A: In my office, patients present with a variety of conditions ranging from lower back pain, to migraines. Regardless of the type of condition presented by the patient, the way the spine is analyzed is the same. What I am concerned with is how your posture is affecting your nervous system. When posture (your structure) is abnormal, many people will have musculoskeletal pain and often times will be suffering from other conditions. My goal is to find the cause of your problem and by doing this, I am able to assist your own body in healing itself.

That said, the most common types of problems I see are; neck pain, back pain, headache, problems associated with automobile accidents or athletic injuries.In addition, there are patients who are looking for a conservative approach to an athletic injury or extremity (arms and legs) problem.There are also more and more people who present for examination simply because they have learned that in order to be as healthy as possible, they must have normal structure. Therefore, they want their spine and posture checked and corrected if it is found to be out of alignment from normal.

A: No, not usually.  Sometimes a treatment may be uncomfortable and that is because many times, patients have had abnormal postures for many years.  When this is the case, the muscles, ligaments, and joints are accustomed to their current position.  Changing that position is important, and at times uncomfortable.  Every effort is made to work within your tolerance.  Our goal is to make as much change to your posture as possible, as quickly as possible, with minimal discomfort.

A: The answer is quite simple. As soon as possible after birth.

This answer occasionally startles people because they think if they do not have pain, why should they be examined?

If this philosophy was applied to dental evaluations and treatment, the condition of your teeth would be quite nasty. You could have multiple cavities, and possibly gum disease before you ever had any symptoms. What a shame! Why not be proactive and find out early if you have a spinal problem, and then correct it or improve it as much as possible. You then have the option of maintaining a better quality of life, and enjoying optimum health.

A: Chiropractic Biophysics ® (CBP®) is the most scientific and highly researched chiropractic technique. As a CBP® doctor, I concentrate not only on alleviating pain through adjustments but also on correcting abnormal spinal postures. Abnormal spinal posture has been shown to place pressure on the bones of the spine, thereby affecting the discs, muscles, and ligaments and causing pain. I use my training as a CBP® doctor to design a specific treatment plan for each of my patients that includes exercise, adjustments and traction. This specific protocol is designed specifically to correct abnormal posture and to reduce mechanical stress on the bones, muscles, discs and ligaments. My patients not only feel better but also enjoy the long-term benefits of a healthier, stronger and more stable spine.

A: Your posture is an outward representation of how your spine is built. Research into what makes a body healthy has demonstrated without a doubt that normal posture is essential for your body to function optimally. The majority of the afflictions which plague mankind have as their root, abnormal structure. That little ditty we all learned as children “the foot bone is connected to the leg bone is connected to the thigh bone, is connected to the pelvic bone…” is so true. By making certain your posture is as good as possible, you ultimately enable your body to be as healthy as possible, and even avoid many if not all of the problems associated with an aging spine.

A: Ultimately, your health is your own business. Many people in the last 10-15 years have discovered that ultimately, your health is your responsibility, and no one else’s. Therefore, by learning the fundamental truth that “structure determines function” they desire to have their structure as normal and healthy as possible. Once your posture is corrected, you may require (and often do) occasional check ups to insure you remain aligned normally. This is not such a foreign concept. Think of the people you know who have had their teeth aligned. More often than not, a “retainer” is required to maintain the new and healthy position of the teeth.

Ultimately, you decide what you want out of chiropractic care in my office. If you simply want to get rid of your pain without drugs or surgery, and as soon as you feel better, be done with your care, you may certainly choose this option (called “Patch Care”). However if you want to be as structurally sound as possible, you may choose to correct or improve your spine as much as is possible (“Corrective Care”) and then periodically be checked to be sure you are as good as can be (“Supportive or Maintenance Care”).

Once corrected, many patients choose to continue supporting their health with periodic spinal adjustments. However, this choice is due to understanding the relationship between structure, function, and optimal health.