When people talk about chiropractors, they often make comments on how chiropractors are unlicensed and that it’s a profession full of quacks.

Yet, when you speak to someone who really understands the science behind the art of chiropractic, the hard work and long hours that go into learning this technique become apparent, as well as the thorough study process and the amount of knowledge a professional chiropractor truly possesses.

Of course, some ascribe way too much ability to these professionals as well, and many a chiropractor will be quick to point out to you that it’s important for any patient to work with a team of medical professionals for great results, and how relying on only one aspect of medicine will severely limit any positive outcome.

A chiropractor – just like any other health professional – will listen intently to the complaints of the patient and will seek to build a complete picture of the individual’s health.

Yet unlike a medical professional who orders a series of blood tests to determine if there are any abnormalities in your white cell count that might suggest infection, hormonal imbalances or other issues, a chiropractor will seek to ascertain if there are dysfunctions of the soft tissues, the skeleton, or perhaps any nerves running along the spinal area.

Once the chiropractor has arrived at a diagnosis, the chiropractor will not put you on a drug regimen or give you injections. Your chiropractor will most likely work hard to help your body regain its former abilities naturally through chiropractic treatment.

Treatment will generally involve gentle and sometimes stronger manipulations of the spine. What is colloquially referred to as “bone cracking” is really a much more refined technique of realigning vertebrae that are no longer properly stacked.

The goal of this kind of treatment is adjusting the position of elements in the musculoskeletal system and then allow nerves and tissues to follow suit.

For those who have lived with a disjointed spine for a while may need to return for a few visits, especially if the tissues and tendons have worked hard to compensate for the misaligned vertebrae for a long period of time.

It is true that sometimes these adjustments are painful. This is not always the case, of course, but when a body has to relearn a proper gait, how to throw a ball or simply set one foot in front of the other, the learning curve may be prolonged and at times rather uncomfortable.

However, these moments of pain are made up for by the many instances when pain is reduced simply because the body has been retrained to function normally.