The Adjustment
Spinal adjustments to correct subluxations are what make doctors of chiropractic unique in comparison with any other type of health care professional. The term “adjustment” refers to the specific force chiropractors apply to vertebrae that have abnormal movement patterns or fail to function normally.
The objective of the chiropractic adjustment is to reduce the subluxation, which results in an increased range of motion, reduced nerve interference/irritability, reduced muscle spasm, reduced pain and improved function. The chiropractic adjustment is a quick thrust applied to a vertebra for the purpose of correcting its position, movement or both. Adjustments are often accompanied by an audible release of gas in the spinal joints that sounds like a “crack.” The sound sometimes surprises people the first time they get adjusted, but the sensation is usually relieving. Occasionally, minor discomfort is experienced, especially if the surrounding muscles are in spasm or the person tenses up during the chiropractic procedure. There are times when the audible “cracking” does not occur. This is often due to either significant muscle tightness or the person having a hard time relaxing during their adjustments. Some adjusting techniques are designed to move the spine in a way that does not produce the audible sound at all. Chiropractic is so much more than simply a means of relieving pain.
Ultimately, the goal of receiving adjustments should be to restore the body to its natural state of optimal health. In order to accomplish this, chiropractors can use and recommend a variety of natural healing methods, including adjustments, massage, trigger point therapy, nutrition, exercise rehabilitation, and counseling on lifestyle issues that impact your health. The primary focus is simply to remove those things which interfere with the body’s natural normal healing ability. THE ADJUSTMENT OF THE SPINE IS THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF A CHIROPRACTOR. There are some chiropractors who also adjust the extremities and use other forms of physiological therapeutics including the use of electrical stimulation, ultrasound, traction, neuromuscular re-education, and a variety of manual therapies. Increasingly, chiropractors’ offices are becoming full service wellness centers providing a variety of wellness services. A new trend that chiropractic wellness centers offer is wellness coaching. Some programs offer coaching at the wellness center, while others offer wellness coaching via telephone, email, or online instant messenger in an effort to make it more convenient. Chiropractic wellness centers may offer seminars in a variety of subjects such as spinal alignment, improved posture, and ergonomics, as well as programs on weight management, relaxation, smoking cessation, nutrition, and exercise. Some even offer pre- and post-natal healthy baby programs. The increasing number of chiropractic centers providing extensive wellness programs makes it convenient and affordable for just about anyone to adopt a wellness lifestyle. Chiropractors are doctors who understand that within each of us is an innate wisdom or healthy energy that will express itself as perfect health and well-being if we allow it to. Therefore, the focus of chiropractic care is to remove any physiological blocks to the proper expression of the body’s innate wisdom. Once these interferences are reduced, improved health is the natural consequence. Who wouldn’t want that?
Healing Treatments
COLD/Low Level Laser
Dr. Jeff Spencer, who is the Sports Chiropractor for the US Postal cycling team and Lance Armstrong, uses the same laser. Lance has said that he credits most of his success to Dr. Spencer and the Laser. The Laser is used to enhance tissue recovery and advance/speed up injury healing time. 3LT™ or Low Level Laser Therapy promotes healing in many conditions, including chronic/acute pain, wound healing and other joint and neurological conditions.
Erchonia's lasers made history by becoming the first to receive FDA market clearance for the treatment of chronic pain, proven through two double blind IRB studies. The Erchonia Lasers are the most advanced lasers on the market, with their sleek revolutionary design, patented line generated beam, and the ability to program independent frequencies in all of their family of lasers.
Laser FAQ
The following is the most common questions related to the use of the laser.
What is a TRUE Laser?
The Erchonia Laser is a TRUE LASER, fully compliant to the definitions set forth by those great men of science such as Bose and Einstein who predicted LASER in 1924 and the contemporary physicists Schawlow and Townes who brought LASER into the modern age. LASER is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Light created in this way, is then culminated and directed into an intense beam of coherent light through the use of cathode and anode reflecting components in order to produce a single stable frequency.
What is low-level laser?
Unlike high power lasers that use heat and destroy tissue, low energy lasers affect the cellular energy of the underlying tissue. Cold (or) Low Level Lasers do not have a thermal effect on tissue.
What is 3LT™ - Low Level Laser Therapy?
Low Level Laser Therapy (3LT™) refers to the modality of applying a "low" energy or "low level" laser to tissue that stimulates cellular processes and thereby enhancing biochemical reactions. For example, studies show that LLLT increases ATP production in the mitochondria of the cell. Since more energy is now available, the cell may utilize this fuel to function or operate and HEAL more efficiently.
How does it work?
Accelerate biological processes such as wound healing, removing inflammation, and pain management.
What conditions can be treated?
Low Level Laser Therapy(3LT™) has been successfully used to treat many conditions such as acute and chronic pain reduction, repetitive use disorders like carpal tunnel syndrome, soft tissue strains and sprains, inflammation reduction, enhanced tissue wound healing, and cell regeneration.
Are there any side effects?
There are over 1500 published studies and not one of them mentions any negative side effects.
What makes one laser different from another?
The first lasers were used to cut, cauterize or ablate tissue and were classified as "hot' lasers. "Cold", "Low Energy" or "Low Level" lasers are used to enhance metabolic activity at the cellular level through non-thermal reactions.
What is wavelength? And do the different wavelengths matter?
Light is measured in wavelengths and is expressed in units of nanometers (nm). Different wavelengths have different energy levels and can have various effects on tissue. For example, the Erchonia 3LT™ Laser is 635 nanometers, which is found within the "red" spectrum of visible light (400-800 nm) and has anabolic tissue effects, whereas, radiation that has a wavelength shorter than 320 nm (ultraviolet (UV), gamma rays, x-rays) has ionizing effects on cells and can be harmful even in small doses.
What is the difference between Lasers and LED's (light emitting diodes)?
Lasers are monochromatic (single color wavelength), collimated (non-divergent) and coherent (wavelengths in- phase) in contrast, LED's are neither coherent nor collimated and generate a broader band of wavelengths (multiple). In addition, a significant difference between the two is the power output. The peak power output of lasers is measured in watts, while that of LED's, is measured in milliwatts. Also, LED's usually have a 50% duty cycle, meaning that they are "on" 50% of the time and "off" 50% of the time regardless of what frequency (pulses per second) setting is used.
There are many light emitting products on the market today, claiming to be lasers that do not meet scientifically defined attributes for being a true laser. For example, products that use Light Emitting Diodes or LED's as they are more commonly known, do in fact produce light, however the light is not intense, producing very little energy and is non-coherent, similar to light produced by common household light bulbs. Non-coherent or non-culminated light is the result of photons moving in random directions at random times, generating random frequencies. The most common use of LED's is in electronic equipment, such as cell phones and VCRs, to inform the users that the item is ON. LED's are cheap and easy to reproduce (Pontinen 1992). Obviously, these devices are NOT lasers. This misconception is in large part a by-product of marketing. Some sales professional use the word "laser" in order to describe a process such as in "laser pointers" which refers more to mankind's collective imagination than scientific comprehension.
Do you need FDA market clearance to sell these devices?
Erchonia Medical Lasers made history on January 17, 2002 by being the first Low Level Laser manufacturer to be given marketing clearance as Adjunctive Use in Pain Therapy for the treatment of chronic neck and shoulder pain. Although Low Level Lasers typically fall into the "non-significant" risk category, there are many lasers that have been used in the Veterinarian market that are being sold illegally for human use.
How long are the treatments?
Treatments can vary in time from seconds to minutes depending on the condition. Research studies show that there may be a dose dependent response, so it may be more effective to treat at lower doses at multiple intervals then to treat a single time with a high dose.
How long does the treatment last?
A treatment plan may vary, depending on the condition. For instance, an acute soft tissue injury or open wound may require multiple short treatments initially then the interval between treatments will lengthen as the condition improves.
Graston Technique
Effectively Treating Acute and Chronic Injuries
The Graston Technique®, originally developed by athletes, is changing the way clinicians — including athletic trainers, chiropractors, physical therapists, occupational therapists — and patients view treatment of acute and chronic soft tissue injuries.
Graston Technique® is an innovative, patented form of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization that enables clinicians to effectively break down scar tissue and fascial restrictions. The Technique utilizes specially designed stainless steel instruments to specifically detect and effectively treat areas exhibiting soft tissue fibrosis or chronic inflammation.
Athletic Taping Procedures
Kinesio® Taping is the definitive rehabilitative taping method within the international medical community. This easy-to-learn technique is not only economical, but also reimbursable through many insurance carriers.
Kinesio® Tex Tape is completely latex free and made from the highest quality materials meaning it can be used by patients of every age and condition for 3-5 days per application.
Kinesio® Tex Tape has the ability to:
• Re-educate the neuromuscular system
• Reduce pain
• Enhance performance
• Prevent injury
• Promote good circulation and healing
Cold/Heat Therapy
In today's society, many of us suffer from the nagging aches and pains located in our muscles and joints. Whether our pains are from diseases like multiple sclerosis, arthritis or fibromyalgia, or we have pulled muscles or acquired sprains from sports, therapies such as hot or cold compress applications may assist us in offering some relief which may get us back to what we love most - enjoying life itself!
Hot and cold therapy has been studied as early as 1918. Cold therapy has proven to be effective in reducing inflammation (heat, swelling, soreness) in injured ligaments while hot therapy increases blood flow to the muscles, all of which control the pain level and edema (fluids) of our injuries and soreness.
It has been reported that 10-20 minutes of therapy is most appropriate whether you are using either hot or cold therapy. Cold therapy has been traditionally used for immediate therapy of sprains, strains, fractures and other inflammatory conditions. In addition, cold therapy has been practiced for chronic pains such as migraine headaches, tendon injuries and tension. It is stated that application of cold increases the patients' pain threshold by decreasing spasticity and excitability of free nerve endings and peripheral nerves, thus offering pain reduction. Heat is useful in the rehabilitation phase of injuries. Heat therapy is effective for repetitive strain injury when coupled with massage and relaxation exercises. Heat alters the viscous flow properties of collagen to relieve joint stiffness (connective tissues become more elastic and are able to move freely.) It has been reported that "moist" heat is more effective than "dry" heat in that it penetrates deeper into the muscle, offering more relaxation to the muscle and joints.
