I was first introduced to chiropractic in 1997 when my then-1-year-old daughter had repetitive ear infections. I was tired of the antibiotics and ibuprofen route and started to look into less "contemporary" methods. We even tried garlic drops in her ears (although she smelled like Pizza Palace; her ear infections continued).  A colleague of mine suggested seeing her daughter, who was a chiropractor. As ridiculous as this sounded, she was ‘cured.’ Our family has practiced chiropractic care as a means to evade pain, the common cold and most recently I had a chiropractor treat me after twisted ankle. (Did you know your foot bones need adjustments after a sprain or the ligaments won't heal well?)

The word "chiropractic" is derived from the Greek words “cheir” (meaning "hand,") and “praktos” (meaning "done"). In other words: healing done by hand. Chiropractic can be traced back to 1895 when Daniel David Palmer performed the first chiropractic adjustment and went on to found The Palmer School of Chiropractic. Thankfully, chiropractic is now more mainstream after nearly 200 years of many not trusting chiropractors. Now, most insurance companies help pay for adjustments. 

I have had the pleasure of meeting, being treated or referring patients to all of the chiropractors in Milford. According to Dr. Tamara Palmer from Palmer Family Chiropractic, there are five common questions and objections:

1. Fear of the “pop” sound: "Popping sounds are a natural occurrence when the spine is adjusted. When you “pop” a joint, you stretch the joint capsule.  This causes gases to release resulting in a popping sound." (Popping the cork on a champagne bottle is another example of a similar premise. It’s releasing the pressure inside the bottle that produces the sound.)
2. Safe age for chiropractic: birth to elderly.  
3. Pain or fear: “Chiropractic shouldn’t hurt. There are many modalities for adjustments and many instruments we can use. We can do soft and gentle, instrumentation, stretching, and massage techniques. It is important to find a provider who will work with the goal and fears of the patient.”
4. Feeling worse after a treatment: “This is not common but may happen at the beginning.  Think of it like getting a massage and working out a ‘knot’ or starting a spin class, boot camp or running regimen; the body has a period of adjustment.”
5. Length of treatment: “This depends on the person’s goals and health status. Chiropractic improves all avenues of health. It’s like losing 30 pounds; if there are no lifestyle changes after the ‘diet’ is over, the weight will return.  If someone doesn’t continue chiropractic after they are feeling better (e.g. they don’t change their sleep position, posture, job, etc.) the complaint will return.”

Since most people immediately think of back or neck pain when they hear "chiropractor," I asked Dr. Palmer to list five common complaints (such as ear infections) that could be treated by a chiropractor:

1. TMJ
2. Migraines & sinus infections
3. Plantar fasciitis
4. Tennis elbow
5. Menstrual disorders

Instead of searching in Worcester or Boston for a “Specialist” for a persistent issue, allow this article to empower you to call one of our Milford community chiropractors to help you on your health path.

Palmer Family Chiropractic

Franklin Back & Joint Care

Seitz Specific Chiropractic

Dr. Ian Frohn

Milford Family Chiropractic

Health Tip: Make sure you are safe when shoveling and de-icing.