Welcome to the Health for Life Spine & Disc Center. We are devoted to providing industry-leading friendly and experienced chiropractic care. Our team works together with our clients to ensure all of your needs are met. We are dedicated to helping you gain a simple understanding of how chiropractors can improve you and your family’s health.
We are proud to be a family-oriented team with a true passion for your health and wellness. We anticipate improving the quality of your day-to-day life! With years of experience, our chiropractors offer a variety of services and techniques to strengthen and balance your overall well-being. Our team focuses on individual care, ensuring that all of your specific needs are met.
The Health for Life Spine & Disc Center is committed to providing exceptional chiropractic care. We listen to your concerns and work closely with you to improve your everyday life. Our goal is to help you better manage potential stressors in life, empowering your body to recover naturally without the need for unnecessary operations or prescriptions.
Our team consists of dedicated professionals who share the goal of using natural healing regimens and medical treatment programs to help our patients achieve full health. We work with our patients personally, helping you listen to your own body to discover the best treatments without relying on prescription medications or illicit drugs to mask symptoms. Our focus is on addressing the root cause of painful conditions and restoring your ability to fully enjoy life. We happily serve patients of all ages, making us a true full-family chiropractic practice!
Expert Chiropractic Care in Your Area
At Health for Life Spine & Disc Center, we understand that finding the right chiropractor in your area can be overwhelming. Our dedicated team is here to guide you and provide the information you need to make the best decision for your treatment. Feel free to reach out to our office if you have any questions. Your health and well-being are our top priorities.
While chiropractors are known for their exceptional treatment of back pain, their expertise extends far beyond that. By alleviating pressure from the nervous system, chiropractic care can have a positive impact on a wide range of conditions. Many of our patients have experienced not only relief from back pain and headaches but also improved overall health, leading them to become long-term clients.
Experience the Benefits of Professional Chiropractic Care
Our team of skilled chiropractors is dedicated to delivering exceptional results for a variety of health conditions. Even individuals who consider themselves in good health can benefit from chiropractic care. Our daily routines often subject our bodies to recurring stress, both minor and significant. Regular chiropractic adjustments aim to restore balance and enhance the functioning of all your bodily systems.
Your spine and spinal cord play a crucial role in maintaining your overall well-being. The spinal cord serves as the information highway, transmitting signals between your brain and the rest of your body. Proper spinal alignment is essential for protecting and optimizing the function of your spinal cord. Our committed team is focused on helping you maintain and improve the health of your spine.
In simple terms, chiropractic care involves the skilled manipulation or adjustment of the spine and other joints to reduce pain and enhance joint mobility. It’s important to note that chiropractors do not treat specific diseases, but chiropractic care often leads to healing and improvement in various conditions.
We invite you to experience the benefits of chiropractic care for yourself. Discover how it can enhance your well-being and help you achieve optimal health.
Educational Requirements for Becoming a Chiropractor
Chiropractors are held to high educational standards, comparable to those of medical doctors. They undergo rigorous training to ensure they are well-equipped to provide quality care. Aspiring chiropractors are required to have a strong foundation in science obtained during college before enrolling in a comprehensive five-year chiropractic program. This extensive education prepares chiropractors to become primary care providers, capable of diagnosing and treating various musculoskeletal conditions without the need for a referral.
As dedicated chiropractors, our primary focus is to address and heal the underlying cause of discomfort or pain, rather than merely alleviating symptoms. We are passionate about helping you regain and maintain your health. If you believe that chiropractic care is the right approach for you, we encourage you to contact us today. Our team at Health for Life Spine & Disc Center is committed to assisting you in achieving your health goals.
Welcome to our Leading Chiropractic Clinic
At our chiropractic clinic, we strive to provide exceptional care to our patients. While many people associate chiropractic care with treating back injuries, it is important to understand that regular adjustments can optimize your body’s overall function. Undetected issues in your spine may be affecting your nervous system, which plays a crucial role in your sensory perception, brain function, and overall well-being.
By prioritizing regular check-ups and maintaining spinal health, you can experience a significant improvement in your overall well-being. Whether you are dealing with a back or spinal injury or experiencing discomfort in other areas of your body, our dedicated team is here to offer leading chiropractic care to address the root of the problem.
Comprehensive Chiropractic Care
Our team of specialists is dedicated to your complete recovery. We will do everything within our power to bring you back to feeling 100%. We use the most innovative technology when it comes to chiropractic care. We have a wide variety of chiropractic services that can enhance your well-being, including:
Preventative Care
Pain Reduction/Pain Elimination
Athletic Injury/Sports Injury
Auto Injury/Auto Accidents
Pregnancy
Pediatric
Adult
Our team of dedicated professionals at Health for Life Spine & Disc Center is committed to your recovery and well-being. We offer a wide range of services suitable for all ages, ensuring you feel your best. If you are open to exploring alternative options for your health concerns, our clinic is the perfect choice. Our goal is to guide you towards full recovery, regardless of your specific needs.
Whether you are already aware of the numerous benefits of exceptional chiropractic care or are new to it, we encourage you to contact our clinic today. Our chiropractors are available to discuss your needs and develop an ideal care plan tailored to you.
At our clinic, we prioritize spine health and provide comprehensive chiropractic care for individuals and families. Many Americans have found relief from migraines, sciatica pain, and other spine-related discomforts through our natural and drug-free healthcare approach. We invite you to reach out to our team of highly skilled chiropractic providers to join you on your journey to better health.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We are here to support you every step of the way.
How Can Our Team of Chiropractic Physicians Help You?
Whether you are new to chiropractic care or have previously visited a chiropractor, our team at Health for Life Spine & Disc Center is committed to providing a unique and exceptional healthcare experience. Many individuals have described their first chiropractic visit as life-changing, and we aim to deliver that same level of care and impact to all of our patients.
As a chiropractor near you, we offer a range of services to support your preventative care and pain management needs. Here are some reasons why you should choose us:
Convenient Location: Our clinic is conveniently located for easy access.
No Appointment Needed: We provide walk-in services, eliminating the need for appointments.
Affordable Prices and Plans: We offer competitive pricing and flexible payment plans to make chiropractic care accessible.
Extended Availability: Our clinic is open on nights and weekends to accommodate your schedule.
Top Quality Care: We are committed to delivering the highest standard of chiropractic care.
How can routine chiropractic care enhance your quality of life?
Our spines are the direct connection of communication from the brain to the rest of the body. When our spine is in misalignment (or subluxation); we can experience pain or a multitude of other symptoms. Our certified chiropractors use direct manipulation to re-balance and re-establish alignment, resulting in a return of proper communication between your brain and your body.
Restoring proper alignment to your spine can result in a wide variety of pain relief, reduced symptoms and prevention of:
Migraines
Tension Headaches
Upper Back Pain
Lower Back Pain
Shoulder Pain
Elbow Pain
Neck Pain
Sciatica
Chronic Injuries
Fibromyalgia
And much more
Regardless of which symptoms or signs you or your loved ones are experiencing, visit us today to begin your journey to improved well-being and overall health. Remember, you don’t need an appointment to visit our chiropractic office ; you are welcome to stop in whenever it is most convenient for you. We are excited to see you soon!
Our chiropractors literally have your back! When you’re feeling unwell, it’s a relief to know that certified professionals are there to listen and help you find and fix the issue. We have many years of medical experience, including post graduate certifications in MRI interpretation, chiropractic biophysics, automobile collision occupant injury, whiplash biomechanics and brain injury traumatology, and spinal biomechanical engineering.
Did you know that common, yet odd symptoms like tinnitus (ringing in the ears), back and spine pain, migraines, numbness, arm pain, hip pain, leg pain, feet pain; and sometimes even much more serious health conditions can be a direct result of spinal misalignment? Our team truly believes a happy and healthy spine equals a happy and healthy body.
Have you noticed any aches and pains that have stuck around? Our Digital Motion X-Ray Technology allows us to see the spine move in real time, finding unseen damaged tissue that is oftentimes missed by traditional methods, like normal X-Rays, CT, and MRI imagery.
One unique study examined 37 unique kinds and locations of spinal movement in the cervical spine and located that the average uninjured person had 1.2 unnatural findings, whereas the average injured person with chronic pain had 7 unnatural findings. Next; they found that when an investigation had 2 or more abnormal findings; there had been an 88% chance that the person the study was performed on was injured. Also; when there were 4 or more findings…the probability the person was injured was at 100%.
Digital Motion X-Ray exams are extremely accurate at identifying patients with symptomatic ligamentous instability immediately after experiencing whiplash trauma. This imaging modality should be used more often and broadly in clinical investigations of post-whiplash pain.
Next time you are experiencing unexplained or unresolved cervical spine problems, contact us! Let us help you reclaim your health. Call The Health for Life Spine & Disc Center today to schedule an appointment. ~ Se Habla Español!
Health for Life Spine & Disc Center specializes in providing accurate diagnoses and clinically supported treatment for auto injuries. These traumatic events can instantly and forever alter your life. Let one of our chiropractor experts help you achieve optimal recovery.
We use the latest in whiplash throat curve remodeling, the iTrac spine remodeling system. We are the only chiropractic office with iTrac. Health for Life Spine & Disc Center also offers Denneroll Remodeling Traction, Mirror Image Lively Vibration Rehab, and a 3D DOC Spinal Decompression Table for your recovery and healing.
We are high level certified and trained in many chiropractic methods, such as chiropractic biophysics, impulse IQ mechanical adjusting devices, Omni Drop Table with CBP or Thompson Drop techniques, Gonstead, and Activator strategies.
We offer the latest technology to objectively show you why you are injured. Health for Life Spine & Disc Center uses exceptional diagnostics and state of the art systems that can easily and readily be shared with other physicians and radiologists.
Computerized x-ray Mensuration, Digital Motion x-ray IQ, Dynamic and Static SEMG, and Computerized Duel Inclinometers are some of the advanced technologies we use that allow us a more accurate diagnosis of the exact location and severity of your injuries.
Health for Life Spine & Disc Center monitors your progress and documents your care with the above technologies and methods. Afterwards, we offer impairment ratings and Medical Expert Testimony.
Health for Life Spine & Disc Center is a thorough chiropractic clinic. Using state of the art tools and technology, we accurately and objectively demonstrate where your injury is, pinpoint why you are injured or have abnormal posture, and accurately measure the extremity of your injury. We can painlessly bring your body back into alignment and balance, optimizing recovery and boosting your overall function and health. We offer the best and latest technology not only to diagnose your condition; but to permanently heal you. We believe that you deserve the finest quality in care.
The founder of chiropractic care called it “a science of healing without drugs,” which leads chiropractic to typically be categorized as a “complementary and alternative medicine,” or CAM. This CAM focuses on the manipulation of the spine and musculoskeletal system.
Chiropractic studies and care actually originate in ancient practices of folk medicine and bone setting, encompassing vitality, spiritual inspiration, and rationalism as it evolved and advanced. This old philosophy is based on understandings from irrefutable, true doctrine, enabling legal and political defenses for those physicians who practice chiropractic as a profession.
While most chiropractors over the years have been taught to rely on deductions and not necessarily the inferential reasoning of the scientific method, many modern day chiropractic practitioners do incorporate scientific research into their practice. Some are even considered “mixers” and meld metaphysics, holistic, and materialistic mathematics in an effort to marry many different views and eliminate the unprovable dogma, by engaging in evidence-based research and critical thinking.
Despite the wide range of perspectives, views, and beliefs of chiropractors, they are all united in their understanding that the spine, and therefore nervous system, are intrinsically important to overall health in a fundamental way. Even some chiropractic professionals claim manipulating the spine can positively impact a multitude of ailments, including asthma or even IBS (irritable bowel syndrome.)
The Perspectives of Chiropractic Philosophy
Holism is a theory of treating the whole of the person, not just the physical ailments but also the social, environmental, and sometimes even spiritual aspects of an individual. Chiropractic also uses reductionism to reduce and pinpoint the root and treatments of health conditions to one single thing, vertebral subluxation. Balance restores the body’s innate self-healing talents, and this inherent intelligence is sometimes considered a metaphor for homeostasis.
Many chiropractors feel they need to separate themselves from the purely metaphysical or instinctual practices in order to bring chiropractic to the mainstream. Variants of chiropractic have been developed, such as naprapathy, which focuses on manipulating one’s soft tissue in order to ease communication between your bodily systems and improve your health.
Straight Chiropractors versus Mixer Chiropractors
There are two main schools of chiropractic thought. Straight chiropractors more closely follow the original philosophical principals of the founders. Many Chiropractors tend to put emphasis on the metaphysical definitions and ritualistic aspects. Straight chiropractic physicians believe that vertebral subluxation is the root of interference with the innate intelligence of one’s nervous system and body, and ultimately causes or can be a risk factor for all diseases.
A patient’s complaints or symptoms are considered by straight chiropractors to be the “secondary effects” of subluxation. Straight chiropractic care focuses on detecting and correcting vertebral subluxation by means of adjustment only. They do not mix their therapy or boost it with any alternative practices. They focus on traditional chiropractic terms like “right with adjustment,” “perform spinal analysis,” and “discover subluxation,” and most of their descriptions and books of study are metaphysical in nature. These straight chiropractic practitioners like to separate themselves from mainstream western healthcare.
Mixer chiropractors do just that, they mix the more metaphysical, traditional viewpoints of straight chiropractors with modern medical and healthcare practices. They marry the diagnostic and treatment options of chiropractic, osteopathic, and medical philosophies and teachings. Mixer chiropractic practitioners make up the majority of chiropractors, and many of them incorporate more mainstream medical diagnostics or use conventional treatment options, such as stretching, physical therapy, exercise, massage, ice packs, heat treatment, electrical muscle stimulation, or therapeutic ultrasound.
Even though mixer chiropractors make up the vast majority, one survey from 2003 showed 88% of roughly 1,100 North American chiropractors want to keep the term “vertebral subluxation complex,” suggesting that the traditional views of chiropractic are still strong tenants of the practice. The same study found chiropractors believe that roughly 62% of internal organ disorders can potentially be the result of subluxation.
However, a 2008 survey of 6,000 physicians found most chiropractors did not keep much stock in the clinical method of subluxation as a use for treating visceral disorders, and they also seemed to favor non-subluxation-based techniques for those conditions. This same point showed that the chiropractors did use subluxation in treatment of musculoskeletal or biomechanical disorders. Many times chiropractors also offer conventional therapies like lifestyle counseling or physical therapy in order to bring further balance and alignment in one’s life.
A Chiropractor Report on Vertebral Subluxation
There are two main classes of chiropractics: straights, which are in the minority and focus on traditional vertebral subluxation treatments, innate intelligence, and vitalism, and mixers, who are the majority of chiropractors and more integrated with mainstream medical treatments and conventional therapies like massage, exercise, or ice therapy.
The founder of chiropractic, D.D. Palmer, hypothesized that vertebral subluxations interfere with the body’s innate ability to heal itself and overall functionality. Initially; Palmer believed that vertebral subluxations caused pinched nerves in the spine, but he later changed his theory to subluxations altering nerve vibration, which effects the overall tone or balance of the person.
DD Palmer believed that knowledge of the innate intelligence was not required in order to practice chiropractic. His son, BJ Palmer, expanded upon this view, and helped provide the lawful basis for distinguishing the difference between chiropractic and conventional medicine.
While many chiropractors use mainstream x-ray radiography to examine the bone structure and alignment of a patient, the traditional core concept of chiropractic, vertebral subluxation, remains a topic of debate, as it is still widely considered unsubstantiated and untested. Many critics (including some physicians) do not see how traditional subluxation-based techniques hold any true clinical value due to its metaphysical approach and dogmatic beliefs.
Chiropractic to this day is still a traditionally ritualistic practice, but certain crossover with evidence-based practices such as acupuncture is allowing chiropractic care to become more integrated with mainstream health and wellness therapies. The debate between the traditional straight chiropractors and the more integrated evidence-based chiropractors continues; and now there are a wide variety of chiropractors. From those who focus purely on the metaphysical and subluxation therapies, to those who reject the metaphysical teachings and primarily limit themselves to neuro-musculoskeletal conditions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defined chiropractic subluxation in 2005 as “a lesion or dysfunction in a joint or motion segment in which alignment, movement integrity and/or bodily function is altered, but contact between joint surfaces remains intact. It is essentially a functional thing, which might influence biomechanical and neurological integrity”, The medical definition of subluxation however is a partial dislocation of a joint; these can normally be seen with x-rays.
Some believe that x-rays unnecessarily expose patients to harmful radiation. One chiropractic book states that x-rays can’t show subluxations or innate intelligence because they usually don’t exist in a way that can be imaged. Most view chiropractic subluxation as a functional entity instead of a structural entity. This explains why subluxations can’t necessarily be seen on x-ray. The same way a headache or a limp or any other functional problem can’t be imaged in that way.
The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners says that the primary focus of a chiropractic clinic is the correction of subluxation or joint dysfunction. Subluxations are health concerns that are found in skeletal joints. The relationship between the nervous system and the other physiological body systems directly influence the health and function of the body, which can cause lowered function, disease or disability when misaligned, or healing when balanced.
Ancient practitioners of similar sciences believed the nervous system directly influenced the overall health of the body. Handbook therapy, the primary chiropractor treatment procedure, is the manipulation of the spine, joints, and soft tissues, and is sometimes used in conjunction with lifestyle and health counseling or coaching.
Chiropractors are not certified medical professionals or medical doctors, but chiropractic is well established in the United States, Australia, and Canada. It is similar and has overlap with other manual therapy professions, such as physical therapy or osteopathy. The majority of people who seek a chiropractor do so for lower back pain, but many chiropractors treat issues that are not completely related to the musculoskeletal system.
Chiropractic was founded in the 1890s by DD Palmer, who claimed he acquired the knowledge from the “other world”, Palmer maintained through his life that the tenets he was taught was passed to him from a doctor who had died half a century earlier. The legacy continued with D.D.’s son, B.J. Palmer, who expanded on his fathers teaching though the early 20th century. Ever since its inception, chiropractic has been a controversial practice.
Many have claimed chiropractic is pseudoscience or placed it at odds with evidence-based medicine due to its foundational beliefs in vertebral subluxation and innate intelligence. Despite the American Medical Association calling chiropractic an “unscientific cult” in 1966 and boycotting it; chiropractic has maintained a strong political base and allegiance and continued to maintain demand for services. Over recent years, it has gained much more popularity and approval among mainstream medical professionals and conventional healthcare professionals and health plans in the US.
Scope of Chiropractic Practice
Our chiropractors work on the neuro-musculoskeletal system without using any surgery or medicines; thus focusing on the spine. Most assume that chiropractic emphasizes treatment only for back and neck pain; but our chiropractors in treat ailments besides the typical neck and back pain.
While one 2009 survey confirmed that approximately 75% of American chiropractors surveyed called themselves “back pain/musculoskeletal specialists,” a contrasting international poll from 2005 found 47% of those surveyed found the label “neck and back pain specialists” as less than desirable. This healing art combines both alternative medicines and mainstream treatments, resulting in much debate on how to define their profession.
Unlike dentistry or podiatry, chiropractors have much more in common with the typical medical physicians. Some would suggest for chiropractic to remain focused in non-surgical spine care rather than venturing into treatment of any other problems, but as stated; there is much debate.
Many chiropractors can claim to be primary care providers, including those in the United States and United Kingdom; but many also dispute their claims as the requirements of chiropractic aren’t quite up to the scope of those for medical chief care providers.
The chiropractic works at Health for Life Spine & Disc Center are wonderfully in conjunction with many other forms of manual therapy, including but not limited to:
Physical Therapy
Osteopathy
Sports Medicine
Massage Therapy
Stem Cell Therapy
Chiropractic still mostly remains autonomous from mainstream medicine, but osteopathy has merged with the mainstream medical profession in the United States. Massage, sports, and physical bodily therapists cooperate and work alongside mainstream medicine.
There are a few main ways practitioners and others distinguish these types of care between one another. Typically chiropractors specialize and focus on spinal manipulation and promote regular maintenance and preventative care. Osteopaths tend to use a wider variety of treatment processes outside spinal manipulation, and other bodily therapists focus on exercise and machinery.
Many different methods like skeletal imaging, orthopedic and neurological evaluation and different observational and tactile assessments are used to determine a chiropractic diagnosis. If you visit a medical primary care physician as a patient, they might refer you to a specialist or co-manage your healthcare with another care provider. Spinal manipulation is often used alongside other manual therapies of joint and soft tissue, rehabilitative exercises, and other complementary methods such as electrical modalities, health promotion or even lifestyle information.
Chiropractors are not nationally regulated, and in the United States they are not typically certified to write prescriptions or perform surgeries. Their licenses vary by state, resulting in inconsistencies between chiropractors who practice in different states. A chiropractor in Iowa for example is broadly allowed to treat most “human ailments,” while New Mexico goes so far as to allow chiropractors trained in “complex practice” to even prescribe limited medications. Delaware chiropractors can use obscure concepts that seem unfamiliar, like “transition of nerve energy” in order to define their extend of practice, while New Jersey specifies an extremely narrow scope of practice.
Many states also disagree over whether laboratory testing or diagnostic methods, dispensing of dietary supplements, or using alternative treatments like acupuncture and homeopathy should be performed by chiropractors.
In Oregon, chiropractors can become certified to perform minor surgical operations and assist women in natural childbirth. A survey in 2003 found that most North American chiropractors thought it better for them to write prescriptions for over the counter drugs, but a Swiss survey from 2010 found that approximately 75% of physicians considered it an advantage to be able to prescribe non-prescription medication as an advantage over acupuncture therapy and treatment.
It’s also controversial in both the veterinary and chiropractic communities whether chiropractors should practice on animals? A similar industry called “veterinary rehab”, which uses manual manipulation treatments on animals, does exist and is recognized in 40 US states, but the American Chiropractic Association currently does not accept it as a legitimate chiropractic practice.
Despite chiropractic’s focus on the spine; no single profession can claim to own spinal manipulation, and there is also very little regulation about who and which professions can practice or administer spinal manipulation. This concerns chiropractors that other medical doctors could begin implementing their teachings and methods; and this further raises concerns that too many clinical guidelines or regulations could ultimately limit the range of chiropractic practice to only treating back pain and migraines.
Arkansas and Washington have both prohibited physical therapists from practicing spinal manipulation. Some states have limited only those who are certified in advanced level training to perform and administer spinal manipulation. While others only allow licensed physicians to perform spinal manipulation, and other states only allow physicians or chiropractors to perform spinal manipulation. Fines or taxes have even been introduced into legislature to help enforce these rules, and these are often opposed by bodily therapist organizations.
Chiropractic Treatment Strategies and Spinal Adjustment
During a visit at our Health for Life Spine & Disc Center; you can expect a certified physician to perform spinal manipulation and adjustment on you. This adjustment is a passive manual movement that results in taking a joint barely past the normal range of movement, but carefully as to not damage or dislocate the joint. This movement is defined by a lively push, a surprising force that results in a release and increase in a joint’s range of motion.
Generally, spinal manipulation therapy (SMT) is described as a method of using the palms to massage, manipulate, mobilize, stimulate, correct, apply traction to, or otherwise influence the spine or other related tissues. High-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation (HVLA-SM) thrusts can signal for nerve discharge from para-spinal muscle tissues. It is crucial for practitioners using HVLA-SM to possess excessive clinical skill and training in order to properly manage the magnitude and duration of force.
There are many different schools of chiropractic adjustment, and most chiropractors mix and match their practices from different schools. Come visit the best chiropractor clinic today! Some of the more well known or popular processes we offer are:
Extremity Adjusting
Cranial
Gonstead (Emphasis on evaluating spine and special adjustments that avoid rotational vectors)
Diversified Procedure (Full-spine manipulation, uses several methods)
Thompson Strategy (Emphasis on drop chiropractic table and step by step rotation vectors)
Activator Technique (Uses spring loaded software to deliver precise spinal adjustment)
Scar Occipital Technique (Emphasis on spine as torsion pub)
Adjustive Instrument
Cox/Flexion-Distraction (Using gentle, low-force adjustment that combines acupuncture and osteopathy and uses a specialized adjusting table with moving components)
Applied Kinesiology (Emphasis on muscle testing like a diagnostic instrument)
Chiropractic Biophysics Strategy (Using inverse functions of rotations during spinal manipulation)
Nimmo Receptor-tonus Method
Koren Specific Technique (KST, uses fingers or electric devices called ArthroStim for assessment and manipulations. Many insurers in the US and UK that may cover some other chiropractic treatments usually exclude KST from their coverage, as it is considered a more experimental treatment)
Lumbar, Cervical, and Thoracic Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation
While many other techniques have been used by physicians for treatment of spine, tissues, and joints; a 2003 poll states the following treatments were performed on over roughly 35% of patients by accredited US chiropractors:
Diversified technique of full spine manipulation
Corrective or therapeutic exercise
Self-care strategies
Bodily fitness/exercise promotion
Activities of daily living
Nutritional advice or dietary recommendations
Changing risky or unhealthy behavior
Ergonomic or posture advice
Ice pack and Cryotherapy
Relaxation and stress reduction recommendations
Extremity adjusting
Disease prevention
Early screening information
Trigger Point Therapy
Belgian chiropractors were found to primarily specialize in neuro-musculoskeletal complaints in adult patients, focusing on the spine in a 2010 study. The study found that approximately 95% of patients received the diversified technique, being the most often applied treatment. Roughly 40% of patients received activator mechanical-assisted procedures. In 2009, a study found that the vast majority of students of chiropractic schools are familiar with learning the diversified technique, Gonstead, and upper cervical manipulations.
Chiropractic Practice Guidelines
Research within the chiropractor community has resulted in guidelines that outline specific chiropractic treatments that are considered to be most legitimate, or evidence-based, and therefore could potentially be reimbursable under insurance or managed care payment systems. There is much polarity between the continuum of chiropractic ideology; on one end, evidence-based chiropractic treatments are supported among academics; but on the other, some continue to make anti-scientific claims through flawed reasoning and make unsubstantiated statements.
The practice of chiropractic at Health for Life Spine & Disc Center is truly your best option for both those who want to utilize evidence based research and typical scientific method and those who believe in an innate internal intelligence.
Success of our Clinic
Many similar studies have been carried out to determine the effectiveness of chiropractic, but the results vary greatly. Unfortunately some of the research published by physicians can be biased. Typically, the reviews of spinal manipulation for spine pain rehab result in favorable conclusions.
There are many techniques and processes to measure or qualify the outcomes of different treatments. Just like with normal medical care, our chiropractic clinic studies greatly benefit from use of placebo effect. However, it is difficult to properly construct a legitimate and trustworthy placebo for spinal manipulation therapy clinical trials; since any true placebo could arguably cause a result. It is also difficult to determine the effectiveness of routine maintenance chiropractic care.
Chiropractic reasons for our Services:
Low Back Pain: Many studies have found that chiropractic has equal or better results in pain reduction and function improvement in comparison to other techniques commonly used in intermediate, long term, or follow up care. Again, the lack of specific guidelines results in inconsistencies in treatment of non-specific minimal back pain between each state.
Sciatica: Studies have found spinal manipulation can result in significant improvement in overall recovery from sciatica in comparison to normal care, and therefore should be considered as a potential legitimate form of recovery. There are also indications that spinal manipulation can improve acute lumbar radiculopathy and even acute lumbar disc herniation with associated radiculopathy.
Whip Lash: One study in 2013 concluded that even with the limited proof, spinal manipulation is more effective than conventional techniques for those with nonspecific throat pain or discomfort. Some studies have gone more in depth to determine that spinal manipulation results in better short-term effects instead of long-term control and alleviation of throat pain. One 2010 study did find indications of chiropractic care effectively managing pain for whip lash and also increasing the cervical range of motion in management of whiplash.
Headache: As with other aspects of chiropractic, there is much debate over the use of spinal manipulation techniques in treatment of headaches and migraines. However, we have personally seen some great success in our chiropractic clinic.
Joints & Limbs: There are studies that point to manual manipulation and mobilization resulting in better pain management for those with knee osteoarthritis. It’s been suggested for therapists to incorporate manual mobilizations with an exercise program to maximize the effect.
Health for Life Spine & Disc Center is able to also help you (alleviate symptoms) at our chiropractic clinic for the following conditions:
Scoliosis
Cervicogenic Dizziness
Hypertension
Treatment of other non-musculoskeletal conditions
High Blood Pressure
Vision Conditions
ADHD
Learning Disabilities
Dizziness
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Asthma
Insomnia
Post-menopausal Syndrome
Rectal Pain
Back Pain
Bedwetting
Kinetic imbalance because of sub-occipital strain in infants (KISS)
Colic
Fibromyalgia
Menstrual Cramps
Gastrointestinal Disorders
Chiropractic Adjustments
The WHO (World Health Organization) states that general chiropractic care is protected when used appropriately through proven or established safety standards of chiropractic manipulations. These spinal manipulations performed at Health for Life Spine & Disc Center are very safe.
Spinal manipulation has been associated with some temporary, frequent, or mild symptoms, such as new or worsening stiffness or pain in the the afflicted region. This is often reported and will usually be felt within one hour of the treatment and will disappear roughly one to two days after the treatment. The highest reported negative effects are soreness, temporary elevated pain fatigue, and light annoyance.
Chiropractic in general has a good track record when it comes to the number of negative incidences or minor adverse results. More often than not, the issues arising from chiropractic care are acute in nature when compared to other healthcare professionals following manipulation.
Just as with conventional primary care providers, x-rays, CT scans, and other diagnostic imaging techniques are often used by chiropractors. The necessity of ionizing radiation imaging techniques is debatable, and many chiropractors lessen their patients radiation exposure by limiting the number of x-rays.
Cost-Effectiveness of our Health for Life Spine & Disc Chiropractic Center
One study from 2012 found that when used both alone and also along with other treatments, chiropractic spine manipulation is a very cost effective treatment. Evidence was found in a 2011 study supporting the cost effectiveness of spine manipulation for treatment of chronic or sub-acute lower back pain.
However, one larger scale study over the years 2003-2005 by an integrative medicine independent doctor association found that clinical chiropractic services reduced the total cost for patients when spent on:
Outpatient Surgeries
In-hospital Admissions
Pharmaceuticals (When compared to conventional medicine)
In the United States, chiropractors are non-medically licensed professionals with a diploma in the subject of chiropractic. US chiropractic education does not meet the standards of traditional evidence-based medicine. There are similarities and overlap between the two subjects in regard to basic and clinical sciences.
Most chiropractic programs require a few years of undergraduate study, and some even require a full bachelor’s level. Canada requires at least three years of undergraduate education and a minimum of 4,200 course instructional hours through an accredited chiropractic program. Graduates of one prestigious Canadian chiropractic school will have 7-8 years of college-level education.
The WHO specifies three main full-time paths for those wishing to pursue a profession in chiropractic, ending in a DC DCM, BSc, or a MSc.There are also conversion paths for those who have already begun to pursue an education in other health care therapies.
After graduating from chiropractic school, depending on the state, one might need to take and pass examinations in order to become fully licensed to practice in a specific jurisdiction. Also depending on the state, it may be required for chiropractors to pursue continuing education credits each year to renew their licensure. Speciality training can be found by searching for part time post-graduate education programs, like chiropractic orthopedics, sports chiropractic, or through full time rehab programs like orthopedics and radiology.
United States chiropractic schools are accredited through the CCE, the Council on Chiropractic Education. The CCE requires all US based chiropractors to study the “mixer” chiropractic program, which means those who choose to remain as straight chiropractic practitioners may not be subject to full licensing to practice if the state requires CCE accreditation. The CCEs in the United States, Australia, Canada, and Europe have all joined to form one large organization known as the “CCE-International”, with the ultimate goal of developing consistency in licensing for chiropractors that could be portable internationally.
There are only 18 fully accredited Doctor of Chiropractic programs in the United States. Europe has 5, Australia has 6, and Canada has only 2. Only one of the colleges in the US that offers the DC program is publicly funded, the rest are private. Other countries have the option of government sponsored universities and colleges.
One of the two Canadian programs offering the Doctor of Chiropractic programs is publicly funded (UQTR) and the other one is privately funded (CMCC). CMCC was granted the same credentials that allow its DC program to be placed in the same hierarchy of medical education as other primary care physicians in other health care professions, such as dentistry, optometry, and even medicine.
Chiropractors believe their education is as good or possibly even better than their medical physician counterpart’s education. Most chiropractic training takes place in the classroom, and many students of chiropractic experience stress due to the workload and testing, but many believe the stress is worth it to help heal their patients in the long run.
Health for Life Spine & Disc Chiropractic Center Professional Integrity
The chiropractic oath is a modern variation on the well known hippocratic oath typically used by doctors and other healthcare professionals. The American Chiropractors Association (ACA) has a similar ethical code to those of conventional medical professionals. The International Chiropractor’s Association (ICA) also has a collection of professional ethical declarations.
A 2015 poll found that 2/3 of American adults generally believe that doctors have their best interest and health in mind, and over 50% agreed that chiropractors also can and should be trusted. Chiropractic is well established in the United States, Australia and Canada, and to a lesser extent in many other smaller countries. It is generally accepted as a complementary alternative medicine.
In Australia, there is roughly one chiropractor per 8,000 citizens, and many private health insurance companies cover chiropractic care in their plans. Australia’s chiropractic industry is booming, estimated to receive around AUD $850 million for services rendered.
Most patients in Australia visit chiropractors for back and neck pain. Australian Medicare coverage of chiropractic is limited to those specifically referred by other professionals to help their chronic disease management. In Australia, nearly all chiropractors have a bachelors degree or higher. Over 25% have a doctorate in chiropractic, but under 1% have a PhD.
There is roughly one chiropractor per 30,000 UK citizens. The public health program National Health Service includes chiropractic, except for in some specific jurisdictions like Cornwall, where chiropractic is only designated for neck and back pain.
United States and Canada
It’s estimated that at any given time, between 6%-12% of the population of the US and Canada are under chiropractic care. Chiropractors are the most common providers for children and adolescents, with kids and teens making up around 14% of chiropractic patients.
By 2008, there were over 60,000 chiropractors in North America. Most US chiropractors consider themselves to be neuro-musculoskeletal specialists, but they also consider themselves to be principle care providers as well.
In most instances, a patient would choose between a medical primary care physician or a chiropractic primary care physician, but there are times where both can be complementary to one another.
In the US, it’s fairly normal for chiropractor’s satisfaction rates to outweigh those of medical doctors. Quality of communication between patient and chiropractic practitioner are large indicators of overall satisfaction. In the United States, most states require chiropractic care to be covered. Many HMOs also cover chiropractic care.
Case Study – Harvey Lillard; the First Chiropractic Patient!
Daniel D Palmer, the creator of chiropractic, claimed that the sole cause of disease is subluxation and the only cure for all diseases is manipulation. Most chiropractors do believe in some of the original teachings of DD Palmer, such as innate intelligence and how the spine effects multiple bodily systems and organs, though many do their best to integrate these beliefs into more contemporary medicine practices.
DD Palmer was a magnetic healing practitioner in Davenport, Iowa, when he treated his first chiropractic patient, a worker in the building who was hearing impaired. Palmer treated Lillard’s back, and shortly after; Lillard claimed his hearing had improved. Chiropractic is very similar to and competed with osteopathy, its predecessor. Osteopathy is another health practice that focuses on bone setting and natural healing.
Palmer initially kept the secret of chiropractic to himself and his family. However, he eventually taught some students at his school, the Palmer School of Chiropractic. His son, BJ Palmer, became devoted to promoting his fathers’ healing modality. BJ Palmer took over the Palmer School and expanded enrollment.
Various providers and healing modalities believe that diseases are caused by disrupting the flow of “innate intelligence,” or the life energy, the divine, within a person. Both DD and his son BJ considered making chiropractic a religion; which could have resulted in some protections for the science, but they eventually decided against it to remain separate from Christian Science. Many early chiropractors joined the populist movement, focusing on hard work and craft to better align themselves with the common person.
BJ and his father DD were the first straight chiropractors and did not advocate the use of any instruments, going so far as to label those chiropractors who did use instruments scornfully as “mixers”, Later in life; BJ changed his perspective and supported x-rays as a necessary tool for chiropractic diagnosis, which lead to much controversy within the chiropractic community, even within the Palmer School faculty and students.
Later in life, BJ developed his own tool, the neurocalometer, a device that senses temperature, which stirred even more controversy among his fellow straight chiropractors. By the time the 1930s arrived, chiropractic was considered to be the most significant alternative healing method in the United States.
In its origins, chiropractors faced very heavy and strict opposition from conventional medicine. In 1907, DD palmer was arrested for practicing medicine without a permit. Over the years, a large number of chiropractic physicians have been jailed or prosecuted for practicing medicine without a license.
To defend himself and his practice, BJ claimed that chiropractic was separate and distinct from mainstream medicine, pointing out differences in semantics between the practices. BJ eventually co-founded an association (Universal Chiropractors Association) to help support and provide legal services to chiropractors who have been arrested or prosecuted.
Although the Universal Chiropractors Association won their first case in Wisconsin in 1907; more prosecutions were filed and pursued over the next years. Playing the game, chiropractors began lobbying politicians for separate licensing statutes for their practice and won their case in all 50 states. All of these cases culminated in one landmark case, Wilk v. AMA, where it was determined the American Medical Association had engaged in undeniable conspiracy and restraint of commerce, which ended the boycott of chiropractic by the AMA.
Major research into chiropractic didn’t begin until the 1970s, but it has grown and gotten more in depth in response to other anti-scientific or pseudo-scientific ideas and beliefs in order to help solidify its legitimacy. Over the past few decades, chiropractic has gained more legitimacy and endorsements by medical professionals and health plans thanks to this research.
Despite a continual demand for services and a somewhat strong political base; the future of chiropractic remains unclear, mainly because of the growing rift between strictly pure/straight chiropractors and the more integrated “mixer” chiropractors.
Contact our Chiropractic Clinic Today!
We treat all major issues through precise and meticulous chiropractic methods. Give us a call today to get the health, healing and alignment you want and deserve! We promise we are the best chiropractor clinic!