Therapy Information

cryotherapy the application of cold or ice used to compress and reduce swelling in the tissues surface cooling restricts blood flow, numbs painful area's, and relaxes muscle spasms moist heat applying moist heat to your body increases blood flow to the tissues, improves joint function, and increases metabolism when a muscle tissue relaxes joint and muscle function improve this therapy can also increase blood and lymph circulation interferential electro therapy interferential therapy is a treatment to aid in the relief of pain and the promotion of soft tissue healing waves of electrical impulses intersect below the skin surface and prompt the body to secrete endorphins and other natural pain killers spinal adjustments a chiropractic adjustment is a specific force applied in a specific direction to normalize nervous system and spinal dysfunction myofascial release a trigger point is an area of uncontrolled muscle tightness or lactic acid deposits this tenderness can interfere with normal muscle function causing weakness and loss of range of motion myofascial release is a highly effective way to reduce muscle spasm and relax a hyperactive muscle rehabilitation every patient must participate in some form of rehabilitation spinal exercises and strengthening are important for maintaining your spine between adjustments why should you get involved in rehab? we are all aware of the consequences subluxations and fixations have on the body when the musculoskeletal system is misaligned, neurological function is impeded the literature and research studies have shown that the adjustment/manipulation can restore this function so why is rehab necessary? soft tissues hold and support the bony prominences in correct alignment after the “correction” has been made therefore, if the bones are subluxated or fixated, the integrity of the surrounding soft tissue has been compromised these subluxations and fixations are the results of (a) macrotrauma (or the “mac truck” syndrome), where an accident of some type has induced trauma; or (b) microtrauma – by far the most common – which has its roots in biomechanical lesions that form alone or in combinations throughout the kinetic chain over a long period of time the manipulation or adjustment of these areas can produce documented results in the relief of pain however, manipulation or adjustment does nothing to enhance the reconditioning of the damaged soft tissue surrounding the injured area strength of these surrounding tissues can best be achieved when you incorporate motion against resistance why should you get involved in rehab? quite simply, because once the bones have been placed in alignment, there needs to be stabilization and strength established in the surrounding soft tissues this allows the production of scar tissue, which does not impair muscular strength, power, flexibility, endurance or performance radiographic examination/subluxation detection station we have an onsite x ray facility to handle your radiographic examination in the office the importance of a visual guide of you subluxation compounded with other findings can make your care more precise orthotics "ouch!" that first step can be painful in the morning stretching of the soft tissue on the under side of the foot can place extreme pressure on the rear foot bone causing a heel spur and/or a condition of plantar fascitis the stretching of the soft tissue can contribute to an uneven walking foundation and fallen arches, causing a compensatory reaction traveling up your body often resulting in knee, hip and low back pain chiropractic recognizes this uneven gait and wear and tear of your feet and it's contribution to spinal subluxation your chiropractor will prescribe custom fit orthotics to help relieve the pressure on the foot arch and stabilize your gait and posture helping you to achieve greater levels of health and wellness interferential electro therapy inferential electro therapy is an excellent method of helping the body deal with spasms, sprains, and issues related to soft tissues this therapy accomplishes this with a very low simulated frequency that is put on the soft tissue the feeling of this therapy is very light and most patients feel very comfortable during the treatment in addition to this therapy simulating the body's natural healing method by helping it to produce natural pain killing endorphins, it also helps with the release of these strains, spasms and soft tissue issues adjustments chiropractic adjustments, or spinal manipulations as they're sometimes referred to, are the minor movement of vertebrae in the spine the objective of this movement is to realign vertebrae that have moved out of place for a number of reasons ranging from normal daily activity to trauma such as a car accident when these vertebrae are out of place, it has an overall systemic effect from muscular to the central nervous system without proper alignment and flow of all nerves and systems in the body from the brain, we can't function at our peak an adjustment is often a pressure from the chiropractor utilizing the hands or an instrument to move a vertebrae back into place this happens with a quick movement and is often without discomfort you may hear a noise that sounds like you're cracking your knuckles referred to as joint cavitation it is the release of gases such as oxygen and nitrogen from the joint health 1st chiropractors specialize in manual manipulation techniques that help speed repair and improve motion in the joints overall, adjustments are an excellent way to keep the body functioning at its highest level when the body is in alignment, the body is able to respond and perform as it was designed to cold laser therapy cold laser therapy is an excellent treatment that is often utilized to treat a wide array of conditions and pain this therapy allows the body to naturally heal itself by utilizing a combination of electric stimulation and cold laser technology this low level laser therapy consists of a light emitting device that can be utilized on many different parts of the body in addition to simple back and neck pain, cold laser therapy has been utilized for a number of inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, tendonitis and sprains the number of conditions that have been notably increased in the usage of this therapy include carpal tunnel syndrome, wound management, shoulder and neck injuries, muscle and joint pain, as well as a long list of others cryotherapy cryotherapy is an excellent way to help with muscle spasms in the body this therapy is well known to help numb painful areas as well as provide a cooling relief to affected soft tissues the therapy consists of applying cold compresses on to the skin to effectively reduce the temperature of the skin as well as constrict the blood vessels in the area if you are suffering from a muscle spasm or just recently had a soft tissue injury, cryotherapy is an excellent way to help reduce swelling and further injury in the early stages of your healing process this therapy is rather inexpensive and is something that can be done at home as well as in the office custom foot orthotics we have you covered from head to toe!!! orthotics are a great way to help with issues related to walking and alignment some of these include but are not limited to knee, foot and lower back pain the need for orthotics is often related to an issue with the natural functioning of the foot orthotics will often help to realign the bones within the foot and ankle and therefore take pressure of other parts of the body such as the back, neck, shoulders and hips in addition, orthotics will help with distributing your weight properly and take further pressure off of toes, bunions and other parts of the foot orthotics are really for anyone with an issue or discomfort relating to walking or imbalances in the body that are known to cause related pain the great benefit of orthotics is that they can be worn on a daily basis and be utilized during most activities to take further stress of the body orthotics can often be prescribed by your chiropractor and can last well over a year in most cases this is a great investment into your overall health and well being via a biomechanical standpoint electrical muscle stimulation electrical muscle stimulation is an exceptional way to help the body in the healing process this is accomplished by sending a very small electrical current into the affected soft tissue injury or muscle spasm the therapy utilizes this current in an effort to help reduce swelling and release trigger points that may have the muscle locked up it does this by helping the body to release natural relievers of pain often referred to as endorphins this is a great therapy if there is a spasm in a back or neck muscle it works well in relaxing the muscle and allowing it to return to its normal state rather quickly short therapy sessions are excellent at facilitating healing from acute and chronic pain acupuncture what is it? acupuncture is an ancient chinese medicine used to alleviate pain and promote overall health acupuncture uses needles placed along invisible meridians that run throughout the body today, acupuncturists also use lasers, magnets and electric pulses in addition to needles each meridian point has a specific meaning and can unblock and repair meridians and channels with vital energy or chi through the stimulation of the meridians, an acupuncturist is able to restore balance and ergo health to the patient advanced rehabilitation advanced rehabilitation is atreatment methodology that marries standard spinal manipulation with soft tissue therapy to provide a holistic approach for pain relief while advanced rehabilitation is a new field, it has evolved over the last century as progress has been made to reduce and eradicate pain with new methodologies and procedures forms of therapy were used centuries ago hippocrates advocated massage and hector used hydrotherapysystem and in 1895 cured a man's deafness by giving the first spinal adjustment while chiropractic was controversial for decades, in the last 40 years it has gained a reputation for solving physical ailments when no other treatment could pain treatment up through the 1940s primarily consisted of exercise, massage, and traction, with some medications for pain management manipulative procedures to the spine and extremity joints combined with (water therapy) in 460 b c the earliest documented origins of actual rehabilitation as a professional group date back to 1894 when nurses in england formed the chartered society of physiotherapy in the united states, physical therapy began in 1914 in portland, oregon, with reed college and walter reed hospital graduating the first physical therapists, then called "reconstruction aides " these were nurses with a background in physical education needed to help manage the devastating effects of the first world war chiropractic has its origins in the late 19th century daniel david palmer, a magnetic healer; recognized the relationship of spinal displacement and the reduced function of the nervous therapy began to be practiced, especially in the british commonwealth countries, in the early 1950s, up until this point, there was no known practice of combination of exercise and manipulative therapy in existence while this was an accepted practice in europe, the united states has just begun to combine rehabilitation and chiropractic health first chiropractic is one of the only facilities throughout the triad which does so in the 1980s, the explosion of technology and computers led to more technical advances in rehabilitation some of these advances have continued to grow, with computerized modalities such as ultrasound, electric stimulators, and iontophoresis with the latest advances in therapeutic cold laser, which finally gained fda approval in the united states in 2002 health first chiropractic is the industry leader, as the premier source for pain relief using chiropractic, rehabilitation, and these cutting edge technologies advanced rehabilitation is a treatment methodology that marries standard spinal manipulation with soft tissue therapy to provide a holistic approach for pain relief while advanced rehabilitation is a new field, it has evolved over the last century as progress has been made to reduce and eradicate pain with new methodologies and procedures forms of therapy were used centuries ago hippocrates advocated massage and hector used hydrotherapy system and in 1895 cured a man's deafness by giving the first spinal adjustment while chiropractic was controversial for decades, in the last 40 years it has gained a reputation for solving physical ailments when no other treatment could pain treatment up through the 1940s primarily consisted of exercise, massage, and traction, with some medications for pain management manipulative procedures to the spine and extremity joints combined with (water therapy) in 460 b c the earliest documented origins of actual rehabilitation as a professional group date back to 1894 when nurses in england formed the chartered society of physiotherapy in the united states, physical therapy began in 1914 in portland, oregon, with reed college and walter reed hospital graduating the first physical therapists, then called "reconstruction aides " these were nurses with a background in physical education needed to help manage the devastating effects of the first world war chiropractic has its origins in the late 19th century daniel david palmer, a magnetic healer; recognized the relationship of spinal displacement and the reduced function of the nervous therapy began to be practiced, especially in the british commonwealth countries, in the early 1950s, up until this point, there was no known practice of combination of exercise and manipulative therapy in existence while this was an accepted practice in europe, the united states has just begun to combine rehabilitation and chiropractic health first chiropractic is one of the only facilities throughout the triad which does so in the 1980s, the explosion of technology and computers led to more technical advances in rehabilitation some of these advances have continued to grow, with computerized modalities such as ultrasound, electric stimulators, and iontophoresis with the latest advances in therapeutic cold laser, which finally gained fda approval in the united states in 2002 health first chiropractic is the industry leader, as the premier source for pain relief using chiropractic, rehabilitation, and these cutting edge technologies