Kling Chiropractic Wellness Center, Santa Barbara, CA

Frequently Asked Questions about Chiropractic

1. Why is the Spine so important to your overall Health?

2. How does stress (emotion) affect my overall health?

4. Why do I need nutritional supplements?

5. If my hand hurts, why is the problem really in my upper arm or back?

6. Does your overall health always boil down to one or a combination of the three basic categories - Nutrition, Emotion and Structure?

7. How does Chiropractic deal with Disease?

8. What is a Subluxation?

9. What causes disease?

10. Question 10

11. Question 11

12. Question 12

13. Question 13

14. Question 14

15. Question 15

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1. Why is the Spine so important to your overall health?

Think about it this way. The spine is like the master control panel of your house wiring. All of the electrical controls throughout your house begin at the control panel. If a light doesn't work in a particular room, if your toaster doesn't work or your sprinkler system doesn't work, you must make sure the light bulb, outlet or sprinkler valves are receiving the messages or power to operate. Your body operates in the same way. The signals start at your brain and distributed from your spine. We must trace the nerves (wiring) from the source right to the affected device. No part of you body is exempt from this circuitry; eye muscles, hearing, bladder, intestines right to your finger tips, toes and internal organs are all controlled in this manner.

2. How does stress (emotion) affect my overall health?

Your body reflects your thoughts, feelings and actions. This is also know as the “mind/body connection.” When stress enters your life, your body will tell you that something isn’t right. For example, headaches, nervousness or an upset stomach might develop after a particularly stressful event, lost of a job or maybe the death of a loved one. The following may be physical signs that your emotional health is out of balance:

Back pain

Change in appetite

Chest pain

Constipation or diarrhea

Dry mouth

Extreme tiredness

General aches and pains

Headaches

High blood pressure

Insomnia (trouble sleeping)

Lightheadedness

Palpitations (the feeling that your heart is racing)

Sexual problems

Shortness of breath

Stiff neck

Sweating

Upset stomach

Weight gain or loss

Your emotions can effect your body's immune system. This could be noticed by increasing your susceptibility to catching a cold and other infections during emotionally difficult times. Also, when you are feeling stressed, anxious or upset, you may not take care of your health as well as you should. You may feel lethargic, not eat properly or you may not take your prescribed. Some people may increase their input of alcohol, tobacco or other drugs to try to make themselves feel better.

3. Why is nutrition so important?

The importance of good nutrition is nothing new. Back in 400 B.C., Hippocrates said, "Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food." Today, good nutrition is more important than ever. At least four of the 10 leading causes of death in the U.S.--heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes--are directly related to way we eat; diet is also implicated in scores of other conditions. But while the wrong diet can be deadly, eating right is among the cornerstones of health.

Of course, food alone isn't the key to a longer and healthier life. Good nutrition should be part of an overall healthy lifestyle, which also includes regular exercise, not smoking or drinking alcohol excessively, stress management and limiting exposure to environmental hazards. And no matter how well you eat, your genes play a big part in your risk for certain health problems. But don't underestimate the influence of how and what you eat.

For example, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) can begin in early childhood, but the process can be halted--even reversed--if you make healthy changes in your diet and lifestyle. The gradual bone thinning that results in osteoporosis may be slowed if you consume enough calcium, maintain adequate Vitamin D levels and participate in weight-bearing exercise. You may be genetically predisposed to diabetes, but keep your weight within a healthy range through diet and exercise and the disease may never strike you.

The keys to good nutrition are balance, variety and moderation. To stay healthy, your body needs the right balance of carbohydrates, fats and protein --the three main components of nutrition.

You also need vitamins, minerals and other substances from many different foods, and while some foods are better than others, no single food or food group has it all.

Eating a variety of different foods is essential.

Moderation means eating neither too much nor too little of any food or nutrient. Too much food can result in excess weight and even too much of certain nutrients, while eating too little can lead to numerous nutrient deficiencies and low body mass.

4. Why do I need nutritional supplements?

We all are aware that the modern western diet is woefully inadequate when it comes to providing many essential nutrients that the body needs to restore energy, combat infection, and function properly.

Processed Foods. Far too many nutrients are lost through the rigors of modern food processing; chemical farming techniques, preservatives and refining. Even overcooking and microwaving take their toll. Add the disproportionate levels of saturated fats and sugars which are present in so much of today’s food, and little wonder that our sick, injured and depleted bodies need additional help from nutritional supplements.

5. If my hand hurts, how is it possible the problem may really be in my upper arm or back?

Lets go back to the analogy of your spine equating to the electrical control panel of your house. If the outlet in your garage not not functioning properly is not necessarily due to a problem at the garage outlet itself. There is a long piece of wire running from the source of the power to that outlet. The wiring passes through many obstacles, junction boxes and even other outlets. If the wire is pinched by a nail driven in the wall in the hallway, or is accidentally cut in the junction box in the dining room, the garage outlet will be effected. We must trace that wiring and remove any blockages or interfering obstacles along the entire path of that particular wire.

6. Does my overall health always boil down to one or a combination of the three basic categories - Nutrition, Emotion and/or Structure?

Please ask Dr. Kling any questions you may have on this topic.

7. How does Chiropractic deal with disease?

Please ask Dr. Kling any questions you may have on this topic.

8. What is a 'Subluxation'?

A common description in Chiropractic. In simplest terms, a Subluxation (a.k.a. Vertebral Subluxation) is when one or more of the bones (usually your spine or vertebrae) move out of position and create pressure on, or irritate your nerves. Nerves are the wiring in you body that carry important information to and from your spine and brain for all parts of your body. This pressure or irritation on those nerves causes interference with these signals can cause pain, limited motion and function, and is arguably a potential main component for the onset of various disease.

9. What causes disease?