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The primary treatment used by the
chiropractor is the adjustment. This treatment
usually results in a "pop" or
"crack" and a relief of symptoms through
correction of subluxated
joints. The doctor of chiropractic spends many
years mastering these precise movements to ensure
patient safety, as well as optimum results. There
are many techniques which address the movement of the
vertebrae, such as Gonstead, Diversified, Thompson Drop,
Blair, SOT,
Logan, Cox, etc. . . The typical
chiropractor will specialize in one particular technique
or incorporate various techniques into his/her own
unique style. (Also see The
Adjustment )
Applied
Kinesiology (AK) is primarily a diagnostic technique which
uses muscle tests to evaluate normal and abnormal body
function. “Muscle
tests are applied to different areas of the body in a
manner that evaluates a specific muscle.”1
In an ideal situation all muscles of the body
should respond by locking against resistance, or testing
“strong.” This
is rarely the case. When
most people go to see their doctor something is usually
bothering them. So,
most people will discover that some of their muscles
appear extremely “weak.”
Often times, the same muscle will function well on
one side and poorly on the other.
This “weakness” does not mean that you
need to go to the gym and work out that muscle. It is simply a sign that your body is not
communicating properly with that muscle.
Improper communication can be caused by several
problems, such as, a subluxation causing suboptimal
neurological or vascular flow, nutritional
deficiencies, stress, or a deficient organ or organ
meridian.
A skilled doctor will be able to determine which
controlling factor might be at fault using AK diagnostic
techniques. Upon
successful correction , there will often be a dramatic
improvement in the muscle function.
You will have “strength” where once there was
“weakness.”
The medical
profession is the primary discipline that attempts to
control body dysfunction using this aspect of the Triad of
Health, typically via drugs. Although poor health can result from involvement of the
triangle’s chemical side, the effects may not be
immediate, or easily found.
Nutritionists and health care providers have
increased their interest in the chemical side of the
triangle over the past century.
This is because of increasing nutritional
deficiencies in the US sure to refining of foods, dietary
indiscretion, and the depletion of the soil in which our
foods are grown. The
slow effects of these deficiencies do not typically result
in a classic malnutrition disease, but will cause a
general loss of health.
Sometimes too much of a nutritional supplement can
cause a chemical imbalance, or a supplement may no longer
be absorbed as well as it once was.
The AK doctor may have you chew or taste certain
nutritional complexes and then test you to determine its
effects on your body.
Also known as Qi, this is a form of
energy that is brought into the body at birth and remains until death.
Chi flows through the body as we breathe and is simultaneously synergized via
several acupuncture points and travels throughout the body on pathways known
as meridians.
This refers to a discussion between you and your doctor regarding the
treatment frequency and your requirements during treatment. If your
doctor deems it appropriate to refer you to another doctor for co-treatment or
transfer you to another doctor for care, this is typically the time it is
done.
Emotions
See Below. (Mental)
This is a physical examination of your
bodily functions and conditions. More specifically, this screening will
include such assessments as blood pressure, pulse, temperature, orthopedic
tests, muscle tests, motion palpation for subluxation
and other general measurements of the body. The
examination does not include a standard genital or rectal examination
(however, Doctors of Chiropractic are educated in performing these
examinations when deemed necessary for treatment and/or referral).
This aspect of the
Triad of Health is typically dealt with by psychologists,
psychiatrists, and therapists.
Like the other sides of the triangle, imbalance of
the mental side can cause a deterioration of your general
health. It is
obvious that someone’s mental attitude affects his/her
health, but the extent is truly amazing.
Many psychiatric conditions are the result of
physiological involvement.
For example, some cases of continued depression can
be the result of low blood sugar or hyperactivity in some
children can result from disorganization of the nervous
system. There are also many physical ailments that are the result of
an imbalance to the mental side of the triangle.
Stomach ulcers in an emotionally stressed
individual, emotional low back pain, or tension headaches.
The effects of your emotions on your nervous system
can be evaluated using AK techniques,
as well as TBM and NET.
One of the fourteen pathways that Chi
travels through on it's cycle through the body. Additionally, each
meridian consists of several points commonly referred to as acupuncture
points. The Chi flows through the fourteen meridians as follows:
Chi enters the body at birth at the umbilicus (belly button), then as we
breathe it flows into the diaphragm, to the lungs, and makes it's way to the
Lung meridian where it begins it's travel through the meridians. The
order of travel goes like this: Large Intestine, Stomach, Spleen, Heart, Small
Intestine, Bladder, Kidney, Circulation Sex, Triple Heater, Gall Bladder, and
then Liver. This cycle repeats until the Chi leaves the body after
death.
Imbalance of flow or the distribution
of Chi throughout the body is a common cause of
dysfunction. This disrupts the balance of the Triad
of Health and disease occurs. Imbalances of Chi can be discovered at
acupuncture points, which will show a change in electrical energy and
sometimes be tender. Imbalanced points on a meridian
cause a meridian imbalance, and vice versa. Treatment of these
imbalances without the use of needles has become known as meridian
therapy. The typical treatment of the meridians without needles can
include lasers, tsuma-shin, rubbing, tapping, adjustments, or smoke, just to
name a few.
Emotional
Stress can affect our bodies in several ways. It is important to
recognize the value of treating emotional stress of the mind and of the body.
Typically, people will seek treatment for their mind, but neglect to seek
treatment for their body. Chiropractors trained in NET are capable of
releasing the physical effects of emotional stress that are stored in the
body. The general principle is: Stagnation of emotional stress in specific
areas of the body can perpetuate disease. Release of this stagnant emotional
stress allows for healing of the body as well as the mind. NET blends
meridian therapy with the use of specific homeopathic remedies to stabilize
the mental aspect of the Triad of Health.
Chiropractic is
the major healing profession that deals with the Triad of
Health's structural base.
In addition to structural injuries, such as a
sprained ankle or whiplash, the structural side of the
triangle more importantly, deals with the structural
instability and joint involvement.
This includes osteoarthritis, and joint strain and
irritation to the nerve roots as they exit the spinal
column. Nerves
control much of our body’s function, therefore
irritating the nerves can cause a variety of health
problems.
Lack or loss of proper motion or
function in a joint, primarily the vertebrae of the spine, which causes
disruption of the nervous system. Combination of the prefix Sub-
meaning under or less than, and luxation referring to dislocation of an
anatomical part, subluxation translates directly to less than
dislocated. So, a subluxation describes a slightly out of place bone
that articulates with another bone that can cause symptoms immediately or that
can lead to chronic problems later in life. The cause of a subluxation
can be structural, chemical,
or mental. This depends on which aspect of the Triad
of Health is deficient. The correction of a subluxation is done via
an adjustment of
the affected joint/area.
This unique technique is designed to
blend the physical modalities of chiropractic with energetic techniques
derived from meridian therapy. This system treats the body through
accessing the body's bio-computer and restoring dysfunctional systems.
This technique has been clinically successful with numerous dysfunctions such
as neck pain, allergies, emotional stress, autoimmune
diseases, and the list goes on and on.
Natural Healthcare is designed to
treat the three basic health factors that are responsible for health problems.
Like a triangle with equal sides, each of these factors are important
to maintaining the balance of our health. The Triad of Health, or
triangle, includes the three basic causes of all health problems, namely structural,
chemical, or mental
dysfunctions.
Examination using X rays to photograph
internal structures of the body. Chiropractors use this technology to
assess the anatomic structure of the body, as well as static joint alignment,
and general health (as far as can be determined by x-ray procedures).
Some of the things we look for are subluxations, fractures, dislocations, bone density, bone
and soft tissue abnormalities, abnormal or excessive joint swelling, and signs
of internal organ dysfunction or obstruction.
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