What Does Chiropractic Mean?
The word chiropractic comes from the Greek words “cheir” (meaning hand) and “praktike” (meaning to perform).
Chiropractic care is therefore, like osteopathy, physiotherapy, and massage, a manual treatment method.
The goal of chiropractic treatment is to stimulate the body’s communication with the brain, allowing it to re-establish normal control and coordination of bodily functions.
How Does Chiropractic Work?
It is not possible to “move bones around” or “pop something back into place”.
During a chiropractic treatment, it is the nervous system — and more precisely, the brain — that is being stimulated to reactivate the body’s normal functions.
Surrounding every joint, and within the muscles that control them, are countless specialized nerve cells known as proprioceptors or mechanoreceptors.
Their task is to inform the brain about the position of the joint and the functional state of the muscles.
The brain then responds by sending nerve impulses back to the muscles that move the joint.
The brain depends on this continuous flow of information to control and coordinate the body as efficiently as possible.
If a joint has been restricted for a long time, this body–brain–body communication is interrupted, and the animal begins to compensate in other areas.
During chiropractic treatment, the bones are used only because joints exist between bones.
By applying a controlled force in the direction of normal joint movement — a movement the joint could no longer perform — the mechanoreceptors are activated, stimulating the brain to restore normal function.
This process triggers a neurogenic reflex arc, which helps normalize joint mobility and relieve tension and pain in the surrounding tissues.
When asymmetry is observed in one or more areas of the body, it is almost always (unless due to fracture or pathology) the result of the body compensating for decreased function elsewhere.
Anatomical and Physiological Insight
To perform chiropractic treatment safely and effectively, a thorough understanding of anatomy and physiology — particularly of joint movement and function — is absolutely essential.