|
|
| |
Advertiser Links For: chiropractic glossary
[
what's this?
]
Chiropractic Glossary
A -
Activator Adjusting Instrument: A mallet like handheld implement used by chiropractors to tap misaligned vertebrae back into place.
Acute Back Pain: Back pain that lasts for a short while, typically between a few days to several weeks.
Adjustment: A precise treatment intended to improve the stability of a joint. Chiropractors use over 60 diverse ways to make an adjustment to the human body; they are categorized into A) force, B) minimum force and C) non-force.
Afferentation: The stimulation of specific receptors from the peripheral nervous system into the central nervous system.
Anomaly: A discernible variation from the normal, especially as a result of genetic or birth defect/s.
Applied Kinesiology: A method of testing for muscle strength to detect the presence of abnormalities or problems such as, disease or vitamin deficiency.
Arthritis: A painful and/or disfiguring inflammatory condition of the joints. It can lead to limited joint movement and can be disabling. The most common are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid, but there are 12 different types.
Atlas: The vertebra at the top of the neck.
Atlas Orthogonal Technique (AOT): A methods of realigning cervical vertebrae when subluxation occurs. Subluxation can be responsible for problems in various parts of the body.
Atlas Subluxation Complex (ASC): A condition that many chiropractors see as the most frequent and the most severe misalignment of the vertebrae. Some chiropractors that practice the precise procedure, "Upper Cervical Techniques", will center on ASC.
B -
Backache/Back Pain: Are the most common misalignments treated by Chiropractors. Patients can experience pain, burning, numbness, stiffness, or any combination of these symptoms. A Chiropractor can examine your individual condition to look for any subluxations in your spine.
Barge Analysis: The technique of rotation of a spinous process in the direction of the wider side of a disk or the concave side of a spinal curve, used to find the shifting of a disk nucleus believed to cause Tortipelvis/torticollis, spinal curvatures, or spinal distortions.
Bells Palsy: A condition of the facial nerves that can cause agonizing pain accompanied by muscles spasms, facial contortions and/or facial paralysis.
"Big Idea:" The chiropractic perception that the body heals itself when obstructions to the appropriate afflicted area of the nervous system are corrected.
Bio Energetic Synchronization Technique (BEST): Involves the measuring of leg length to verify if imbalances have occurred in the electromagnetic field of the body. A chiropractor can correct these imbalances by placing his/her hands on specific contact points to transmit electromagnetic energy to the afflicted area.
Bio-Kinetics: A fairly new technique that involves a special adjustment to the sine with a specific implement. The technique reconstructs the spine and it’s made to the upper vertebrae, between the atlas and the skull, to alleviate many maladies from skin disorders to respiratory ailments.
Blair Upper Cervical Technique: Is a technique that concentrates on rectifying any vertebral misalignments of the cervical vertebrae to remove nerve obstruction in the spine. A "Blair head clamp" is used to situate the head for a cervical x-ray.
Bone Spur: A surplus of calcium that accumulates in a certain area as response to an injury, sudden incorrect jolt or movement, disease, improper healing, or from the wrong position of a joint.
C -
C.A.: Chiropractic Assistant.
Carver Technique: A technique that requires traction and pressure applied to the spine right before making a manual thrust, which is called the "Tracto-Thrust" system.
Cavitation: the pop that occurs in the spinal joint when vertebral surfaces or facets are spaced to create a vacuum that expels carbon dioxide gas and pulls in nitrogen gas.
Cervical Vertebrae: The upper spinal or neck area, it consists of seven vertebrae, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, and C7.
Chiropractic: Is a category of health care that accentuates the intrinsic recuperative and self-healing powers of the human body to heal itself without the use of toxins or invasive procedures.
Chiropractic Adjustment: This refers to manual adjustments or modifications made to human body in either high or low velocity; short or long lever; high or low amplitude; with or without recoil.
Chiropractic Analysis: Is a diagnosis performed on a regular basis to determine if the patient needs spinal adjustments. A chiropractic analysis may include any or a combination of the subsequent procedures: chiropractic x-ray analysis, postural analysis, leg-length comparison tests, muscle strength measures, instrumentation analysis, or other chiropractic analysis procedures.
Chiropractic Biophysics (CBP): A technique of chiropractic analysis and treatment based on theoretical calculations associated with spinal curvature and posture. The adjustments, exercise, and traction used in this technique will develop normal curvature in the neck and lower back.
Chiropractic Practice Objective: The principal practice objective of chiropractors. That is to relieve or repair vertebral subluxations and/or other obstructions or stresses caused by vertebrae or joint displacement.
Chronic Back Pain: Back pain that lasts longer than three months.
Concept Therapy: A method that uses innate intelligence to encourage a positive state of mind that helps the body heal itself and is applicable to chiropractic technique.
Contact Reflex Analysis (CRA): A procedure in which a diagnosis is made by testing for muscle strength while at the same time as placing manual pressure on reflex points.
Contour Analysis/Moire Contourographic Analysis: A procedure for diagnosis where an angled light passes through a grid to the patient to generate an outline of shadows, the shadows are viewed on a screen and/or photographed.
Cox Flexion-Distraction Technique: A technique where manipulated distraction or stretching is applied to particular spinal segments.
Cranial Nerves: 12 pairs of particular nerves that originate within the brain itself or cranium and are responsible for most of the nerve functions of the head and neck.
D -
D.C.: Doctor of Chiropractic.
DCM (Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine): A different degree under consideration for the purpose drug therapy in a specialized area of chiropractic practice.
Derefield Leg Check: A test used to detect pelvic dysfunction by measuring the length of your leg while in a facedown or prone position. The measurements are used by Activator practitioners among others to measure and correct pelvic imbalances.
Directional Non-Force Technique (DNFT): A technique used for diagnosing and repairing subluxations by applying thumb pressure to the spine and measuring leg length.
Disc: A cartilage that protects the nervous system by cushioning spinal vertebrae from each other and absorbing shocks to the spine.
Disc Degeneration: The drying out and erosion of a disc from overuse and deterioration.
Dynamic Thrust: An abrupt and powerful chiropractic adjustment intended to realign vertebrae.
E -
Electrical Muscle Stimulation: Electrical stimulation, delivered at predetermined frequency, intensity and rate to achieve a physiological response.
End Plate: The cartilage between the vertebrae bone and the disc, it acts as a washer between the two and acts as an anchor for the disc fibers.
Enzyme Replacement System: A technique that uses the results of a urinalysis to identify enzyme deficiencies that may be responsible for certain subluxation patterns. This technique allows the use of spinal adjustments and nutritional information to find a solution to certain conditions.
Examination: The time when a physician inspects and assesses the current health condition of a patient.
F -
Facet: The joint surface of a spinal vertebrae bone, the bones opposite each other, both above and below.
Flexion-Distraction Technique: A technique of applying flexion and traction manually to precise spinal segments that allows for the stretching of the spine.
Full-Spine Technique: The adjustment or manipulation of any of the vertebrae from the neck down.
G -
Gatekeeper: Health care professional who has selected a specific field of health care services, such as: D.C., M.D., D.O., D.P.M., D.D.S., D.D.M., etc.
Gonstead Technique: A technique that uses skin-temperature measurements and motion palpation to correct sacral and pelvic subluxations that in turn correct secondary subluxations in other areas of the spine. The results are confirmed with a full-spine x-ray.
Grostic Procedure: A technique that uses x-ray examination to detect and calculate misalignments in the upper cervical, between the atlas and the skull.
H -
Health: The state of best possible physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social well-being and the balance of energies within the body to produce the best outcome for an individual.
Hole-in-One (HIO): A method of improving health and aid in the corrections of subluxations in other parts of the spine by adjusting the atlas.
Home Therapy: The instructions of a chiropractic physician carried out by the patient or family at home to further the recovery process.
Homeostasis: The maintenance of normal internal constancy in an organism by synchronized reactions of the organ structure that routinely compensates for modifications in the organism.
Hypesthesia: The increase of sensitivity to nerve stimulation
I -
Immune System: The natural defense system of the body that triggers glandular and physiological responses to invasions and assaults by foreign organisms.
Immunity: The natural ability of the body to resist an invasion or assault by foreign organisms.
Innate Intelligence/Innate: A natural intelligence and understanding by the body of all living things that helps in the repair and maintenance of the body. Innate Intelligence is responsible for the maintenance of the physical aspects of the body.
Intensive Care: A concentrated and thorough treatment intended to get relief as quickly as possible to the patient.
Intervertebral Disk: The sturdy and durable cartilage that provides cushioning between two vertebrae.
J -
Joint Fixation: Reduced movement within a joint space.
K -
Kale Method: An assortment of upper cervical adjustment in which a sudden thrust, or toggle adjustment is made to the side of the neck to repair atlas subluxations
"Killer Subluxations": The misalignment of spinal vertebrae or bones that can lead to serious illness.
L -
Leander's Method: A technique that employs a motorized table to loosen or mobilize the spine with flexion-distraction-type stretching prior to a spinal adjustment.
Leg-Length Testing: A technique applied to detect subluxations. It is used in coordination with other techniques like: Activator Methods, Bio Energetic Synchronization Technique, Logan Basic, Sacro Occipital Technique, and Thompson Terminal Point Technique.
Ligament: Fibrous tissue that attaches cartilage and bone, it serves to support and strengthen joints.
Locked Spinal Joint/Acute Locked Back: Is the sudden binding of two joint surfaces which causes a shift of the normal alignment by a sudden jolt that could triggers muscle spasm.
Logan Method: A technique that employs thumb pressure used to correct sacral subluxations and leg deficiencies that could affect the entire spine.
Long-Lever Manipulation: A technique of spinal manipulation where a common practice is used to stretch or loosen several vertebrae at once.
Low-Force Technique: An alternative to forceful manipulation, this method uses an adjusting machine and/or dynamic thrust, reflex technique.
Lower Back Pain: Pain caused by misalignment in one or more vertebra of the lumbar spine, lower spine.
Lumbar Vertebrae: The five vertebrae of the lower spine area, Which includes: L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, and sometimes may include L6.
Lumbo-Pelvic Techniques: A method used to adjust any distortions or manipulative lesions in the joints of the lower spine, lumbar spine, and the pelvis. The technique involves manipulation of the lower back and pelvis and leg-length testing.
M –
Manipulation Under Anesthesia (MUA): In this method a chiropractor executes manipulation while the patient is kept under anesthesia by an anesthesiologist keeps.
Mechanoreceptor: A specific nerve ending that controls neurological responses in the brain, spinal cord and spinal nerves.
Meric System: The Chiropractic system based on the theory that precise spinal joints or segments are linked with certain organs and performing certain adjustment to these specific vertebrae or joints can have a positive affect on certain diseases.
Migraine Headache: An intense pain in the cranium commonly caused by cervical spinal degeneration. This misalignment of the neck and cervical vertebrae puts undue pressure on the nerves and arteries, which in turn causes them to swell and deliver less blood and oxygen to the brain.
Misalignment: This signifies that one or various segments, vertebrae, are out of alignment with neighboring segments of the spine. This radiographic finding is usually measured in millimeters.
Mobilization: A technique of manipulation, movement, and/or stretching that increases the range of motion in muscles and joints without the use of a high-velocity thrust.
Moire Contourographic Analysis/Contour Analysis: A procedure for diagnosis where an angled light passes through a grid to the patient to generate an outline of shadows, the shadows are viewed on a screen and/or photographed.
Motion Palpation: A routine of feeling the motion of specific spinal segments, as the patient performs certain movements, to determine the position and location of fixations and/or loss of mobility in the spine.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): A diagnostic imaging device that subjects the patient to enormous levels of magnetism to produce an energy reading and the MRI processes as images based upon water content and hydrogen ion. This procedure is non-invasive and non-radioactive.
Muscle Spasm/Fibrositis: Are the involuntary muscle movements that occur when the spinal vertebra become misaligned and/or aggravated, this results in a disruption of the nerve-muscle connection and can cause a muscle to spasm.
Musculoskeletal: This refers to assembly and interaction of muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints and bones.
N -
Neck & Head Pain: The cervical spine, the seven small bones in the neck, supports the 22 bones of the head. Any disruption of the subtle curvatures in this area can obstruct the normal flow of blood to the neck and brain and can affect nerve functions, causing pain.
Nerves: Are specialized cells that act as receptors, they release chemicals in reaction to impulses or stimuli to send messages to the brain and spinal cord.
Nerve Root: One of the two collections of nerves originating from the spinal cord that come together to create a segmental spinal nerve.
Nervo-Scope/Nervoscope: A manual dual-probe thermocouple device used to locate subluxations by measuring the temperature of your spine on both sides of the spine.
Nervous System: The structure and coordination of nerves in the body used by the brain and spinal cord to process, respond, and distribute chemical signals used by nerve endings to send messages throughout the body.
Neural Organization Technique (NOT): Method used to systematize the nervous system and trigger supportive reflexes by using applied kinesiology muscle-testing to recognize and treat food allergies and disruptions that affect the stream of cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain.
Neuro-Emotional Technique (NET): The technique used to treat disease-causing subluxations that result from negative emotions that lock in a neuron-emotional complex, NEC.
Neurocalometer: A heat-detecting implement used to locate subluxated vertebrae.
Nimmo Method: A method that utilizes digital force on pressure points to relax muscles.
Nociceptors: specific neurons, pain receptors that are stimulated by injury or trauma.
Nonforce Techniques: An assortment of reflex procedures and muscle-treatment routines that do not entail forceful manipulation.
Nucleus Disc: The inner-most center of a spinal disc made up of a spongy gel-like substance.
O -
Objective Straight Chiropractors: Chiropractors with the lone purpose of correcting vertebral subluxations not as treatment for disease but rather to optimize the body’s performance.
Orthogonal Methods: A techniques that usually employs the use of devices and equipment to measure and correct minuscule subluxations in the atlas.
Osteoarthritis: A type of arthritis that slowly deteriorates the joints that connect your bones and allow for mobility.
P -
Positive Anatomical Leg Length Technique (PAL): A specific technique for detecting the differences in leg length. An x-ray is usually suggested to trace the cause of the deficiency and to see its effect on the spine in order to correct the problem.
Palpation: An Examination of the spine using the fingers to locate problem areas in the spinal cord.
Paresthesia: A strange sensation of tingling, pricking, or numbness of your skin similar to a limb falling asleep.
Parasympathetic: One of three sections of the autonomic nervous system that is responsible for the regulation of many body systems. The parasympathetic division is tasked with actions that do not need immediate reaction.
Pelvic Deficiency (PD)/Functional Short Leg: Chiropractors that practice the Activator Methods characterize this condition as an apparent difference in leg-length, not necessarily an actual anatomical difference.
Pettibone Method: A technique used to adjust the upper cervical with a device that adjusts the atlas.
Physical Therapy: A form of treatment that helps patients recover mobility, alleviate pain, return muscle or limb function by using physical equipment to alleviate pain and restore motion. This therapy is used to prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities.
Pinched Nerve: A term used by the general public to describe the pain from subluxations of the spine.
Pierce-Stillwagon Method: This technique uses a heat-detecting implement to check subluxation alterations and is very similar to the Sacro-Occipital Technique, it entails pressure and contact applied to pelvic and cervical area to generate desired outcomes in distant organs, muscles, and joints.
Plasticity: Tissue that can be manipulated to change its shape. This expression is used to describe changes in the development of the nervous system.
Preventative Care: Health care provided in order to prevent health conditions from developing, deteriorating and/or recurring. This describes care that is usually necessary to a patient’s disease caused by a continual weak point or enduring injury.
Primary Contact Health Care Provider: A health care provider able of applying initial stage of contact and information of the Chiropractic health care system, or any health care professional that is legally licensed to accept patient contact if a doctor’s referral is missing.
Proprioceptors: nerve terminals that relate information on the movements of the body, mainly from the nervous system, muscles and tendons.
R -
Radiograph: An x-ray, the x-ray film subsequent to its having been exposed to radiation.
Radiolucent: Any dense mass that allows x-ray to pass through it and therefore shows up on an x-ray less dense than it should.
Radiopaque: Any dense mass that does not allow the x-ray to pass through it when it would normally and it shows up on an x-ray denser than it should.
Range of Motion: The span of movement of a joint calculated in the degrees of a circle.
Realign: The reposition of subluxated vertebrae to return the vertebrae to its normal position.
Receptor: A nerve cell designed to collect sensory information from the nervous system.
S -
Sacro-Occiptal Technique: A diagnostic and healing technique that entails analysis and adjustment of sacral and cranial misalignments for the benefit of improved circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid.
Sacrum: The tail bone, five fused vertebrae, sacral vertebrae, at the end of the spine just underneath the last lumbar vertebra.
Sciatica: Inflammation of the sciatic nerve, the sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body. It runs from your lower spine to your foot, down each leg.
Scoliosis: An abnormal curvature of the spine. The most frequent type of scoliosis is an irregular pattern of muscle and ligament formation in teenage development.
Sensory: The part of the nerve in charge feeling.
Short-Lever Manipulation: A technique of spinal manipulation in which a single vertebra is.
SMT: Spinal manipulative therapy. Spinal manipulative therapy is a very common treatments and diagnosis for low back pain. Manual diagnosis consist of the palpation of vertebral position, vertebral motion, joint play, end feel, soft tissue texture changes, and muscle contracture.
Somato-Visceral: Nerve corridor stemming from the spinal cord and reaching the internal organs.
Spinal Adjustment: A chiropractic term use to express techniques used to correct spinal imperfections.
Spinal Analysis: The process of assessing the spinal column and its articulations for vertebral subluxations.
Spinal Nerves: The 24 pairs of nerves stemming from the spinal cord at segments of the spinal column.
Spinal Manipulation: A high-velocity thrust intended to stretch a joint beyond its passive range of movement for the purpose of increasing its mobility.
Spinous Process: A part of the spinal bone that can be seen or felt while being examined.
Sports Injury: A sports related injury.
Spurs: A protruding mass, a common from is a bone spur.
Straight Chiropractor: A chiropractors who believes in the original chiropractic doctrine that the majority of health problems are caused by misaligned spinal bones or vertebral subluxations and can be corrected by manual manipulation of the spine.
Subluxation: A vertebra that has lost its appropriate location and has become misaligned with the vertebrae on either side of it.
Subluxation Complex: A description used for the five parts of a subluxation: Spinal Kineisopathology, Nueropathophysiology, Myopathology, Histopathology, and Pathophysiology.
Super-Straight Chiropractors: A chiropractors that believes that their healing influences Innate Intelligence for the purpose of locating and correcting vertebral subluxations.
Surface Electromyography (SEMG): A procedure used to measure skin temperature and electrical activity in surrounding muscles of the spine.
Surrogate Testing: A technique for diagnosing problems by testing for muscle strength via a third person touching the patient.
Sustaining Care: Treatment provided for the purpose of making a patient as mobile and/or active as possible in spite of pain or disabling condition.
Sweat Method: An atlas orthogonal method of adjusting the atlas using a special table and a sole
T -
Tendon: The tough fibrous cord that attaches muscle to bone.
Therapy: The treatment given to an individual.
Thermography: A body heat image diagnostic technique.
Thompson Terminal Point Technique: An adjustment performed on a special table that allows the supporting cushions to drop a bit when a thrust is applied to the spine.
Thoracic Vertebrae: The twelve vertebrae in the upper-back part of the spine.
TMJ Dysfunction: Is when the connection of the jaw is out of alignment.
Toftness Method: A technique uses Toftness Radiation Detector to isolate subluxated vertebrae or pinched nerves to be corrected by spinal adjustments.
Toggle Recoil Technique: A type of manipulation executed with a sudden shallow thrust or toggle to be follow by a quick withdrawal or recoil.
|
|
|
|
|
|
