Frequently Asked Questions in Harrison AR

A chiropractor is a physician focused on the disorders of the musculoskeletal and nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health. These disorders include, but are not limited to back pain, neck pain, pain in the joints of the arms or legs, and headaches. Chiropractors practice a conservative approach to health care that includes patient examination, diagnosis, and treatment. Chiropractors have broad diagnostic skills and are also trained to recommend therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises, as well as to provide nutritional, lifestyle and dietary counseling.

• It is common for a chiropractor to initially perform a neurological, orthopedic, and chiropractic examination along with taking x-rays before diagnosing and treating a patient. Once a thorough examination and/or imaging is taken then the chiropractor can decide what treatment is best for the patient.
• Chiropractic care works to restore the structural integrity of the spine and other joints, reduce pressure on sensitive neurological tissue, improve posture, reduce muscle tightness, and consequently improve the health of the individual.
• The goal of chiropractic treatment is to ease pain, improve joint mobility, decrease muscular tightness, and support the body’s natural ability to heal itself.

• Chiropractors are doctors and designated as physician-level providers. They are recognized in most state and federal Medicare programs. The essential services provided by chiropractors are also available in federal health delivery systems, including Medicaid, U.S Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense, Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, Federal Workers’ Compensation, and all state workers’ compensation programs.
• After graduating with an undergraduate degree, Chiropractors are educated in nationally accredited, four-year doctoral school programs and graduate as Doctor of Chiropractic (DC).
• Chiropractors go through a rigorous curriculum that includes a minimum of 4,200 hours of classroom, laboratory, and clinical internship. with the average DC program equivalent in classroom hours to allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) medical schools.
• There are more than 70,000 chiropractors in the United States. They were all required to pass a series of four national board exams and be state licensed before practicing chiropractic in their state.

• The chiropractic profession got its beginnings in the late 19th century in the United States. The founder of Chiropractic is attributed to Daniel David Palmer who gave the first chiropractic adjustment in 1895. He also established the first chiropractic school (what is now Palmer College of Chiropractic) in 1897 in Davenport, Iowa.
• In 1904, Palmer helped to establish a second school of chiropractic (what is now Western States Chiropractic College) in Oregon.
• In 1906, John Fitz Allen Howard (graduate of Palmer’s school) founded the National School of Chiropractic.
• In 1935, The National Chiropractic Association forms a Committee on Education Standards, which became known as the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE). This Council was officially recognized in 1974 by the U.S. Department of Education as the accrediting agency for chiropractic schools.
• In 1994, The Association of Chiropractic Colleges was formed giving the community of chiropractic schools a voice and providing support to promote chiropractic education centers.
• Today, there are almost 20 chiropractic colleges in the United States and over 20 more schools across the world.
• In 1996, the U.S. government began funding chiropractic research through the National Institutes for Health in which it has donated millions of dollars.
• Chiropractic is a regulated healthcare profession in the United States and has been for more than 100 years.

• Chiropractors diagnose and treat many different spinal, joint, and muscle disorders that cause musculoskeletal or nerve pain. Like other types of doctors, a chiropractor performs a physical and neurological examination as part of his or her process of making an accurate diagnosis.
• A chiropractor is also licensed to take and read x-rays which may be used to help diagnose and treat the patient.
• A chiropractor is trained to give spinal adjustments to decrease pain, increase nerve conductivity, and increase joint range of motion. Chiropractic adjustments help to increase blood flow, decrease joint degeneration, break-up muscle adhesions, and increase nerve conductivity from the spine to all parts of the body.
• Chiropractors are also licensed to perform physical therapy modalities to help facilitate healing, reduce pain, and restore joint and muscle support.
• Chiropractors also prescribe and preform:
  • Soft-tissue therapy - to relax tight muscles.
  • Exercises and stretches - to strengthen muscles and restore proper muscle length for increased range of motion.
  • Orthopedic joint bracing/taping - to support joints and muscles.
  • Provide nutritional, lifestyle and dietary counseling - to promote gut health, detox the body, reduce inflammation, and enhance joint and muscle regeneration for optimal body function.

• The essential services provided by chiropractors offer a primary approach for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of back pain, neck pain, headaches, soft tissue injuries, spinal disorders, and many other types of musculoskeletal conditions. The conservative approach to management and treatment of these conditions by chiropractors often enables patients to reduce or avoid the need for riskier treatments, such as prescription opioid pain medications and surgery.
• In 2017, the American College of Physicians updated its low back pain treatment guideline that recommends first using non-drug treatments, such as spinal manipulation (a centerpiece of chiropractic care), for acute and chronic low back pain.
• The Journal of the American Medical Association in 2017 supports the use of spinal manipulative therapy as a first-line treatment for acute low back pain.
• Not only are chiropractors able to relieve pain from spinal and other neuromusculoskeletal problems without drugs and surgery, but they help promote a person’s health and wellbeing through maintenance adjustments of the spine and nutrition counseling.

• Because Chiropractic is so effective more than 35 million Americans are treated by a chiropractor each year. It's estimated that over one million chiropractic adjustments are performed in the US every day.
• According to Gallup.com (accessed November 2018), three in four people who saw a chiropractor in the last year (77%) described chiropractic care as “very effective.”
  • Reported less pain intensity.
  • Experienced less disability and more improvement in function.
  • Reported higher satisfaction with their treatment.
  • Needed less pain medicine.
• In ConsumerReports.org; (Back-Pain Treatments. July 2011), chiropractic outperformed all other back pain treatments, including prescription medication, deep-tissue massage, yoga, Pilates, and over-the-counter medication therapies.
• Chiropractors are the highest-rated healthcare practitioner for low-back pain treatments above physical therapists (PTs), specialist physician/MD (i.e., neurosurgeons, neurologists, orthopedic surgeons), and primary care physician/MD (Relief for your aching back: What worked for our readers. ConsumerReports.org; March 2013).
• In 2015, the Joint Commission, the organization that accredits more than 20,000 health care systems in the U.S. (including every major hospital), recognized the value of non-drug approaches by adding chiropractic to its pain management standard (https://www.jointcommission.org/assets/1/18/Clarification_of_the_Pain_Management__Standard.pdf).
• A clinical comparative trial conducted at three military medical centers found that chiropractic care combined with usual medical care for low back pain provides greater pain relief and a greater reduction in disability than medical care alone (A comparative effectiveness clinical trial. JAMA Network Open, 2018;1(1): e180105).

• Chiropractic adjustments are safe when performed by someone trained and licensed to deliver chiropractic care and serious complications associated with chiropractic adjustment are overall rare (Mayo Clinic September 30, 2022).
• Chiropractic care is not recommended for patients with osteoporosis, spine deformities, spine cancer, increased stroke risk, and more serious conditions that may require surgery.

Although not common, it is possible for a patient to have mild side effects after a chiropractic adjustment like temporary soreness, stiffness, and tenderness in the treated area.

The amount of chiropractic treatments a patient needs is a loaded question. Some people may need more care due to more complicated factors like injuries and chronic conditions. Some people use chiropractic care to only deal with their symptoms which is referred to as pain care. While others use chiropractic for maintenance of their health and healthy lifestyle. It is well known in research that regular chiropractic treatment boosts the immune system, lowers inflammation, increases nerve function, and influences the management of how the body’s organ’s function.

At Movement Chiropractic in Harrison, AR, both cash and insurance is accepted for treatment. It is the goal of Dr. Paul Williams to offer chiropractic care that everyone can afford. Movement Chiropractic also offers family plans. You won’t find more affordable treatment and better value for chiropractic in Harrison, Arkansas.

• At Movement Chiropractic, you will get treated by Dr. Paul Williams who has over 25 years’ experience as a physician, university doctor for interns, health and chiropractic coach, author, and owner of several multidisciplinary clinics.
• You will receive customized treatment specifically for you.
• Dr. Paul Williams has many years of experience treating babies, pregnant women, athletes, automobile injuries, work injuries, and is a huge proponent of wellness and maintenance care.
• Unless you want quick in-and-out treatment, you will not feel rushed at the Movement Chiropractic. Dr. Paul Williams takes the time to treat your specific problem and you will even get to end your visit relaxing on a massage chair.
• If you want a warm chiropractic welcome, then you won’t find friendlier staff who enthusiastically greet you and genuinely care.
• You can feel confident that Dr. Paul Williams will be able to help you with whatever symptoms are bothering you or he will refer you to someone who can.

The Movement Chiropractic in Harrison, Arkansas can be easily found on Google Maps. It is located at 122 East Rush Ave Harrison, Arkansas 72601.

• There are many chiropractic techniques used by chiropractors throughout the world. Dr. Paul Williams at Movement Chiropractic mainly uses Diversified technique when treating his patients, but may also use Activator, Flexion Distraction, and Thompson Drop. Here is a quick overview of the most common chiropractic adjustment techniques used in the United States.
  • Diversified – this is the most used technique amongst chiropractors. In this technique, a chiropractor uses their hands to apply a rapid thrust to align the spine or other joints.
  • Gonstead – This is a hands-on technique that a chiropractor uses to both analyze and treat the spine. Chiropractors often use a nervoscope to look for temperature variations that may correspond with a spinal misalignment. The adjustment typically consists of contacting the spinous process of the vertebrae and lifting it back into alignment.
  • Activator – In this technique, a chiropractor uses a small handheld spring-loaded device called an activator that delivers a small impulse to the spine.
  • Thompson Drop – This involves specialized treatment tables that have drop mechanisms to help the movement of the joint. The chiropractor will contact the joint to be adjusted and holds firm pressure until the drop mechanism releases.
  • Flexion Distraction – Flexion distraction is performed on a specially designed motorized table that distracts and flexes the spine. The chiropractor applies mild pressure to specific areas of contact that is intended to relieve pain, restore motion and realign the spine. It also works towards relieving pressure on the spinal nerves and discs, lower back pain and radicular symptoms including sciatica.

Chiropractors mainly treats the patient's neuromusculoskeletal system — the bones, nerves, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. The most common issues seen by a chiropractor include lower back pain, neck pain, muscle pain, and headaches. Chiropractors do not limit their treatment to the spine only and can provide relief to painful knees and shoulders, carpal tunnel, TMJ, and many other joint problems.

• When a person undergoes an injury, they often incur strained muscles, sprained ligaments, and misalignments (subluxations) in the spine. These types of injuries left untreated create swelling, permanent scar tissue, decreased range of motion in the spine and other joints, tighter muscles, accelerated joint degeneration, and chronic pain.
• Chiropractors focus on all aspects of muscle, joint, and ligament injury that damages nerves and other nerve sensitive tissue. By restoring normal joint and spinal alignment, muscle tension, nerve conduction, and ranges of motion, a chiropractor can relieve pain and improve function.
• In addition to adjusting the spine and other joints, a chiropractor will help relieve pain from injured tissue through cold laser, electrical muscle stimulation, ultrasound, spinal decompression, traction, exercises, stretches, orthopedic supports, soft tissue therapy, and dietary nutrition.

Chiropractors treat back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, headaches, whiplash, automobile injuries, work injuries, sports injuries, overuse injuries, headaches, migraines, TMJ disorders, carpal tunnel, tennis elbow, posture issues, dizziness, frozen shoulder, arthritis, and joint problems in the arms and legs.

You should absolutely get chiropractic care during pregnancy. It is not only safe, but often times necessary. While pregnant, a woman will release hormones that cause the pelvic joints to loosen. As a result, it is not uncommon for a pregnant woman to get out of alignment in her pelvis and lower back causing back, hip, and groin pain. In addition, the ligaments which attach to the uterus can cause the uterus to tilt which then also puts pressure on the unborn child. Both scenarios put stress and pain on both mom and baby which can be relieved with chiropractic treatment.

• Chiropractors use spinal manipulation to relieve irritated nerves in the lower back. By adjusting the spine, inflammation decreases and muscles relax to help reduce pain and improve range of motion.
• In addition to spinal misalignments (subluxations), chiropractors treat other causes of lower back pain like disc protrusions, muscle imbalances, bad posture, and abnormal walking.
• Other common treatments used by chiropractors to reduce lower back pain include stretches, exercises, spinal decompression, traction, cold laser, ultrasound, electrical muscle stimulation, orthopedic supports, soft tissue therapy, and dietary nutrition.

• Chiropractors reduce neck pain by improving the mobility of the spine and restore range of motion through a chiropractic adjustment. The spinal adjustment also helps decrease inflammation in the spinal joints thus removing pain.
• Other causes of neck pain come from disc protrusions and tight or spastic muscles which a chiropractor treats by providing stretches, traction, spinal decompression, soft tissue therapy, exercises, cold laser, ultrasound, electrical muscle stimulation, and orthopedic supports.

• Chiropractors will adjust the lower back thus relieving nerve irritation responsible for inflammation, muscle spasm, pain, and other symptoms related to sciatica.
• Chiropractors also help reduce sciatic pain by employing spinal decompression, traction, stretches, exercises, soft tissue therapy, cold laser, ultrasound, electrical muscle stimulation, and dietary nutrition.

A chiropractic adjustment applied by a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic will not typically hurt. Most people getting adjusted find considerable relief and look forward to the treatment. If a person has injured and sensitive tissue then getting adjusted may produce mild soreness that only lasts temporarily.

During a chiropractic adjustment, gases inside the facet joints are released and you may hear an audible “pop” sound. Facet joints are located in between the vertebrae allowing the vertebrae to work together in the spine. Around the facet joints lie joint capsules. When vertebrae go out of normal alignment and get stuck, pressure builds up in these capsules making a “popping” sound when released.

Although many adjustments may look to be the same, they all differ. Each patient’s care is unique and customized to meet their specific condition and needs. Depending on a person’s medical history, age, size, weight, medical and health condition, Chiropractors adjust differently using different techniques and tools that best fit the patient to reach their goal.

• Obviously, there are no absolutes. However, thousands of people have received complete relief from back pain after receiving chiropractic care. The amount of treatment varies depending on the age and condition of the person. Although not as common, it is possible to get complete relief from just one spinal adjustment.
• Most lower back conditions causing pain are from underlying nerve irritation caused by injury, disc protrusion, spinal misalignment, muscle imbalance, and or spinal degeneration. These conditions typically take more time to treat for the body to heal and pain to go away.

• It is not recommended nor safe to adjust yourself. A person adjusting themselves has no idea what they are getting to “pop”. Chiropractors must use a specific contact to ensure they are adjusting the intended vertebra of the spine. Chiropractors are trained to determine what direction the vertebra has moved and how to put it in the proper position. Adjusting yourself can put a vertebra further out of position and misalign healthy vertebrae leading to injury and chronic pain.
• The adjustment is more than just “popping” your neck or back. It is a specific force designed to place a vertebra in its proper position and restore proper joint motion. Chiropractors perform detailed exams, x-rays, and take a patient history to ensure they know which joint needs to be adjusted and that it is safe to do so before adjusting a patient.
• Some people say they get temporary relief “popping” their neck. The temporary relief they are getting comes from the release of endorphins (feel-good hormones) which only last in the blood stream 15-20 minutes. After this point a person feels the need to “pop” their neck again. The problem with this temporary fix is that it often promotes spinal degeneration, spinal instability, and chronic pain issues.
• An adjustment by a Doctor of Chiropractic puts the vertebra into its proper position, therefore fixing the problem. People who get a proper adjustment report that they no longer need to self-adjust because they feel better. If you feel like the “cracking” you are doing just isn’t lasting more than 30 minutes then it’s definitely time to get seen by a Chiropractor.

For most routine chiropractic appointments, you will not need to remove any clothing. In case the chiropractor needs to get better access to the skin for examination or treatment then you may need to put on a gown.

• Most children have misalignments in their spine which not only cause muscle weakness, pain and discomfort (sometimes passed on as growing pains), but also immune system compromise, gut issues, and other body dysfunctions. For many children, their first spinal misalignment comes from the forces put on their neck in the delivery process at birth. Spinal misalignments can also come from childhood injuries and falls.
• As a result of so many children having misaligned spines chiropractic it is absolutely appropriate and needed for reducing pain and discomfort, promoting good posture, improving athletic performance, increasing nervous system function, boosting the immune system, and preventing future health problems.
• There are no specific risks associated with chiropractic adjustments for children. A study published by the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, found that a small percentage of kids experience some discomfort during chiropractic adjustments, but otherwise there were no adverse reactions reported.

• Becoming a chiropractor first requires getting a degree in undergraduate studies which includes completing specific prerequisites. One can then apply for acceptance in one of the accredited chiropractic schools. Accredited Doctor of Chiropractic degree programs require a minimum of 4,200 hours of instruction before graduating. It may take 8-9 years before completing both undergraduate studies and a Doctor of Chiropractic degree program. A chiropractor must also pass a series of exams administered by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners and secure licensure in the state they choose to practice. In order to maintain an active license, chiropractors must receive annual continuing education classes.
• A Doctor of Chiropractic degree program generally includes three major phases of education. The first phase involves studying the human body and its systems and includes such classes as biochemistry, anatomy, and physiology. The second phase is made up of clinical and chiropractic science where one studies physician-patient interaction, physical examinations, causes of disease, diagnosis, and treatment. The final phase is mostly made up of clinical internships where students get real-world settings and take on patient cases alongside a licensed chiropractor.