FAQS
 Located in Greencastle, PA | 717-597-0028
Located in Greencastle, PA 
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Frequently Asked Questions

Check Out Our Valuable Chiropractic FAQs

If you are suffering from chronic or acute pain, Antrim Chiropractic Center LLC can treat the underlying cause of your discomfort and help you achieve long-term pain relief. 

Take some time to read more about the specifics of how chiropractic care can help improve your overall wellness and find relief from pain. Call 717-597-0028 for an appointment.
Why Should I See a Chiropractor?
The simplest most direct answer is “to feel better,” but there are many other answers to the question “why?”

1. To relieve pain both chronic and acute.

2. To restore/maintain normal joint function and alignment which may help decrease the normal degeneration that occurs as we age.

3. To prevent progressive worsening of a condition, for example people who “blow” or herniate discs typically have a long history of back pain and injuries. Proper treatment and exercise before a disc “blows” can dramatically reduce the likelihood of it herniating.

4. To prevent the development of scar tissue and maladaptive body compensation after an injury.

5. To relieve muscle spasms, reduce swelling, improve range of motion, and reduce or relieve stiffness.
Are Chiropractic Treatments Safe and Do They Hurt?
Chiropractic treatments are extremely safe for individuals of all ages – from infants to 100 year olds. 

Our treatments are safe because we only use natural and non-invasive methods of care. Research consistently shows that care from chiropractors is among the safest care available and is literally light years ahead of traditional medical care in terms of “safeness,” as shown by the lowest malpractice insurance premiums in healthcare.

The treatments themselves are generally not painful. In fact, most patients look forward to their treatments as many experience instantaneous relief immediately afterwards. 

Individuals who present with moderate to severe pain may experience some minor discomfort for obvious reasons. However, care is always gentle, safe and noninvasive.
I Have Arthritis. Is It Safe to Go to a Chiropractor?
In the vast majority of cases the answer is yes. In fact chiropractic is very beneficial in reducing the pain associated with arthritis and helping to maintain joint mobility. In a minority of cases of severe arthritis, adjustments are contraindicated. However even in these cases physiotherapy and therapeutic massage can be very helpful.
Do I Have A Pinched Nerve?
Many patients consult a chiropractic doctor because they think they have a pinched nerve. A “pinched nerve” diagnosis is a simple way to state a very complicated condition. 

Because of the way your spine is designed, abnormal spinal function caused from physical trauma, emotional tensions, or chemical toxins can affect the delicate tissues of the spinal cord and nerve roots. 

Nerves become irritated (facilitative lesion). This is caused when nerve tissue is rubbed, scraped, stretched by a loss of spinal curve, or irritated by malfunctioning spinal joints.
What Is a Subluxation?
This is the name chiropractors give to the spinal joint dysfunction that they correct by manipulation or adjustment. The subluxation is a functional entity, not necessarily a structural one, and therefore often is not visible on the X-ray. 

For example, a sprained ankle is very painful and certainly causes dysfunction, but an X-ray will not usually show anything abnormal.

A modern consensus definition is: "A motion segment (a motion segment simply put is a joint, for example the joint between two vertebra) in which alignment, movement integrity, and /or physiologic function are altered although contact between the joint surfaces remains intact."

Its components are:

1. Abnormal function and/or range of motion in a spinal joint

2. Nerve and /or vascular involvement

3. Often, but not necessarily, some structural displacement.

Not all components have to be present, for a subluxation to exist.

Causes of subluxation are divided into two basic categories extrinsic, or external, and intrinsic, or internal. Some extrinsic causes include: Trauma, posture, occupation, micro-trauma, and overuse. Some intrinsic causes include: Fatigue, stress, scoliosis, illness, structural abnormalities, and arthritis.
Can I Adjust Myself?
Since a chiropractic adjustment is a specific force, applied in a specific direction, to a specific spinal joint, it is virtually impossible to adjust oneself.

It is possible to turn or bend or twist in certain ways to create a “popping” sound, like the sound that sometimes accompanies a chiropractic adjustment. Unfortunately, this type of joint manipulation is usually counterproductive, often making an already unstable area of the spine even more unsteady.

The best way to enjoy the healthful benefits of chiropractic is to receive adjustments from a Doctor of Chiropractic. Even your doctor must seek out the services of another colleague to help restore and maintain proper spinal function.
What is the “Popping” Noise Heard During an Adjustment?
The “popping” or “cracking” noise is simply the release of gas, specifically nitrogen, from a joint when bones move, much like when you “pop” the cork out of a bottle of champagne or when you remove a suction cup from a window, thus relieving pressure in the joint of the spine addressed during the adjustment. 

Although this popping noise is common in and adjustment, it may not always be present, and it does not have to be present for the adjustment to be successful.
Once I Start Seeing a Chiropractor Do I Have to Come Forever?
Dr. Metz believes in getting you out of pain and on with your life.  Long term treatment plans are not what we do. 

Some conditions will improve in 2-4 visits, others may take longer.  Each person heals at a different rate.  

Some patients can benefit from regular care, others do just fine on an "as needed" basis.  

Some competitive athletes also benefit from regular care because of the tremendous demands they place on their bodies. Treatment for athletes helps them maintain and enhance their competitive edge.

Chiropractic is a method of healing which helps the body function at its best.
What are the Educational Requirements to Become a Chiropractor?
Today's graduating doctors of chiropractic have studied and trained in a post-secondary college or university for at least seven years. Just like medical or dental students, they must first complete undergraduate study before applying for admission to a chiropractic college. 

Becoming a chiropractic physician is a demanding path that includes a minimum of 4,500 hours of intense academic study, including classroom learning, clinical science and internship training. During the course of their training, he/she will have studied the following three areas:
  • Basic sciences, including anatomy, physiology, pathology (the study of diseases), biochemistry, clinical sciences, X-ray interpretation and differential diagnosis.
  • Training in the philosophy and practice of chiropractic medicine.
  • Clinical internship with emphasis on hands-on practice.
Your chiropractic physician is a primary contact (otherwise known as a portal of entry provider), just like your family physician, optometrist or dentist. You do not need a referral from your medical doctor or other provider to see a chiropractic physician.
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