Chiropractic office, Chiropractor, Sarnia, Needham Family Chiropractic

Needham Family Chiropractic, Sarnia, Ontario. Call us at 519.542.4771 | Connect with Needham Family Chiropractic:

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Your First VisitYour First VisitNeuro-Structural ProcessThe purpose of your first appointment is to analyze the health of your spine using various tools.Whether your symptoms are severe, mild, or non-existent, we must first determine the presenceor absence ofsubluxationsin your spine, which are misaligned vertebrae that causecompression, tension, irritation, and damage to the central nerve system. Thecentral nerve systemis comprised of the brain and spinal cord,and gives rise to the spinal nerves. The central nerve system totallycontrols all functions of healing in the human body. Spinal subluxationscause the organs, muscles, and soft tissues of the body to malfunctionand heal poorly, due to the interference they create in the central nervesystem. Symptomsare the body's warning signals that something has beenmalfunctioning for some time and has needed attention.In most cases, subluxations are present without symptoms or warning.Quite often, subluxations have existed for many years by the time a symptomarrives.If any subluxations are detected in your examination,we can help you.The 3-step neuro-structural consultation and process consists of: 1. Postural Checks 2. X-rays 3. sEMG (Click on one of the above to view more information) Postural Check

1) Postural Checks: 1st Sign CNS Damage
Posture is the window to health. When your nervous system is interfered (subluxation) it alters your posture in an attempt to remove or compensate for the inteference in the brain-body connection. Your nervous system beats your heart, breathes for you, heals wounds, digests meals just to name a few of its many functions but it also alters posture when it needs to by controlling the postural system.
Forwards head posture, short leg syndrome, rolled shoulders,
tilted hips, curved spines, and hunching
are all early signs of postural change
outside that is indicative of altered
nerve system function from
subluxations (of the spine & nerve
system) on the inside of you.
A main marker of your health is
determined through postural checks.

Xrays

2) X-Ray: Check Nerves & Structures
Due to the vital importance of the brain-body connection (the nervous system), it is protected by 24 individual bones called vertebrae. The vertebrae act just like breaker circuits in your house. If the power supply is 100% to delegated systems & cells then their performance & function & health will be the same. If subluxations create imbalance in nerve flow, communication & function, then systems & cells certainly reflect that. Who wants to live with a nerve system functioning at less than 100%?
X-ray allows us to check the vertebral structures that protect the vital nerve flow to the heart, hormonal, digestive, muscle, postural, immune, liver, kidney, bowel, bladder & joint systems to name a few. And more importantly to identify how subluxations may be intefering with these cells & systems function and hence your overall health & well-being!

sEMG

3) sEMG: Thermal: Nerve Interference To
Organ Systems
Muscle: Nerve Interference To Muscles

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Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get subluxations?There are three basic causes of subluxations. Physical causes could include slips and falls, accidents, repetitive motions and improper lifting. Emotions such as grief, anger and fear can cause subluxations. Chemical causes could include alcohol, drugs, pollution and poor diet.How do I know if I have a subluxation?You can have subluxations and not even know it. Like the early stages of tooth decay or cancer, subluxations can be present before warning signs appear. The results of a thorough examination can show the location and severity of subluxations you may have.Will I have to have X-rays taken?X-rays can be helpful, but are not required in every patient's case. Pictures of your spine, especially after trauma, can confirm other findings and make your care more precise. We will determine if X-rays are necessary once we review your health history and examine your spine. Our office only takes those X-rays which are absolutely necessary.Can subluxations clear up on their own?Sometimes. Today's hectic lifestyles are a constant source of subluxations. Fortunately, our bodies have the ability to self-correct many of these problems as well as we bend and stretch, or when we sleep at night. When subluxations don't resolve, you need to see a doctor of chiropractic.What's an adjustment?Chiropractic adjustments usually involve a quick thrust that helps add motion to spinal joints that aren't moving properly. Some methods use the doctor's hands, an instrument, a special table or the force of gravity.Does the adjustment hurt?Under normal circumstances, chiropractic adjustments are painless. In cases of recent trauma, such as whiplash, mild discomfort may be experienced due to inflammation. It is also common to feel a brief sensation in the extremities immediately following an adjustment due to the sudden decompression of the affected nerve root.Are chiropractic adjustments 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.Are all patients adjusted the same way?No. Each patient's care is custom-tailored for their age, condition and health goals.What if chiropractic doesn't work?If we're unable to find and correct the cause of your particular health problem, we will refer you to other practitioners who may be able to help.How long until I feel better?Some patients experience almost instant relief. Others discover it can take many weeks or months. Many factors can affect the healing process, including: The severity of the structural misalignments causing your problem. How long you have had them. How rapidly your body responds to chiropractic care, influenced by age, mental attitude, elasticity of the muscles and ligaments Your ability to avoid additional stress and strain while your body is healing. Healing time is almost as individual as finger-prints.How long will I need chiropractic care?After symptomatic patients get the relief they seek, many choose to continue with some type of periodic care. These patients show up for their visits feeling great. These visits can help support the final stages of healing and help detect and resolve new problems before they become serious. Our job is to offer the very best care and your job is to decide how much of it you want.Can I have chiropractic care after back surgery?Yes. Rest assured that we will avoid the surgically modified areas of your spine. Surgery often causes instability above or below the involved level. These areas will be the focus of your chiropractic care.Can patients with osteoporosis get chiropractic care?Of course. When developing a care plan, we consider the unique circumstances of each patient. There are many ways to adjust the spine. The method selected will be best suited to your age, size and condition.Do I Need a Referral to Visit a Chiropractor?Absolutely not. Doctors of Chiropractic are primary health care providers, meaning you do not need a referral. If yours is not a Chiropractic case, a responsible Chiropractor will refer you to the appropriate health care provider.Will My Insurance Cover Chiropractic Care?Insurance coverage varies for chiropractic care. Over 80% of Ontario insurance plans will reimburse you for a portion of your fees. However, most have a limit on what they will pay, and do not pay for full corrective care programs.In our office, we do not base your care plan on your availability of insurance, but offer you a number of payment options to best suit your budget. Find out how we make chiropractic care affordable for just about anyone.For information please contact 519-542-4771.
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The Adjustment

The Adjustment: Retracing and Reacting
THE ADJUSTMENTAt the heart of chiropractic care is the adjustment. A spinal adjustment is a specific application of forces used to facilitate the bodys correction of nerve interference. The force must be given with the right amount of pressure in the proper direction at the right time. While it is usually done with the doctors hands, adjusting instruments are used too.We often hear that patients believe there are different adjustments for different conditions. They think there is a specific adjustment for high blood pressure that is different from the adjustment for a headache. The adjustment has one purpose and one purpose only - to correct or reduce nerve interference. The potential healing of a symptomatic condition or disease often results from the correct nerve flow to the affected area and improvement of your overall body chemistry. Remember, the symptom is usually the warning signal to alert you that something is wrong.If you dont have any symptoms and visit your chiropractor as part of a wellness program, you wont receive an adjustment unless you have nerve interference (as determined by a consultation & examination). Having a disease or other health condition wont warrant an adjustment unless you have nerve interference (evident by a postural check, nerve scan, spinal x-rays)."In the future, chiropractic will be valued for its preventative qualities as much as for relieving and adjusting the cause of ailments ." - B.J. Palmer, D.C.What you can expect from your adjustment is a feeling of peace and relaxation that can last from a day to a week. Patients often comment that they experience a better nights sleep and increased energy. Its common to hear that they went home and tackled that project theyve been putting off for months.Some patients report that their symptoms start to go away after the first adjustment, while others dont feel any immediate difference. If you dont feel a change, dont be discouraged. Often you are not aware of internal improvements.Some patients may feel discomfort (Reaction & Retracing) after their adjustments, ranging from a headache to just general fatigue. In almost every case, this feeling goes away within the next couple adjustments. This discomfort is often due to a detoxification of the body after adjustments. As toxins leave the system, they could create a headache or slight head cold, even a slight fever and feeling of lethargy.Muscles may become sore after being adjusted (Reaction & Retracing). You may feel sore like you had a workout at the gym. This condition is always temporary and disappears as your muscles gain strength and flexibility.Spinal nerves that have been impinged and stressed for many years are suddenly coming back to life! These changes are exciting! As they heal, they become sensitive and the old injury pains may return during a necessary and beneficial body phenomenon called Retracing. During Retracing, the healing process is repeated as if the injury had happened yesterday instead of possibly years before.Retracing is normal for those with chronic subluxation degeneration and continuation of care guidelines removing nerve interference to muscles, ligaments and connective tissue only serves to help.If your response to an adjustment is euphoria, its most likely because the newly freed nerves are sending Innate Energy through the opened passages and releasing the physical stress youve become accustomed to feeling. Like is being turned on.If you feel little change, it may be that your general health is very good the nerve interference was caught at an early stage before much damage occurred. Each of us is different and no two of us react the same. But everyone will benefit from the correction of nerve interference.RETRACINGChiropractors have found that the nerve system and its body tissues have a memory which records and holds on to the stress, traumas, injuries and accidents it has experienced. Along with the memory of physical pain, altered posture, distorted cell and systems communication the body also recalls the feelings of fright, shock, or anger and hysteria that accompanied the trauma or stress. When the patient begins healing after the adjustment, it is possible to re-experience some discomfort from past stresses. If this happens, patience is needed to work it through.Although, retracing is often low key and almost unnoticeable for most, it can be dramatic for a short time. For those with chronic subluxation degeneration patterns retracing can be longer and even frustrating. When it is intense, the patients may feel worse instead of better. Unfortunately, if the patient is not prepared for this reaction, he or she may terminate the care and cheat themselves out of recovery.The idea of retracing is used in several branches of healing. John Upledger, Doctor of Osteopathy, calls retracing unwinding. Homeopathy refers to it as flashbacks and states that according to the three part healing process called Herings Law, cures occur first, from the inside to the exterior; second, from the most vital to the least vital; and third, in reverse order from how the symptoms appeared. Psychologists recommend re-scripting in order to come to terms with unpleasant past experiences. Re-scripting involves working through past history and rewriting it to have the outcome you wanted. Typical examples of retracing which occur on the path to healing might be the return of original symptomatic pain after several adjustments. While the pain can be severe, it usually clears up quickly for most but for chronic individuals the symptoms can last much longer.REACTIONReturn to Normal HealthWhen undergoing chiropractic adjustments to re-align the spine and re-set the vertebrae that are out of place, it is NOT unusual to experience varying degrees of discomfort and symptomatic disturbances. These discomforts are part of what we term REACTION to Retracing.REACTION is the bodys response to an adjustment. An adjustment enables the spinal column to normalize or retrace itself. Following an adjustment, irritation of the nerves is reduced, muscle tone is normalized, discs are reshaped to provide the normal cushioning between vertebra, and tension on cartilage, caused by stress is lessened.REACTION occurs most commonly for most between the first and fifth adjustment, but may vary with the individual and the severity of his or her condition. With chronic subluxation patterns Reaction occurs later and is much more complex and has the potential to last longer. When, and if reaction occurs, it may last from one to several days, but in the vast majority of cases will diminish in 2 to 3 days. Approximately 10% of chiropractic patients DO experience REACTION, so if you are among this group there is no cause for alarm. Chronic individuals experience REACTION for weeks to months and this can become even more complicated with missing appointments, improper adherence to home care instructions and introductions of new injuries during care.Actually, REACTION is a healthy change occurring within the body. The mechanics of the change can best be understood by explaining that the spine is being adjusted to a normal position. Therefore, there is an element of physical change which involved bones, muscles, ligaments, nerves, blood vessels, connective tissue and cartilage. All of these tissues and structures must adapt to the new, normal position. The adaptation process, which is part of that change to a healthier condition of the body, is often accompanied by REACTION. Keep in mind that REACTION following a chiropractic adjustment is due to the removing of obstructions caused by pressure upon the spinal nerves, and is, in fact, a sure sign that the normal flow of nerve energy is being restored to the affected areas. In that sense, we can then say that REACTION is simply another way of REACTIVATION, which is natures way of telling you that you are getting WELL.Remember, we are here to answer any and all of your questions. Feel free to ask your helpful Health Team.
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The Adjustment

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