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FAQs

Are chiropractic adjustments safe?

Yes. A New Zealand government study found that adjustments are “remarkably safe.” By avoiding drugs and risky surgery, chiropractic care enjoys an excellent track record. A thorough exam can identify the rare person for whom chiropractic care might be unsuited. Compare the statistics. Adjustments are many times safer than taking an over-the-counter pain reliever.

Will adjustments make my spine too loose?

No. Only the spinal joints that are “locked up” receive adjustments. The occasional spinal joints that move too much, are passed over so weakened muscles and ligaments can stabilize and heal.

How many adjustments will I need?

The number of adjustments varies with each patient and their individual health goals. Many patients sense some progress within a week or two of frequent visits. Visits are less often as your spine stabilizes. In difficult cases, complete healing can take months or even years.

Why would a newborn get adjusted?

Even today’s “natural” childbirth methods can affect an infant’s spine. Colic, unusual crying, poor appetite or erratic sleeping habits can be signs of spinal distress. Adjustments are gentle. Knowing exactly where to adjust, no more pressure than you’d use to test the ripeness of a tomato is involved.

Can I adjust myself?

No. Some people can make their joints “pop” but that’s not an adjustment! Worse, damage can occur by mobilizing a joint with weakened muscles and ligaments. Adjustments are specific and take years to master. Even your chiropractic doctor must consult a colleague to benefit from chiropractic care.

Can the bones move too much?

Highly unlikely. A chiropractic adjustment is special. It has the right amount of energy, delivered to an exact spot, at a precise angle, at just the right time. The intent is to get a “stuck” spinal joint moving again, helping reduce nerve interference. Years of training, practice, and experience make chiropractic adjustments specific and safe.

Can I have chiropractic care after back surgery?

Yes. Rest assured that we will avoid the surgically modified areas of your spine. Surgery often causes instability above or below the involved level. This will be the focus of your chiropractic care.

Can patients with osteoporosis get chiropractic care?

Of course. When developing a care plan, your chiropractic doctor considers the unique circumstances of each patient. There are many ways to adjust the spine. The method selected will be best suited to your age, size and condition.

Isn’t some back pain normal?

What does an adjustment feel like?

Most patients report a sense of well-being or a feeling of calmness. Since repeated adjustments are necessary, if adjustments didn’t feel good, patients wouldn’t return to finish their care. Chiropractic doctors expert at making adjustments feel good.

What about muscle relaxers?

First, chiropractors don’t dispense drugs. We rely on natural methods. Muscle relaxers and even the most common over-the-counter pain medications fail on two counts. First, while convenient, they don’t address the underlying cause of your problem. Second, side effects such as addiction, kidney failure, liver damage and even death can result. When properly applied, ice can have an analgesic effect without the side effects associated with pain medications.

How does chiropractic work?

Chiropractic works because you are a self-healing, self-regulating organism controlled by your nervous system. Millions of instructions flow from your brain, down the spinal cord, and out to every organ and tissue. Signals sent back to the brain confirm if the body is working correctly. Improper motion or position of the moving bones of the spine can interfere with this vital exchange by irritating nerves and compromising the function of affected organs and tissues. Specific spinal adjustments help improve mind/body communications. Health often returns with improved nervous system control of the body.

Does insurance pay for chiropractic?

These days, many policies cover at least a little of the care you’ll need. It’s convenient when an insurance company or third party helps pay the bill. But be careful! Don’t allow the profit motives of a huge corporation to make a decision for you. If you sincerely want you health back, we can help. Find out how we make chiropractic care affordable for just about anyone.

Can chiropractic repair bone spurs?

Bone spurs and other arthritic changes to joints in the feet, hands or spine is the body’s response to long-standing malfunction. Restoring proper joint function is thought to slow or stop this degenerative process.

Does cracking your knuckles cause damage?

Studies suggest that knuckle cracking does not damage the metacarpal joints of the hand. While there is danger of overextending already loose knuckle joints, mobilizing these and other joints of the body is best left to an experienced chiropractor.

Is it okay to wear a wrist brace?

A brace is often prescribed to help protect the wrist and reduce mobility. While it may alleviate certain symptoms, it virtually ignores the malfunctioning joints causing the problem. The chiropractic approach is to help restore proper motion to affected joints and strengthen supporting muscles and soft tissues. While this may require some type of ongoing supportive care, many patients are able to resume their activities without bracing.

Is the spine the source of all headaches?

Not necessarily. The three most common causes are physical trauma, emotional stress or chemical toxins. Sometimes there may be a combination of factors. Our examination process helps identify the most likely cause.

What causes subluxations?

There are three basic causes of subluxations. Physical causes could include slips and falls, accidents, repetitive motions, and improper lifting. Emotions, such as stress, anger and fear can cause of subluxations. Chemical causes could include alcohol, drugs, pollution and poor diet.

I was told it was “all in my head.” Now what?

The pain you feel is real. And psychological sources of pain are common. However, this “diagnosis” is often the last resort of health practitioners who have exhausted their possible explanations of the cause of your problem. In these cases, we’ve often found that undetected subluxations are likely culprits.

How many visits will it take?

Some patients enjoy results quickly. Others notice a slow decline in their symptoms after several weeks or longer of chiropractic care. It’s impossible to predict. If you’ve had chronic headaches for many years, improvement can take time.

What if chiropractic care doesn’t help?

If we’re unable to find and correct the cause of your particular health problem, we will refer to other practitioners who may be able to help. Your health and your satisfaction are our only goal.

How come my medical doctor didn’t suggest chiropractic?

That’s changing. Years of prejudice and bias are giving way to research showing the benefits of chiropractic care. Attitudes are slow to change. However, as the public demands alternatives to drugs and surgery, more and more medical practitioners are referring their patients to chiropractic doctors.

How long does it take for nerve irritation to be reduced?

Some patients experience almost instant relief. Others discover it can take many weeks or months. Many factors can affect the healing process. How long have you had your problem? Are you keeping your appointments? Are you getting the proper rest, exercise and nutrition? Do you smoke? Are you in otherwise good condition? Within a short period, most patients sense enough progress to justify completing our recommendations.

What about my friend who only needed one visit?

It’s true there are rare instances in which a single visit can produce the pain relief that many patients seek. However, the effect is usually short lived. Because underlying muscles and soft tissues have not been strengthened and retrained, a relapse often occurs. Our experience has found that when patients begin chiropractic care as adults, they have considerable structural and functional damage from years of neglect. A single “miracle” adjustment rarely produces permanent change.

Why not just take some muscle relaxers instead?

We don’t dispense drugs of any kind. Muscle relaxers and even the most common over-the-counter pain medications fail on two counts. Sure they’re convenient, but they don’t correct the underlying cause of your problem. (What is actually causing the muscle to spasm?) Virtually every drug produces side effects. Which is a fancy way of saying they produce unwanted effects. These can include kidney failure, liver damage, addiction and even death.

Will adjustments hurt my baby?

Of course not. This is a common concern among parents who mistakenly think their child will receive adjustments like one ones they receive. Not only are adjusting techniques modified for each person’s size and unique spinal problem, an infant’s spine rarely has the long-standing muscle tightness seen in adults. This makes the energy needed to adjust a child’s spine considerably less than an adult’s does.

Will adjustments make my spine too loose?

No. Only the spinal joints that are “locked up” receive adjustments. This allows weakened muscles and ligaments to stabilize and heal.

Pregnancy is natural. Why would I need chiropractic?

Being born is a natural phenomenon. It’s what we’ve done to the birth process that has become increasingly suspect. In hospitals, birth is often treated like a disease. A newborn’s introduction to the world is often accompanied by a severe drop in temperature, loud noises and other insensitivities. The administration of drugs and anesthesia can have a profound effect on a newborn.

Will my medical doctor approve?

First, you don’t need anyone’s approval to seek a chiropractic opinion about health issues affecting your child! The judgment of another health care expert is always helpful in the decision-making process. Medical practitioners keeping up with the latest pediatric chiropractic research are starting to understand the value of this natural, drug-free approach to better health.

What does my spine have to do with my baby?

Pregnancy may be one of the best times to receive chiropractic care! While it’s always good to have an optimally functioning nervous system, it’s especially helpful now. Both mother and baby can benefit. Adjusting methods are adapted to a mother’s size, weight and condition. During this period of weight gain and hormonal changes, many mothers seek chiropractic care. Some report shorter and easier births.

How do you get sciatica?

It’s easy to trace some spinal problems to an event, such as a car accident. Yet, sciatica is often the result of cumulative damage. Years of bad posture, poor muscle tone, excess weight or countless other causes sets the stage. Then, something simple like bending over to tie your shoes can trigger an episode. Spinal decay can be another culprit. Instead of disc thinning that puts pressure on the sciatic nerve roots, arthritic bone spurs can intrude into the space normally reserved for the nerve.

Can chiropractic cure sciatica?

Actually, chiropractic doesn’t cure anything! Only your body can do that. The chiropractic approach to sciatica (and other health problems) is to help restore the way your spine works, reducing nerve irritation and revitalizing your own healing ability.

How much chiropractic care will be needed?

Most sciatica patients are delighted with the results they get after weeks or months of care. Naturally, this varies from patient to patient. After a relapse or two, many discover that years of neglect have produced spinal instabilities that never fully heal. These patients elect to continue with periodic chiropractic checkups. It’s up to you.

What if I don’t remember any “trauma”?

This is a common refrain. Because our bodies are unusually adaptive, we can often accommodate a variety of stresses for years. Finally, like the “straw that broke the camel’s back,” we turn or bend funny and suddenly our spine succumbs to the accumulation of stress.

Isn’t a certain amount of sideways curvature normal?

Any type of sideways curvature is abnormal. From the back, the spine should appear straight. When scoliosis is present, there are usually two curves. A primary curve in one direction and a compensatory curve in the opposite direction.

Isn’t scoliosis caused by a lack of calcium?

No. However, there are a growing number of people who believe uncorrected spinal damage from the birth process may be involved. Some theorize that “walkers” may prematurely interrupt the crawling stage so essential for proper spinal development.

Do heavy book bag cause scoliosis?

Not necessarily, however this is a growing concern. Make sure your son or daughter use both shoulder straps on their backpacks so the weight is evenly distributed. Weigh their bag. Make sure it doesn’t exceed 10% -15% of their body weight.

How does chiropractic help disc problems?

The purpose of chiropractic care is to locate and correct areas of the spine interfering with the proper nervous system control of your body. Because the intervertebral discs are so close to the spinal cord and nerve roots, disc involvement is quite common in chiropractic cases. Chiropractic adjustments help restore proper motion and position of malfunctioning spinal bones, reducing nervous system involvement. If caught before permanent damage, disc tissue often returns to a more normal size and shape by restoring proper motion and position of affected spinal joints.

Aren’t disc problems simply the normal aging process?

No. However, many disc problems are the result of years of neglect. Many spinal problems are nonsymptomatic until the advanced stages of degeneration. There are many cases of elderly patients who have maintained their spine throughout their lives who enjoy excellent spinal health and function.

I didn’t do anything so how can a disc be involved?

This is a common refrain. Because our bodies are unusually adaptive, we can often accommodate a variety of stresses for years. Finally, like the “straw that broke the camel’s back,” we turn or bend funny and suddenly our spine succumbs to the accumulation of stress.

Is surgery ever recommended?

In extreme cases, as a last resort and after other more conservative approaches have been taken, surgery may be the only alternative.

How come I’ve never heard of subluxations before?

True, subluxations have not received the press that say, AIDS, cancer, cholesterol or heart disease have. However, subluxations are just as important and are often the underlying cause of a wide variety of health problems.

How do you get subluxations?

There are three basic causes of subluxations. Physical causes include slips and falls, accidents, repetitive motions, and improper lifting. Stress, anger and fear are examples of emotional causes of subluxations. Alcohol, drugs, pollution and poor diet can be chemical causes of subluxations.

How can subluxations be corrected?

The primary form of care to reduce subluxations is a schedule of chiropractic adjustments. By applying a specific and precise force, in the right direction and at the right time, over time, changes in the position and motion of spinal bones can be made.

How can I tell if I have subluxations?

You can have subluxations and not even know it. Like the early stages of tooth decay or cancer, subluxations can be present before warning signs appear. The results of a thorough examination can show the location and severity of any subluxations you may have.

Can subluxations clear up on their own?

Sometimes. Today’s hectic lifestyles are a constant source of subluxations. Fortunately, our bodies have the ability to self-correct many of these minor problems as we bend and stretch, or when we sleep at night. When subluxations don’t resolve, you need to see a chiropractic doctor for an adjustment!

Why do I have pain in my arms and hands?

Because the nerves to the arms and hands exit the spine through the injured area of the neck, numbness and tingling are common. Even lower back pain can result directly from the trauma, or as a reaction to the loss of proper spinal curves.

Why did my headaches start more than a week after my accident?

Whether you’ve been in an accident, stressed at work, or over-exerted yourself in the garden, your body is constantly adapting to the environment. When your capacity to adapt is exhausted, symptoms can appear. This can take days, weeks, months or years to occur.

Why do minor collisions cause so much trauma to the spine?

Without getting into the laws of physics, the simple explanation is that in a more forceful automobile accident, the car itself absorbs much of the energy. In the more common parking lot “fender benders,” the energy is more directly transferred to the driver and passengers.

Can I prevent a whiplash injury?

Since car accidents are the major cause of whiplash injuries, defensive driving skills can help. Be sure your taillights and turn signals are properly working. Allow enough stopping distance in front of you. When you slow down or stop, always check your rear view mirror to see if the driver behind you is paying attention.

Is chiropractic scientific?

Chiropractic is a science, an art and a philosophy. It’s a scientific fact that your brain and nervous system control every cell of your body. Research confirms that interferences to the controlling role of the nervous system change the way the body works. This is most common along the spine. Objective tests help locate these areas along the spine. Specific adjustments help reduce the interferences. Results prove that chiropractic is safe, simple and scientific.

What does the spine have to do with health?

The spine houses the “information super highway” of your spinal cord. Pairs of nerve roots branch off from between each spinal joint. These nerves connect your brain with every cell and tissue of your body. These delicate nerves are quite vulnerable because they are in such close proximity to the moving bones of the spine. A loss of proper motion or position of spinal bones can compromise this vital communication. Chiropractic care locates these areas, and reduces their effect on the nervous system with specific spinal adjustments.

What can chiropractic cure?

Chiropractic doesn’t cure anything. Nor is it a treatment for disease. Your body does the curing. The only thing that the best doctors can do is to remove any interferences that may be preventing your body from healing itself. That’s why chiropractic doctors are interested in the nervous system. Your nervous system controls how your body works. With a better nerve supply, your body’s inborn healing abilities are unleashed and all kinds of things are possible.

Can children get subluxations?

Yes. As children explore their world they discover their limits, producing aches and pains. Learning to walk, riding a bike, or playing sports can cause subluxations passed off as “growing pains.” Chiropractic care can help detect early signs of scoliosis and reduce subluxations that can interfere with proper development. Ignored, these problems can worsen until they become more difficult to correct as an adult.

Are all patients adjusted the same way?

No. Each patients spine is unique, and each patients care plan is unique. With 24 moving bones in the spine (that can each move in seven different directions!) we see a wide variety of spinal patterns. Each patients care is custom tailored for their age, condition, and health goals.

What’s the best adjusting technique?

There are hundreds of ways to adjust the spine. From this vast inventory, I have chosen several approaches that I think are best suited for the kinds of patients we see. Regardless of the method used, chiropractic enjoys a high level of success and patient satisfaction.

How long will I need chiropractic care?

After patients get the relief they want, many choose to continue with some type of periodic care. These patients show up for their visits feeling great. These visits can help support the final stages of healing and help detect and resolve new problems before they become serious. Our job is to offer the very best care we can, and your job is to decide how much of it you want.

Will I ever be normal again?

Patient results vary. Many report restored spinal curves and the total resumption of their life. Those who neglect or delay seeking care often see slower progress. Even after improvement, many patients discover that periodic chiropractic checkups can help avoid a relapse.


Inner Health, Dr. Zail Khalsa | (310) 652-5599

Personalized and effective chiropractic care for the Beverly Hills, CA community