MANUAL MANIPULATION—ACTIVATOR— NUTRITIONAL COUNSELING— CUSTOM MADE ORTHOTICS—ULTRA-SOUND— ELECTRICAL MUSCLE STIMULATION— LASERTHERAPY ​— KINESIOTAPING—SUPPLEMENTS—PILLOWS

Spinal Manipulation (High-Velocity Low-Amplitude Thrust) The most frequently used chiropractic technique, spinal manipulation, is the traditional high-velocity low-amplitude (HVLA) thrust. The manipulation often results in an audible "pop," as chiropractors use their hands to apply a controlled sudden force to a joint while the body is positioned in a specific way.

Spinal Mobilization (Low-Force or Gentle Chiropractic Techniques) Some conditions (such as osteoporosis), pathology, the patient's size, patient comfort, or patient preference, may require a gentler approach generally referred to as spinal mobilization. In addition, some patients and/or clinicians prefer mild spinal mobilization techniques that do not involve twisting of the body or a forceful thrust.  

Chiropractic is a hands-on health care discipline that focuses on the neuro- musculoskeletal system of the body. This primarily consists of treatment to the spine (including the neck) and pelvis, but can often involve peripheral joints such as the shoulder, elbows, hips, knees and feet. The Chiropractor's focus is to establish proper mobility in joints that have ceased to move properly, either because of trauma, repetitive strain, postural issues, arthritis, muscle weakness, or simply the stresses placed on the body through daily living and work. This is done with a variety of treatments such as the Chiropractic adjustment, soft tissue therapy (which can be massage or stretching), taping, therapeutic modalities such as ultra-sound, strengthening exercises, and postural advice. Establishing proper spinal and pelvic function allows optimal function of the nervous system as the nervous system passes through these structures. Therefore Chiropractic can have a wide-ranging effect on a number of conditions throughout the body. A Chiropractor may also offer you nutritional advice to help alleviate your conditions. For instance, they may offer natural supplements to decrease inflammation, increase bone health or diet advice on losing weight. The main reasons people seek out Chiropractic care are listed below, although this list is not exhaustive: Neck and Back pain Headaches Whiplash Strains and Sprains Work and Sports injuries Arthritis General health and wellness There are many other conditions that Chiropractic can help depending on whether the root of the problem is related to the nervous system or the musculoskeletal system.

I see many patients who have come into my office after an injury and invariably they ask should I put heat or ice on the area of concern? Or they say they weren’t sure what to do ice or heat. Usually they do what feels nice, and that is put heat on the injured area. There are some general guidelines however and heat is usually not the answer. If you have just recently injured an area, or had a sudden onset of pain then the answer to heat or ice is ice. In this instance there is likely an inflammatory reaction going on. In cases of inflammation we want to decrease inflammation by decreasing blood flow, and slowing metabolism in the area. In these cases you should apply ice between 10-15 minutes no longer and then reapply 30 minutes or so later 4-5 times per day for the first 48 hours if possible. Remember if you are using ice gel packs or frozen vegetables to always have a thin towel between the pack and the skin to avoid frostbite. What I suggest is to take a paper cup fill it with water and freeze it. Once frozen tear a small part off the top of the cup and massage the area with the ice for 10 minutes then replace the cup in the freezer and repeat throughout the day. For large areas or hard to reach areas this may not be feasible and then ice packs or frozen peas are appropriate with the above precautions. But why only 10-15 minutes you may ask. Well after about 15 minutes the cooling of the area causes the nerves that control the blood vessels to stop functioning. These nerves in the presence of cold initially cause the blood vessels to narrow or constrict. With continued exposure to cold the nerves essentially freeze and no longer can control the blood vessels in the area. When this happens the blood vessels open up and blood flow actually increases to the area (the opposite effect to what we want to happen). So 10-15 minutes then take a break. But what about heat? Heat is appropriate for long-standing or chronic conditions. Often this is when increased blood flow can be beneficial and this is what heat does. Heat almost always feels nice and this is why people usually reach for the heating pad before they reach for the ice but keep the heating pad in the closet unless you are treating a chronic bursitis, tendinopathy, or arthritic condition. One final thought. If you are at all unsure about what you should do, do not use heat as it can if used improperly increase inflammation and therefore increase the duration of the problem. And as always contact your health care practitioner to clarify what you should do.

Usually on your first visit there will be some initial paper work that needs to be done. This will give the Chiropractor general information on your health and some issues that may or may not relate to what you are there to see the Chiropractor. It is important to fill out these forms as accurate as possible because there may be things that the patient may not think is relevant but the Chiropractor needs to know to treat you effectively and most importantly safely. Once you are in the examination/treatment room you will be asked a series of questions that will help the Chiropractor determine the cause of your problem. After the interview the Chiropractor will check your posture, and then perform a physical exam. The physical exam will usually consist of some combination of range of motion testing, muscle testing, orthopedic testing, reflexes, and palpation (hands on pressure) of the joints of the spine or peripheral joints. After this your Chiropractor will let you know what they think the problem is and then suggest a course of action to remedy your complaint with adjustment same day if necessary.

Patients are treated primarily with manual adjustments to the spine, but might also receive instrument assisted adjustments depending on the circumstance or upon request. Patients may also receive treatments with various modalities such as therapeutic ultrasound, electric muscle stimulation, laser, or kinesio-tape.

Spinal Manipulation (High-Velocity Low-Amplitude Thrust) The most frequently used chiropractic technique, spinal manipulation, is the traditional high-velocity low-amplitude (HVLA) thrust. The manipulation often results in an audible "pop," as chiropractors use their hands to apply a controlled sudden force to a joint while the body is positioned in a specific way.

Spinal Mobilization (Low-Force or Gentle Chiropractic Techniques) Some conditions (such as osteoporosis), pathology, the patient's size, patient comfort, or patient preference, may require a gentler approach generally referred to as spinal mobilization. In addition, some patients and/or clinicians prefer mild spinal mobilization techniques that do not involve twisting of the body or a forceful thrust.  

Lower back pain is likely to affect you at some time in your life, as 80% of the population has or will have low back pain. It is one of the most common causes of time lost at work and visits to the medical doctor. Most people have heard that lower back pain will feel better in 6 to 10 weeks. If it goes away on its own anyway why should I get it treated? The first point is that the idea that low back pain goes away on its own with time is likely not true, or a least less common than generally thought – recent studies have shown that many people, who doctors have assumed to have gotten better are in fact still suffering with low back pain one year later and have simply slipped out of the system. Because the doctor no longer hears from the person with low back pain they have assumed that they have recovered. Just because the pain is gone doesn’t mean the problem is gone. Pain is often one of the last things we feel in our backs when something is not performing properly. One of the biggest predictors of future lower back pain is previous low back pain, which means that even though the pain has gone away the underlying problem, has not. Pain is not the problem just like the oil light in your car is not the problem. Pain is just the signal much like your oil light that there is some underlying problem. If these problems are not taken care of or if the signal is muted by medication then these underlying problems can linger and cause even more severe problems – problems that are harder to fix – later on down the line. The greatest predictor of injury is previous injury. This means that if you have low back pain at some point then you are likely to have it happen again. If you do not seek treatment for an injury you are at increased risk of that injury happening or popping up again. Other research has shown that the body will compensate after an injury to take the pressure off an affected area. This may lead to decreased pain in the injured area even if the issue has not actually resolved. Long-term compensation for an unresolved injury or issue will lead to problems down the road that are much more difficult to deal with. That is why it is important to seek treatment after an injury to make sure that the body is not compensating and the injury is fully resolved. Proper treatment has been shown to decrease the time that you have to deal with the pain and decrease the chances of recurrence or severity of the next issue. This treatment will likely constitute manual adjustive therapy and exercises that aim to strengthen weak muscles and stretch tight muscles. Other treatments such as ultrasound, electrical muscle stimulation, laser or kinesiotaping, may be used depending on the circumstances. When to contact your doctor: Low back pain that is accompanied by changes in bowel or bladder changes where there is loss of control of function (cannot go to the bathroom or are unable to hold off on going to the bathroom) this may be a sign of a potentially life threatening condition known as Cauda Equina syndrome – seek medical attention immediately Sudden onset of back pain after a fall or some sort of trauma Low back pain that is accompanied with unexplained fevers 95% of low back pain is of a non-serious nature and can be treated effectively by a Chiropractor. A Chiropractor is also trained to know when you need a referral in the event that your condition requires medical attention. If you have any questions about your back visit your Chiropractor to see if they can help you.