- Cold Laser Therapy
- Spinal Decompression
- Scoliosis
- Spinal Adjustments
- Spinal Rehabilitation
- Stretching and Strengthening Exercises
- Trigger Point Therapy
Cold Laser Therapy
Laser therapy is a treatment that utilizes specific wavelengths of light to interact with tissue and help accelerate your healing process. Laser treatment can be used on people suffering from acute and chronic conditions in order to eliminate pain and swelling, increase functionality, and reduce spasms.
Spinal Decompression
Spinal decompression is a non-invasive mechanical procedure performed within our office to help alleviate back pain. It involves gently stretching the spine to take pressure off the spinal discs (the cushions that separate the vertebrae in the spine). By relieving this pressure, bulging discs can retract back into place which takes pressure off the nerves in the spine. By decompressing the spine, it permits water, oxygen and other fluids to work their way back into the discs allowing them to heal naturally. Spinal decompression is an excellent option for anyone with chronic back pain who wants to get back to living a pain-free life as quickly as possible.
Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a common spinal condition in which the vertebrae rotate causing the spine to curve abnormally. The degree of curvature varies based on the patient and can range from very minor misalignment to almost an S-shaped or C-shaped curve. For patients with minor conditions, symptoms may not be severe or need treatment. However, scoliosis can progress without observation and treatment and can become a debilitating condition significantly impacting ones’ day-to-day life. The increasing curvature can begin to impact muscle function, movement, and restrict breathing.
Many cases occur during growth spurts in puberty, but other causes can include cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, or be the result of a congenital condition present at birth. Though commonly associated with teenagers or children, adults can develop this condition later in life as they age.
Signs & Symptoms
The physical signs of scoliosis can include the following:
- Chronic back pain or muscle spasms
- Difficult breathing
- One hip higher than the other
- One shoulder blade may appear more forward than the other
- Uneven shoulders
In severe cases, due to the curvature of the spine, the rib cage may appear prominent on one side more than the other.
Diagnosis begins with a full review of medical history, followed by a thorough physical examination. A neurological exam may also be conducted to check for muscle weakness or abnormal reflexes. Imaging tests such as X-rays are the most accurate way to fully diagnose a patient with scoliosis. A positive diagnosis is confirmed with a curve greater than 10 degrees. A significant curve is considered between 25 to 30 degrees, and a curve exceeding 45 to 50 degrees is seen as severe.
Treatment
For those with minor scoliosis symptoms, treatment may consist of monitoring the condition with X-rays to check that the curve isn’t worsening, physical therapy, and bracing to help straighten the spine and support proper curvature.
For patients with mild to moderate scoliosis, chiropractic care can be an ideal treatment option to help relieve symptoms and assist in correcting posture.
Spinal Adjustments
Here at Life Chiropractic & Wellness Center, we specialize in chiropractic adjustments.
A chiropractic adjustment can make you feel so much better. Your body does not want to be out of alignment, and that’s exactly what an adjustment can help address. It is also known as chiropractic manipulation, manual manipulation, or spinal manipulation. The adjustment refers to the manipulation of the vertebrae that have abnormal movements and are not functioning properly. A chiropractic adjustment will assist in fixing these issues.
The goal of chiropractic treatment is to reduce the subluxation, increase the range of motion, reduce nerve irritability, and improve mobility. Our compassionate and qualified chiropractor will work with you to relieve this pain and get you back to being pain free every single day.
A chiropractic adjustment involves high velocity thrusts applied to the vertebra, relieving sensation, discomfort, and spasms in the surrounding muscles. It also releases joint cavitation, which is caused by the release of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide.
Although many people visit their chiropractor and have an adjustment when something feels out of alignment, a regular visit will help you avoid any pain in the future and will keep your body feeling great all day long.
If you are having one of those days when you are not in the best mood, an adjustment may actually help. Your body will feel much better, which will naturally improve your mood.
If you have any questions about chiropractic adjustments, contact us today at (913) 764-7575.
Spinal Rehabilitation
The most important thing we do in the practice of Chiropractic is spinal adjustments to remove interference from the nervous system and restore your body’s ability to heal and self-regulate. But what happens when whole regions of the spine are displaced?
Spine research shows that when adjustments to the segments of the spine are combined with Mirror Image® postural exercises and specific spinal traction, significant improvements can be made to the alignment, balance, and structure of the spine as a whole.
The Purpose of Chiropractic Spinal Rehabilitation
The spine is an intricate structural system containing a complex interwoven network of bony vertebral segments with intervertebral discs between them that act like cushions as well as sensitive joint capsules that is all held together by a framework of ligaments and a powerful muscular system. All of this serves the main purposes of holding your body upright in a gravity environment and most importantly, to protect the vulnerable yet vital neural tissues of the spinal cord, nerve roots, and other components of the nervous system such as delicate blood vessels.
Various sudden physical stresses like sports injuries, motor vehicle collisions, or slips and falls can jar segments out of position which can compromise the structural integrity of the spine. The most damaging causes of spinal displacement though are the more gradual stresses that occur on a day to day basis that most of us don’t ever think about: repetitive motions, prolonged postural positions, the effect of gravity over time that none of us can escape. This normal wear and tear weakens our structure over time and causes our posture to become distorted which puts pressure on the delicate neural tissues of the spine that regulate and control all functions of the body.
Chiropractic Spinal Rehabilitation utilizing postural strengthening exercises and traction can correct these spinal displacements restoring it to its naturally strong position and strengthen your spine to hold it in alignment. We use advanced techniques to analyze the structure of the spine in order to guide our treatment in using the principle of force over time to effect changes in the framework of spinal tissues much like braces for teeth. By restoring your spine to a more natural optimized alignment, we can remove the pressure and strain on the nervous system which allows it to carry mental signals between brain and body more effectively. This can alleviate neurological symptoms and improve overall health as whole systems of the body are able to function at their best. A properly aligned spinal structure also can reduce the exertional strain of the surrounding muscles.
What to Expect From Spinal Rehabilitation
An initial evaluation analyzes your spinal alignment, checking for any imbalances that may be producing your health challenges. Life Chiropractic & Wellness Center will ensure that you are a good candidate for chiropractic spinal rehabilitation before proceeding. Repeated traction sessions help the body stretch the shape of the spine toward their proper joint position and are necessary even after you are feeling better. It takes time and repetition to change the structure of the spine. Traction combined with postural exercises to strengthen the body to hold its new alignment is the most effective conservative method known to change overall spine alignment.
If you’re ready to boost your health, flexibility, balance, and everyday comfort, our chiropractic team is ready to help you achieve those goals.
Contact our clinic (913) 764-7575 to discuss the details of chiropractic spinal rehabilitation and schedule an initial appointment.