A chiropractor requires eight years of study, a license, and a certification. In advanced countries like the US, people know their choices and go straight to a chiropractor if they want to. Chiropractors know the role they play in health care so that if your headache, for instance, is caused by tumor or poor vision they’d recommend you see a medical doctor.

A misaligned spine can cause bad posture, pinched nerve, stiffness, hip pains, migraines, leg pain, foot numbness, among a host of other
ailments—more than 200, in fact, Tetrault said. Poor flexibility in the hips and hamstrings and weak abs contribute to back pain. (Back pain, he said, is one of the most common reasons people see a chiropractor.)

“Chiropractic health care is a safe and effective procedure. Spinal adjustments are performed to more than two million patients every day around the world. We first have to determine if the person is well enough to avoid emergency medical care so that this process can take place for weeks or months in a safe way,” he said.

Medical science checks the spine for pathology, but they don’t look for misalignment, biomechanical dysfunctions, and instabilities the way chiropractors do.

“I’ve had more than 20,000 patients in my years of practice. Nature is powerful and I’ve seen it work. This is not, however, a quick fix. We allow nature the time it needs to do its work. You don’t fix a fracture by removing the cast in a few days. These things take time,” Tetrault said.

Goals differ with age

It is safe for infants, children and teenagers. While a child’s body whose spine is still developing will respond better to treatment compared to a 40-year-old’s, goals differ with age. An older adult, for example, will be glad to maintain his spine health in the best possible condition, aiming to slow down its inevitable, degenerative process.

When do you need to see a chiropractor?

“If you have a spine you need to get it checked. If you suffer from any kind of pain, even those that you think may not be related to the spine at all, you need to have it checked. If you have a health problem that is not going away, you need to have it checked,” he said.

How much therapy you need depends on the severity of your injuries and how your body reacts to the treatment. A regular “tune-up,” however, is recommended. During realignment, an audible “pop” is sometimes heard. This sound is caused by gases released inside your joints. This increases mobility, relieves nerve irritation, and allows the muscles to relax, alleviating aches and pains.

Too many people are overmedicated, popping pain relievers like candy. Consistent treatment from a chiropractor, and perhaps some lifestyle modification, can rid you of painkillers.

“Medicine is disease management, chiropractic is health care. That said, medicine is the alternative to health care,” Tetrault said.

Mabuhay Chiropractic Clinic has branches in Bacoor, Eastwood, Fairview, Forbes, Glorietta, Las Piñas, Mall of Asia, Salcedo, SM North and Cebu.