Why Chiropractic?
Because we live our lives through our nervous system!
Right now your heart is beating. Your lungs, kidneys, liver, brain-everything in your body-is functioning in a coordinated effort thanks to your nervous system. Your nervous system is the master system and controller of your body.
Think of the electrical system in your home. When a power surge stresses the system, a circuit breaker trips to prevent the house from burning down. What if this circuit led to the refrigerator? The food inside would start to spoil unless you could get the power turned on before it is too late. The problem is not the refrigerator, but the power to the refrigerator.
The tripped circuit breaker disrupts the refrigerator’s power source preventing the refrigerator from operating efficiently. In regard to your body, when interference is present, your nervous system is underpowered.
An underpowered nervous system limits the body’s ability to operate at peak efficiency-and your health potential begins to “spoil.”
You were born to be healthy. If you are not experiencing robust health, then something is interfering with the program.
The “Gonstead Chiropractor”
Within Chiropractic there are many approaches and techniques utilized to assess and adjust the spine.
The Gonstead Chiropractor goes beyond what many chiropractors consider a spinal assessment by conducting a thorough analysis of your spine using five criteria to detect the presence of the vertebral subluxation complex. Areas of interference in the nervous system are known as subluxations. There are three types of lifestyle stress that can cause subluxations.
Physical-what you do to your body.
Biochemical- what you put in your body.
Psychological-what weighs on your mind.
When these stresses combine and overwhelm your body’s ability to process them, you develop subluxations. A Chiropractor has the technology and desire to find that interference and remove it.
Criteria used for locating subluxations:
Visualization – Visualization is a way to cross reference all the other findings. Your chiropractor is an expert in looking for subtle changes in your posture and movement which could indicate any problems.
Instrumentation – The instrument of choice in the Gonstead System is the Nervoscope. The Nervoscope detects uneven distributions of heat along the spine which can be indicative of inflammation and nerve pressure. This instrument is guided down the length of your back and feels like two fingers gliding down each side of your spine.
Static Palpation – This is simply the process of feeling (or palpating) your spine in a stationary (or static) position. Your chiropractor will feel for the presence of swelling (or edema), tenderness and any abnormal texture or tightness in the muscles and other tissues of your back.
Motion Palpation – This process involves feeling the spine while moving and bending it at various angles. This enables the chiropractor to determine how easily or difficult each segment in your spine moves in different directions.
X-Ray Analysis – x-ray films enable your doctor to visualize the entire structure of your spine. This is helpful in evaluating posture, joint and disc integrity, vertebral misalignments and ruling out any pathologies, or recent fractures that may be present or contributing to the patient’s condition. These full-spine radiographs are taken in the standing, weight-bearing position to fully substantiate the examination findings.
Along with utilizing the five criteria for evidence of interference to the nervous system the INSiGHT Technology is also used. The INSiGHT Millenium Nervous System Scan analyzes the nervous system which controls every function in the body. It is painless, non-invasive, scientifically sound and easy to understand. This diagnostic test will determine where the interference to the nervous system lies, improving overall general health. The INSiGHT technology, which has been used by NASA, evaluates muscle function, revealing patterns of neural function, and the general state of an individual’s heart health and ability to adapt and handle everyday stress. While most people are motivated by pain, as you can see in the diagram, pain is a small portion of the functioning of the nervous system. Certainly when you are in pain it feels like it is the ONLY function of the nervous system! Your course of care along with the use of this technology will allow you to lead a healthier, happier lifestyle. These tests are repeated periodically to track your health progress.
CNS Feeling vs Function
The Top 3 Healthcare Misconceptions
1. Drugs make you healthy.
You don’t get headaches because there is a lack of Tylenol in in your blood!
2. Germs Make You Sick.
Have you ever been in a house with four kids where two got the flu and two didn’t? They were all exposed to the same germs. The difference is their immune systems ability to fight the germs. Stress reduces immune function. Chiropractic boosts it!
3. My Insurance company cares about my health.
Do you think it is a good idea to entrust your health and well-being to your insurance company, managed care organization or the federal government? Of course not. Your health is your responsibility. Your Chiropractor will make recommendations based on what you need to achieve the best health care possible, not based on what your insurance may cover.
The Top Three Chiropractic Misconceptions
1 . Chiropractic is only for back and neck pain.
The first Chiropractic patient was deaf and had his hearing restored after a Chiropractic adjustment. This was over 110 years ago. Chiropractic doesn’t treat any specific medical condition. The Chiropractic adjustment helps improve nervous system function so the body and immune system can function better. You need not suffer from a particular condition to enjoy the benefits of chiropractic- you simply must have the desire to be as healthy as possible.
2. Chiropractic is just for adults.
On the contrary, chiropractic is great for kids! Numerous case studies show that chiropractic is very safe and effective for children of all ages. It doesn’t take much for subluxations to occur in the spine causing nervous system disturbance, which left unchecked can set one up for potential problems in the future.
3. Once you go to the chiropractor, you have to keep going back.
Going to the chiropractor on a regular basis is a very healthy lifestyle choice. However, the healthier you live outside the chiropractor’s office the less time you will need to spend inside the chiropractor’s office. Healthier living means less stress and therefore fewer subluxations. Compare your chiropractic visits to working out or seeing the dentist. Your fitness is improved or maintained with additional workouts and your dental appointments can be less frequent if you take good care of your teeth. Remember, health is your responsibility.
Licensed Professional: Dr. Katey Cofrancesco, Chiropractor/Owner
Hours:
Mon. Wed. Fri. 8:30- 2:45
Tues. and Thurs. 12-6:30
Saturday 8:30- 10:30
Appointments Call: 203-387-5015
Details: BlueCross/BlueShield accepted.
