With kinesiology my visits are longer than regular chiropractic appointments. I take as much time as needed to help each and every patient. This involves adjusting misalignments in the spine and extremities (shoulders, elbows, wrists, hip, knees, feet, etc.). When I find a misalignment, I also evaluate all of the muscles that cross the joint in question and restore normal function to the ones that need work. I may check areas such as the TMJ, or other parts of the body that can be contributing to pain or other issues the patient is experiencing. I utilize multiple techniques for my adjustments; both manual manipulations (or as some would say popping/cracking) as well as lighter (non cracking) methods, especially for those who do not prefer and/or cannot have forceful adjustments performed.
Most of my visits can range anywhere from 20 minutes up to an hour (or even more), depending on what I find and need to correct. Typically the first visit is longer compared to the rest. During the initial couple visits the individual might feel soreness afterwards. Just like starting a new workout routine, the body is experiencing changes and is adapting. Alot of it is due to how long and how severe these problems have been occurring. Each person also has a different recovery response, so that plays a role in how often or frequent they need to be seen.
My goal for each patient is to get to the point where I am seeing them for wellness care to help prevent injuries, headaches, future surgeries; as well as for them to sleep better, perform at their best with workouts, sports, or competitions... and to overall just be able to function and feel good in their everyday lives! To get a better idea what chiropractic and kinesiology is and how I utilize them, please continue reading the information below. For even more info, check out the posts/blog section and my facebook page.
What is Chiropractic
The purpose of chiropractic is to align the bones in the spine (and extremities) to their correct position & to make sure the joints move properly. This is done so that the nervous system, which controls every aspect of the body, is working without interference. When the bones are not in normal alignment and in bad posture, it affects the nerves that pass through and branch out to muscles, organs, glands, etc. Also, when the joints are jammed and not moving as they should, this will lead to bone decay and degeneration. Pain, tight muscles, restricted range of motion, and headaches are very common problems chiropractic can help with among many others. See the interactive spine simulator link to see how nerves affect different parts of the body!
Why Kinesiology
Chiropractic adjustments should allow for proper neurologic activation of muscles, however often times the muscles need more work in order to maintain quality function long term; so that’s why Kinesiology is utilized to individually check facilitation and inhibition of muscles throughout the body, as well as evaluate and correct dysfunctional kinetic chain reactions. Kinesiology work also helps muscle memory speed up and hold the adjustments longer to avoid reoccurring issues. Muscle testing is a tool used in kinesiology to help make the chiropractic adjustments more specific, and to address other important aspects of the body, such as the TMJ, muscle-stretch responses, cranial nerve restrictions, myofascial problems, ligament stability, and much more.