Chiropractors - Primary Care Professionals for Spinal Health and Well-being

In an age of increasing specialization, decreasing availability of primary care providers, and increasing bureaucracy in accessing care, patients need to interact with care providers who can assess and treat their musculoskeletal complaints. However, what is even more necessary is a focus on wellness and health optimization. This is the wheelhouse of a chiropractor.

As primary care professionals for spinal health and well-being, doctors of chiropractic provide qualified, effective care that promotes health, alleviates pain and improves quality of life. Doctors of chiropractic are extensively educated in the assessment and management of conditions affecting the spinal and extremity joints and associated neurology, and based on examination findings and indication for care, the chiropractor will recommend a short course of care to help relieve pain and improve function.

Chiropractic patient management includes manual techniques with particular competency in joint adjustment and/or manipulation, myofascial/trigger point therapy, rehabilitation exercises, patient education in lifestyle and nutritional modification, and the use of adjunctive therapeutic modalities, orthotics and other supports.

The benefits of chiropractic care include:

- Relief from back and neck pain [http://lifeinmotionchiro.com/chiropractic-for-back-pain.htm] [http://lifeinmotionchiro.com/chiropractic-for-neck-pain.htm]

- Relief from headaches [http://lifeinmotionchiro.com/chiropractic-care-headaches.htm]

- Relief from pregnancy-related backache [http://lifeinmotionchiro.com/prenatal-chiropractic-care.htm]

- Correction of hip, gait, and foot problems [http://lifeinmotionchiro.com/active-care-rehabilitation.htm]

- Improved flexibility, stability, balance and coordination [http://lifeinmotionchiro.com/active-isolated-stretching.htm]

- Prevention of work-related muscle and joint injuries

- Treatment of sports related injury [http://lifeinmotionchiro.com/sports-injury-treatment.htm]

- Improved function and ability to better perform the activities of daily living [http://lifeinmotionchiro.com/posture-ergonomics-training.htm]

TO LEARN MORE:

http://lifeinmotionchiro.com/Educational%20Brochures/CHIROPRACTIC-A-SAFE-AND-COST-EFFECTIVE-APPROACH-TO-HEALTH.pdf

Importance of Posture as It Relates to Injury

How a person physically presents themself in an upright standing position is considered the base from which an individual moves and reflects the alignment of the body. Posture provides the foundation from which the arms and legs function. As with any structure, a weak foundation leads to secondary problems elsewhere in the system. For example, if the foundation of your house has shifted it will not become noticeable until cracks appear in the walls or problems occur at the roof.

One of the functional methods utilized by the doctors at Life in Motion Chiropractic and Wellness is a postural assessment which helps to identify muscle imbalances. Postural assessment is an excellent evaluation tool that can help to clarify a person’s musculoskeletal complaint(s) and assists with the development of a treatment plan that will address the causative factors of the complaint  rather than simply treating the symptoms.

As with the house example mentioned earlier, it is easy to add a bit more plaster to a crack in the wall, sand it out, and paint over it. However, if the weakened and shifted foundation of the house is left as is, the visible cracks in the wall will return, or perhaps become larger and be accompanied by problems with the ceiling. Eventually simply patching the structure will no longer work and will lead to an overall renovation or quite possibly reconstruction. The same is true within the body.

Treating musculoskeletal symptoms with over the counter or prescription medications, modification of activities, or simply pushing through the pain, all lead to further dysfunction and cumulative layers of structural and neuromuscular adaptations. By identifying the causative factors of the inflammation, discomfort, or poor performance, our chiropractors can implement the most effective intervention to assist you in alleviating the dysfunction and provide the pain-free functional outcomes you are trying to achieve.

To learn more about how our Doctors of Chiropractic can assist you, visit us at www.LifeInMotionChiro.com.

Joint Dysfunction - #ThinkChiropractic

Over time the human body can and will experience static malalignments that alter the optimal resting length and tension of the muscles within the musculoskeletal system. Common static malalignments include joint fixation and myofascial adhesions that lead to or can be caused by poor posture.

Joint dysfunction (a.k.a. hypomobility) is one of the most common causes of pain in the human body.[1] [2] Once a joint has lost its normal range of motion, the muscles around that joint may tighten to minimize the stress at the involved segment (altering the length-tension relationship) or become overactive to prevent movement and further injury (altering the force-couple relationships).[1] [2] This process initiates the cumulative injury cycle which subsequently alters normal movement patterns and leads to structural and functional inefficiency.[3] [4] [5]

Joint Dysfunction

The doctors at Life in Motion Chiropractic & Wellness have been specifically trained to assess and treat joint dysfunction, myofascial adhesions, as well as a variety of other musculoskeletal disorders. The goal of treatment at Life in Motion Chiropractic and Wellness is to restore balance, flexibility, and control which instills self-efficacy and helps to keep your body moving naturally, feeling good, and aging well.

To learn more visit us at LifeInMotionChiro.com

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[1] Janda V. Muscles and Motor Control in Cervicogenic Disorders. In: Grant G, ed. Physical Therapy of the Cervical and Thoracic Spine . New York, NY: Churchill Livingstone; 2002:182-199.

[2] Lewit K. Muscular and articular factors in movement restriction. Man Med . 1985;1:83-85.

[3] Sahrmann SA. Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes . St. Louis, MO: Mosby; 2002.

[4] Chaitow L. Muscle Energy Techniques . New York, NY: Churchill Livingstone; 1997.

[5] Sahrmann SA. Does postural assessment contribute to patient care? J Orthop Sports Phys Th er . 2002;32:376-379.

Spinal Maintenance Care

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Effective Conservative Spine Care

#ThinkChiropractic

Low back pain (LBP) is a recurrent disorder that can occur anytime in a person’s life and 50% of people who experience LBP seek health care during an episode.[1] [2] At least 85% of those who do seek care are diagnosed as experiencing nonspecific/non-pathological LBP.[3] Effective management of LBP in the United States is challenging and therefore it is difficult to determine the best approach for each patient given the vast number of recommended conservative treatment options within our complex health care system.[4]

Researchers from Optum Health Care Solutions[5] in collaboration with researchers from the Jefferson School of Population Health[6] published an article in a 2013 edition of Population Health Management[7] titled, “Conservative Spine Care: Opportunities to Improve the Quality and Value of Care” that suggests the utilization of a “classification-based” model for the management of LBP which, in a clinical trial published September 29, 2011 in The Lancet, demonstrated practical potential for improving clinical outcomes and addressing incongruous utilization of services.[8] The STarT Back Screening Tool (SBST)[9] can be administered prior to initiating treatment and provides the portal of entry provider the opportunity to incorporate evidence-informed decision criteria and guidance regarding an appropriate conservative low back care pathway in which to place the patient.

The SBST approach changes the pattern of provider management and referral of LBP to coincide with primary care data that suggests approximately 55% of patients are at low risk of poor outcome (i.e. irrespective of treatment), 33% are at medium risk, and 12% are at high risk.[10] Using the SBST approach, low risk individuals usually benefit most from receiving reassurance and advice while treatment options for medium risk individuals are typically physiotherapy approaches to addressing pain and disability. However, providers who are skilled at cognitive-behavioral approaches in addition to physiotherapy interventions are best suited to render care to high risk individuals.[11]

When compared to current best practice, use of the SBST tool along with targeted treatments increased efficiency, improved clinical outcomes, and reduced health care costs. [4]

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[1] Dagenais S, Haldeman S. Evidence-Based Management of Low Back Pain. St Louis, MO: Mosby, Inc. (Elsevier); 2012:1–2.

[2] Kent PM, Keating JL. The epidemiology of low back pain in primary care. Chiropr Osteopat. 2005;13:13.

[3]Deyo RA, Weinstein JN. Low back pain. N Engl J Med. 2001;344:363–370.

[4] Kosloff, Thomas M., David Elton, Stephanie A. Shulman, Janice L. Clarke, Alexis Skoufalos, and Amanda Solis. "Conservative Spine Care: Opportunities toImprove the Quality and Value of Care." Population Health Management. Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., 01 Dec. 2013. Web. 01 Feb. 2017.

[5] A health services and innovation company whose mission is to help make the health system work better for everyone.

[6] A college whose mission is to prepare leaders with global vision to examine the social determinants of health and to evaluate, develop and implement health policies and systems that will improve the health of populations and thereby enhance the quality of life.

[7] A journal that provides comprehensive, authoritative strategies for improving the systems and policies that affect health care quality, access, and outcomes, ultimately improving the health of an entire population. The Journal delivers essential research on a broad range of topics including the impact of social, cultural, economic, and environmental factors on health care systems and practices.

[8] Hill JC, Whitehurst DGT, Lewis M, et al. Comparison of stratified primary caremanagement for low back pain with current best practice (STarT Back): A randomisedcontrolled trial. Lancet. 2011;378(9802):1560–1571. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVu6w_01p9k

[9] Developed by researchers at Keele University (United Kingdom) with funding from Arthritis Research UK

[10] Hill JC, Dunn KM, Lewis M, et al. A primary care back pain screening tool: Identifying patient subgroups for initial treatment. Arthritis Rheum. 2008;59:632–641.

[11] Sowden G, Hill JC, Konstantinou K, et al. Targeted treatment in primary care for lowback pain: the treatment system and clinical training programmes used in theIMPaCT Back study (ISRCTN 55174281). Fam Pract. 2012;29:50–62.