Frequently Asked Questions in Chesterfield

Chiropractors focus on improving the health of the spine and nervous system.  When there is a problem in the spine it interferes with nerve function which can cause numerous health problems besides just pain.  Chiropractors perform a thorough analysis of the spine to determine where the problem areas are and then they utilize chiropractic adjustments to gently correct the spinal issue so that the patient can return to normal health and function.

At DiMartino Chiropractic Wellness Center we are very thorough with our patients.  We perform a complete health consultation and a comprehensive evaluation to determine exactly what is causing your health problem and whether or not we will be the solution.  We never guess with our patients.  We also take a holistic approach in that we focus on the health of the whole body, not just a specific pain area.  We want our patients to get out of pain as quickly as possible but our patients love us because we help them improve every aspect of their health.

While most people only associate chiropractic care with helping neck and back pain, we are able to help people overcome a variety of health conditions.  Your spine and nervous system control every organ, muscle and tissue in your body, therefore problems in the spine can cause issue such as headaches, asthma, allergies, digestive disorders, bowel troubles, and the list goes on.  We’ve helped many patients overcome these issues and many more by simply correcting their spinal problems so their nervous system can function optimally and they can experience incredible levels of health and wellness.

Pregnancy is a very important time to receive chiropractic care.   Because of the increased stress that a baby puts on the mother’s spine, pregnant women commonly have spinal problems and associated back pain.  Chiropractic care gently and effectively helps pregnant moms have the best pregnancy and labor experience possible.  We are certified in the Webster technique which helps mal-presented babies (breach, transverse, etc) to move into the normal anterior head-down position simply by focusing on the alignment of the sacrum.  When the pelvis is properly aligned and moving normally, the delivery is much quicker and less painful.  We have had the privilege to help many pregnant moms avoid a cesarean section this way.

The only time a chiropractic adjustment may be uncomfortable is when the patient is in extreme pain and we have to perform an adjustment on the inflamed, painful area.  It’s similar to pushing on a bruise – it’s uncomfortable for a few seconds and then the discomfort goes away.  A chiropractic adjustment on an area that is not inflamed is painless and only feels like pressure.

We employ a variety of different adjusting techniques based on the needs of each individual patient.  While adjustments may appear to be the same on many patients, the chiropractor is actually contacting only the particular vertebrae that that specific patient needs to have adjusted.  Everyone is different.

Definitely not.  Chiropractors can’t even adjust themselves.  While you may be able to twist or wrench your spine to have it make a “popping” sound, that doesn’t mean you adjusted it.  Usually that results in making the problem worse by straining the joint and the soft tissue surrounding it.  While chiropractors make the adjustment look easy, there are many years of education and practice that allow the chiropractor to know exactly where and how to adjust the spine properly and safely.

We take care of a lot of children as young as a few days old.  Many people are surprised when they first hear this but children have a spine also, and if you have kids you know how much they fall and abuse their body.  Infants commonly experience their first spinal problem from the birth process.  Spinal problems typically have to be present for years, slowly degenerating, before they actually cause pain.   While most children don’t have spinal pain, they will commonly have immune system challenges like allergies, ear infections, sinus conditions and sore throats.  These issues are commonly caused by spinal problems in the neck and resolve quickly with chiropractic care.  Most of the problem we have as adults started when we were kids, we just didn’t know there was a problem at the time.  Many parents bring in their kids for regular chiropractic care because they understand that it’s much better to raise a healthy child than to repair a damaged adult.

Prospective chiropractic students must have completed a 4-year bachelor’s degree program and necessary courses to even be considered for acceptance by a chiropractic college.  After being accepted, chiropractic students undergo the equivalent of 4 years of classroom and lab work, each student must also complete an internship during which students care for patients under the close supervision of instructors.  Chiropractic schools actually require more coursework than medical schools.  Chiropractic students are required to complete an average of 3,065 classroom hours compared to an average of 2,706 classroom hours for medical students.