By Dr. Scott E. Rosenthal
Want to make your chiropractor’s neck hairs stand on end? You don’t need a plasma ball! You just have to say a few words that all of us have heard enough times to kink the straightest necks. “I thought that your only job was to crack backs.” Just writing that sentence is a painful reminder of my profession’s need for better public relations.
Between the millions of Americans helped each year and the results of numerous research studies, it is understandable why doctors of chiropractic have a strong reputation for dealing with neck and back conditions. Helping these areas is undoubtedly a valued service, but reserving chiropractic for only spinal symptoms is like owning a Porsche and never shifting past third gear!
Below is a partial list of less known practices that may be available to you in your chiropractor’s office:
People who suffer from upper or lower extremity problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, knee, foot and hand issues often find relief after chiropractic care. The problems may have an underlying cause stemming from the nerves that exit the spine or with the muscles and/or connective tissues. Specific adjusting protocols are employed to realign the joints of the effected extremity. Soft tissue techniques, rehabilitative exercises and other modalities (such as cold laser therapy) are often woven in to create a multi-dimensional approach that transcends merely covering up the symptoms. In addition to aiding the body in resolving painful and dysfunctional extremity issues, this care often results in increased performance. Want to be a better golfer, tennis or softball player? Try a visit to your chiropractor.
You may be surprised to know that the bones of your skull are moveable and flexible. Gentle adjustments are applied to remove restrictions and to restore normal function. I have observed improvement in patients after cranial adjusting with such conditions as motion sickness, strabismus (condition in which the eyes are not properly aligned with each other), temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems, migraines, sinus/allergy issues, dyslexia and ear problems.
You may be more surprised to know that your organs may benefit from gentle adjusting techniques. The most common organ techniques that I employ involve the stomach or bladder. I have observed, in many people, that the stomach tends to misalign upwards into the diaphragm muscle. This may lead to indigestion, gastritis, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) or hiatal hernias. The bladder will typically move downwards. Once corrected, patients have observed a decrease in urinary frequency (especially during the night) and/or incontinence. Please visit www.rosenthalchiropractic.com and read Suffer No More! Help For Stomach Pain and Reflux Disease... for more information about the stomach work.
This technique helps a baby move from a breech or transverse position into an optimal position for birth. This method, discovered by Dr. Larry Webster, founder of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA), carefully addresses specific sacral misalignments and soft tissue tensions that may contribute to a breech or transverse position of the baby. When utilized, it is reported that in nearly 82% of cases, the child moves into the normal vertex position, eliminating the need for a Cesarean Section. This is not an obstetric “breech turning” technique, but a chiropractic method that primarily makes a gentle adjustment to the tailbone. Please visit www.icpa4kids.com for more information.
Your children didn’t just get your good looks. They are also prone to the same imbalances that adults have. Luckily for the kids, the response to chiropractic care tends to be much quicker in younger bodies. Research, all that can be found on the ICPA website (www.icpa4kids.com), has demonstrated that the balancing effects of chiropractic have helped little bodies overcome ailments from ear infections to colic.
Chiropractic offices may also offer acupuncture, massage therapy, cold laser therapy, protocols for cleansing the body of toxins, nutritional therapy and/or weight loss programs, spinal decompression therapy, rehabilitative exercises, orthotics and other modalities that aid in the body’s inherent healing abilities.
Of greater importance than the services offered in chiropractic, success may stem more from the reasons WHY such methods are utilized. The major premise guiding the chirorpactor in his or her work is listed below:
If only the chiropractic profession was graced with the immense advertising budget utilized by the pharmaceutical industry (even with just one of its billion-dollar blockbuster drugs), millions more would come to realize that the Porsche of chiropractic care has higher gears. The next time you visit your chiropractor, ask if he or she can help you with issues other than your back. You never know what extra services he or she may offer. At the very least, your greater understanding will allow your chiropractor’s neck hairs to finally relax!
