Diversified

At Lenoir Chiropractic, we use an adjusting style commonly referred to as “Diversified.” First, an analysis of your spine is performed. This can initially involve a case history and X-ray pictures of your spine.

Subsequent visits may include motion palpation, with the chiropractor feeling the spinal joints move as you turn and bend. Or, a leg check may be performed, to uncover an imbalance in the neck or lower spine.

With the malposition of one or more spinal bones identified, a specific manual thrust is administered. The direction, speed, depth and angle that are used is the result of years of experience, practice and a thorough understanding of spinal mechanics.

The energy delivered during the thrust may produce a slight “popping” sound from the shifting of gas and fluids in the joint. This sound may be interesting but is not a guide as to the value or effectiveness of the adjustment.

While improving spinal biomechanics can reduce nervous system interferences, virtually all joints of the body can be adjusted to help restore proper range of motion.

Electrical Muscle Stimulation

Also known as EMS, Electrical Muscle Stimulation is a form of electro therapy that uses a special type of electrical current to stimulate specific muscles.

With strategically placed electrode pads, low levels of electrical current excite the targeted muscles producing rhythmic contractions.

Electrical muscle stimulation is used to promote pain relief, reduce inflammation, avoid muscle atrophy and lessen muscle spasm.

What Does EMS Feel Like?

At first, the electrical impulses can produce a slight tingling sensation. The impulses mimic the signals normally coming from your nervous system, causing the muscles to contract. As your body accommodates this muscle excitation, the intensity of your treatment may be slightly increased for maximum effect during the course of your 10- to 20-minute treatment.

Extremities

The chiropractic approach that works so well with the spine can be applied to other joints of your body. Virtually every articulation of your skeletal system is susceptible to fixations that can impair function and range of motion:

Wrist

Carpal tunnel syndrome is usually due to compression of the median nerve as it passes through the band of ligaments in your wrist. In many cases, the underlying cause is a misalignment of one or more joints of your neck, shoulder, elbow or wrist. Identifying the involved joint(s) and a program of chiropractic care can often avoid surgery.

Shoulder

Many shoulder problems originate in the area where the nerves branch from the spinal cord and exit the neck. Shoulder pain or pain radiating down the arm can be accompanied by weakness, numbness or tingling in the wrists or hands. Many patients report dramatic improvement with chiropractic care.

Elbow

Classic tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) is a repetitive strain injury that often afflicts the dominant arm. It is seen among carpenters, mechanics, office workers, cashiers and those who perform repeated hammering, grasping and rotary forearm motions. A thorough examination followed by appropriate chiropractic care has been known to produce excellent results.

Hip

The hips and sacrum, considered the “pelvic girdle,” is the foundation of your spine. These sacroiliac joints can affect nerves exiting the spine. While the chiropractic adjustment of the hips can produce excellent results, many hip problems can be caused from malfunctioning joints above or below the pelvis.

Ankle

The ankle is the most frequently injured joint in the body. “Pronation,” in which the feet flare outward and kneecaps rotate inward, is the most common foot problem. When weak arches cause the bones of the foot to drop to an unstable position, stress on the foot increases. Adjusting malfunctioning joints of the feet, combined with custom shoe orthotics, can reduce tenderness, improve your gait and stabilize the entire skeletal system.

While many health problems can be traced to the spine, other joints of the body can be involved. When chiropractic techniques are applied, range of motion can be improved and painful inflammation reduced. Without drugs or surgery!

Impulse

We use a small hand-held adjusting instrument called the Impulse. This instrument offers many advantages for our patients.

Precision

By its very nature, we can provide an ideal angle and direction to the energy we apply to your spine. Unlike adjustments performed by hand, this instrument can make your adjustments more accurate. Besides being more precise, patients often remark they find this approach more pleasant.

Speed

When compared with adjustments delivered by hand, an Impulse adjustment is fast. Very fast! Because the thrust is many times faster than is possible by hand, patients are less inclined to “brace” themselves and tense up. This results in more energy actually reaching the vertebrae, with considerably less force needed. In other words, it works better.

Frequency

When the trigger is pulled and held, the Impulse instrument enters the multiple pulse mode, thrusting 6 times in a row during the course of 1 second. It turns out that this frequency (6 Hz) is very special. It resonates with the frequency of your body, creating optimal results.

We use the Impulse instrument because of the excellent results it produces and the positive patients comments we receive.

Intersegmental Traction

When your posture and mobility are compromised, some muscles along your spine tighten while others become weak and fatigued. With time, affected muscles and ligaments make spinal correction more difficult.

We use Intersegmental Traction to gently stretch and elongate the muscles supporting your spine to enhance the retraining of your spine.

Lie down and allow the gentle massaging action of the table provide you with these helpful benefits:

Joint motion– As you lie relaxed, face up on our table, rollers beneath the surface slow travel up and down your spine. This adds motion to each spinal segment, the key to restoring improved spinal function.
Improved circulation– The gentle stretching of supporting muscles and soft tissues increases oxygen and blood flow, essential for healing.
Muscle relaxation– When muscles relax and spasms subside, healing and the recovery process from a spinal injury can be accelerated.
Reduces swelling– New injuries are often accompanied by edema and fluid build up. Motion to spinal joints reduces this protective mechanism and sets the stage for better healing.
Disc hydration– With blood supply to the discs almost nonexistent, disc nutrition and healing depend upon the circulation of fluids surrounding each joint. Traction helps circulate these fluids, supplying nutrition and removing cellular wastes.
Passive exercise– Like stretching before a workout, intersegmental traction helps restore elasticity to muscles supporting the spine. This helps break up adhesions and scar tissue, making your chiropractic adjustments more effective.
Feels great – You’ll love the relaxation! Traction feels good, is good for you and is an important adjunctive procedure that enhances the effects of your chiropractic care.

These 10-15 minute sessions, either before or after your chiropractic adjustments, help retrain your spine, establish better support, improved mobility and reduce the effects of scar tissue.

Motion Palpation

The bones, nerves and muscles of the body allow us to move. When spinal joints (or other joints of the body) aren’t moving correctly, it’s a sign that something else is going on. We use a helpful diagnostic procedure called Motion Palpation.

Spine and Extremities

Motion Palpation is a fancy way of saying, “feeling with the hands and fingers.” It’s simple. We’ll have you turn and bend and go through the range of motion of various joints of your body, both local and peripheral to your spine. As you do, we’ll apply a light pressure to the joint being tested to feel how things are moving.

“Clunk!” “Click!” “Thump!”

Not only will we feel the joint, but we’ll also listen as you move. Long-standing problems can often produce grinding sounds or other noises. These can often give us a clue about what’s going on in the affected joint, directing the care we will be recommending.

Mainstream Diagnostic Procedure

Motion palpation is a popular diagnostic technique used by chiropractors since 1981. It quickly gained acceptance and is taught at chiropractic colleges throughout the world.

Trigger Point

The primary purpose of Trigger Point Therapy is to reduce the pain resulting from hypersensitive muscles. Identifying trigger points is done by gently pressing on the surface of the skin, feeling the texture of the underlying muscle.

What It Is

A trigger point is like a knot that feels like a pea buried deep in the muscle. It is made up of lactic acid, a normal byproduct of muscle activity, which sometimes gets trapped in the muscle from physical, chemical or emotional stress. It is often tender and painful. As affected muscles tighten, their function and motion are restricted, causing weakness and pain. In extreme cases, muscle cramping can result.

What We Do

Trigger Point Therapy is performed in several ways. The least invasive is by applying direct pressure or stretching of the affected muscle. Deliberate pressure, with a thumb, elbow or instrument releases the muscle and helps flush out blood and accumulated toxins. Sometimes there are a series of strokes across the trigger point nodules, or a cooling spray is applied along with the stretching of the affected muscle.

Trigger Point Therapy is a natural way to relax muscles and restore strength and flexibility.