Dr. Cori Bodily-Goodmansen
Pain in the body can be a complex situation. However, if you are able to clear the interference and give your body a chance to heal on its own, pain can be easily reduced. Your body has an amazing innate ability to heal itself if you know the tools to help.
Chiropractic care can offer these tools. The focus is on getting the spine and joints aligned to allow your body that ability to heal. Chiropractic care offers a different perspective on health. This system of care is not just about eliminating pain, but achieving and preserving overall wellness. Back pain, neck pain, headaches, and extremity pain are the main areas chiropractors diagnose and treat.
So, what is causing this pain? Pain stems from 3 categories: trauma, toxins, and thoughts. Trauma includes injuries to the joints or spine due to repetitive movement. This would include your posture when sitting, standing, and sleeping. Ergonomics and posture while using a computer or cell phone may also create repetitive spinal injuries. Toxins include different sources we come into contact with that our bodies have a reaction to, such as chemicals, molds, and foods. Thoughts include high-stress situations or past stressful events that our body is holding onto.
These 3Ts have the potential to create an inflammatory state in the body that leads to pain and disease, and that can cause misalignments in the spine. Chiropractors refer to these misalignments as “subluxations.” In today’s world, we deal with an increased amount of 3Ts, leading to increased pain signals. Now, more than ever, it is important to keep the spine and joints aligned.
Symptoms are signals our body sends to alert us there is a problem. When pain signals are up, it can be difficult to enjoy life. Bringing the spine into alignment allows the body to heal naturally and reduces inflammation. If we avoid these pain signals, over time it can lead to complex situations that require time to heal and unwind.
Chiropractors align the spine and joints through what is called an adjustment. The main instrument I use to adjust and align the spine and joints is called the activator. The activator technique (low-force adjusting) is one of the most well-researched chiropractic techniques and has been used since 1967. It is the only instrument-adjusting technique with clinical trials to support its efficacy, and is the most widely used low-force chiropractic technique in the world.
For most patients, the solid academic research supporting activator methods takes the fear out of being adjusted. The technique is so gentle it can be used with infants, the elderly, and those who have had spinal surgery. The activator can also be used to adjust all extremities, such as the knees, shoulders, hands, and even toes!
In addition to spinal alignment, chiropractors may use additional modalities. I recommend nutritional support, if needed. Another treatment I often integrate is Neurolink therapy, or NIS. NIS is an integrative process to turn cellular signals that are controlled by the brain, and which can be turned off by 3T stressors, back on. Reconnecting these neuropathways can allow the body to heal and create optimal function. NIS is based on the principles of neuroscience, and has been validated with scientific research.
Everyone has their own pace of healing. Acute chiropractic care requires a concentrated treatment protocol, individualized for each person, to retrain the muscle/joint memory and stabilize and decrease inflammation. A child without a history of injury may take 1-2 treatments to stabilize. An adult with a history of injuries may require 1-2 treatments a week for 4-6 weeks. Once stabilization is achieved and symptoms are down, some patients choose to be on a maintenance program. Chiropractors refer to this as a “spinal check-up.”
I have found that seeking out treatment immediately after injuries can significantly reduce healing time. In winter, there is often an increase in car accidents and falls from the rain, ice, and darkness. Getting adjusted after a fall or accident will allow your body to heal, and can prevent long-term pain. Wellness is a journey, and with proper chiropractic care, along with proper rest, movement, and nutrition, your optimal health can be achieved.
Dr. Cori has a Chiropractic Doctorate, a master’s degree in nutrition, is an NIS Masters practitioner, and has advanced certification in activator adjusting. She has been practicing for 15 years and is very grateful to serve the Vashon and Tacoma communities. Feel free to visit pearlchiro.com or call 253-970-5077 or email drcori@pearlchiro.com.
