CORRECTIVE CHIROPRACTIC NEUROLOGY
And FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE CENTER
How We Treat Chronic Pain and Other Neurological & Metabolic Conditions. WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT…..
We treat patients neurologically, biomechanically (structure), and metabolically!
NO STONE IS LEFT UNTURNED TO DETERMINE THE EXACT
CAUSE OF YOUR HEALTH CONDITION!
Our Training:
First It’s is important to understand that we have years of extensive advanced training in functional neurology, functional medicine, nutrition and spinal biomechanics well beyond the standard chiropractic education. It is this training that sets us apart from the typical chiropractor that only does spinal manipulation or the typical medical doctor that treats only with medication. Here is what makes us different:
We have various types of care to meet the needs of a wide variety of patients. We do standard wellness based chiropractic care. We also do specialized metabolic and neuro-structural based care for patients with chronic conditions.
For example…
- If you are only dealing with minor aches or pains, or are just interested in spinal wellness you may only need standard chiropractic care which we provide.
- You may have degenerative, bulging or herniated discs in you back or neck that requires just structural care such as spinal decompression, adjustments and spinal rehab.
- You may be interested in healthy weight loss, have hypothyroidism symptoms that medication is not improving, have GI issues such as IBS or have blood sugar regulation issues such as diabetes and only require metabolic/nutritional based care.
- You may have a child who has a neuro-developmental disorder such as ADHD, Asperger’s syndrome, dyslexia or autism that requires metabolic care and brain based/ neurologic care to stimulate weak areas of their brain.
- You may be suffering with a complex chronic condition like many of our patients such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, Insomnia, migraines, post-concussion syndrome, post stroke, restless leg syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic vertigo, peripheral neuropathy, MS, poor balance or other that may need a combination of all 3 types of care (neurological, metabolic, and/or structural) to get you well.
The following is an explanation of each type of care more fully…
Neurological and Structural Treatments Based on Specific Neurological and Structural Tests:
#1: Brain-Based Therapy (BBT): We use specific Brain-Based Therapies such as:
Interactive Metronome: Computer-based program that uses visual, auditory and motor stimulation to increase firing of the brain. (www.interactivemetronome.com).
- Vibration Therapy: Vibration stimulates the back part of the brain called the cerebellum. One of the functions of the cerebellum is control of the spinal muscles
- REBUILDER: for patients with Peripheral Neuropathy: Stimulates the nerves in the legs, feet and hands to improve their function to decrease pain and numbness
- Vestibular Rehabilitation for patients with balance disorders, vertigo and post-concussion syndrome
- Specific eye exercises to strengthen weak areas of the brain to improve focus, decrease pain and decrease vertigo and dizziness.
- Brain Based Neurologic Care for children with neuro-developmental disorders such as ADHD, Asperger’s syndrome, dyslexia and autism.
- We may also use many other neurological therapies such as auditory, visual, olfactory, caloric stimulation and auricular therapy to improve brain function.
#2: Oxygen Therapy: Oxygen is fuel for your brain and nervous system. Your brain and nervous system need two things to survive…..fuel and activation. Fuel comes in the form of OXYGEN AND GLUCOSE. By using oxygen, we will help you heal faster. By using exercise and brain based care with oxygen therapy (EWOT), we can increase the firing of the brain. By increasing the firing of the brain, we help MANY chronic conditions.
#3 Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression: NSSD creates a negative disc pressure and helps to remove pressure off of the nerves. It also provides a slow stretch of the muscles which fires up the spinal cord to increase firing of brain. (see decompression tab on website)
- Spinal decompression therapy is highly effective for patients suffering with low back pain, leg pain, neck pain, arm pain and spinal stenosis from herniated and bulging discs.
#4 ATM2 (Active Therapeutic Movement): For patients who have back, neck and/ or hip pain when bending or twisting. Your body has a protective mechanism that prevents damaged tissue from being damaged further. Pain prevents you from moving the damaged tissue into an unsafe position. If the spine is unstable, that defense mechanism will remain even when the damaged tissue is healed.
The ATM2 stabilizes the area of once damaged tissue, which will then short circuit the protective pain response mechanism. This will allow you to bend, twist or extend without pain. A person may have several unstable movements that require stabilizing. The average person requires 6-12 sessions on the ATM2 to remove the abnormal reflex that causes the pain.
#5 Laser/Light Therapy Effects of Laser/Light Therapy:
- Increases Circulation and Angiogenesis
- Reduces or Eliminates Acute and Chronic Pain
- Reduces Inflammation and Swelling
- Stimulates and Improves Nerve Function
- Strengthens and Repairs Bone and Soft Tissue
- Increases Mobility and Muscle Function
#6 Biomechanical Chiropractic care and Core Stability Exercises: To correct a poorly aligned spine and to strengthen the muscles that support the structure of the spine. This will prevent the reoccurrence of pain. (See spinal corrections tab on website)
Metabolic Treatments Based on Specific Lab Panels: Many patients with chronic conditions also need metabolic/nutritional care along with neurological and biomechanical care to provide fuel for the nervous system to heal. We determine that need by using preliminary blood tests (this is the initial lab testing you were sent out for after your initial exam).These lab panels will include:
Preliminary Lab Testing (given at initial exam)
- A Thyroid Panel (a complete thyroid panel including thyroid antibodies, T3, T4, reverse T3. Most doctors only order TSH)
- A Complete Metabolic Panel (CMP)
- A Lipid Panel
- A CBC (Complete Blood Chemistry With Auto Differential)
- Vitamin and Mineral Testing (Vit D,B12, Calcium phosphorus etc)
- Inflammation Testing: We test for Inflammation in your system by testing Homocysteine Levels and C-Reactive Protien (CRP). Many patients suffering from chronic health conditions suffer from inflammatory processes. Just about every chronic patient that we have treated suffers from some form of chronic inflammatory process.
- Simple Gluten Sensitivity Screening Test
- Iron And Ferritin Testing For Anemia
We can assess your thyroid, adrenal, blood and gut function. All can be affecting your chronic health condition. By addressing any problems with your thyroid, adrenal glands, blood chemistry or gut function, we can help you to heal faster. The CMP allows us to check your blood glucose levels since glucose and oxygen are needed by the brain to function properly.
It is important to understand that we analyze your blood work from a preventative medicine prospective, checking to see if you are in the optimal functional range for great health and healing. The optimal functional range has been developed by looking at the average blood profile of symptom free and disease free people. The disease range or laboratory range commonly used by traditional medicine is determined by studies done on the average of all people getting blood work including the very sick. It is very common for patients with chronic pain to have blood work that is within the laboratory range but well out of the optimal/functional range. This means that they are not as healthy as they could be and that will affect their chronic problem. We use specific nutritional supplements/protocols to improve your blood work to get you back into the optimal functional range, thus helping you to heal. When patients are out of the functional range, without nutritional support, it is only a matter of time until they move into the disease range and then put on medications. (See Problems With Modern Blood Chemistry Tab on web site)
Special Lab Panels and Testing:
Your preliminary blood testing will let us know if any of the special testing listed below will be necessary in treating your specific condition.
Adrenal Stress Index (ASI): We can further test your adrenal glands with a test called an Adrenal Stress Index. Your adrenal glands are your “stress” organs, meaning that they react to stress. If you have been or are currently under stress, this test is a must! IF YOU SUFFER FROM INSOMNIA, THIS TEST WILL MEASURE YOUR CORTISOL LEVELS. When your body’s cortisol levels are abnormal, you will suffer from insomnia. Cortisol levels can be corrected via specific nutritional protocols thereby curing your insomnia. (See brochure)
ORGANIC ACID TEST: This test helps us determine energy production within the mitochondria of your cell. This is a common test for patients with fatigue, malaise, brain fog, tiredness, restlessness and many other symptoms
TISSUE ANTIBODIES (aka. Autoimmune Disorders) We may test to see if you have an underlying autoimmune condition affecting your health. An autoimmune process is where your immune system attacks a particular area of the body. So we test for specific antibodies to determine if you suffer from an autoimmune condition. If you suffer from an Autoimmune Disorder your immune system may be attacking other systems of your body (ie. thyroid, cerebellum, etc.) We can check for gluten antibodies, tissue antibodies such as myelin (fatty sheath around the nerves) antibodies, cerebellar (back part of the brain controlling balance, coordinated movement, and spinal muscles) antibodies. For Example: Many fibromyalgia patients test positive for thyroid antibodies and were actually misdiagnosed. If your thyroid tissue anti-bodies (TPO &TBG) are high, you are suffering from Hashimoto’s disease (you can google it) and NOT true fibromyalgia. The only way to find out is to test for thyroid tissue antibodies via blood work. If you suffer from tissue antibodies, further blood work will be needed to determine which part of your immune system or gastrointestinal system is not functioning properly.
Specifically…
#1: Cyrex array 2: Intestinal permeability (Leaky gut testing)
#2: Cyrex array 3: Advanced gluten sensitivity testing
#3: Cyrex array 4: Food sensitivity and cross reactive food testing
(See special lab panels tab and Gut Brain Immune video tab on website)
#4: Stool Microbial Ecology testing: for intestinal bacteria, yeast and parasites.
Note: Not all of the special tests are necessary for every patient. Each patient will have specific recommendations on special tests based on their initial exam findings, preliminary blood work findings and their unique set of health complaints.
Once we have completed our review and analysis of your neurological exam findings, biomechanical exam findings, diagnostic imaging, spinal x-rays and the preliminary blood testing we will determine if any of the special lab panels explained above will be necessary for you.
Specific Nutritional Protocols: based on your specific condition, your blood work findings and your special lab panels. These protocols are designed specifically for you and may include any of the following:
- Anti-inflammatory diet
- Specific diet and supplement protocols for leaky gut correction
- Liver detoxification
- Specific diet and supplement protocols to decrease brain inflammation
- Specific diet and supplement protocols for children with neurodevelopmental disorders to improve brain development and function
- Non-drug protocols for high blood sugars, diabetes, hypoglycemia and high cholesterol
- Protocols for patients with hormonal issues
- Natural protocols for hypothyroidism
- Nutritional protocols for abnormal adrenal (stress gland) function
- Specific diet and supplement protocols for autoimmunity
- Highly effective protocols for healthy weight loss
- Food sensitivity diet recommendations
During your report of findings we will let you know if we can accept your case and If special testing is necessary to get you better. If so we will explain what specific ones we recommend. If we accept your case we will also outline our recommended treatment plan and explain what neurological, metabolic and biomechanical /structural therapies will be needed to treat your particular heath complaint.
We look forward to reporting your findings and answering any questions you may have at your next office visit.
To your great health,
Dr. Joseph Childs & Dr. Charles Durr