Active Life Chiropractic

After several years of specialized education and clinical treatment of neuromusculoskeletal problems, I’ve been able to identify relationships between nerve, spinal/joint and muscular conditions that can be treated to reduce pain and increase mobility.

Although every body is unique, treatments should generally not take months or even several weeks. Treatment and physical therapeutic modalities – followed by exercise and bio-mechanical corrections exercises – typically allow my patients to return to their normal, active life quicker than they expect.

I’ve been able to help office professionals who injure themselves by hunching over a computer for hours a day; housewives who lift their children and injure their backs; athletes who traumatize their spines,muscles or joints by striving to reach new heights; elderly whose pain has caused them to become inactive; commuters who have suffered whiplashes; and everyday people who have allowed stress or fatigue to degrade their posture, causing a multitude of other problems.

I personally live the same active lifestyle that I wish for my patients, and strongly believe in the power of an integrated healing process to help them attain their own healthy activity level.

I can help you if you suffer from limitations caused by pain or stiffness in your:

• Neck
• Back
• Upper extremities (shoulder, arm, elbow, wrist, hand)
• Lower extremities (hip, leg, knee, ankle, foot)
• Sciatica
• Rotator Cuff Issues

 

Active Life Chiropractic provides a uniquely healing Integration of:

• Spinal adjustment
• Accu-pressure point therapy
• Physical therapeutic modalities
• Corrective exercises
• Therapeutic massage
• Patient Education on Body Biomechanics and Body Movements
• Patient education on Pain Management

 

Pain Treatments:  NO matter what your pains are, Active Life Chiropractic starts with a careful diagnosis that helps Dr. Ly develop patient-specific treatment programs that may include a unique combination of modalities.

Neck

Neck problems are not always imply spinal.  Vertebrae, nerves, muscles, tendons, along with other extremities and soft tissue can interact and create “radiating” pain _ sometimes called “referred” pain _ that you may also experience in your upper extremities.  While it may “refer” pain to other extremities, neck pain may also have its roots in shoulder or even lower spine problems.   Far more frequently than most people realize, neck problems can simply be caused by posture, stress or trauma.   (The advent of the computer age has created a whole new generation of neck problems.)  Don’t feel helpless,   Let us help you make healthful changes in your body and lifestyle.

Back

Back problems are caused by a variety of sources.  Some are from trauma or poor lifting mechanics, while others are postural or Gait Biomechanics (feet movements during walking) that cause lower leg muscles imbalance and leg muscles weakness.  An effective back treatment MUST include:  a) a careful analysis of the lifestyle issues that caused the condition; b) Gait Biomechanics analysis and correction; c) treatment of subluxation (joints misalignment); d) therapeutic modalities; and e) stretching, strengthening and posture modification education.

Upper extremities

Shoulder, arm, elbow, wrist and hand problems can be cased by poor sleeping posture and pillow supports, stress, poor posture, trauma, overuse/ repetitive syndromes, weakened muscles, misalignment of the joints, and sometimes spinal conditions.   These anomalies must be treated uniquely to identify and treat the originating stressor to heal the upper extremity.

Lower extremities

Hip, leg, knee, ankle and foot problems can be the result of Faulty Gait Biomechanics (the way a person walks and habitual bodily movements), stress, poor posture and trauma, but can also be “chain reaction” pains caused by other joint structures.  Your feet and calves are bearing the weight load of your whole body on them.  If there is any Faulty Movement in your Gait Biomechanics, this will put extra load upward from the feet up to your knees, up to your hips, and up through your pelvic and lower back.  The surrounding supporting muscles have to bear the extra burden of the weight loading until they could not bear anymore and will become painful and spasm and refer pain to other areas of your body.  These problems are treated with inter-relational strategies in mind and can often require treatment of multiple joints and muscle groups (including the spine) to “beak the chain.”

Rotator cuffs

Rotator cuff issues are a combination of muscles imbalance and spinal and shoulder joints restrictions.  Rotator cuff issues could effect your neck pain and headaches, and could refer pain down your arms or refer pain up your neck and head.  Common causes for rotator cuff issues could be the way you sleep improper pillow support, repetitive motions, or dramatic injuries.  The most effective treatment for rotator cuff issues consists of pressure point/ trigger point therapies to the shoulders, neck and arms; spinal joints and shoulder joints manipulation; and corrective exercises to balance out the rotator cuff muscles and strengthening the neck muscles.  In most cases, we have to address and correct the legs length disruptency ( one leg is shorter then the other leg) to reduce the weight loading upward and effects the rotator cuff and neck issues.

Sciatica

There are two forms of sciatica:  Functional Sciatica and Structural Sciatica.  These are cause by muscular imbalance and spasm that squeezing on the sciatic nerve or by the impingement of the lumbar disc or joints degeneration pressing onto the sciatic nerve.  Functional sciatica is usually caused by Faulty Gait Biomechanics (improper walking gait) and muscles imbalance in your legs that effects the pelvic muscles to squeeze on your sciatic nerve.  Structural sciatica is usually caused by the impingement of the lumbar discs onto the sciatic nerve or intrusion of the lower back bones and pelvic from the degeneration and arthritis joints and bones.   Treatments for Functional Sciatica and Structural Sciatica are similar since they both irritate by muscles imbalance and muscles spasm in the lower legs.   The treatment is consisted of pressure points/ trigger points to the lower legs, pelvic and lower back, spinal manipulation, leg joints manipulation, pelvic manipulation, correct the leg length disruptency,  correct the muscles imbalance in the lower legs, and strengthening the lower back and spinal structures and the lumbar disc.  Both of these forms of sciatica could effect by faulty gait (the way you walk) jor improper shoe wears.   Hence, wearing stable shoes is a must to further reduce the improper weight loading upward that irritates your sciatica conditions.

Treatment Modalities:

Spinal adjustment

Chiropractic approaches to health car are unique to our profession and go beyond what medical doctors are taught.  Spinal adjustment to reduce subluxation – spinal misalignment – starts with a deep understanding of the skeletal system, correct alignment and precise techniques to restore strength, mobility and reduced pain.  With short, precise movements of joint structures, the spine is aligned, taking pressure off of nerves, muscles and other soft tissues.  [Note:  One of the mysteries of chiropractic that many people ask about surrounds the soft “pop or cracking” sound during adjustment.  This is merely the release of a gas vacuum in the joint structure as it is manipulated.  Bones don’t “crack.”]

Accu-pressure point therapy

Accu-pressure point therapy focuses direct pressure on the muscles and tendons to release tension and promote better flexibility and strength   This modality is helpful with many painful conditions in the body, and usually combines with spinal adjustment to release further stress and pressure to those supporting structures of muscles and tendons and ligaments.

Physical therapeutic modalities

Other physical therapeutic modalities that are critical to treatment and recovery from problems include heat/cold, ultrasound and electro-muscular stimulator, as well as others, depending on the condition being treated.

Corrective exercises

Many pain and mobility problems are caused and/or perpetuated by muscles imbalanced, weakened muscles, incorrect biomechanics movement and poor posture.  Properly designed exercises to quickly bring the body back to optimal body  biomechanics is essential to long-term healing.  Our approach always includes at least some corrective exercises to balance out the muscles and ensure future health.

Therapeutic massage

Although not required in all treatments, therapeutic massage can often be helpful:  It promotes release of tension, increase flexibility of tendons and muscles, increase of blood circulation and general awareness of extremities.

 

 

 

 

What is Chiropractic?

Chiropractic is the science, art and healing approach focused on the return of good health by restoring and maintaining properly functioning musculoskeletal and nervous systems without the use of drugs or surgery. 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 of the body, while they are protected by the skeleton. Most importantly, the moving bones of the spine protect the vulnerable communication pathways of the spinal cord and nerve roots.If the nervous system is impaired by joint structures that are out of alignment, it can cause malfunction of tissues and organs throughout the body. Doctors of Chiropractic all this the Vertebral Subluxation Complex. The chiropractic adjustment has been proven to increase motion, increase circulation, reduce swelling and pain, and remove nervous irritation. Once this nervous irritation is removed, your body is able to do what it is designed to do – heal itself.

What Do Chiropractor Do?

Chiropractors focus on the bio-mechanics of the body such as joint motion to help in restoring bodily functions. Helping to restore proper spinal  bio-mechanics and improved nervous system function begins with a case history. Your case history is vital, as it reveals the background about your health such as surgeries, accidents, the onset of your condition, lifestyle issues and other details which brought you into the office. After reviewing you history and discussing your specific problems, a thorough orthopedic, neurological, and chiropractic examination is performed. X-ray man be required to help uncover structural and functional problems. Then, once the examination is complete, your chiropractor will explain the finding and outline a treatment plan. Throughout the treatment period, progress is monitored with periodic examination and follow-up reports.

What Type of Education do Doctors of Chiropractic receive?

Today’s Doctor of Chiropractic is extremely well educated. the science of chiropractic requires a special emphasis on anatomy, physiology, pathology, neurology, bio-mechanics, X-ray, spinal adjusting techniques and related subjects. This demanding curriculum prepares chiropractic doctors to be primary care providers. The responsibility of a primary care provider is to properly access the current state of the patient and determine what type of care is necessary. This could mean using a variety of therapies or even a referral to another specialist. Before beginning chiropractic school, chiropractic students need to complete 4 years of undergraduate education to obtain the necessary prerequisites or degrees. A chiropractic student then completes 4 years of graduate school to receive a Doctor Of Chiropractic degree. Each student must then pass both Federal and State board examinations in order to receive a license to practice chiropractic. It takes about 7-8 years of post secondary schooling to learn how to be a chiropractor!

A chiropractic education never ends. Most doctors continue to educate themselves by taking postgraduate courses and staying current by reading the latest scientific research. After undergraduate studies, today’s chiropractic doctor completes and additional four-year curriculum of over 4,500 classroom hours of health sciences.

What Is An Adjustment or Spinal Manipulation?

A chiropractic adjustment or manipulation is the art of using a specific force in a precise direction to aid in realigning joint structures to restore proper mobility and function to the body.

There are hundreds of ways to adjust the body. Usually the doctor’s hands or specially designed instruments are used to deliver the adjustment.  Adjusting methods can range from being very strong, deep, and forceful, to light and non-forceful. Others require a slow, constant pressure. After years of training and  clinical experience, each chiropractic doctor becomes highly skilled in the delivery of a variety of adjusting approaches.

Is Chiropractic Safe?

There are literally thousands of published scientific studies proving chiropractic’s safety and effectiveness, In the words of several governmental inquiries, chiropractic care is “remarkably safe.” Chiropractic has an excellent safety record. It is the result of a conservative approach to health that avoids invasive procedures or addictive drugs. Chiropractic care is a natural approach to better health thatis proven safe and effective. in fact, chiropractic adjustments are safer than back surgery, muscle relaxants and even aspirin!

What is a Subluxation?

The work “subluxation” comes from the Latin works  meaning “to dislocate” (luxate) and “somewhat or slightly”(sub). A subluxation means a slight dislocation (misalignment) or biomechanical malfunctioning of the vertebrae (bones of the spine). these disturbances may irritate nerve roots and blood vessels which  branch off from the spinal cord between each of the vertebrae. This irritation may cause dysfunction in the normal body processes.

What Caused A Subluxation?

A fall, injury, sudden jar, trauma, poor posture, weakened muscles or sometimes an inherited spinal weakness can cause a subluxation. Other caused can include organ related problems, chemical irritants, occupational hazards, incorrect lifting practices, obesity, lack of rest and exercise and emotional stress.

How is a Subluxation Corrected?

Doctors of Chiropractic are specialists in correcting subluxation. They do this by utilizing the chiropractic procedure known as manipulation or “adjustment.” Your chiropractor will use his or her hands or an adjusting instrument to apply corrective thrust in a specific direction and location. This adjustment aids in restoring the natural alignment and mobility of the vertebrae and related bodily function.

Does the Adjustment Hurt?

Under normal circumstances, chiropractic adjustments are painless. Many patients actually experience a release of pain during and immediately afterward. In case of recent trauma, such as whiplash, mild discomfort may be experienced due to inflammation.

©2019 Dr. Hiep T. Ly, D.C.

Any health tips found on this website is informational only and is not intended as a diagnosis or prescription for treatment. Any and all health care must be directed by a health care practitioner. For specific treatment recommendations, please contact Dr. Ly or another preferred doctor.