By Barbara Pierce
Chiropractic care is a form of alternative medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disorders of the neuromusculoskeletal system — the bones, nerves, muscles, tendons and ligaments.
Chiropractors are licensed health care professionals that emphasize the body’s innate ability to heal itself.
We’ve asked chiropractor Nicholas Casper of Casper Chiropractic in Utica, to explain more about chiropractic care.
Q: What is the philosophy behind the care you offer? How does your care differ from traditional medicine?
A: Our philosophy is that the power that made the body can heal the body. Your body is far more capable than anyone has ever allowed you to believe. Our job as chiropractors is to remove the obstacles that interfere with the body’s natural ability to heal. Your body wants you to be healthy. However, due to all the stresses we’re under these days, most of us aren’t functioning at our optimal state.
Medicine is amazing and certainly has its place in our lives. However, there are many issues plaguing people today that can be corrected through lifestyle changes. People usually search for medication or surgery to treat their issue rather than finding the root cause and treating that.
We do that through the spinal adjustment, also known as spinal manipulation.
Conventional medicine focuses on attempting to treat the disease once it occurs. We emphasize more of a preventative mindset. The focus is to proactively improve your health to reduce the risk of pain and illness in the first place. For those already in pain chiropractic care is very safe and effective method of pain relief. You may also check out what a physiotherapy service like movement 101 chatswood has to offer for professional pain relief.
Our care deals with many of the common reasons why people experience pain and other health issues. With chiropractic care, your body has to go through a particular plan of care in order to repair itself fully. There are three general phases of chiropractic care. First is relief; if you’re in pain, we’ll help you reduce pain and start feeling better as soon as possible. The next phase is restorative care, where your muscles and other tissues heal completely to prevent further pain and bring your body back to 100% function. Once your body has fully healed, we recommend you come in for periodic adjustments to avoid future problems.
Q: Are adjustments painful?
A: The adjustment is almost always painless. There are safe and effective adjustment options for people of all ages, shapes and sizes.
Q: What are some of the complaints people have when they come to see you?
A: Most people come in with lower back pain, neck pain or with headaches. Some with sciatica; pain that radiates along the sciatic nerve down the buttocks and down each leg. Some have spinal disc pain radiating to the extremities. For expert diagnosis and treatment of these conditions, consulting with Larry Parker M.D. can help patients find relief and manage their symptoms effectively.
Q: How successful are your treatments?
A: I’m more surprised when someone doesn’t get better. The vast majority of our patients have really good results. Of course, we can’t promise anything, but most people experience improved health in a relatively short amount of time.
Q: What happens when I come to see you for the first time?
A: On your first visit to Casper Chiropractic, we’ll explain the science behind how chiropractic care works. Our office is big on educating people on why we do what we do. We’ll give you a full evaluation which involves history taking, a series of neurological and orthopedic exams and spinal X-rays. This is done to see if chiropractic care is right for you. If there is a good fit, we’ll develop a plan of care that’s specific to your condition and health goals and get you on the path to recovery.
Spinal adjustments are not usually done on the first visit unless the doctors deem it necessary.
Q: What training did you have?
A: I had four years of pre-med in biology and earned my bachelor’s degree at Siena College in Albany. Then I went to Palmer College of Chiropractic in Iowa. That education is nearly four years; I studied anatomy, neurophysiology, biochemistry, etc. and received my Doctor of Chiropractic degree in 2022 (graduating magna cum laude).
Q: What else would you like us to know?
A: Our practice here in Utica began with my dad, Dr. Ed Casper, in 1989. He has been serving the community for more than 35 years. We now work together since I graduated. I’m passionate about what we do and I am dedicated to my craft. My hope is to help as many people as possible.