The common misconception many chiropractors say they face is the notion that they are simply “back crackers.” Instead, the focus of today’s chiropractic care is on whole-body wellness. Whether an individual is recovering from an injury or simply suffering from general stressors on the body—like lack of movement, often caused by sitting at a computer all day—the restoration of good spinal health can have a positive impact on the nervous system, which can cause the body to heal and perform more effectively.

“Looking at it with the broadest brush stroke, the body has an innate ability to heal itself as long as it is not being impeded in some way,” says Timothy Fargo, D.C., of Chiropractic Health and Wellness Center, PA in Edina.

While there are many methods chiropractors use to treat patients, the ultimate goal is health. “We want to educate people about wellness,” Fargo says, “whether that’s nutrition, flexibility, exercise and fitness, or simply a positive mental outlook. We want people to move well, eat well and think well.”

According to Fargo, chiropractic care is the “largest non-drug and non-surgical profession on the planet.” Interest has grown in recent years, he says, as rising rates of disease such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes continue to attract attention, leaving people to want to “treat their bodies correctly on the front end” rather than eventually dealing with the consequences of a serious illness.

Stress, which has increased as a result of the country’s current economic state, also can overwhelm the body and result in sleep problems, digestive issues, hormonal difficulties and high blood pressure.

“Let’s think about the body as being able to manage stress as if it were a five-gallon bucket. It can only handle so much and if you can’t drain it fast enough, it will overflow and affect your body in many ways,” Fargo says. “And no, while we don’t ‘crack backs,’ we do use the spine as a tool to free the nervous system from interference, which can reduce stress on the body and help it to be better functioning.”