How is Chiropractic Care Like Health Insurance? Just Read On…

The best treatment for illness is to give your body the tools to avoid becoming ill in the first place. Preventing a disease or condition is much easier and less costly than treating it once it has developed. And regular chiropractic care can be a very useful tool in your toolkit to help keep you healthy. Like health insurance, chiropractic care is there for you when you are suffering, but even better than health insurance, it can also help keep you from needing treatments that involve drugs (with their potential side effects) and invasive surgeries down the road.

Chiropractors believe that an optimally working body has the ability to heal itself. Chronic stress, trauma, lack of sleep and unhealthy, inactive lifestyles interfere with the body’s natural healing ability. Any of these conditions can cause spinal subluxations that restrict movement, cause pain and create a nervous system that doesn’t function as it should. When messages from the nervous system are not efficiently sent and received, it can compound your health problem until it gets to the point where drugs or surgery are required.

A chiropractor can correct whatever spinal subluxations are interfering with the smooth operation of your nervous system when they first appear. A body that is in proper alignment is far less likely to become injured. With the increased strength and range of motion that chiropractic care provides, you are able to move in a way that prevents accidents and falls. Your body also has a better capacity to heal itself due to proper nerve signaling and increased blood flow.

Doctors of Chiropractic are not only experts at treating your musculoskeletal system, they can also provide you with important information to help keep you well. This includes advice on a suitable diet, nutritional supplements, specific exercises you can do at home and other useful tips and techniques to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle that is more likely to keep you free from pain and help you avoid costly medical treatments. Chiropractic care is holistic and patient-centered, and treatments are designed specifically to meet your individual needs. In cases where traditional medical services are indicated, your chiropractor will refer you to your family MD or an appropriate specialist.

Just as you keep your car maintained with regular check-ups and oil changes to keep it running smoothly and keep it out of the repair shop, so should you treat your body. According to the American Chiropractic Association, “Wellness begins on day one of chiropractic care.” You and your chiropractor can determine an appropriate schedule for regular treatments so you can achieve the all the preventive health benefits that chiropractic care has to offer.

 

Dr Dubois, DC, CCSP

Dr. Dubois,a Swiss physician, and a Triangle Certified Sport Chiropractor has over 20 years of experience in the treatment and prevention of disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Amongst his patients, two world champions in martial arts (gold medalists in 2005 WMJA), one carrier of the Olympic flame in 2004, and numerous soccer players, swimmers and athletes of all levels who benefited from his chiropractic care.

 

Chiropractic Care in the Workplace: Trucking

According to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, truck drivers top the list of professionals who lose the most time from work due to work-related injury. There are approximately 2.5 million long-haul truck drivers licensed in the US, and musculoskeletal injuries are the greatest problem, particularly lower back pain.

Truck driving is literally back-breaking work—and this isn’t just because of the long hours sitting behind the wheel. First of all, truck drivers are exposed to continual vibration and bouncing, which can cause trauma to the muscles, tendons, joints and nerves of the entire musculoskeletal system. Add to this the loading and unloading of heavy items from the truck, and attaching and detaching the trailer and you have the perfect recipe for developing a work-related injury. Even getting out of the cab can be problematic, as one of the most common causes of injuries to the upper extremities in truck drivers comes from slipping off the truck step and grabbing the hand bar to keep from falling. This causes damage to the A/C joint, elbow and rotator cuff.

For truckers, getting chiropractic care can mean the difference between staying comfortably on the road and being laid up in bed for days at a time with back pain and other injuries. Luckily, more chiropractors are setting up offices at truck stops across the country, which allows truckers to get chiropractic treatment while they are on the road.

Dr. Jerry Singh established a chiropractic office at the 230 truck stop in Woodstock, Ontario, just outside of Toronto, Canada, because he saw an unmet need. Although chiropractic services at truck stops are becoming more common in the US, Singh’s practice was the first in Canada. He says that it makes sense for trucking companies to ensure that their drivers get chiropractic care. “Drivers who are healthy actually ‘drive’ a trucking company towards an inevitable increase in productivity, decreased missed workdays, diminished WSIB claims and a generally happier work force,” Singh said. “The bottom line is clear ­– a healthier corporate mindset for prevention will translate into healthier profits.”

Trucker Erwin Daugherty takes advantage of chiropractic services whenever he can. Daugherty said “I’d visit a chiropractor weekly if I could.” The convenience of having a chiropractor at a truck stop makes a big difference. He has located a number of chiropractic offices along his route and says, “If I simply get lucky and locate one that’s near to a truck stop, I’ll place them in my cellular phone and say, ‘Hey, I’m on my way.’” A number of chiropractic offices are open during a wide range of hours in order to accommodate truckers’ round-the-clock schedules.

Singh says, “Back pain is a physically, emotionally and financially miserable condition. Drivers and employers must be seriously proactive about health and take necessary steps for improvement and pain relief,” and chiropractic care can play a major part.

 

Dr Dubois, DC, CCSP

Dr. Dubois, a Swiss physician, and a Triangle Certified Sport Chiropractor has over 20 years of experience in the treatment and prevention of disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Amongst his patients, two world champions in martial arts (gold medalists in 2005 WMJA), one carrier of the Olympic flame in 2004, and numerous soccer players, swimmers and athletes of all levels who benefited from his chiropractic care.