Before entering Chiropractic college, a pre-professional study in the basic sciences is required. Chiropractors receive an education that includes evaluation and care for the entire body with special emphasis on neuromusculo-skeletal diagnosis and treatment. The New Zealand Chiropractic Board has very high standards for Chiropractors to be registered here in New Zealand. Today’s Doctors of Chiropractic are well educated, with an education curriculum similar to medical school. Courses emphasize anatomy, neurology, biomechanics, nutrition, x-ray, physiology, diagnosis and spinal adjusting. In addition to the classroom training, Chiropractic interns must see a specified number of new patients and regular patient visits during their clinical training in a supervised teaching clinic. Chiropractic education totals 5 years after which, demanding national boards must be passed. Chiropractors in New Zealand also have standards for ongoing continuing professional development courses to maintain their annual practicing certificate. Here at Pure Healthcare, our Chiropractors in Albany and Auckland meet regularly with peer groups to obtain regular and ongoing training in examination skills, diagnosis, x-ray/MRI/Ultra-sound report interpretation, biomechanics and Chiropractic technique.

Our Chiropractic Doctors in Albany and Auckland all practice what we call “Wholistic Chiropractic”. This means caring for the “whole” person by treating the CAUSE as well as the symptom. We do this by identifying the underlying biomechanical or biophysiological cause, and then integrating Chiropractic care, exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle advice to help you get well and stay well. Call now for an appointment on 09-414-2225, read on to learn more, or click to learn more about our “Free Discovery Session”.

The New Zealand Chiropractic Board notes the following; “Chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses on disorders of both the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system and the effects of these disorders on general health. Chiropractic care is used most often to treat neuromusculoskeletal complaints, including but not limited to:

• back pain
• neck pain
• pain in the joints of the arms or legs
• headaches

Chiropractors are also trained to recommend therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises. The purpose of a “spinal manipulation” or “chiropractic adjustment” is to restore joint mobility by manually applying a controlled force into joints that have become restricted in their movement. Manipulation or adjustment of the affected joint and tissues restores mobility, thereby alleviating pain and muscle tightness allowing tissues to heal”. Furthermore, Chiropractic (Greek for “done by hand”) is the Art, Science, and Philosophy of healthcare from a Chiropractic perspective. It is based on the premise that your amazing body is a self-regulating, innately intelligent, self-healing organism. When your body is in balance you are in Homeostasis. This balance is achieved primarily through the brain communicating with every cell, tissue, organ and system in the body via your spinal cord, and nerves. When this process is interrupted by dysfunction in the spine it is called a SUBLUXATION.

Our Chiropractors in Albany and Auckland are experts in the science of locating these Subluxations in the spine, the art of correcting them to reduce their negative impact to the nervous system, and base their practice on the philosophy that working with the natural systems built into our bodies, is the best way to help you achieve optimal vital health and wellbeing. We do this by detecting the presence of subluxations, and then correcting. Correcting a subluxation is called a Chiropractic adjustment.

A Chiropractic Adjustment is different from a “manipulation”. An adjustment is a process whereby the spine is brought back into balance and function using a variety of techniques to correct the subluxation. The technique used is based on the specific and unique needs of the individual patient. The adjustments are gentle and comfortable, and many patients feel more flexible, relaxed and pain free following an adjustment. Our Chiropractors in Albany and Auckland are trained in several gentle and effective techniques (see Chiropractic Techniques), and will choose the technique that will best suit your individual needs. The Chiropractic adjustment is used to restore more normal movement and nerve function. These techniques that have been developed, researched and refined over the last century, are generally bundled together as chiropractic techniques, and individually are referred to as adjustments. A Chiropractic adjustment is a specific movement, applied in a specific direction, to a specific vertebral joint. Chiropractic adjustive techniques require a high degree of training and skill to learn and apply. The skill is in knowing when, where and how to apply an adjustment, to help relieve the pressure on the spine and stabilize your spine, so as to help you to achieve greater levels of health and wellness. When nerves are irritated this is usually due to dysfunction of the joints between the vertebra, or muscle imbalance that leads to a nerve being stressed. A nerve that is irritated by joint dysfunction in the spine is referred to as a “Vertebral Subluxation Complex” or VSC. When you visit the practice for consultation, we will share with you a detailed explanation of how this happens and where it is happening in your spine. We will also share with you how we can correct this gently and effectively.

The answer is NO, an adjustment does not have to create the sound or feeling of a “crack”. There are several techniques (see Chiropractic Techniques) that can be used that do not involve the typical ‘crack’ sound that people associate with Chiropractic care. If a typical adjustment that does include movement of the vertebra such that it makes a popping sound is what you want, and is the best technique choice for you, we can certainly do that. However, if what you want, or what is required for your particular case is to use a more subtle technique, then we can offer that as an option for your care plan. Now – about that sound… There is gas and fluid inside the joints that connect the bones at each spinal level and in the extremities. One of the techniques can produce a sound when the gas and fluids in the joint shift. It is much like opening a bottle of champagne or removing a suction cup. There is no friction of the bones or tearing of any tissues. It is simply a release of pressure in the joint.

Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing eTypical chiropractic adjustments do NOT hurt. Occasionally there is minor discomfort during the adjustment which is brief. Any discomfort you may have following your first few adjustments is also rare, and can be compared to the soreness you have after a hard workout at the gym. If this is the case, it will only be true for the first adjustment or two. Thereafter, you should experience no pain with an adjustment.lit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Essentially, there is no such thing. Discs do not “slip”. However they do become irritated, and can even tear, which can result in a disc bulge. The disc is a pad of cartilage that separates the spinal bones. It acts as a shock absorber and spacer between the bones. Injury to the spine due to a severe lifting strain, or repetitive twisting and bending, can cause discs to be irritated and cause a tear, bulge, herniation, or rupture. This can be mildly or massively painful, as the soft centre of the disc breaks through tears in the disc, and irritates the adjacent nerve roots and spinal cord. Over the years, research has indicated that chiropractic care can be successful with this type of injury, so a brief course of care may delay or even avoid a back surgery.

The expression, “pinched nerve” is commonly used for neck and back pain, especially if the pain extends into the arms or legs respectively. A pinched nerve is actually fairly rare. Researchers suggest that only about 10% of neck and back pain is caused by pressure of a bone on nerve tissue! When it happens this may cause numbness, burning, or tingling. However, the nerves can be irritated by swelling, chemical irritation or being over stretched. So, it is just not that simple. Often what feels like a pinched nerve is actually a dysfunction in the spinal joints that can be corrected with a Chiropractic adjustment.