A chiropractor is someone who is trained to assess your spinal, cranial, nervous and muscular system and how it relates to your overall health. They treat the whole body – from head to toe – and focus on re-aligning your joints and restoring their motion to allow your body to heal naturally.

All chiropractors study for at least 5 years at university where they learn radiography, general diagnosis, neurology, neuro-orthopaedics, anatomy and biomechanics to name a few! Every chiropractor also has to carry out a minimum of 30 hours of continued professional development every year. There is a regulatory body, the General Chiropractic Council which ensures that chiropractors offer the best treatment possible to their patients.

One of the things we are very passionate about here at Hands on Health is educating people that there is more to science and medicine than taking drugs. Chiropractic is a gentle therapy using the hands, however it is powerful!

There is a wealth of scientific research carried out by all kinds of medical professionals to show that it works. In 2006 the Department of Health advised all GPs that chiropractic adjustments should be used early on to alleviate back pain.

The number of treatments depends on many factors: your age, the type of problem, it’s severity and how long you have had it.

Once you have visited for your new patient examination the chiropractor will be able to give you a much better idea of how many visits you will require. Most people need at least 6-8 sessions for long-term improvement and new movement patterns to occur.

We often see new patients twice a week initially, to allow the body to accept the new changes. Our aim is to help you to get and stay well and we will continually discuss your health goals and treatment plan with you.

A chiropractic adjustment involves using our hands to gently move your joints using a small but very fast impulse to restore their normal function. The adjustment brings increased motion and muscle relaxation whilst freeing you from pain and discomfort.

Contrary to what you may have heard, manipulation isn’t painful. The sound you hear during treatment is caused by harmless bubbles of gas being released from the synovial fluid between your joints.

While a safe and effective treatment method, chiropractors don’t always adjust very young or elderly patients and instead use more gentle, alternative skilled techniques.

Everyone at Hands on Health is very friendly and welcoming so you’ll be in safe hands from the moment you walk through our door. Our aim is to make you feel relaxed and reassured.

1. About you – We’ll begin by asking you to fill in a short form about yourself, focusing on your health and how you’d like us to help you.
2. Finding out more – Your chiropractor will talk to you in more detail about your health, including any problems you have, your health history and your lifestyle. If they believe chiropractic treatment is right for you, a physical examination will be conducted. This is likely to include looking at your posture and how your joints move for example. You will not be asked to undress during the examination however you may be asked to expose certain areas if it is essential for the diagnosis and chaperones are available upon request. The chiropractor may also recommend x-rays which are taken at the first visit if required.
3. How we can help – Once we know a bit more about you, we’ll explain exactly how we can help. This will include discussing the results of your examination, the likely cause of any problems and our recommendations for treatment. The chiropractor will also give advice and exercises for you to do at home in order to get the best results.
4. Starting treatment – If you’re happy following the report of findings of the physical examination and X-ray results where applicable, treatment will commence.
5. Follow up visits – At each visit, we’ll review your progress and talk about how you’ve responded to treatment. In addition, we can also discuss how to prevent your problem re-occurring in the future and how we can help you stay well.

As well as diagnosing and treating problems, we can help prevent problems in the future, by helping you identity any strain your body may be under because of work, sport or your lifestyle for instance and by giving you advice and support on exercise and nutrition.