About

Chiropractic is based on the scientific fact that your body is a self-regulating, self-healing organism. These important functions are controlled by the brain, spinal cord and all the nerves in the body.

If the nervous system is impaired, it can cause malfunction of the tissues and organs throughout the body. Doctors call this a Vertebral Subluxation. Vertebral meaning the bones of the spine and subluxation meaning less than a total dislocation.

When under the proper control of your nervous system, your body is designed to resist disease and ill health.

The chiropractic approach is to locate and help remove interferences to your natural healthy state. A common interference to the nervous system is the 24 moving bones of the spinal column. A loss of normal motion or position of these bones can irritate or impair the function of the nervous system. The chiropractic doctor can help remove interferences by adjustments.

An adjustment is the art of using a specific force in a precise direction, applied to a joint that is fixated or "locked up". This adds motion to the joint, helping the bones gradually return to their normal position and motion.

There are many ways to adjust the spine. Usually, the doctor's hands or a specially designed instrument delivers a brief and highly-accurate thrust.

After years of training and clinical experience, each chiropractic doctor becomes highly skilled in the delivery of a variety of adjusting approaches.

People of all ages benefit from chiropractic care. Many parents have had their newborns checked for the vertebral sublaxation which can occur during the trauma of birth.

Later, learning to walk, ride a bicycle and other childhood activities can cause spinal problems which eventually lead to health complaints seen later in adults. Naturally, chiropractic adjusting procedures are modified to a child's spine. Most parents report that their children enjoy chiropractic adjustments and seem healthier than other children.

Many patients report improvement with arthritic symptoms and other chronic ailments often associated with the aging process.

Most patients find that periodic checkups help keep them in tip-top shape. Those who are active or have stressful jobs find that a schedule of preventative visits are helpful in the maintenance of good health.

What is ART?

Active Release Techniques (ART©) is a hands-on therapy developed by engineer and chiropractor, Dr. Michael Leahy, to correct soft tissue problems and injuries. Soft tissue refers primarily to the body's nerves, muscles, tendons, and fascia. Many types of conditions, diseases, and injuries can be treated using this technique, including sprains, repetitive strains, carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, sciatica, knee problems, shin splints, osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis, fascial adhesions, tissue hypoxia, and joint dysfunction (a.k.a., subluxations). Furthermore, the technique can be effective in providing post-surgical care, in treating the affects of aging, and in relieving stress headaches and neck, back and shoulder pain.

When a muscle or tendon is overworked or injured, scarring forms between the fibres and builds up between the muscle layers, acting like an adhesive that restricts the normal sliding motion of the various tissue layers and prevents normal movement. The adhesion, along with any swelling, will impair
the oxygen and blood supply to the muscles, deprive the nerves of oxygen, and establish a cycle of chronic, recurring pain.
Active Release Techniques

Left untreated, the injured muscles can shorten and become weaker, tendonitis can form, and nerves can become trapped, thus reducing range of
motion and frequently resulting in pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness in the affected area.

When a patient comes in complaining of these symptoms, the ART© provider uses his hands to examine and assess the texture, tightness, and movement of the patient's soft tissue. He then treats abnormal tissues by combining precisely-directed pressure (using his thumbs) with specific patient movements (e.g., of the neck, arms, or legs) to break up adhesions and gently stretch the muscles, physically working them back to their normal texture, tension, and length. This, in turn, improves oxygen and blood supply to all of the soft tissue, and restores freedom of movement.

ART© treatment is not invasive, is very specific, and provides excellent results. It is fast, safe and effective, and enables the body to perform at its most efficient level. Most patients report seeing significant results within just a few visits.