Chiropractic Manipulative Therapy
The chiropractic adjustment represents the cornerstone of the chiropractic treatment. Spinal and extremity adjustments are used successfully to treat a variety of different soft tissue disorders as well as a number of other health problems. Chiropractic doctors are the only health care professionals trained to deliver the chiropractic adjustment.

Adjustments are the process of applying a quick but gentle pressure to "subluxated" vertebrae or joints. The adjustment's goal is to correct joint position and improve function thus leading to decreased pain and healing. The adjustments are not and should not be painful. In fact, most patients look forward to their chiropractic adjustments as they usually provide immediate relief from pain and stiffness. Many years of study and practice are necessary to acquire the skills of providing an effective and safe spinal adjustment.

Research has shown adjustments to be the most effective treatment in numerous conditions including back pain. This is because adjustments correct many of the structural, biomechanical and neurological abnormalities of the spine and extremities which cause or contribute to a high number of back, neck and other non-spinal ailments.

Soft Tissue and Massage Therapy
There are a number of soft tissue therapy techniques which can be successfully employed to assist in the reduction of pain and muscle hypertonicity and spasm. Some of these include massage therapy, trigger point therapy, myofascial release, somatic therapy, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, and acupressure point therapy. The need and benefits of these therapies vary from patient to patient. Depending on your condition and response to treatment we may incorporate one or more of these therapies into your treatment plan in order further complete healing.

Exercise For Life
Exercise is essential for a long, healthy and vibrant life. It has been scientifically shown to increase health by lowering blood cholesterol levels, strengthening the immune system, lowering body fat, increasing one's sense of well being, and increasing muscle strength, tone and function.

Chiropractors understand the importance of exercise and the essential role it plays in health. We design exercise programs that help patients improve all facets of their health. We encourage all patients to participate in physical activities which promote cardiovascular health and can assist you finding the right activity. We do recommend those over the age of 40 or those with known health problems to consult our office prior to initiating any exercise regimen.

Exercise For Injuries
Therapeutic exercises for the neck, back, and extremities are an essential part of the rehabilitative process following injury. Chiropractic doctors commonly prescribe specific strengthening and stabilizing exercises and stretches for their patients with back, neck and extremity problems.
Exercises provide many benefits during the healing and preventative stages. Early on, exercise prevents muscle deterioration and promotes joint health. Later on, exercises increase strength, proprioception and stability to protect from new injuries and recurrences of past problems.
For more information on fitness, exercise, and rehabilitation, see our fitness and rehabilitation page.

Therapeutic Stretching
Therapeutic stretching is important to prevent scar tissue and adhesion formation following injury. Stretching is most effective when initiated early on in the treatment plan before scar tissues become permanent.

Maintaining a regular stretching program once the rehabilitation stage of treatment has been completed will help keep tissues flexible and loose, increasing mobility and preventing the development of new injuries.

Physiotherapy Modalities
There are some physiotherapy modalities which in certain cases can provide additional pain relief and accelerated healing. Some of these more common modalities include muscle stimulation, interferential stimulation, and therapeutic ultrasound. Our office offers all the latest advances in modality care to help each patient heal faster and complete.

Ultrasound Therapy
Ultrasound is a physical therapy modality which is used to promote healing, decrease pain and swelling, and to improve soft tissue function. Ultrasound therapy uses sound waves to produce the desired effects in bodily tissue. A human can hear sound in the 1 to 20,000 Hertz range, while therapeutic ultrasound uses 1-3 million Hertz. The sound waves are passed through the transducer and into the patient. Ultrasound waves cannot travel through the air, therefore a liquid gel is used as a coupling agent. The sound waves can penetrate up to 4 to 8 centimeters. Ultrasound may be used on any soft tissue in the body, but is primarily used on muscles, ligaments, joint capsules, and tendons in our office.

HOW DOES IT WORK?
Therapeutic ultrasound sends sound waves into the desired tissue causing vibration of the tissues. This vibration of tissues has numerous effects in improving healing.

1. As the tissue cells vibrate, heat is created. This heat is deep in the tissue and much more advantageous as compared to superficial heat on the skin. This heat; loosens muscle or ligamentous tissue to increase joint range of motion, decreases muscle spasm, increases blood circulation to bring new healing cells to the area, increases cell membrane permeability to allow each cell to take in the appropriate fluids and nutrients and rid the area of excess swelling, and stimulates the release of enkephalins, the body's natural painkillers.
2. The vibration of tissues has a direct effect on breaking up spastic tissues, adhesions, trigger points, scar tissue or calcific deposits.
3. The vibration also stimulates tissue regeneration and accelerates soft tissue repair.

Ultrasound therapy is used for all types of conditions and injuries. We use ultrasound to treat the following types of conditions; muscle spasm, muscle strains, ligament sprains, tendonitis, bursitis, disc bulges, back pain, muscle pain, numbness/tingling, osteoarthritis, scar tissue, trigger points, and muscle adhesions.

Therapeutic ultrasound should not be used near malignant lesions, near a pacemaker, near metallic implants, over a pregnant fetus, or over active infections.

Interferential Therapy
Interferential therapy is a state-of-the-art physical therapy modality which is getting a lot of publicity because of its results in reducing pain and speeding up healing times. Interferential was first used in professional and Olympic athletes where it was noticed immediately that injury recovery rates were much faster in those athletes using the therapy has been used in clinics across the country to help treat all types of injuries in kids to seniors. Interferential has been proven to be an effective approach for acute and chronic pain control without the side effects often associated with analgesic medications.

HOW DOES IT WORK?
Interferential therapy delivers an electrical current to all injured, inflamed, and painful tissues. This electrical current has numerous physiological effects that decrease pain and promote healing. Those therapeutic effects are as follows:

1. When a bodily tissue is injured, it immediately sends a nerve impulse to the brain to let you know that a structure has been damaged. The electrical current of interferential blocks the conduction of that nerve impulse, thus increasing your pain threshold by blocking pain impulses. This decreases the amount of pain you feel in a natural way. The electrical current also activates the internal release of endorphins and enkephalins, the body's own natural opioid painkillers.
2. The electrical current facilitates muscle contractions that help to relax muscle spasms and restore normal muscle firing patterns.
3. The electrical current stimulates the lymphatic system, which helps rid the area of all swelling and edema.
4. The electrical current increases blood circulation, thus improving healing by ridding the area of damaged cells and brining more healing and repairing cells to the injured area.

Interferential therapy is used for all types of conditions and injuries. We use interferential for the following conditions: acute and chronic pain, muscle spasms, sprains, strains, muscle knots and adhesions, muscle trigger points, swelling, tendonitis, bursitis, disc lesions, sciatica, and arm or leg pain/numbness/tingling.

Interferential therapy should not be used over metallic implants, pregnancy, cancer, heart/pacemaker, or open wounds.

Ergonomic Training
Employee health training and education is aimed at reducing work-related injuries. Optimal workstation setup, the employment of ergonomics, training of proper lifting techniques, adequate physical conditioning and the employment of appropriate safety precautions all play important roles in employee health, work injury prevention, and employee satisfaction.

Part of any successful and effective treatment plan should address these issues. We must always try to address the cause of an injury as part of the treatment plan, for if we don't, the chances of re-injury are increased.

Diet and Nutritional Counseling
Dietary and nutritional imbalances are responsible for and contribute to a great number of disorders and illnesses which are prevalent in today's society. The top killers such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer have all been linked in numerous ways to diet and nutrition.

Doctors of chiropractic receive thorough training in the areas of human diet and nutrition. We can design a personalized dietary or nutritional program to minimize the risk of developing these killer conditions and to assist your body in achieving and maintaining optimal health and superior wellness.

We also offer counseling on vitamin and supplement use.
For more information on nutrition, see our nutrition page.

Lifestyle Coaching
Good health is much more than the absence of pain or discomfort. Health exists along a very wide scale and where you lie on that scale largely depends on the lifestyle choices you make on a daily basis. Years of many small unhealthy choices can manifest into very serious health problems. Unhealthy choices include habitual poor posture, improper lifting techniques, excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, excessive reliance on medication, excessive soda and coffee consumption, excessive saturated fat consumption, lack of nutritious fruits and vegetables, and excessive mental stress. These slowly chip away at your good health. We can help you sort through and identify those unhealthy decisions and provide you with practical strategies to deal with and effectively manage them.