Hello, Dr. John here!
We often have patients come to our office saying, “I’m feeling great. I have no complaints.” Well, we usually find out that’s not totally the case when we start digging in to things.
When you come into the office, we’re going to listen explain what you’re feeling as we examine you. But your feelings won’t tell us how to take care of you. In order to take care of you, I’ve got to listen to your body. Your body is very smart. Your body has built-in gauges just like the mechanic has gauges he checks out your car. Well, feelings or symptoms are just like the check engine light coming on in your car. It doesn’t tell a mechanic what to do, it just says, look something’s wrong. The mechanic steps back from the check engine light, the feelings, and uses findings, gauges.
In chiropractic, we have a funnel of analysis that has to do with findings. Here are some of the methods we run through to gain that better understanding of the root issue:
- Sacro-Occipital Technique has a funnel of analysis, different testing we do to determine if you have a category of distortion.
- Thompson Technique, neurologic checks based on turning your head side to side, different things like that. Leg length balance or imbalance is a reflection of neurologic balance. Thompson Technique, it’s own analysis and it’s own adjustive force application.
- Blair Upper Cervical Technique has its own analysis, specific x-rays, specific neurological testing to tell us when, where, how to adjust the most delicate vertebrae in your neck, the atlas vertebrae, the top vertebrae in your neck. It’s like the main breaker in the panel. That’s Blair Upper Cervical Technique.
- Cox Technique. Dr. James Cox developed Cox Technique. Wonderful technique for patients with radicular pain down the arms or the legs, degeneration, stenosis, herniated or bulging discs. All chiropractic techniques address these conditions. But the Cox Technique is able to do it in a very delicate way that can really make a difference with people.
Bottom line is the goal of every chiropractic adjustment is to activate physiologic range of motion in the joints of the spine and set into process the constructive cascade of neurologic responses that are undeniable. Undeniable. You adjust the spine. You active motion. Undeniably you’re going to get better and improve in your life.
We have this funnel of analysis, findings, to determine how best to introduce a constructive force. That’s called an adjustment to improve function. Function of the spine and how it moves will impart increased function of the nerve system and greater adaptability on the part of the patient.
When you come in I’m not going ignore your symptoms. I’m going to listen to them. I’m not going to ignore your findings. I’m going to listen to them, to a degree. But they’re not going to tell me how to take care of you. If you come in and think, “I’m going to just chase your symptoms,” it’s no different than a dog chasing its tail.
We step back from your symptoms because that’s an end point in your level of adaptability at this point. It’s not the cause. It’s just an expression of your lack of adaptability. I’m going to step back from that, look at the body’s findings to determine the right adjustment as we improve joint function, neurologic function ensues, you adapt better and ultimately you get back to this: You feel better.
Have a great day!