Imagine traveling down a highway of light, moving effortlessly towards your destination. The sense of gliding comes to mind as you move. But as you’re moving, you sense that you begin to slow, and your movement seems to become less efficient, limited. Pushing through what seems like a barrier, you reach your destination, however, with seemingly less energy and information to relay.

This is an ‘internal’ view of what a nerve impulse ‘sees’ when it is released from the brain, which then travels through the spinal cord, passes through a spinal subluxation (another term for a ‘kink or fixation’ in the spine), then onto its destination… which could be an organ, or a muscle in an arm or leg. Releasing or ‘adjusting’ the spinal subluxation is one approach to encourage wellness and relieve pain employed by chiropractic doctors.

Chiropractic, derived from Greek meaning “done by hand,” was established in 1895 by Daniel D. Palmer. It is now practiced in over 100 countries. Chiropractors are licensed throughout all of the United States; however, their scope of practice varies from state to state. For instance, in some states chiropractors may practice as primary care physicians. However, chiropractic scope is slightly more limited in Washington and Idaho.

Chiropractic medicine focuses on the diagnoses and treatment of musculoskeletal and spinal conditions with the intent to positively affect the balance of the nervous system. It is thought that spinal joint dysfunction negatively affects the nervous system; creating nerve irritation and resulting in diminished nervous system function and therefore, diminished function of all which is being innervated. This can result in limited and painful motion, postural asymmetry, and muscular tension. Nerve communication with organs can be involved as well, making chiropractic medicine also a viable option for adjunctive care in the treatment of non-musculoskeletal conditions (e.g., irritable bowel syndrome, pre-menstrual syndrome, allergies, etc.).

Dr. Melody Volk, a chiropractic physician practicing in Pullman, describes the goal of chiropractic treatment as “removing interference, so the body can begin to heal itself.”

You might wonder, how does a subluxation or in other words, dysfunction of a spinal joint, occur? Some people are diagnosed with an altered curve of the spine since birth, known as scoliosis, and others develop minor subluxations in the spine as a result of poor posture, stress, trauma, poor diet, and less than optimal shoe support. As symptoms from poor structural alignment sometimes take years to manifest, treatment can also take multiple visits. At a typical first visit, the chiropractor will take your health history, possibly take x-rays, assess your musculoskeletal system, and then will adjust you either manually or with an instrument to work towards spinal alignment. Many chiropractors also use contrast hydrotherapy (alternation of hot and cold), traction, electrical muscle stimulation, and ultrasound to aid either in pain relief and/or encouragement of tissue healing.

Whether addressing low back pain, (which happens to be one of the most common reasons people seek chiropractic care initially), treating injury or looking to improve your overall alignment, chiropractic medicine can be a wonderful way to optimize your wellness. Moscow-based chiropractors: Dr. Robert Haug and Dr. Keli Kepler (208.882.3012); Dr. James McKenzie (208.883.4300); Dr. Moss Valentine (208.892.8239); and Moscow Chiropractic Clinic (208.882.8534). Pullman-based chiropractors: Dr. Melody Volk (509.332.2225); Dr. Kenneth Cyr (509.332.1550); Dr. Michael Stallcop and Dr. Shane Carnahan (509.332.5613).