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What is Chiropractic?
The term “Chiropractic” stems from Ancient Greek and means “to do by hand.”
Chiropractors are health care practitioners that specialize in the manual adjustment of the vertebrae of the spine and other joints in the human body. The purpose of an adjustment is to aid in the relief of pain as well as to help restore normal function to the spine, joints and supporting structures of the body. Chiropractors also offer rehabilitation in the form of exercise as well as injury prevention strategies. Ultimately, all of this is geared to allow you to enjoy your everyday activities again as quickly as possible.
What is an adjustment?
An adjustment is a specific high speed, low force technique that is applied, by hand, to a joint in the body. The intended result of an adjustment is to help restore proper movement and thereby optimize the function of those joints. As part of evidence-based health care, there has been research conducted regarding chiropractic adjustments. Complications are rare and side effects; such as temporary discomfort are minor in nature. Consult your Chiropractor to determine if you may benefit from an adjustment and chiropractic care or if you require a referral to another health care provider.
When should I see a chiropractor?
There are a number of reasons as to why you should see a chiropractor: work, accidents, sports injuries, household activities or the stress from daily living, can create spinal and joint pain. Pain can interrupt and prevent you from fully functioning or enjoying life. Consulting a health care provider, such as a chiropractor can be the first step in avoiding that pain and help return you to doing what you love. Chiropractors are educated and trained to assess, diagnose, treat and prevent conditions or disorders of the spine, joints, muscle and nervous system. Some examples of these disorder may include back pain, neck pain, headaches, referring pain in your arms and legs, and more. There are a number of reasons as to why you should see a chiropractor: work, accidents, sports injuries, household activities or the stress from daily living, can create spinal and joint pain.
Some benefits to chiropractic care:
- Improve movement and function in your neck, shoulders, back, torso and extremities
- Improve posture
- Can provide pain relief from headache, neck and back pain
- Help prevent daily, sport and work-related muscle and joint injuries
- Aid in enhanced athletic performance
- Increase flexibility and range of motion
Are Chiropractic Adjustments Safe?
Extensive research has been conducted in this regard and Chiropractic is recognized as one of the safest, drug-free, non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of headache, neck and back pain. However, no health care treatment is completely free of adverse effects. The majority of patients experience immediate relief following an adjustment, however some may experience temporary pain, swelling or stiffness. Temporary dizziness, local numbness and radiation pain may also occur. However adverse effects associated with adjustments are most often minor and temporary. We encourage you to consult with your Chiropractor in order to assist you in making your health care choices, including balancing the relative risk and benefits of any treatment option.
Your Initial Visit:
THE COMPREHENSIVE FUNCTIONAL EXAM
The chiropractic care you receive at Precision is comprehensive and always custom-tailored to you and your unique history, situation, and goals. Getting to know you and understanding where you’re coming from is the most important step in beginning care. When you come in, we’ll set aside 45 minutes for your initial appointment so we can truly get to know you.
Call Now for an Appointment (519) 267-8787
See how our in-depth nine-step Comprehensive Functional Exam can change your life
01. Detailed history and health story
Together, we walk through the timeline of your life and investigate the moments that may have contributed to stress, spurred adaptation, and helped make you who you are today. This includes traumas, both big and small, a physical, emotional, and even dietary nature. We want to gather all relevant information and help you see the big picture of health.
02. Posture Screen
We take pictures of you from the front and side. We then run the images through our software to analyze your posture and identify any areas of increased stress and vulnerability as your standing position relates to the forces of gravity.
03. Gait Analysis
With many people aiming for 1000s of steps per day, it is important to match the number of your steps with quality. During your visit, we video record your natural walking stride for multiple gait cycles. We then review the video in normal speed and slow motion to identify asymmetries and movement pattern compensations that you may be performing 1000s of times every day.
04. Overhead Squat Assessment
Sitting in chairs and on toilets, getting into and out of the car, and picking something up off of the ground all include full body movement. We perform the squatting motion hundreds of times per day and we want to see how those forces influence your body. Therefore, we video record your overhead squat from the back and side. We then review the video in normal speed and slow motion to identify asymmetries, limitations in motion, and movement pattern dysfunctions that you may not be aware of.
05. Global, Regional, and Segmental Joint Ranges of Motion
Every joint in your body sends critical information to your brain about your position in space as well as your relationship to gravity and the ground. We analyze each joint to ensure your brain is getting accurate information and watch your movement patterns to assess the coordination of the joints as they move together.
06. Manual Muscle Testing
We test the strength, connection, and responsiveness of your brain, nerves, and muscles. When we challenge different muscles, we gain information about whether your body and brain adapt quickly to an external force or if there is a discrepancy as a result of energy leaks in the kinetic chain.
07. Orthopedic / Neurological Testing
We perform tests specific to each area of the body to understand the health of the tissues and the role these areas play in the overall state of functional health.
08. Palpation
In chiropractic school, our docs were required to feel a hair placed under dozens of pages in a book. They have trained their hands to be some of the most sensitive tools in healthcare. They scan your body and identify areas of imbalance and stored tension. You may be surprised how soothing it feels just to be checked by such gentle and specific hands.
09. Chiropractic-Specific Tests
We are trained to analyze the nervous system and assess any indicators of an imbalance. To assess this we analyze tone.
