Many patients suffering from complaints due to disc hernias are treated successfully by chiropractic all over the world, thus avoiding surgery.

No, quite the opposite: not only is chiropractic not contraindicated during pregnancy, it can be of valuable help to relieve back pain – commonly suffered from the fifth or sixth month onwards – without the use of drugs. According to certain statistics in the US, chiropractic treatment encourages shorter labour and faster and less painful delivery.

Yes, especially if you have a painful menstrual cycle because this symptom can be linked to a spinal subluxation in the pelvic area, of the lumbar region and upper cervical region. By adjusting these subluxations, the chiropractor can provide relief and resolve any irregularities in duration and frequency of menstruation.

Yes, babies can benefit greatly from chiropractic treatment. According to recent research in Denmark, bouts of colic in newborns who undergo regular chiropractic treatment are shorter and stop earlier. There are many other problems that respond well to chiropractic treatment, most notably earache.

Thanks to the use of appropriate adjustment techniques, the chiropractor helps elderly patients by improving mobility and limiting the symptoms of diseases typically occurring in old age, such as arthritis and osteoporosis.

Yes, by restoring harmony and balance in the body, chiropractic treatment can help professional and non-professional sportsmen and women in two different areas: on the one hand, it reduces the number of injuries and their consequences; on the other, it helps improve performance. There are numerous top-level teams the world over that have a chiropractor on their staff.

There are three principal stages to your first session with a chiropractor:
• an accurate report of the patient’s history, starting from birth, considering illnesses, surgery, drug therapies, trauma including that of a psycho-emotional nature.
• consideration of diagnostic procedures, such as x-rays and MRI scans, CATs, ultrasound scans, and blood tests and EMG tests already performed by the patient, to assess overall state of health.
• physical examination to check posture and the condition of the spinal column, whose structural irregularities can affect or cause the problem in question.

After the initial assessment, the chiropractor already has a good idea of the origin of the complaint and can thus proceed accordingly using the different chiropractic techniques, choosing the one that is best suited to the age and psychophysical characteristics of the patient and his/her particular problem. A chiropractic procedure is both corrective, insofar as it boosts the body’s restorative capacity, and preventive, as identifying the origin of the problem allows the chiropractor to suggest strategies to prevent symptoms from reoccurring.

Each chiropractor has his/her own methods and the results of the treatment are independent from its duration.

Every case is different and requires an individual duration and frequency of treatment. In any case, once optimal health has been restored, it is highly recommended to go for routine check-ups even in the absence of any symptoms.

No.

No, in Italy, only a GP or specialist can write these prescriptions.

Chiropractic was recognised as a primary healthcare profession under the Finance Act of 2008 and a register is currently under creation. In the meantime, the Association of Italian Chiropractors can provide a list of chiropractors with the training and qualifications needed to practice in Italy to anyone who requests it.

At the moment, there are no schools in Italy recognised by the World Federation of Chiropractic (you can download a list of educational institutions by clicking on ‘Formazione’ – ‘College’). You can take a degree in chiropractic at a foreign institution and the courses last 5 years in England and France and 6 years in the US and Australia. Foreign educational institutions have mandatory attendance and require excellent proficiency in the course language. A chiropractic degree is a degree in its own right separate from a degree in medicine; entry to foreign educational institutions requires a high school diploma or equivalent, in the same way as for Italian universities. The decision to take a degree in medicine as well is purely down to individual choice.

It is very important to see a chiropractor occasionally, even if you have no obvious reason to do so. In the same way as you go to the dentist to have your teeth cleaned, you should see your chiropractor to ensure your spinal column is free from subluxations.

No, chiropractic adjustments are quick and painless.

Yes, chiropractic techniques are non-invasive and the treatment methods used must always take into consideration the health of the patient. Doctors of Chiropractic are qualified to care for patients suffering from osteoporosis.

Yes, with due precaution based on the individual case.

Prices vary; usually, the first session requires more time and costs more than follow-up treatments. In any case, it is recommended to ask for information directly when you book an appointment.

The main difference between the two professions is that chiropractic considers the brain and nervous system to be of primary importance, whereas osteopathy focuses on the heart and cardiovascular system.