Adding regular checkups with a chiropractor can be a great addition to your regular health and wellness routine. The spine is a vital part of the body, and healthcare that includes the spine can help you avoid a variety of pains and illnesses.
Chiropractors are not all the same; they use different techniques and methods and may specialize in different areas. For general chiropractic care and treatment, you will probably have two choices: a traditional chiropractor and an upper cervical chiropractor.
Here is the difference and what you need to know so that you can make an informed choice.
What Is a Traditional Chiropractor?
Traditional chiropractors are what most people think of when they imagine a chiropractor—treatment involves snaps, twists, and cracks of the neck and back. Traditional chiropractors sometimes will take X-rays of the spine before making adjustments, and the process is then the same for each patient.
For an injury or illness, traditional chiropractic services usually require frequent visits at first (often three times per week). After a few months treatments may drop down to once per week, or once or twice per month.
What Is Upper Cervical Care?
Upper cervical care specialists focus on the upper cervical spine. This part of the spine consists of the vertebrae in the neck and upper back, as it is in this area of the spine where the majority of spinal misalignments begin. The neck is the most vulnerable area susceptible to injuries. Misalignments of the upper cervical spine are usually the root cause of problems that cascade down the rest of the spine.
Upper cervical care involves more comprehensive diagnostic screening to assess and pinpoint areas of concern. Corrections are not jarring or painful, but gentle and precise. Corrections also hold longer, requiring fewer visits and speedier healing.
How Our Upper Cervical Care Treatment Works
Dr. Gordon Elder is an upper cervical spine specialist, trained as an expert in the Blair Chiropractic Technique. This modern technology utilizes state-of-the-art technology and low-pressure corrections to help restore proper alignment. Treatment is then focused on retaining the alignment so that the body can facilitate healing and resume optimal functioning.
Dr. Elder begins treatments with a thorough screening. The screening involves a consultation and advanced 3D diagnostic imaging tools to assess and calculate the spine to detect even the most minute misalignments.
With 3D imaging, the doctor can then apply precise corrections using low-pressure techniques, gently coaxing the spine back into proper alignment. When aligned, this will reduce pain, and inflammation, and allow nerve function to resume so that the body can begin the healing process.
In follow-up visits, the doctor will check that the alignment holds so the body can continue healing. After initial treatments, the doctor recommends regular check-ups for preventative care so that wellness can be maintained.
Call the Blair Chiropractic Clinic for an appointment to see how Dr. Elder can help you. We provide service to the areas of Lubbock, Amarillo, Midland, Odessa, Abilene, and El Paso in Texas, as well as Hobbs in New Mexico.
Published by Vic Belonogoff: A Blair Chiropractic doctor helped heal vertigo, among other conditions that Vic Belonogoff suffered from, and it gave him his life back. He continues to see an upper cervical chiropractor as a preventative measure. Vic Belonogoff is passionate about upper cervical chiropractic and how much it helps patients.