I was at a meeting the other night with other health care professionals, when the discussion turned to "what does a chiropractor do?" Another doctor asked me "what does a chiropractor fix?" My answer to that was "As a Doctor of Chiropractic, I don't 'fix' anything."
This drew up some eyebrows.
I went on to explain, it is not my job to "fix" a problem. I used the example of a Medical Doctor treating a broken clavicle. If someone breaks their clavicle and it is separated (which usually happens, one side of the bone moves up, the other down, so the fractured ends do not touch and do not align with each other), and that person does not get the area treated, he/she just "lets it heal." The body, amazingly, will connect the two broken bones. They will not be in the correct position, but the bones will fuse/"fix" itself. Now if that same person were to seek out a Medical Doctor who would set the clavicle so that the bones line up, the body will still "fix" itself, and the bones will be in alignment with each other. The M.D. did not "fix" the body; they just helped it along its path.
As a Doctor of Chiropractic, I have the great privilege of doing a similar thing. If someone hurts their lower back/neck/wrist, etc and "does nothing." The area will probably heal so the body can function. That function may be impaired, the area may have chronic inflammation, weakness, etc, but it will "heal." Now if that same person seeks out a Doctor of Chiropractic, the DC will find the area of weakness/injury and help re-align/strengthen the area so that it may heal more correctly. I am blessed to be a Doctor of Chiropractic, and I also know that I do not "fix" the body; the human body is much more amazing than I can ever be. A nerve transmits an impulse at a rate of 131 to 299 feet per second, half of your body's blood cells are replaced every 7 days, the average adult has 206 bones in their body, the human body has about 640 muscles... and somehow the body coordinates all of this without any of our help.
So as a Doctor of Chiropractic, I do not "fix" anything, I just help ensure that the body does not have impedance, or interference in its quest to heal itself, and everyday I am humbled by the amazing experiences I have seen through chiropractic and for that I am eternally grateful.
