What causes the body to become misaligned and subluxated?
An accident or injury at some time in a person’s life causes their spine to misalign. It is not necessarily an injury that you would remember.
Examples of injuries are:
- The birthing process
- A fall as a child
- Falling off a bicycle
- Playing sports (contact and minimal contact)
- Car accidents
- Twisting or popping your neck
- Bumping your head getting in or out of your vehicle
How do I know if I have body imbalance and subluxations?
The best way to make sure that there is no interference in your nervous system is to have your spine checked by a chiropractor. You can have subluxations and not even know it. Like the early stages of tooth decay, heart disease or cancer, subluxations can be present before warning signs appear. Body imbalance is determined by leg length disparity, postural distortion (x-ray and postural analysis), and asymmetrical center of gravity.
Can you have a subluxation without experiencing pain?
Yes. Subluxation is known as a silent killer. It may be present for decades before pain or symptoms show up. Two of our countries biggest killers may also be present for years before they are symptomatic. Many people are walking around with heart disease and cancer without any pain or symptoms.
Do you take care of children?
Of course! The best time to have a spinal misalignment corrected is right after it happens. For a lot of us that is when we are little. We encourage parents to bring their children in to have their spines checked as early as possible. Children’s bodies grow at an amazing rate and early detection and correction will give your children the chance to grow into optimal health. The early signs of misalignment in a child’s spine may include:
- Sleeping or eating problems
- Irritable or fussy
- Ear Infections
- Allergies/Asthma
- Hyperactivity/ADHD
- Growing Pains
- Bed Wetting
- No Symptoms (misalignments can be silent)
How is different from other atlas adjustments?
Some chiropractors will use an instrument or machine to adjust the atlas, the top bone in the spine. While this is a much gentler approach to adjusting the atlas compared to traditional chiropractic methods, this is not the same as a adjustment. doctors don’t just adjust the atlas independent of the rest of the spinal bones; instead they use the atlas as a leverage point to re-align the entire spine back to a balanced position. It is for this reason that doctors do not need to do additional adjustments to your middle or low back even though your atlas is ˜holding”. Furthermore, at Infinity Spine Center we check leg length for balance, analyze center of gravity and posture. Posture analysis includes, but not limited to position of head, neck, shoulder, hips and the spine. These postural distortions are indicative of a spinal misalignment and and possible spinal cord and brainstem pressure. doctor’s also take post x-rays that verify the correction is accurate and reduced.
Is it possible for me to go in and out of alignment on my own?
No, a true subluxation will not realign on its own. Many times patients may feel that they were “out of alignment” and they were able to regain alignment on their own. A true subluxation can only be corrected by a third party. What the individual likely felt was the adaptation of the body to stress that they were able to manage without assistance. Our goal in this office is to maintain the body in a state of reduced stress so the body can adapt to the stresses and strains of everyday life without requiring assistance to manage a breakdown.
How can such a light pressure make such dramatic changes?
For the same reason one is able to move a pile of heavy bricks with a light push of a wheelbarrow: leverage. Although the patient feels only a slight pressure behind their ear while being adjusted, there is adequate force being put into the neck. Using the first vertebra and the weight of the head to gain a biomechanical advantage, the doctor places their own body on a calculated angle to ensure the adjustment is specific to the patient’s individual misalignment. The force generated by the doctor is transferred to the patient in such a gentle and precise fashion that many patients are unaware of any intervention whatsoever.
How is the spinal correction calculated?
Between your first and second visit, the doctor will analyze your films to determine a specific formula for your spinal correction using precise mathematical calculations, physics, and biomechanics. Each formula is calculated for that individual patient and no two spinal corrections are alike. X-rays are a critical part of ensuring the spinal correction is accurate and successful.
Are x-rays really necessary?
Absolutely! Precise spinal x-rays are imperative for your correction. We are often dealing with misalignments as small as ¾ of a degree, which is 1/10,000 of an inch (The thickness of a fingernail). With such small misalignments the precision x-rays that we take, allow us to calculate the correct method to restore the misalignment to a better position, thus allowing your body to begin the healing process.
Due to special lead filters that block out a majority of the radiation, the radiation exposure is extremely low with our upper cervical x-ray series. The NAS (National Academy of Sciences) considers a single exposure of the whole body of 50,000 mrems (50 rems) to be a high level dose. The following is a comparison of radiaton exposure to x-rays:
- x-ray series < .22 mrems
- Flight from LA to Paris 4.8 mrems
- Dental x-ray (whole mouth) 310 mrems
- Apollo x moon flight 480 mrems
- Barium Enema (x-ray study) 8,000 mrems
- Radiation treatment for cancer 6,000,000 mrems
Are all patients adjusted the same way?
An infinite amount of atlas misalignments exist. Each misalignment requires a different, precise spinal correction, which is determined from the thorough analysis of the patient’s x-rays.
How many adjustments will I need?
The number of adjustments needed varies from person to person. The reasons for this include:
- Patient compliance (following the doctor’s recommendations)
- The amount of damage to the spinal structures
- Exercise habits
- Spiritual health
- Emotional and physical stress
- Nutrition
- The shape of your spinal bones
During the initial stabilization period more chiropractic corrections may be necessary. Once the spine stabilizes (usually within the first six months), many patients hold their correction for 3 to 6 months at a time. Our corrections generally hold much longer than other types of chiropractic adjustments.
How long until I feel better?
Our patients generally respond very rapidly to the chiropractic procedure. The reason for this is because of the precision of the correction. The better the quality of the spinal correction, the better the recovery. Many factors are involved with you feeling better, including:
- Type and severity of the condition(s)
- How long you have had the condition
- What other treatments you have had
- Medications you are taking
- Compliance with the doctor’s recommendations
- Age
Most patients get results with the first spinal correction, but the first six to eight weeks after the initial correction is considered a process of healing and recovery. Body balance will be closely monitored during this period to ensure the correction is maintained and healing continues.
How long will I need chiropractic care?
The same amount of time that you will need to eat healthy, exercise, practice good spiritual disciplines and other healthy lifestyle choices. Our job is to offer you the very best care and we stand ready to help all patients, regardless of their health goals. How long you decide to benefit from chiropractic care is always up to you.
Can I have adjustments after back surgery?
Yes. Rest assured that your chiropractor is specifically trained to deliver a completely safe and gentle spinal correction, which requires no bending, twisting or cracking of the spine. Our staff of doctors will also communicate with other health professionals if there are any possible contradictions that we are concerned about.
Are your methods safe?
Yes. A New Zealand government study found that adjustments are remarkably safe. By avoiding drugs and risky surgery, chiropractic care enjoys an excellent track record. A thorough exam can identify the rare person for whom chiropractic care might be unsuited. The precise and gentle nature of the correction requires NO SNAPPING, POPPING OR TWISTING OF THE NECK. The adjustment is extremely safe, gentle and effective.
What if your methods don’t help me?
If you do not respond to care, we will either alter your care plan or help you find someone who can help you.
Do you take my insurance and what if I have Medicare?
Our office is now accepting most insurance policies. We would be happy to verify your Chiropractic benefits to determine how they would work in our office. We are also a contracted Medicare provider and accepting new Medicare patients.
