Thursday, February 26, 2009

How Long Does It Take?

Most people, when they begin chiropractic care, have at least one question, "How long will it take?" The answer depends on what the real question is.  If the person is asking, "How long will it take to get rid of this pain?" that's entirely different from "How can you support me in staying active and healthy throughout my life?" The first person is oriented toward relief care, which may take as little as a few visits. The second person is oriented toward enhancing his or her quality of life, and has some idea that chiropractic can help achieve a lifetime of optimum health and happiness.

My goal is to listen deeply to my patients' questions and concerns before offering possible solutions, so that their treatment plans work for them.


Monday, February 9, 2009

Why Weekly Care For Optimal Health

Most of my practice members come for wellness care on a weekly basis, and have done so for years. Why? For most of them, it probably has to do with staying in peak performance for the demands of life in the 21st century. Here's the basic science behind why that makes sense:
1) 50% of your spinal cord is dedicated to proprioception (information about movement and position);
2) 50% of that comes from your spine and your ankles;
3) Proprioception hits your brain at the cerebellum, which is the coordination center for movement, balance, memory, learning, emotions, reducing stress, and your internal organs--in other words every function in your body is enhanced by spinal movement.

On the other hand, a lack of spinal movement (fixation) causes nociception (information about noxious stimuli). Nociception means:
1) A decrease in proprioception (all the good stuff);
2) An increase in the stimulation of the stress centers of your brain.

Moreover, research shows that the soft tissue degeneration associated with restricted joint motion starts to become permanent in less than two weeks. Hence, weekly care!