Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is Chiropractic?

A:Many people associate chiropractic with solutions to pain – back pain in particular — but we do much more. Chiropractors often focus on the back because the spine houses and protects the spinal cord, the nerves that come from your brain to communicate with the rest of your body. Because communication between the brain and the body is transmitted through the spinal cord, irritation to spinal joints leads to irritation of the nerves off the spinal cord, which can interfere with normal nerve function to any related part of your body.

Chiropractic adjustments align the joints and stimulate muscles so they can support the joints properly. When your joints are properly aligned and supported, your nervous system can function without interference allowing your body to operate more efficiently and experience less pain. All this in addition to the decrease in aches and pains that arise from joint dysfunction directly!

Chiropractic is a treatment for joint dysfunction. It is not a replacement for medical care. Chiropractic enables optimum health through routine maintenance.

Common ailments that chiropractic care has helped include

  • Sprains/Strains
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Whiplash
  • Thoracic outlet syndrome
  • Overuse and impingement syndromes
  • Frozen shoulder
  • Sciatica
  • Chronic fatigue syndrome
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Diabetes
  • Hypertension
  • Migraines
  • Herniated or bulging discs
  • Plantar fasciitis
  • Bunions
  • Back and neck pain
  • Discomfort during pregnancy
  • Colic in babies

The benefits of chiropractic include an increased range of motion, enhanced athletic performance, more energy, decreased pain or weakness, and a decreased frequency of colds.

Q: Who can benefit from Chiropractic?

A: People of all ages, athletes, children, pregnant women, and even newborns can experience smoother function through Chiropractic. You do not have to have pain to experience benefits from Chiropractic.  Chiropractic care is great for performance optimization as well as the prevention of injury and dysfunction!

Q: Is there hope for old injuries?

A: Yes. The human body is great at compensating for injuries, but each one takes its toll on the body. Immediately after an injury occurs there may be pain and decreased function that seem to go away with time. This gives the illusion of recovery when, in truth, the body has simply compensated for the injury. It is the body's short-term solution to the problem. These compensations for injury lead to the overworking of muscles that were not hurt, causing imbalances of the joints involved. If left to its own process, this old injury will eventually make itself known in the form of aches and pains and decreased performance.

A car accident and whiplash that occurred years ago could be the cause of neck pain and related problems today. Likewise, the pain in your low back, hip, knee, or problems with your feet may be the result of a twisted ankle from long ago. With proper chiropractic treatment your body can attain better function.

Q: Is Chiropractic safe?

A: When performed by a trained Chiropractor there is minimal risk of injury from an adjustment. On your first visit with Dr. Fong, she will perform a thorough examination and interview to determine the best course of care for you. The methods used by Dr. Fong are very gentle, and she encourages an environment of open communication so that treatment is effective and within the comfort zone of her patient.

Q: Why do I have pain?

A: Pain is simply a warning sign from our bodies that we are doing something to harm it. That something is as often posture and chronic stresses as it is trauma and injury. We have, as a culture, been misinformed that pain is a normal part of life and aging. It should not be your constant companion.  Listen to your body and get your posture and Chiropractic check-up.  Reduce pain to being simply the warning sign it was meant to be!

Q: What is a subluxation?

A: When joints are injured or out of alignment they put pressure on nearby tissues and irritate them; this is a subluxation. For example, a twisted ankle has misalignment of the ankle joint causing the muscles, ligaments, nerves, and blood vessels to stretch on one side of the joint and compress on the other side of the joint. This leads to altered function and pain. Unless the joint alignment is corrected these tissues will not be able to heal or function normally. When the irritated (stretched or compressed) tissues are nerves they alter communication between the brain and the body, resulting in altered function of the body additional to the effects of the local irritation just mentioned. When the misalignment is corrected, pressure is taken off the irritated tissue and normal function can be restored.

Q: How does this misalignment occur?

A: Subluxations have physical, emotional and chemical causes which include injury, stress, poor posture, and even poor diet. Any event that causes a muscular imbalance can cause a Subluxation. Often, a Subluxation is present long before symptoms are evident.

Q: Do I have to keep seeing the Chiropractor to maintain the results?

A: You do not have to, but most people find they continue to receive benefits, and so choose to.  Chiropractic care can give lasting results in a single visit; however, most people have injuries that are chronic or caused by repetitive stresses, in which case they will benefit from Chiropractic care during the period in which they learn to change their lifestyle or the habits that are causing repeat injury. Some injuries will take weeks or months to heal, depending on severity and chronicity. After reaching their initial health goals, most people choose to continue receiving Chiropractic care because regular Chiropractic adjustments help them to be more resilient to the stresses in their lives that affect their health.  Athletes often seek frequent care because they make high demands on their bodies and expect continued performance above and beyond the norm.