Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Therapy

It’s just like when you crack your knuckles – the sudden separation of two bones causes a relative vacuum in the joint space, causing fluids in the space to become gasses, this makes the popping noise. It’s called a “cavitation.”

Every organ and tissue in your body is controlled by nerves, which are controlled by your brain. The brain must have a connection to each of these organs and tissues – through a nerve. Nerves in your body come from your spinal cord, which is protected by your spinal column. Each nerve that leaves your spinal cord exits through a small opening between two bones or vertebrae. If these vertebrae are not aligned properly, they can put abnormal pressure on the nerve passing between them. Abnormal pressure over time on a nerve can lead to degeneration of that nerve. Degeneration of anything can decrease function.

Chiropractors do not specifically treat diseases, but instead treat spinal misalignments. Misalignments in the spine can cause stress to multiple areas including muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves. Proper alignment and movement of joints are essential to the body’s ability to function. A body that can function at its optimal ability will also allow for other areas to function better. Chiropractic should be used as a preventative measure in health and wellness, as opposed to a reactive approach.

There is about a 1 in 2,000,000 chance statistically that it may instigate a stroke in a person who is already predisposed to having a stroke. Many people come to a chiropractor for symptoms that may mimic a person with pre-stroke symptoms, such as sudden headache, loss of balance and coordination, dizziness and neck pain. Other things have a higher incidence of causing a stroke including, but not limited to getting a haircut, dialysis treatments and medical anesthesia.

You don’t have to do anything in life that you don’t want or choose to do. If you see value in something, you will choose to do it. People find themselves in our office because they do not maintain their spines on a regular basis, which allows issues to accumulate. Just like your teeth are bones, so is your spine. If you go to your dentist for your teeth every six months ONLY, with no brushing and flossing, you should be prepared for bad news. Brushing and flossing are important to maintain your teeth. Brushing works on the superficial structure and flossing addresses the spaces in between teeth and your gums. Exercise, stretching, and massage therapy are great at addressing the superficial structures of the spine, including the muscles, ligaments, tendons and fascia. The adjustment is the way to maintain spinal mobility and to decrease spinal restrictions and your chiropractor is trained to detect and correct these misalignments.

Your body is designed to adapt, whether it’s for better or worse. The spine, comprised of vertebrae, are held in place by many structures including muscles, tendons and ligaments. Your vertebrae have likely been misaligned for an extended period and these structures will react to accommodate the new position (malposition). Adjustments will improve spinal motion and decrease restrictions, but it takes longer for this malposition to be corrected as those same structures previously mentioned will have to adapt to their new position again (proper position).

Absolutely, chiropractic is great for all ages. Our first trauma to the spine could arguably be when we are in the womb, outgrowing a confined space. Then, we are usually born into this world with the help of two hands pulling us by the neck, after a lot of pressure from squeezing and pushing. We know babies cry for a lot of reasons because obviously, they cannot articulate in many other ways what they’re feeling. We don’t attribute the crying to having issues relating to the spine because babies don’t complain. When kids grow, they are more concerned with running and playing than laying around with pain. and in fact, children usually get better results quicker because they have had their misalignments for a shorter period.

Absolutely. Before going to chiropractic school, students must take 2-4 years of undergraduate college core courses just like other professionals that use the term “doctor.”. These courses are the same core courses most prospective medical students must also take. After successful completion of their undergraduate work, chiropractic students undergo three to four years (depending on the program) of graduate study. Classes consist of anatomy and physiology courses, microbiology and pathology, pharmacology and diagnosis, and a heavy emphasis on radiology along with multiple treatment technique classes. They are also responsible for completing over 800 hours of clinical internship. Students sit for the 4 parts of national board exams and one board exam emphasizing physiotherapy. Upon completion of the aforementioned, they have to complete a jurisprudence exam for the state they want to practice in, and then they become licensed as a Doctor of Chiropractic.

Seldomly. We encourage patients to relax as much as possible because delivering an adjustment while there is resistance or tension can cause discomfort. We also stress the importance of finding a provider that will work with your body and allow you to relax to maximum comfort while delivering adjustments. We find that soreness after an adjustment is similar to delayed onset muscle soreness experienced when working out for the first time or doing a new workout. We are placing motion into joints that have not moved properly in some time, just like working out or using muscles that have not been stressed before. If soreness occurs after an adjustment, we encourage using ice and maintaining visits. It would make little sense to work out, feel sore and wait for your soreness to subside before working out again, as it may only occur again.