Freeport Integrated Health Center

- 10/3/2005

The word Chiropractic comes from the Greek word chiro, which means ? with the hands.? Here at the office, I emphasize a ?total? approach to health care recognizing that the structure and function of your body are inseparable. The only way that I differ from my MD counter parts is that I do not prescribe medications and do not perform surgery.

While Chiropractors are best known for treating disorders of the spine; that is only a part of what I do. The focuses of my practice are the conditions that affect the human frame, which is composed of your bones, joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons. The basis of chiropractic medicine is the restoration of normal function and motion of a joint complex. The joint complex consists of a joint between two or more bones and all the surrounding muscles, ligaments and tendons. When the normal joint mechanics become altered, this effects the functioning of the surrounding tissues and can cause muscle spasm and most often pain. Chiropractic treatment not only addresses the symptom but also the underlying cause of the pain. Am I losing you yet?

Your musculoskeletal system represents over 70% of your body and is regulated by your nervous system. It is composed of your bones, joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons. When any joint is ?misaligned? or an adjacent muscle is sprain or in spasm, this affects normal function and most often causes pain. In the case of the spine, misalignments of the vertebra can affect the nerves that exit your spinal column. These nerves service each any every part of your body from the smallest cell to the largest muscle or organ.

The first component of good health is the maintenance of the mechanical integrity and function of the body. You can understand that the house whose frame is not in proper alignment or is not ?sturdy? can cause the house to be unstable or in danger of collapse. The same is true of the spine, because it is the framework or support from which the rest the human body is built.
A bent and twisted body framework can cause ailments through out the entire body and
compromise posture and movement.

The main instrument of Chiropractic Medicine is joint manipulation or what is called and ?adjustment.? When the normal joint mechanics become altered, this effects the functioning of the surrounding nerves, muscles, ligaments and tendons and can cause muscle spasm and most often pain. Joint manipulation restores the affected joint?s normal function and mechanics, relieves pain, reduces muscle spasm and stimulates the nervous system. As all you patients know in addition to chiropractic care, I use physiotherapy modalities such as hot and cold packs, ultrasound, electrical muscle stimulation, the hydrotherapy bed, therapeutic exercise and stretching to aid in the healing process. In many cases where it is determined that massage therapy would be beneficial that is also implemented as part of the treatment process. And any one who has had massage therapy know just how skilled our therapists are!

Tens of millions of patients, from infants to the elderly, enjoy the benefits of Chiropractic health care each year. As with any method of health care, there are always risks and I would be happy to dispel any misnomers regarding chiropractic care. But in fact, Doctors of Chiropractic have one of the lowest malpractice insurance rates of all physician specialties. This is because chiropractors use conservative ?non-invasive? techniques to treat their patients and improve their quality of life.

I hope that all this information was given you a more complete out look of my practice. But always remember if you have questions, please do not hesitate to call or e-mail. Lastly, if you have a friend, co-worker or loved one that you think could benefit from care here at the office pass along this newsletter for them to read to have them contact me directly by e-mail.