Below, you’ll find a list of our Frequently Asked Questions. Please click on each to read the answer, or simply scroll down the page and read them all to learn more.
We hope that you’ll find the answer to your questions here, and if you don’t, please give us a call or send us an e-mail. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have.
- What is chiropractic? How does it work?
- What is the Active Release Treatment (ART)?
- How do I know if I have a slipped disc?
- How do I know if I have a pinched nerve?
- How do I get started with chiropractic care?
- What kind of education do chiropractic doctors receive?
- Is it possible to adjust myself without the care of a chiropractor?
- How safe is chiropractic care?
- Are there ways to accelerate my healing?
- Can children benefit from working with a chiropractor?
- Am I too old to work successfully with a chiropractor?
- How long will I need chiropractic treatment?
- How much can I expect to pay for a chiropractic consultation?
- How soon will I feel the results of chiropractic care?
Interferences in your spinal column can disrupt healthy nervous system functioning. Chiropractors are skilled at locating and eliminating these blockages to good health so your body can function at its highest level.
An ART session always deals with the patient as an individual. After carefully studying the patient’s condition, chiropractors utilize a hands-on approach (with over 500 possible moves specific to ART) to address and treat soft tissue injuries in the body’s fascia, muscles, tendons and nerves. The patient participates in this process by creating very specific movements during the treatment.
When the body undergoes trauma or injury, caused by surgery, repetitive strain, or postural distortion, it responds by creating scar tissue. While scarring is a natural and necessary response, this hardening of tissues can lead to unnatural adhesions in the body and lead to many problems and pain over time. The manual practice of ART aims to eliminate these afflictions and offer the patient much needed relief.
Here are just a few of the conditions ART can successfully address:
Here are some conditions Flexion Distraction can successfully treat:
- Tissue Hypoxia
- Repetitive Strain
- Joint Dysfunction
- Headaches
- Back and Shoulder Pain
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome,
- Shin Splints
- Sciatica
- Plantar Fasciitis
Some soft-tissue care methods of the past, like drugs, heat, cold, and massage, addressed the patient’s condition from the perspective of its symptoms. For that reason, they offered patients only short-term results. However, with Active Release Techniques, we work with the injury from its cause, and therefore give our patients the gift of long-term relief and lasting results.
Our discs, pads containing jelly-like material, are situated between the bones of our spine and responsible for normal bending and turning. They aren’t capable of actually slipping. This “slipping” many people speak of is in fact a herniation, where a disc protrudes or bulges due to an abnormal amount of pressure on an area of the spine.
While this herniation is usually accompanied by a great deal of pain, it is possible to occur with little to no symptoms; hence the reason regular spinal checkups are key for maintaining your optimal health.
Some common symptoms include a “pins and needles”or burning sensation, often radiating outward from an injured area. It is also common to feel areas of the body numbing or “falling asleep.”
Pinched nerves can lead to other more serious conditions, so it is best to address the situation quickly.
During this time, it is important you give your doctor as much information as you can regarding your previous injuries, accidents and surgeries, as well as the specifics of your current condition so they can best determine your course of treatment. After studying your history, the doctor will perform an orthopedic, neurological and chiropractic examination.
It is likely you will also take a series of x-rays to help further identify the misalignments and malfunctions you will tackle together.
Chiropractic science emphasizes:
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Pathology
- Neurology
- Bio-mechanics
- X-ray
- Spinal Adjusting Techniques
Chiropractic Doctoral candidates must pass the demanding National Board Examination before receiving their degree. They then must apply for and pass even more rigorous testing with the governmental or professional licensing board before they are granted the privilege to practice.
For most chiropractors, the education never ends. The best doctors continue their postgraduate education and always stay current with the latest scientific research.
Chiropractors are trained to apply pressure to a very specifically targeted area of your spine in order to bring you into healthier, more stable alignment. When you attempt to do this yourself, not only is it impossible to apply that same targeted pressure, but your efforts may actually be de-stabilizing the spine rather than strengthening it.
Working with a skilled chiropractor is the best thing you can do for your spinal health. Even doctors themselves visit their fellow chiropractors to receive adjustments.
Chiropractic has an excellent safety record and has proven time and again how remarkably effective it is.
- Be sure you are receiving enough rest (and avoid sleeping on your stomach).
- Practice sitting, standing and lifting methods that support your spine health.
- Make proper nutrition a priority.
- If you are carrying excess weight, do your best to slim down.
- Dedicate yourself to the specific exercises your chiropractor recommends.
- Keep your appointments.
As children learn to crawl and walk, and eventually take part in games and sports, they are of course susceptible to falls. These falls often create unseen spinal injuries. Chiropractic doctors are trained to spot these hidden injuries and treat them before they become a problem.
Patients who are feeling the effects of aging are having great success in relieving the symptoms of arthritis and other chronic ailments through chiropractic treatment. Increased spinal mobility leads to improved function and plays a big role in boosting appetite, endurance and overall vitality.
Many patients come to us with spinal conditions they have neglected over time. When the spine has undergone trauma over many years, there are often issues of muscle weakness and tissue damage in the body, as well as degenerative changes to the spine itself. In these cases, on-going supportive chiropractic care is key to reclaiming optimal spine health.
Consults for our CLEAR Scoliosis Treatment program for scoliosis are available for a fee. Contact us for more information.
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