WHAT IS CHIROPRACTIC AND WHAT MAKES SCHIERLING CHIROPRACTIC, LLC DIFFERENT?
BASED ON THE OLDEST MEDICAL TEXTBOOK STILL WIDELY IN USE TODAY: GRAY’S ANATOMY
Dr. Schierling is a Mountain View Missouri Chiropractor whose 25 years of clinical experience have given him a knowledge and appreciation of the way the body is designed to heal itself. Chiropractic is based on two easy-to-understand principles of physics — structure and function. You have a spine that has 24 vertebrates. Each one of those individual vertebrates must have these two things in order to function properly.
- ALIGNMENT: “Alignment” simply means that the various vertebrae in the spinal column (or other bones in the body) should line up in relationship to each other. This is nothing more than common sense. It is plain to see that the body must have the proper “structure”.
- MOTION: “Motion” is not simply how much you move, or how active or inactive you are. Although I heavily promote exercise, activity, and general movement; this is not really what I am talking about here. I am talking about the fact that each and every vertebrate in your spine has to move properly in relationship to the vertebrate above and below it. Lack of proper joint motion can be found upon examination. It’s plain to see that the various joints in your body must have proper “function”.
Alignment and motion, structure and function; these are the same simple principles of physics that apply to building a skyscraper, fixing an automobile, or replacing a garage door. When your body’s bony skeleton loses it’s normal alignment or motion, chiropractors call this “Subluxation”. Although there are numerous reasons that subluxations occur, they are always associated with at least six different things. Be aware that in all cases, the these things can be primary (they cause subluxation), secondary (are caused by subluxation), or both.
CHARACTERISTICS OF VERTEBRAL SUBLUXATIONS
- SWELLING & INFLAMMATION: Although these words are often used synonymously, swelling and inflammation are absolutely not the same thing. INFLAMMATION is the name given to a group of chemical mediators, which, while considered to be part of the normal immune system response, can cause untold numbers of health-related problems when levels are elevated. It is important to realize that almost every health problem or pain people have (even many that are often touted as “GENETIC“), are related in some form or fashion to this bullet.
- MUSCLE TENSION / MUSCLE SPASM / TRIGGER POINTS: Regardless of the cause (and there are many potentials), overly-tight muscles can wreak havoc on one’s ability to get through the day. And this is just the beginning. Let muscle tension go on for very long and you’ll end up with something the medical community has named “TRIGGER POINTS” — marble-sized knots of hardened muscle tissue that can refer pain to all areas of the body. But this is only one side of the myofascial coin. The other involves…….
- MICROSCOPIC SCAR TISSUE / FIBROSIS / ADHESION OF THE FASCIA: When muscle problems are severe enough over time, or if they are injured in a traumatic fashion, microscopic scarring occurs. Although I refer to this as SCAR TISSUE with my patients (they understand it), the medical community calls it “FIBROSIS“. Most of this scarring tends to occur in the FASCIAL MEMBRANES that cover the muscle like a cellophane wrapper —- the single most pain-sensitive tissue in the body! Unfortunately, there’s a PERFECT STORM brewing on the horizon because Fascia cannot be seen with standard advanced imaging techniques.
- NERVOUS SYSTEM INTERFERENCE: The same nerves that connect your brain to the various cells, muscles, organs, and tissues, of your body; exit the spinal cord via small “windows” between the vertebrae called Intervetebral Foramen. Although nerves can actually become “pinched,” a much more common scenario involves nerve irritation. Nerve irritation is kind of like static on an old AM radio; it sounds fuzzy and distorted. When nerves become pinched or irritated, it creates a similar sort of interference in the nerve system that can cause pain. Because however, nerves control everything that happens in your body, this interference can also cause dysfunction of whatever part of the body is controlled by that specific nerve. HERE and HERE are great examples of this phenomenon in action. And never forget that THE BRAIN can be involved as well.
- DISC INVOLVEMENT: The discs are the cushions that act as “bushings” between the vertebrae. They are made up of an outer layer of wound ligaments called the Anulus Fibrosis, which holds a jelly center (Nucleus Pulposus) in place. Thank God that most subluxations don’t involve “slipped” or herniated discs. But don’t kid yourself. Research tells us that discs are much more apt to rupture from mechanical problems over time, than from one single traumatic event. Although I do Spinal Decompression Therapy in my clinic, what’s pretty awesome for my patients and readers is that I HAVE CREATED A WILDLY EFFECTIVE PROTOCOL for helping you help yourself with these sorts of problems — even if you have been diagnosed with a Herniated Disc via MRI (HERE).
- SUBLUXATION DEGENERATION: Although the medical community has pulled off a stroke of brilliant marketing (brainwashing) by creating yet another “disease” (they got rid of ‘Degenerative Osteoarthritis,’ changing the name to DJD — Degenerative Joint Disease). Interestingly enough, there are two known causes of joint degeneration; abnormal motion in that joint and crappy diets (HERE). This is true whether we are talking about KNEES, WRISTS, ANKLES, SPINES, etc. If a joint is not moving properly, it is wearing; and if it is wearing, it moves even worse. Repeat this cycle ad infinitum until there is nothing left. Although doctors know this, they rarely talk about it, typically running test after test after test until one day, DJD finally shows up on an X-ray, CT Scan, or MRI. You’ll then get what I call, the “Age Excuse”. Your doctor looks somberly into your eyes and says something like, “I’m sorry Mrs. Jones. You’re just not as young as you used to be.”
WHAT DO I DO NOW? I’ve gone out of my way to make it simple for you to come in and see if my unique approach to helping people with BACK AND NECK PAIN, SHOULDER PAIN, and a WHOLE HOST OF OTHER PROBLEMS, might work for you. I will do whatever I can do to help get you out of pain and back to your life as quickly as possible. For those who are interested, THIS is what your first visit here will look like.
Although I do the majority of my adjusting by hand, I do use several other techniques in my clinic. I use Activator Technique for many of my patients (albeit with the electronic Impulse Adjusting Instrument). I also adjust some of my patients on a Thompson Drop Table. Extremity adjusting is a frequent component of what I do here as well.
While I am the biggest believer in the world in the healing power of Chiropractic Adjustments, I realize that many of you have been down that road before with limited results (or at least limited long-term results). If you are interested in seeing what makes us different than the usual yes-we-can-help-you-but-it’s-going-to-take-a-very-long-time-to-do-it Chiropractic, take a look at THIS MIND-BLOWING POST. Come see me today. Call Cheryl at 417-934-6337. All you have to lose is the pain!