What is Chiropractic?
Literally translated from the ancient Greek language, chiropractic means manual adjusting or adjusting with the hands .
It is a method as old as medicine, it developed in parallel throughout history like medicine, and today it is an integral part of modern musculoskeletal medicine.
Chiropractic is science, skill and art at the same time. It is a fast, efficient and economical method.
Chiropractors use their hands to detect irregular bone positions (subluxations) and return them to their correct position . It is a millimeter shift and centering that relieves the musculoskeletal system, allowing the body to achieve healthier balance and function, while relieving pain and stiffness, improving mobility and relieving symptoms.
Kiropraktika or Hiropraktika
In the Serbian language, it is correct to say hiropraktika, but due to the strong influence of the English language, it is much more common to use kiropraktika. (For example, just as it is correct to say hirurg instead of kirurg, it is also correct to say hiropraktičar instead of kiropraktičar). Nevertheless, regardless of the rules, kiropraktika as a term has taken root in Serbia.
Examination by a chiropractor
Before coming to the chiropractor, you need to bring all your medical documentation (images, findings and doctor's reports), if you have them.
The chiropractor will perform an examination that includes: a discussion about the ailments you are coming for, an overview of the medical documentation, analysis of your posture, gait, assessment of joint mobility and position, assessment of muscle strength, length and tone, and other parameters of the function of the musculoskeletal system.
Based on the examination, a treatment plan is made. Sometimes, before the treatment, it is necessary to go for an additional examination or take an image before starting the treatment.
Treatment by a chiropractor
A chiropractor can perform corrective and preventive treatment. Correction aims to solve already existing problems of muscles, bones, joints and nerves, and prevention to keep the body in optimal condition so that problems do not occur.
Of course, it is best to get preventive treatment in time, before pain and tissue damage occur. Unfortunately, it is a common practice in Belgrade to go to a chiropractor in a serious condition when severe pain and disability are already present.
The treatment is done manually or with the help of special instruments on the chiropractor's table and implies fast movements of small amplitude in the area of the joint, which achieves a better position of the bones in the joint.
Cracking is often heard in the joints, which is nothing more than an audible physical phenomenon of a vacuum that occurs due to a sudden decrease in pressure and an increase in volume.
Also, in his work, the chiropractor uses stretching and special soft tissue massage techniques to relax muscles, eliminate spasm and relax tension in the fascia.
After the treatment, you will receive advice on what exercises to do, what to avoid and what lifestyle habits to change in order to maximize the effects of the treatment.
What diseases and conditions does chiropractic treat?
Chiropractic is special in that it effectively helps, with its mechanical action, without the use of drugs or surgical intervention by acting on the cause of the problem in a natural way, helping the body to restore better balance and function.
The list is too long, and these are just some of the conditions in which chiropractic helps a lot: Back pain, herniated disc, sciatica, neck pain, cervicobrachialgia, spondylosis, shoulder pain, tennis elbow, golfer's elbow, ankle and knee sprains, hip pain and knee pain, coxarthrosis, gonarthrosis, headaches, dizziness, tinnitus etc.
How many treatments are needed?
The number of treatments depends on what the problem is, how long your problem has lasted, whether you have any associated diseases and conditions, and what your individual nature and tissue quality is.
It usually takes three to five treatments, and a significant improvement can be felt after the first one. After the symptoms have stopped, the treatments are gradually reduced to once a week (for the next 3-4 weeks) and finally maintenance of the newly established balance once a month.