March 2018

I just want to talk to the Doctor!

Questions

by Dr. Willemin on March 6, 2018 0 Comments

Our consultation gets such rave reviews because it offers an opportunity to discover if Align Chiropractic is right for you BEFORE you commit to us. No pressure, no tricks, just a simple conversation to help you decide.

We start this friendly conversation with you telling us about your health concerns. Once we know what brought you in, then we will provide as much insight as we can pertaining to your issue. The third and final part of the consultation is where we will tell you what separates us from the community of chiropractors in the area, by telling you what we do.

Our Complimentary Consultation requires no commitment by you. You may have heard of chiropractors that have you in the exam room before you’ve even had a chance to introduce yourself. That isn’t how we would want to be treated, so that isn’t how we will treat you.

All we need is about twenty minutes of your time, after that it is your decision if you would like to move forward with an examination. There is no obligation, but for your convenience we always have a block of time for an exam available immediately following a consultation.

Maybe you’re just curious about chiropractic, the different types of chiropractic care available, or you want to find out what makes us different, but you aren’t ready to do a face-to-face sit down with the doctor. We’ve got you covered. Our office does periodic 20-30 minute workshops that will teach you the ins and outs of chiropractic care. At the conclusion of the presentation, we allow time for a question and answer session to let you ask anything you might have missed, including duration of care, insurance and finances, plus just about anything else you want. If you plan on attending a workshop, please call our office at 248-601-6100 to let us know.

How do I work with Align Chiropractic?

Questions

by Dr. Willemin on March 6, 2018 0 Comments

The people referred to our office typically come from other patients, their medical doctor, or their current traditional chiropractor. The reason people feel so comfortable referring to us is because our process is simple and transparent.

Here is the how it works:

Step 1: Schedule a complimentary consultation

Step 2: If you think we sound like the place for you, then schedule a Neuro-Structural Chiropractic Correction examination

Step 3: After your exam, we’ll schedule a conference where you will learn all about what we found and how we can help.

At this point you will know all about your condition, all about us, and how it feels to be treated by us. This will make you as informed as you can be to make your decision about undergoing treatment with us. We won’t be offering you a new TV or a free dinner for signing up. We also won’t be endlessly soliciting you for care; at this point if and when you are ready to improve your health we are ready to help you.

Questions

by Dr. Willemin on March 6, 2018 0 Comments

After discussing the various options that are available for your particular health challenges, we will then go into an explanation of the specifics of our approach in a detailed and easy to understand way. This will help you to understand the dramatic positive impact our approach can have on your health issues.

Our office is specially equipped to focus on Neuro-Structural Chiropractic Correction. As a result of investing in the additional training and technology required to give complete Neuro-Structural Chiropractic Correction, we are able to address all of the components of a Neuro-Structural Shift that may occur. We are able put our training and equipment to work for you to address the shifted spinal segments, the muscles, the intervertebral discs, and even the nerves which are being affected by the Neuro-Structural Shift.

Based on your individual needs we can implement some, or all of the following treatments to achieve the best possible outcome:

Chiropractic Adjustment:

While most people assume that all chiropractors adjust the spine, that is actually not true. We frequently will have patients seek our care that report to us that their previous chiropractor never adjusted them, but rather elected to use nutritional supplements or muscle therapy to try to correct their problem. Additionally, we are not a “one-size fits all” sort of office. Our adjustments are truly tailored to the needs and wants of our patients. We have trained in a wide variety of adjusting techniques and have then honed those approaches based on the most effective per research and clinical outcome. Our office is equipped, and Dr. Willemin is trained, to use neuro-structural techniques that range from instrument assisted adjustments, specialized table assisted adjustments, and manual adjustments based on the needs and wants of the patient. We even have special equipment that qualifies under the American Disability Act to help provide access to care, regardless of your physical limitations.

Spinal Decompression Rehabilitation:

One component frequently involved in Neuro-Structural Shifts are changes to the intervertebral discs. People will frequently report that they have “slipped discs”, “bulging discs” or “herniated discs” in their back or neck, but no one has taken the time to give them the full clinical picture. Injuries to the intervertebral discs are complex and can involve a variety of presentations and structures. We are, to our knowledge, the only office with a specialized Spinal Decompression Table in Rochester. We have helped many of our patients avoid unnecessary surgery with our ability to retract disc herniations and address the underlying Neuro-Structural Shifts.

Flexion and Extension Spinal Rehabilitation:

Our office is equipped with multiple other specialized tables and equipment to provide Neuro-Structural Chiropractic Correction which address both flexion AND extension. Neuro-Structural Shifts are not limited to presenting in only one direction, and so we are prepared for any of those presentations. We have the necessary equipment to address the spine completely – whether it requires isolated rehabilitation of one region of the spine or broad rehabilitation of multiple regions of the spine.

Laser Assisted Soft Tissue Rehabilitation:

While all tissue healing takes time we have committed our office to getting the best results as fast as possible. We know that a major component of a Neuro-Structural Shift are the soft tissues (things like muscles, tendons, and ligaments). Injuries to soft tissues have to go through 4 distinct stages, and frequently, these injuries are pain generating. We offer safe and effective Class IV Low Level Laser Therapy to help speed up soft tissue recovery.

Neuro-Structural Massage Therapy:

While most massages feel great while you’re receiving them, our goal is to use coordinated care between our highly skilled Licensed Massage Therapists to provide the right care to facilitate great outcomes when Neuro-Structural Shifts have occurred. Additionally, our massage therapists use only high quality professional grade massage lotions. Many massage oils and creams use harsh compounds which can cause skin irritation, inflammation, and have even been associated with certain types of cancer. Our massage lotion is made using natural oils and is paraben free to make sure you aren’t left with new issues for your body to cope with. We also offer essential oil boosts to our massages to improve the relaxation and stress reducing effects of the massage.

Vibration Therapy and Balance Training:

Whether you are looking to improve athletic performance, trying to restore your ability to perform your daily routine, or hoping to prevent falls and injuries, your body’s ability to know where it is and move is essential to your daily life. Neuro-Structural Shifts can result in losses in these areas. As we correct the underlying Neuro-Structural Shifts we will also be re-training your body in these essential functions to make sure your body performs at top level.

There are not a lot of chiropractors that focus on Neuro-Structural Correction, and even fewer that have all the special equipment we have to help address all the components of a Neuro-Structural Shift. We will take the time to share with you exactly what makes our approach unique, and how a Neuro-Structural Shift (if detected during your examination) is associated with your Secondary Condition.

Lastly, we will present a customized care plan that is carefully designed to take you from where you are to where you need to be, by addressing all aspects of the presentation of your specific Neuro-Structural Shift (once again – if detected during your examination). We want you to get to enjoy your life, so we will help establish a sound structural foundation, and then train your nervous system to appropriately activate and move those structures. We will also explain how to maintain your correction, while protecting your spine and nervous system after your Neuro-Structural Correction has been achieved.

Questions

by Dr. Willemin on March 6, 2018 0 Comments

A vital part of our mission is to provide you with objective information regarding your treatment options. We aim to empower you to make the best decision regarding your healthcare needs.

In order to achieve this, we will do our best to explain to you how other chiropractors and and other healthcare professionals traditionally address your condition. We will not be rendering an opinion specific to any other chiropractic or non-chiropractic treatments for your specific health challenge, but we will try and help you understand the various approaches available for your condition. Even if you choose to look elsewhere for a solution, we want you to know you can rely on us to act as an objective health and wellness resource.

We will also explore the best course of action to achieve a Neuro-Structural Correction. We will discuss what services we recommend, as well as the details of the time and financial aspects of care. We don’t want anything to be a surprise while you are a patient at our office, and so we will do our best to share with you the whole picture of what Neuro-Structural Correction involves.

Not surprisingly, this approach has led us to getting calls from relatives and friends of patients asking us questions pertaining to their health challenges. It is more important to us that people know they can get straightforward and trustworthy information from us, than to have them under our care. To us that is simply doing what is right.

Questions

by Dr. Willemin on March 6, 2018 0 Comments

After being introduced to our office via a consultation with the doctor, when a prospective patient elects to proceed, the next step is to undergo our Neuro-Structural Chiropractic Correction examination. There is no pressure to move forward immediately. If you feel that you need time to consider what has been discussed during the consultation, our examination can be scheduled for a later time and date. In order to thoroughly evaluate your condition our Neuro-Structural Chiropractic Correction examination is comprehensive. Thus, you should plan on designating at least 60 minutes of your time for us during this portion of your visit.

What will the Neuro-Structural Correction Examination consist of?

Orthopedic and Neurological Tests and Checks
Complete series of Structural Corrective Radiography with Specialized Analysis
Proprioception and Functional Movement Assessment
Bilateral Weight Distribution Test

The Neuro-Structural Chiropractic Correction Examination, while essential for detecting Neuro-Structural Shifts, also allows for a complete understanding of the underlying cause of your condition, and will allow for an improved understanding of “normal”. A conference will be scheduled following your examination where our findings will be explained, how we can help you, and what the approach will be if you decide to move forward with care at our practice.

Questions

by Dr. Willemin on March 6, 2018 0 Comments

Symptoms, or as we refer to them, Secondary Conditions can be an indicator of a more serious underlying problem in your body. Your body uses these to warn you that your body is not functioning ideally. Some of the Secondary Conditions that present to our office:

Pain – Neck, Mid Back, Low Back, Hip, etc.
Numbness & Tingling – Arms, Hands, Fingers, Legs, Feet, Toes, etc.
Disc Injury – Bulging, Herniated, “Slipped”, etc
Radiculopathy – Sciactica, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, etc.
Muscular Spasms & Tension
Headaches – Tension, Migraines, etc.
Dizziness, Vertigo, and Balance Issues
Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative Joint Disease
Stiff and Restricted Motion
Spinal Canal Stenosis
Rotator Cuff & Shoulder Pain
Wrist Pain & Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Poor Posture
Muscular Imbalance

These Secondary Conditions are just some of the examples of what presents to our of office. If you have are currently experiencing a Secondary Condition, you may want to have us explore whether or not you have an underlying Neuro-Structural Shift. The first step in that process is to schedule a Complimentary Consultation with the doctor and have a conversation, which at our office, is not a commitment.

Questions

by Dr. Willemin on March 6, 2018 0 Comments

We all know that, in terms of health, normal ranges exist. A simple way to understand this concept is to think of blood pressure. Normal blood pressure doesn’t have to be an exact number, but once those numbers cross the normal threshold, we know that a person has high blood pressure. This is the same concept as running a fever. Normal ranges have been established all around us, and in most areas of our life.

The dashboard of your car has warning indicators to let you know when the sensors or gauges detect something abnormal in the inner workings of your car. The body uses symptoms in a similar manner to the warning indicators on your dashboard; to alert you to a potentially more serious condition.

A Neuro-Structural Shift is exactly that type of condition, which may, in fact, be the cause of your symptoms. When the alignment of a joint displaces, it impacts the associated structures like muscles, discs, ligaments, and other joints. A Neuro-Structural Shift is the collection of these changes which ultimately impact the function of the body. Our office works to detect and correct Structural Shifts to allow your body to heal and you to not just be symptom free, but to actually function at a higher level.

Questions

by Dr. Willemin on March 6, 2018 0 Comments

There are some major differences between the traditional chiropractic approach and our office. The easiest place to start is by explaining the goals of conventional chiropractic care.

Traditional care has 3 major goals – 1) Temporary reduction in pain, 2) Reduced muscle spasm, and 3) Increased range of motion. While these are great goals, and traditional chiropractic is very good at achieving these goals; our goals are a little bit different.

Align Chiropractic Clinic has made our focus Neuro-Structural Chiropractic Correction.

What we have found, through both experience and education, is the underlying structure is directly tied to function. When patients find our office, frequently via a referral from friends, family, or their doctor, it is because of some sort of “symptom” is what started the conversation – or what Neuro-Structural Chiropractors refer to as Secondary Conditions. The people who refer to our office understand that the secondary condition is typically associated with a Neuro-Structural Shift. Neuro-Structural Chiropractic Correction focuses exclusively on the correction of that underlying cause – Structural Shifts. At our office this means addressing all components of a structural shift, including the changes to the bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, discs, and nerves.

Blog

by Dr. Willemin on March 6, 2018 0 Comments

TL;DR – You should be able to go from standing to sitting on the floor and back to standing without using anything to help you up or down. The older you are, the more it matters.

The Test

Okay, I’m sure you are all masters of the 2 minute plank now. If not, maybe it’s because you didn’t read this. It is time to take a look at our second quick fitness test. The Sit Rising Test (SRT). The test is very simple. Go from standing to sitting cross legged, and then from sitting back to standing. The goal is to perform the movements WITHOUT losing your balance or using anything to stabilize yourself (i.e. putting your hand or knee on the ground). If you can’t picture what I’m saying watch this https://youtu.be/1tdtHWURId0 video. Remember I said simple, not easy. Scoring is straightforward as well, for every body part you need to use to brace yourself, you lose a point, and if you’re wobbly you lose a half point. A perfect score is 10 (5 points for the standing-to-sitting portion and 5 points for the sitting-to-standing portion). The benchmark is a score of 8 or better. Some voices in health and fitness feel there are some concerns that pre-existing injuries to the hips, knees, and ankles, or bone fragility are good cause to avoid performing this test. While I certainly encourage everyone to exercise caution, I don’t believe that this test has to be avoided. I encourage people to aim for an honest assessment. What that means is that if you need to use your hand on the ground, then use it. You can test your hip, knee, and ankle flexibility simply by trying to get into a cross legged position from an already seated position. If you have bone fragility issues to the point that just sitting down might break them, then you should be addressing this with a doctor.

Uh-Oh, I didn’t score an 8 or higher

Being able to do the SRT with a score of 8 or better is an indicator of good musculoskeletal health. If your score was less than this, it means you need to improve. This movement series will test hip, knee, and ankle flexibility, lower body strength, and core stability. A great way to start improving those things are with squats. Read this earlier post about why I love squats and really recommend adding them to your routine. At Align Chiropractic we are focused on improving the underlying structural issues that may be occuring in your musculoskeletal system – a low score is an indicator that you might have a structural problem holding you back. Also, don’t try and rush into a perfect score. Take your time making small, but steady, improvements, and then try the test again after giving yourself adequate time to improve. Note where you have difficulties and look for specific improvements in those areas.

Why Do We Care?

While the Sit Rising Test has some detractors, according to a study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, the test is a good predictor of musculoskeletal fitness. The study showed SRT actually was a good predictor of all-cause mortality in 51-80 year olds. The study did a 6 year follow up on participants and found that there was a strong relationship for death and a lower score. The higher your score the lower the risk of death. (1) This means that at the 6 year follow up people with lower scores were more likely to have died than those with higher scores regardless of the specific cause of death. Now further study is certainly warranted, but this isn’t the first study to associate musculoskeletal health and mortality rates. The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that a hyperkyphotic posture (anterior head posture) was also a significant predictor of mortality in older persons. (2) Clearly your musculoskeletal health matters, and it isn’t just about aches and pains.

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2047487312471759

http://cdn2.perfectpatients.com/childsites/uploads/219/files/PosturePredictsMortalityinOlderCommunity.pdf

Quick Fitness Test – Plank

Blog

by Dr. Willemin on March 6, 2018 0 Comments

TL;DR: You should be able to hold a spine neutral plank position for 2 minutes. Train by a combination of short intervals and longer holds.

We are going to spend a few blogs going over some basic fitness tests to see where you fall on the spectrum and help identify how you can improve. Today’s blog will discuss plank.

There is a lot of debate and discussion regarding the risks and benefits of plank. In order to dive into the topic we first have to have a baseline understanding of what the plank exercise actually is. The basic plank is when your toes and forearms are on the floor and you are supporting your body and head in a neutral spine (straight line) looking down at the floor.

What’s not to like?

I’ve read articles that discuss the pressure put on the lumbar spine (low back) and the risk of costochondritis (inflammation of the cartilage between the ribs). In one article, Dr. Michael Durtnall, a chiropractor in London, was even quoted saying, “Planks are for the super-fit and athletes, not for soft, desk types to go bananas with once a week.” (1) I don’t agree. While I would agree with the sentiment that it is not a good approach to go wild with plank once a week; I would say the same is true for almost any exercise, especially when first starting. The statement implies though that working at a desk is mutually exclusive of being fit or an athlete. I know a lot of people who are active athletes in a variety of sports that work desk jobs. I myself play pickup basketball when I can. I have participated in flag football leagues, kickball leagues, and play tennis regularly when the weather permits. The goal with any exercise is to work up gradually. The risk of injury with plank is substantially lower than with many exercises since there is no motion and there are no additional weights being used. I do agree with the sentiment out there that just trying to exercise to overcome low back pain is not a good approach. Having said that, not doing an exercise because of a current injury doesn’t make the exercise inherently bad. If I had a broken leg I wouldn’t be doing squats, but that doesn’t mean squats are bad (in fact I Love Squats)

What’s the good news then?

The good news is that there is good evidence that planks are pretty beneficial. You see it isn’t actual strength that seems to be important with your core, but rather your core endurance. In the research article, “Core Stability Training for Injury Prevention” by Bliven et al. (2) Planks can help train core endurance which may help reduce certain injury risk. Stuart McGill published in the June 2015 issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research “…an isometric training approach was superior in terms of enhancing core stiffness. This is important since increased core stiffness enhances load bearing ability, arrests painful vertebral micromovements, and enhances ballistic distal limb movement.” (3) Think of it like this – if you compared it to holding a weight at arm’s length in front of you, it isn’t about how heavy the weight is, but how long you can hold it. Also, one of my favorite things about plank is it is NOT a massive time consuming exercise. This means it is easy to incorporate on a daily basis. Now there is a bit of debate regarding how much is enough/too much. Top End Sports lays out a guide in which they state that excellent core strength is the ability to hold the plank position for over 6 minutes! (4) If you’ve ever tried plank you know that is a LONG time, and fortunately, most exercise experts would disagree. An article published in Women’s Health reads, “Albert Matheny, R.D., C.S.C.S, co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab and advisor to Promix Nutrition, says you can plank daily, but the length you should hold a plank can vary from 10 seconds to one minute.” (5) Men’s Health contributor and strength coach Dan Johns feels strongly that anything over two minutes is a waste of time, but not being able to hold a plank for two minutes is a problem.

The Test

I agree with Johns, the benchmark is two minutes. To perform the test get into the plank position with a time directly in front of your face, or with a partner timing you. If you have appropriate core endurance then you should be able to hold a perfect form plank for 2 minutes. This doesn’t mean it won’t be hard. You might shake, you might hate every second, but if you can hold a neutral spine while in the plank position for 2 minutes then your core endurance should be adequate. If you can’t then you need to get better. Going over 2 minutes doesn’t really indicate anything better in terms of injury prevention or overall fitness.

How to Train

McGill recommends training in repetitions of 10 seconds (6), while Matheny recommends simply holding the position until your form breaks down. I recommend both. To give an analogy to running, if you’re training for a marathon, don’t only run sprints. If you’re trying to make your body as fit as possible, don’t only run long distances. All of the exercises we discuss are designed to promote healthy and normal function. Our goal isn’t just to be able to hold a plank for two minutes but to actually improve the function of our core so that we reduce injury risk and promote wellness. If you alternate days between training intervals and longer holds, or want to mix both together on the same day, you will make positive steps with either approach. If you really want to maximize your training though try using plank variations like side bridge or one foot planks. Your body is dynamic and your training should reflect that by challenging your body in a controlled manner to improve overall fitness.

1. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3030983/The-ultra-competitive-exercise-fad-ruin-health-called-planking-suddenly-sweeping-gyms-Pilates-classes.html

2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3806175/

3. http://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/2015/06000/Effect_of_Long_term_Isometric_Training_on.8.aspx

4. http://www.topendsports.com/testing/tests/plank.htm

5. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/how-long-to-hold-plank

6. https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/truth-about-extreme-planking