Chiropractors treat subluxations. This is a slight misalignment of the spinal bones called vertebraes. When the vertebraes are misaligned this causes additional stress on the body specifically the muscles, vertebral discs, and nerves. These stresses usually cause other problems in the body which will feedback on the original subluxation. This in turn causes more problems forming a loop. To break this loop Chiropractors adjust the bones that are subluxated which allows the body to return to a homeostasis. In addition, part of my treatment involves working on the muscular aspect also. Many times treating both the bone and muscle will provide much more satisfactory recovery as they go hand in hand.
I believe Chiropractic care is hands on. This means most of my adjustments are done with my hands to correct the subluxation. I prefer hands while adjusting because I can receive more feedback from your body, which helps me provide better treatment for you. However, to offer the most complete care for my patients I am also versed in the use of the Activator and Drop Table.
I also believe in working the muscles as part of my treatment. If you only correct the bones of the spine you will be missing a large part of the problem. By using several techniques and machines we can get the muscle to relax. This allows for the adjustments that use less force and hold longer. Then, through exercises and stretching, we can return the muscles to normal function. This part of the treatment is usually the longest and toughest part compared to the adjusting portion. But it is also vital to do in order to provide proper recovery and maintenance.
My philosophy is to never force a subluxation to go before the body is ready for it to. Even though I can usually “move the bone”, experience this has shown me to cause more pain than when I “listen to the body.” Combined with spending time working on the muscles it makes for easier adjusting and patient comfort.
