What's a technique?

There are over 200 chiropractic techniques. I have lost count since they have become obscure. I break them out to structural techniques, reflex techniques, tonal techniques and upper cervical techniques.

What?

Well structural techniques are the poppin-crackin techniques and are what most people have heard of when there is a reference to chiropractic. Examples are: Diversified and Gonstead. Good stuff. Helps to reset joint movement. If every joint is moving properly, life is good.

Sometimes structural techniques are too much for some people. Adjustments can be made without popping and cracking. I use a reflexive technique called Activator Methods. Check out www.activator.com if you would like more info. Plug,plug. This reflexive technique uses a measurement of leg length with different head, arm and leg positions to evaluate where adjustments are made. Adjustments are made with the activator instrument which puts a impulse of force into a small area of the joint to correct the misalignment and function of that joint.

Tonal techniques are amazing as well. Tonal means tone or tension of the body. Tonal techniques use the movement of the spine during the breathing process as well as the movement of the sacrum or tailbone to evaluate alignment and direction of force input.

The most complex techniques are the upper cervical techniques, ie. NUCCA, Atlas Orthogonal, and Atlas Specific. They typically only adjust the top bone of the spine, aka atlas or C1. X-rays are usually taken to evaluate the position of the atlas with respect to the head and the rest of the spine. Adjustments are determined mathematically by measurements of the positions of each with respect to each other. Adjustments are administered by hand with light force or with an instrument that taps on the atlas.

This is only a few designations of techniques, but the most common and with brief explanations, so if you feel a gravitation to one technique or method, investigate and research. If in doubt always use the most experienced.

The Knees Have it

You ever wonder if your knees have it? Is pain in the knees or is knee pain a secondary thing which is being created from something else? Well, knowing the history and stresses of your knees, evaluating your posture and movement, evaluating x-rays or an MRI of a knee, as well as the positioning of your pelvis and low-back would be the best way to start determining where the pain is coming from. The knee joint is comprised of the ends of the femur and tibia coming together. The anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments connect the femur and tibia interiorly and the collateral ligaments on the inside and outside of the knee, also called medial and lateral.
There are also meniscus pads located inside the knee joint that the femur literally rides on when in contact with the tibia. Each of these structures can cause pain if damaged. If there is stress on these structures caused by an imbalance in the body at the knee, or in the pelvis, or low back you can get pain as well. Start by getting checked by a chiropractor. They'll let you know if your knees have it.

6 Serious Chiropractic Symptoms

There are many feelings you might experience throughout the day. Some are questionable feelings that could indicate that there is something wrong with your body’s structure. Here are six examples of when you are due for an adjustment.

1. PAIN. Pain while doing something you normally do. The area of pain is not always the area of the problem.

2. Numbness. Numbness occurs if there is compression on a nerve.

3. Weakness. Weakness usually comes after numbness. Unless you have injured some of your muscle tissue, you could be experiencing a prolonged nerve compression.

4. Range of Motion Limited. If you can’t move at your waist equally in opposite directions or move your head equally in opposite directions.

5. Soreness on ONE side. If you experience soreness on one side consistently after a workout or even while walking or sitting.(ie. one leg or one arm.)

6. Low Energy: If you just don’t feel right or your energy level is feeling lower than usual at the end of the day.

It's the fiddler

"An old advocate of golf, the late Harvey Pennick, once said, 'It's not the fiddle, it's the fiddler,'" To put it another way, sports enthusiasts spend thousands of dollars for the best equipment and read or learn about how to improve form and function in there sport. The problem is there is rampant neglect of the most important piece of equipment, the human body. There is a missing link that more athletes are becoming aware of, body function is closely related to body symmetry and incremental movement of each joint in the body.

If the symmetry of the body is altered or the joints in the body are not moving like they are supposed to, you are more prone to injuries and joint damage. An analogy would be the alignment of your car's tires that when misaligned will wear out quickly. In the body, muscle usage is supposed to be as symmetric as possible and both sides of the body must do their share of the work. If there is a difference in strength of one side of the back compared to the other or one arm/one leg compared to the other, you are setting yourself up for injury on the most used side. Somebody is not doing their share of the work! So, how can we correct this situation? Through chiropractic adjustments, stretching and specific types of strength training you can get your body back to symmetry and on the top of form and function. Remember, look to your most important piece of equipment , the fiddler, to make the most improvement in you sport.

Bloomin with nanoGreens

I found a fantastic product that has given me some great benefits: nanoGreens. The product gives you 10 servings of fruits and vegetables plus a newly designed nano absorption method, which makes it very easy to digest and better utilized in the body. The first thing I noticed was different areas of tension in my body resolving, especially in my face, head, neck, and under the right side of my ribcage where my liver is located. This was only after the second day of taking the product. Further, I have noticed better and deeper sleep and continual mild detoxification, bringing about more energy and alertness into my life. The product has to be purchased from a healthcare provider for about $50 and lasts for about a month at one scoop a day. The only caution with this product is to start with small amounts, like a teaspoon/day, because if you take too much you can get a headache from too much detoxification. Try this product it's a keeper, it will help you bloom.

Take out the Trash!

Have you ever detoxified your body? It's not fun, but you feel better afterward. Generally, the body will detoxify itself eventually. Kind of like having a hangover the day after drinking. Eventually you feel better. There are many types of toxins though. The problem is the body can't get rid of them all and most of the time there is an accumulation or backlog of toxins in everyone. So, to help with the process there are many different methods. There is the clean each organ method, ie. colon, liver, kidneys. This method is the least expensive, but it can take a lot of time and effort. There are herbal recipes to clean out each organ. The idea is to clean from the outside in so, colon, liver, kidneys, in that order. Another consideration is timing. Sometimes cleansing slowly is the best method. Too fast can make you feel ill, like the hangover thing. The next method is fasting. No eating or just drinking juice for 5 to 10 days. This method is the most challenging. When was the last time you missed a meal? The idea is that if the body is not processing your food then it is cleaning house. From what I've read, it takes at least 72 hours to get to the point where your body is starting to process the wastes that have accumalated in the body, in other words,"taking out the trash." You can also get help from a therapist. Colon Hydrotherapy treatments along with a soft food diet including colon cleansing drinks can detoxify you in as little as 10 days, but it can cost $1000. If you have silver amalgam fillings in your teeth, your body likely has an accumulation of mercury or heavy metals in the cells of your body. To detoxify heavy metals you need to bring out the power tools, just kidding. It does require some more extensive treatment though. Chelation is one method of detoxifying heavy metals. Contact your closest natural medical doctor for this one, an HMD or OMD possibly. If you want to make a go at it yourself, there is a company called Kelatox that has a great product. It takes at least 30 chelation treatments or at least 90 days of the Kelatox product to eliminate heavy metals from your body. Good luck! Taking out the trash can bring about more energy and clarity into your life. It takes some time but, you won't be sorry.

The Shoulder

Yep! We are talking about the joint where your arm attaches to your body not the non-verbal communication someone gives you when they are mad at you. Did you know there are 50 different muscles that attach the shoulder girdle to the torso. This makes for a complicated mechanical system. That's why it is imperative to have all the bones that make up the arm, shoulder girdle, and neck be in the right alignment or proper groove for motion. The arm can move in multiple combinations of front, back, out, in, rotating out, and rotating in. If the joint is out of alignment one area of muscles may be working harder than another area which will cause soreness. The muscles around the shoulder that you probably have heard of are the rotator-cuff muscles. The rotator cuff muscles attach the upper arm to the socket on the side of the scapula (shoulder-blade). If you can't move your arm in a certain direction then it is most likely caused by a damaged rotator-cuff muscle. If you have just done something you don't normally do, ie. painting, hammering, swimming, or any other forms of swinging your arm with something in your hand, and now you have some pain, this may be overuse. If you have fallen on your shoulder and it is not moving right or pain is there even without movement there may be some joint damage. Either situation can be helped with chiropractic. At least a proper evaluation would be in order. If the pain is so extreme 10 out of 10, then there may be a fracture. Get it checked at the ER.