Chiropractic is concerned with treating disorders of the neuro-musculo-skeletal system and the effects of these disorders on overall health. All functions of the body are controlled by the nervous system; millions of instructions flow from the brain, down the spinal cord and out to every organ and tissue. Signals sent back to the brain confirm things are normal. What chiropractic aims to do is restore normal function to the joints and surrounding tissues to keep the system flowing.

It is a common misconception that chiropractic involves bones being "out of place" and chiropractors "putting them back". What chiropractors treat is vertebral subluxation complexes. A vertebral subluxation complex involves a joint being fixed with in its normal position (unable to move through its full range of motion)

When the function of joint is compromised structural changes begin to take place in the joint and surrounding tissues (including the muscles, ligaments, tendons, connective tissue, blood supply and nerves).

Restricted movement of a joint means that adjacent joints need to compensate for it - these joints become increasingly prone to injury and degeneration. Hence a small problem can rapidly become a big problem.

A slight loss of proper movement of the joints can interfere with the healthy working of your spine and the nerves that pass through it, disrupting the normal communication and compromising the function of the affected organs and tissues. This may affect the body's natural ability to recover from injury or resist disease, making it unable to shake off apparently minor aches, pains or even some illnesses.

Most people expect that chiropractors can deal effectively with problems in the spine. What many people may not realise is that chiropractors are experts in treating all the muscles and joints in the body and so will also treat problems such as headaches, tennis elbow or a sprained ankle. More often than not these injuries also have associated spinal problems and by seeing a chiropractor these can be dealt with as well.