Chiropractic Care
The type of care today known as chiropractic was invented by David Palmer in 1895, but therapeutic manipulation can trace its roots back to Hippocrates in the 5th Century BC. Today, it goes beyond being a method strictly for treating back pain. Chiropractic care is defined as the science and art, which utilizes the inherent recuperative powers of the body. It focuses on the relationship between the musculoskeletal structure of the body, particularly the spinal column, and the nervous system in the restoration and maintenance of health. This natural approach to healthcare doesn't rely upon medication or surgery.
In 1993, the National Institutes of Health reported that between 12 and 15 percent of Americans are under the care of a chiropractor. Poll results released in January 1998 by Landmark Healthcare, Inc., showed that one in every five adults aged 55 to 64 has used chiropractic care.
Because there are more than 15 different chiropractic techniques available at the Advanced Wellness Center, there is likely to be a practitioner and a technique that meets your needs.
Other treatments available in the Chiropractic Department of the Advanced Wellness Center include Therapeutic Laser Therapy.
N.A.E.T. is an allergy elimination method that employs certain chiropractic principles and is available at the AWC.
Activator/Biokinetics
The Activator and Biokinetic Stimulator are specially designed, hand-held chiropractic instruments that deliver precise and gentle corrections to misaligned joints and vertebrae. They can be gently pressed against any area of joint discomfort and with a couple of clicks, they deliver a very fast pulse to stimulate nerve receptors and restore mobility to joints. These techniques can be very helpful for people who are experiencing a very intense, acutely painful episode, or for anyone who feels uncomfortable with the common "popping" sound often heard when joints are naturally released of pressure with traditional corrections.
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Active Release Technique (ART)
ART is a soft tissue based massage technique that treats problems within muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. ART can quickly and permanently resolve conditions like headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow that stem from overused muscles. It treats abnormalities by combining precisely directed tension with very specific patient movements.
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Applied Kinesiology (AK); Autonomic or Nutritional Response Testing (ART/NRT); Contact Reflex Analysis (CRA); Quantum Reflex Analysis (QRA)
These muscle-testing systems are used to subtly determine possible underlying weaknesses, imbalances, or stressors to the body (allergic, toxic-chemical, mechanical, emotional, or deficiency) causing ill health. A doctor specializing in these techniques makes a determination by evaluating the relative strength or weakness of any single muscle while touching reflex points on the surface of the body. These points correspond to specific organs, glands, energy meridians, and more. A kind of body scan is made. These types of approaches have been validated and reproducibly used by doctors of many specialties around the world (specifically, Dietrich Klinghart, MD, PhD, practitioner, researcher, and advisor to the German National Healthcare System, and Yoshiaki Omura, MD, ScD, world recognized physician, researcher, author and founder of medical acupuncture in the United States).
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Non-force/BEST
This term refers to a variety of hands-on procedures that have been designed to very gently restore joint mobility and to relieve tension from the joints, muscles, and nerves. The sessions may involve the doctor gently touching key points along the spine and muscles, deep breathing techniques, gentle massage procedures and small active or passive body movements. This can be an excellent choice for young children, seniors, or sensitive patients dealing with deep-seated, chronic pain issues.
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Craniopathy
This technique treats neurosacral problems originating at the skull. The interlaced smaller bones of the cranium, which connect like puzzle pieces, and should move in response to the flow of spinal fluid and to breathing cycles. This method was developed to properly align these small bones and can especially benefit patients suffering from chronic headaches, TMJ or other general physical complaints.
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Traditional/Palmer Style/Diversified
These techniques focus on correcting misalignments in the spine which may be causing pain and/or spasm and can cause interference to the nerves, which pass through the spine. Relieving the nerve interference can improve a broad range of health problems by improving the nervous system's ability to communicate, regulate, and coordinate healing of the body. The doctors will most likely use their hands to deliver a precise and careful thrust to correct the misalignments.
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Drop Table
This treatment style incorporates the use of a special table that can be adjusted in various ways to accommodate patient comfort. Different sections of the table can be modified to support the patient's weight as the practitioner applies a slow, steady, solid pulse. the table is designed to absorb most of the force of the adjustment. The table sections below the area of the body being pressed on gently release, or subtly ³drop² down, allowing the speed of gravity to assist in this gentle yet powerful technique. The result is a more comfortable adjustment to the patient, with less force being directly felt by the body.
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Flexion Distraction (COX/Leander)
This technique uses a hydraulic table with the ability to automatically move the patient's back in and out of flexion and extension in smoother, rhythmic motions. It is designed to provide a mild traction, or opening, of the joint spaces between the vertebrae, offering a deep, subtle stretch to the smaller muscles and ligaments and discs of the spine. It has been used to help reduce inflammation and pain associated with disc problems, as well as provide overall flexibility and greater motion to the spine in general.
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Neuro-emotional Technique
This and other emotional clearing techniques are used to determine if a physical complaint is related to an emotional experience or memory. The evaluation is done by testing muscle weakness while the patient recalls feelings, experiences or memories. Once the triggering experience is identified, its impact on the body can be released through the stimulation of various meridian points while the patient focuses on the memories involved. Many common physical complaints can be related to emotional wounds or ongoing conflicts. These techniques do not replace psychotherapy to consciously resolve such issues, but are uniquely effective at relieving the physical components of emotional distress. In fact, patients involved in psychotherapy often find their overall progress vastly improved with the addition of neuro-emotional techniques.
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Pediatrics
Many chiropractic techniques are gentle enough to be used in the healthcare of babies and children. From the stresses placed on a baby's neck by a difficult birth to the many falls experienced by children learning to walk and play, babies and children are vulnerable to many strains and injuries which often don't reveal themselves to parents, yet, can affect the child's health and growth. Chiropractic can gently help guide the direction of growth and wellness from an early age. At any age, however, chiropractic has been clinically shown to help children deal with behavioral and health struggles such as ADD, learning difficulties, and scoliosis, just to name a few. Babies have been successfully treated for colic, as well as digestive, feeding and sleeping difficulties. Introducing your child to the chiropractic lifestyle may help them develop a more holistic and natural approach to their own health for the rest of their lives.
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Pregnancy
Being pregnant can be one of the most wonderful times in a woman's life. To experience the growth and development of life within you will change your life forever. However, it will also change your body. The unique physical challenges during pregnancy require unique treatment approaches as well. Chiropractic can guide expecting mothers through this beautiful process by helping relieve tension from the body, offering nourishing food and supplement options, and encouraging a more natural, holistic lifestyle. A healthy, more relaxed mother will encourage the development of a healthy, more relaxed child. Chiropractic can be effective in preparing a mother's body for the delivery process and has also been shown to help moms "bounce back" quickly, with increased health and vitality.
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QME
is the acronym for Qualifying Medical Examiner. It is not really a technique as the other forms of treatment listed here, but reflects a designation received from special training to meet educational and legal requirements in order to evaluate the cause of symptoms resulting from work-related injuries. After careful examination of the patient, the QME objectively assesses and makes recommendations about future medical care and rehabilitation, as well as any work restrictions, and to report any other factors of disability in worker's compensation cases.
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Sacral-Occipital Technique (SOT)
This method identifies the connection between the base of the spine, the sacrum and the top of the spine, the cranium. Focusing on the flow and natural rhythms of spinal fluid and breathing, the practitioner can identify when these rhythms are "off" and help bring back synchrony. This is done through gentle manual adjustments and the placement of a wedge under the hips while lying down, to allow gravity to gentle realign the hips and spine.
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Trigger Point Therapy
Muscles that are tired, overworked, underworked or toxic can often signal trails of pain to certain areas of the body. Trigger-points are areas in these muscles that can be the source of pain and discomfort. Trigger-point therapy involves the use of sustained, specific pressure over these tender areas to allow them to relax and release slowly. Along with trigger-point therapy, other muscle relaxation techniques can be utilized to lengthen, relax and strengthen out of balance muscles.
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Zindler
This technique, developed by Dr. R. Zindler, is excellent for assessing the proper muscle balance and strength of the neck, shoulders, arms, hips and legs, which then determines the proper correction. By balancing the body's muscles, injuries can be prevented or other chronic or recurring injuries to the muscles or joints can be corrected. This is an excellent technique for athletes of all types.
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