Michael Vactor hurt his back 30 years ago when he slipped on ice and fell. With herniated discs in his lower back, he feared back surgery was in his future. Instead, he visited a chiropractor at the urging of a friend. It turned out to be one of the best decisions he had ever made.
Not only did it resolve his back issues without surgery, it set him on the path toward his future career.
A chiropractor for the last 24 years, Vactor has made it his life’s mission to share the benefits of chiropractic care as part of an overall health and wellness routine.
Chiropractic care is an alternative medicine practice that focuses on diagnosing and treating neuromuscular disorders, primarily through manual adjustments and manipulations of the spine. Chiropractors believe the body’s nervous system is responsible for maintaining health and that problems in the spine can interfere with the flow of nerve impulses, causing pain and other health conditions.
“Everything in life requires maintenance,” said Vactor. “That’s the analogy I’ve been using for 24 years when people ask me about the benefits of chiropractic care.”
“Vehicles need oil changes. Teeth need dental cleanings. Your spine and nervous system are no different,” he said.
One of the aspects that drew Vactor to chiropractic work was its ability to contribute to overall health and wellness. As he explained, it’s not just a treatment for aches and pains —although it works wonders for certain types of discomfort.
“Your spine and nervous system control all healing and function in the body,” he said. “Removing the interference allows your body to heal better and function normally.”
People who exercise regularly and pay close attention to what they eat and what they put in their bodies tend to prefer chiropractic care over medical alternatives for treating certain conditions, he said.
Chiropractic care can effectively treat a variety of issues, including:
Allergies
Back and neck pain
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Digestive issues
Fatigue
Headaches and migraines
Sciatica
Sports injuries
“The spine protects your brain and 31 pairs of spinal nerves,” said Vactor. “Your spine can become misaligned or subluxated.”
Chiropractic care is all about taking pressure off the nerves to allow the body to function and heal better. “You’ll have less back pain, less neck pain, and less stress on your body,” said Vactor.
Headaches are easily the number one condition for which many of his patients seek chiropractic care, said Vactor. “We do amazing work with headaches. Tension headaches, migraine headaches, all of them respond really well to treatment.”
Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) dysfunction is another condition chiropractic care can effectively treat, he said. Chiropractors can work on the soft tissues around the jaw to release trapped nerves and signals and restore normal functioning.
Anyone who works at a computer all day long may benefit from chiropractic as well. “When you constantly hunch forward looking at your computer or phone, you can develop back pain and pain between the shoulder blades from the stress,” he said.
Other conditions common among his patients include bulging discs, sciatica, and neuropathy in the feet.
There’s no one-size-fits-all chiropractic care plan. Every person needs a solution that’s tailored to their specific issue, Vactor said. “We always recommend a consult. At that time, we do a full workup and see where you’re at before putting together a care plan.”
Part of effective chiropractic treatment requires re-evaluating progress and adjusting treatment as needed, he said.
One of the questions he’s asked about chiropractic care is whether there are age restrictions for receiving this kind of care. Vactor said his youngest patient was 3 weeks old, and his oldest patient was 100. In the case of the newborn, he was suffering from torticollis, which happens sometimes when forceps are used to pull a baby out of the birth canal. “It can misalign a baby’s neck,” he said.
Chiropractic isn’t suited for everyone, Vactor said. Some injuries require surgery. Most of the cases he handles involve soft tissue injuries like slips and falls and wear-and-tear conditions.
According to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, spinal manipulation isn’t recommended for people with certain forms of arthritis, fractures, dislocations, cancer, or infections at the treatment area. Be sure to discuss all pre-existing conditions with a chiropractor before receiving treatment.
Vactor said chiropractors consult with other healthcare practitioners to provide comprehensive care when requested.
“A lot of our workers’ compensation and auto accident cases require us to collaborate with other healthcare providers,” he said. Also, if someone comes in and they’re not responding to chiropractic care and not feeling at least 60 percent better, we refer out to the appropriate physician for follow-up.”
People who have never tried chiropractic care can fear the unknown, said Vactor. He encourages anyone who is suffering from chronic pain to consider it.
“I think the biggest thing we say all the time is how bad is the pain?” he said. “What have you tried so far? A chiropractor is a doctor of last resort for some people. But for many people, that last resort solves their problem.”
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