Frequently Asked Questions in Kailua HI

The nervous system controls everything. In a healthy body, the brain and the body are in constant communication. When there's pressure on the spinal cord, this communication is less than ideal. A chiropractor is concerned with restoring the communication between the brain and the body. This is done through a chiropractic adjustment.

Chiropractic care is the detection and correction of subluxations. Subluxations are spinal misalignments that cause pressure on the nervous system that interferes with the body's ability to self-heal and self-regulate.

Yes, chiropractors receive post-graduate education and training that earns them the title of Doctor of Chiropractic (DC).

Although manual healing has been practiced all the way back to ancient times, modern chiropractic as we know it today began in 1895 when Daniel David Palmer delivered the first adjustment for the treatment of deafness in Davenport, Iowa. Since that time, science and technology have allowed the practice of chiropractic to evolve to its current state today.

Chiropractors remove the pressure on the nervous system by finding and fixing subluxations in the spine. This restores the communication between the patient's brain and body and therefore restores the patient's ability to self-heal and self-regulate.

Chiropractic has been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of pain as well as in the prevention of future problems. Many patients incorporate chiropractic as part of a health maintenance program.

Numerous studies have shown chiropractic to be effective in patients with a multitude of conditions. Your chiropractor should be able to show objective improvement in alignment and mobility after a series of adjustments.

Chiropractic adjustments are remarkably safe when performed by a trained and licensed chiropractor.

Some patients report stiffness or flare ups after the first few adjustments - similar to beginning an exercise program. But since the chiropractic adjustment is restoring the body's ability to self-heal and self-regulate, the side effect of chiropractic is that the body starts to work better.

It depends on what the patient's goals are. Care plans can vary widely from patient to patient. Some patients report pain relief after only a few adjustments, but to make lasting changes in the body, a program of multiple visits is typically recommended. Then some patients choose ongoing maintenance visits as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Since not all patients need the same amount of care, the total price can vary greatly. How much does it cost to take your car to the mechanic? It depends on what's wrong, the present condition of the car, how long the problem has been there, and how long it's going to take to fix.

Dr. Norm uses the Gonstead method which is an engineering approach to the spine. Experience matters. Dr. Norm has been practicing over 20 years and is the most experienced Gosntead Diplomate in the state of Hawaii.

There are more and more chiropractors opening offices every day. And while a google search will provide you with a list of chiropractors near you, not all chiropractors might be a good fit for any particular patient. We recommend making an appointment for a free consultation to see if the doctor and the patient are a good fit.

Many chiropractors check the entire spine from neck to low back and adjust the spine by hand. Other chiropractors use instruments to adjust. And others focus on just one area such as the upper neck. Dr. Norm has studied many techniques and has found the Gonstead technique to be a complete system.

Chiropractors treat a condition known as a vertebral subluxation. In lay terms, that's a spinal misalignment that results in pressure on the nervous system that can cause symptoms. So while a patient may come in with a specific set of symptoms, the chiropractor is checking to see if there's a subluxation playing a role in the presentation of that symptom. So even though we aren't treating a specific symptom, we are discovering if there's a subluxation interfering with the body's ability to heal itself. If there is, we treat the subluxation and the body does the healing on its own.

Chiropractors determine if there are spinal misalignments preventing the body from recovering from the injury or accident. By removing these misalignments, the body can heal and the pain diminishes. It is very important to get checked by the chiropractor as soon as possible after an injury or an accident.

As mentioned earlier, subluxations can result in just about any symptom imaginable. The chiropractor should check the patient to see if there is a subluxation contributing to the patient's symptoms. If there is, the chiropractor will go about treating the subluxation with a series of adjustments.

Absolutely. Dr. Norm has specialized equipment to handle the adjustment of pregnant women and has adjusted women all the way up to their due date.

Checking for and correcting subluxations in the lumbar spine and pelvis can provide relief of lower back pain and sciatica.

Checking for and correcting subluxations in the cervical and thoracic region can provide relief of neck and shoulder pain.

The sciatic nerve is made up of nerves coming from several spinal and sacral levels. The chiropractor should check these areas and see if a subluxation is contributing to pressure on the sciatic nerve.

Types of pain that patients describe can vary from sharp to dull. Also, not all nerves perceive pain, so it's important to get the entire spine checked - not just the areas that are in pain.

There can be some tenderness around the subluxated areas that the chiropractor is treating, but the adjustment is generally painless.

Adjustments are remarkably safe. And in the Gonstead technique, since we are specific in our analysis and we limit the amount of rotation during the adjustment, our adjustments are even safer.

In lay terms, the pop is just gas in the joint releasing. But the body is actually responding to the push, not the sound. So if it pops, that's fine. If it doesn't pop, that's fine too.

To the untrained eye, adjustments can look similar. But each patient has a unique spine and a trained chiropractor will adjust each patient differently.

Each case is different, and not all back pain cases are in need of chiropractic treatment. However, if it is determined that a patient needs chiropractic adjustments, each visit builds on the one before. So in all likelihood, it will probably take a series of adjustments to relieve most cases of back pain.

No. When the spinal bones misalign, they go backwards first, then they lean and twist. When we "adjust" ourselves, we are leaning and twisting, but we aren't correcting the posteriority of the misaligned segment. At best you may get some temporary relief. But at worst, you could be doing some damage. Self-adjusting is never recommended.

When the doctor analyzes a patient, he will need to have access to the spine. If clothing needs to be removed, we provide gowns which open in the back to allow access to the spine.

As with adults, not everyone needs a chiropractic treatment. The doctor can analyze a patient of any age and determine if an adjustment is needed. If so, the doctor has over 20 years experience in adjusting patients of all ages, including children.

Similar to medical school, chiropractic education consists of an undergraduate degree and then another 3-5 years of postgraduate education along with clinical internship. Chiropractors are also required to pass national board exams as well as obtain licensure in whichever state they practice.