We use a number of highly-effective adjusting approaches to help improve spinal biomechanics and reduce nervous system interference. The approach we use is based on our judgment and years of experience. Think of an Adjustment as " Tuning " a piano, Adjusting each String so it produces the Perfect Tone. DIVERSIFIED First, a physical examination of your spine is performed. After identifying which spinal bones have lost their normal motion and/or position, Dr. Renee or Dr. Randall will correct the vertebral subluxation complex. A specific manual thrust, involving anatomy, direction, vector, amplitude, speed, and clinical knowledge of the patient history of spinal degeneration, is administered to free up a Fixed or sometimes Fused joint... The technical and physical skill of our chiropractors is a result of years of experience, practice and a thorough understanding of spinal bio-mechanics. The energy delivered during the adjustment may produce a slight popping sound. This "popping" sound is from the shifting of gas and synovial fluid within the joint. This sound may be intriguing, but it is not a guide as to the effectiveness or value of the adjustment. While improving spinal bio-mechanics our doctors can reduce nervous system interference, virtually all joints of the spine and extremities can be adjusted to help restore proper range of motion. This is the most common technique used in our clinic. GONSTEAD Named after its developer, Dr. Clarence Gonstead, this approach came from his engineering background. His Foundation Principle explains how a subluxation pattern in one area of the spine can produce compensatory changes in another. Using our fingertips to palpate or feel 1 / 5
the location of individual bones and how they may differ from their normal position along with motion palpation full spinal correction can be repositioned. Sometimes you will hear a slight popping sound that we call a Cavitation. Sometime s you won't. Either way, the affective adjustment is complete. Highly skilled healthy professional athletes usually do not cavitate (unless injured) due to excellent conditioning with the perfect balance of strength and flexibility. Athletes also have constant ailments from long hours of training and are treated regularly. The Gonstead Technique is acknowledged as one of the safest systems of evaluating and caring for the spine. TOGGLE RECOIL While you are in a completely relaxed state, a high-speed, low-force thrust is delivered to specific bones of your spine and the hands are quickly withdrawn. This allows the body to use the energy as it sees fit to reset the spinal joints. This is a Modified technique than can be adapted to Diversified and Gonstead Technique. THOMPSON The Thompson Technique was developed by Dr. J. Clay Thompson. In 1955, Dr. Thompson was granted a US patent for his precision in effective clinical outcome management including the design of a specialized table. His results have evolved into a system of examination providing a way of adjusting the full spine in series. The combination of protocol, precise adjustments, and a specialized table produces a high level of patient comfort and satisfaction. Thompson Terminal Point technique is a system of physical and orthopedic examination which is followed by complete spinal correction that reduces the amount of energy needed to adjust your spine. Using an orthopedic protocol of comparing leg lengths while the patient is in the prone position, our doctors will instruct the patient to turn their head from side-to-side, this will help determine whether the subluxation is in the upper, middle, or lower back due to the appearance of a "short" or contracted leg. 2 / 5
Individual Drop Pieces located within the cushions of our table surface, support each area of your spine until the adjustment is delivered. Then, one drop-piece gently gives way, reducing the amount of thrust needed to move a specific spinal segment. IMPULSE Adjustment Tool We use one of the most popular low force chiropractic techniques in the world. This is a system of spinal evaluation combined with a hand held adjusting instrument that delivers a consistent adjustable load of thrust. The Impulse Instrument delivers a precise, repeatable force at just the right angle with Comput er Aided adjustable loads of one or multiple thrusts until the joint is completely corrected. Because it s many times faster than adjustments delivered by hand, the body rarely tightens to resist, making adjustments comfortable and effective. It s also helpful for adjusting elbows, wrists, knees and other joints of the body. We find that this technique provides the highest possible level of care in our severely acute patients as well as our Medicare community of patients. GRASTON or GUA SHA Gua Sha was originally developed near the 12th Dynasty in East Asia. The Graston Technique was developed in the USA by professional athletes. Both techniques are changing the way clinicians including athletic trainers, physical therapists, chiropractors, and medical doctors view the treatment of acute and chronic soft tissue injuries. 3 / 5
Both Techniques are instrument-assisted soft tissue tools that enable clinicians to effectively break down adhesions, scar tissue, and fascial restrictions. These techniques utilize specially designed instruments to specifically detect and effectively treat areas exhibiting soft tissue fibrosis or chronic inflammation. TRIGGER POINT and ACTIVE RELEASE TECHNIQUE Trigger Point: A long standing spinal distortion often produced by muscle spasms and bio-toxins that initiate inflammation and severe pain that are not under your conscious control. Dr. Janet G. Travell, was responsible for the most detailed and important work involving Trigger Points. Her work in treating soft tissue distortions on US President John F. Kennedy's back pain was so successful that she was asked to be the first female Personal Physician to the President. These Trigger Points or Knots in the muscle are pressurized through a series of protocols using a rubber tipped T-Bar. Your doctor following Travell s principles will apply specific pressure and technique to these muscle knots which causes them to reduce their tightness and associated painful symptoms. EXTREMITY ADJUSTING Virtually every joint of your skeletal system is susceptible to "fusion" or "fixations", this may lead to degeneration, early onset artritis, and premature aging. The chiropractic solution that works so well with the spine can be applied to other joints of the body as well. Technique is the foundation of healing and recovery. TMJ: Stress, teeth grinding (bruxism), and cervical spinal dysfunction can cause TMJ. Temporo-Mandibular Joint disorders occur where your jaw connects to your skull and spine. Skilled Experienced Chiropractic care can restore proper nervous system function of involved muscles and ligaments. A well designed treatment plan may eliminate pain, stiffness, clicking sounds or locked jaw. You can feel the joint move by placing your fingers in front of your ears and opening your mouth, you may or may not have clicking. Shoulder: Many shoulder problems originate in the area where the nerves branch from the spinal cord and exit the neck into the shoulder. Shoulder pain or pain radiating from the neck and down the arm can be accompanied by weakness, numbness, tingling, twitching, and loss of motor control in the wrists or hands complicating carpul tunnel syndrome and diagnosis. Many patients report dramatic improvement with active chiropractic care and physical rehabilitation. 4 / 5
Elbow: Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) or Golfer's elbow (medial epicondylitis) is a repetitive strain injury that often affects the dominant arm. It is a common condition among carpenters, mechanics, office workers, hair-dressers, cashiers and those who perform repeated hammering, grasping and twisting of the forearm. A thorough examination followed by appropriate chiropractic care can produce excellent results. Wrist: Carpal tunnel syndrome is complex and very successful with active chiropractic care. Carpal Tunnel is usually due to compression of the median nerve and tested by (nemg) as it passes through the band of ligaments in the wrist known as retinaculum. In many cases, the underlying cause is a misalignment of more than one joint associated in the neck, shoulder, elbow or wrist. Identifying the involved joints combined with a comprehensive active rehabilitation care plan and chiropractic adjustments can help a patient to often avoid surgery. Hip: The "pelvic girdle" is the foundation of the human body. This "girdle" is comprised of the spine,hip, and sacral bones. The largest and most fundamentally important sacroiliac joints can affect nerves exiting the spine threw the "pelvic girdle". Displacement or misalignment of these joints can cause severe pain radiating down the leg and into the foot. While chiropractic correction of the "girdle" can produce excellent results, many hip problems can be caused from dysfunctional or "fused" joints above or below the pelvis. Foot & Ankle: The ankle is the most frequently injured joint in the body resulting in the most emergency room visits. The most common foot and knee problem is due to "Pronation," in which the feet flare outward and kneecaps rotate inward. When weak arches cause the bones of the foot to become flat and they drop to an unstable position, stress on the foot and ankle is increased. Overall changes in gait (walking), usually leads to early degeneration, pain, and arthritis. Kinematic chain dysfunction will cause knee, hip, and low back pain. Adjusting malfunctioning joints of the feet and ankle combined with custom shoe orthotics can reduce tenderness, improve your gait and stabilize the entire skeletal system. While many health problems can be traced to the spine, other joints of the body may be involved. When chiropractic techniques are applied, range of motion can be improved and painful inflammation reduced. Often without drugs or surgery! If you ve been to a chiropractor before and prefer to be adjusted in a particular way, let us know. We want you to relax and enjoy the full benefit from your chiropractic care. 5 / 5