On your first visit, you will fill out paperwork outlining your health history and your current problem. Dr. Galvin will perform a thorough consultation to better understand the reason why you are seeking Chiropractic care. This will also guide the exam process to find out if chiropractic care may help you. Your initial exam will include: Orthopedic and neurological tests to evaluate your nerves, muscles and spine. A posture analysis to look for any imbalances in your alignment. Range of motion studies to assess areas of your spine that are moving abnormally due to misalignment. Palpation to determine if there is any spasm, swelling or tenderness along your spine. Motion palpation to feel for any spinal joints that may be "restricted or locked" due to misalignment. A Myovision scan will also be performed which is a computerized test measuring muscle spasm and temperature asymmetry along your spine which can be caused by a misalignment. Your doctor will outline specific treatment recommendations and discuss with you any questions that you may have before starting care.

A Doctor of Chiropractic specializes in locating and correcting Subluxations or misalignments of the spine that can be causing irritation to your nervous system and symptoms of pain and other dysfunction in your body.

A Subluxation is an area in your spine which has misaligned and results in loss of the normal motion or function in your spinal joints. This results in pressure and irritation to your nervous system and can cause pain as well as interfere with the normal functioning of your body and many times is not accompanied by pain. A Subluxation/misalignment can also lead to muscle problems, disc problems and long-term effects can be premature aging or degeneration of your discs and spinal joints due to abnormal stress or loading to your spine.

Doctors of Chiropractic are well educated. In order to obtain a Doctor of Chiropractic degree, you must complete 4 years of undergraduate prerequisite education just like medical doctors do. Chiropractic College requires 4 years of doctoral level education including topics like: spinal anatomy, neurology, physiology, biochemistry, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, urology, microbiology, radiology and especially biomechanics of the skeletal system. MD's receive extensive training in pharmacology whereas this is limited Chiropractic College. However, Doctors of Chiropractic receive extensive training in spinal manipulation that no other profession can compare.

In order to practice their profession, Doctors of Chiropractic must take additional National Board Examinations [4 parts] prior to graduating. Once they graduate, they must also pass additional State Board Examinations in each of the states that they wish to practice or hold a license. Ongoing continuing education is also required by each individual state to maintain licensure. Today's Doctor of Chiropractic is well educated!

Your Doctor of Chiropractic will locate and correct any areas of Subluxation/misalignment in your spine using the Chiropractic Adjustment. This will allow removal of any irritation to the nervous system at these levels in your spine and allow your body to work more optimally and allow the body to repair itself naturally without drugs or surgery. Your Doctor of Chiropractic may also include exercises to improve your spinal mobility as well as strengthen weaker areas of your spine for prevention. In many instances your Doctor of Chiropractic may also recommend changes in ergonomics, diet and lifestyle to assist your recovery and improve your health potential.

The procedure that Doctors of Chiropractic utilize to correct spinal Subluxation/misalignments is called an Adjustment. An Adjustment is designed to re-align the misaligned vertebra resulting in decreased irritation to the nervous system, improving spinal motion, decreasing muscle spasm and resultant pain relief and improved function in the body. Think about a reset button on an outlet. When an Adjustment is made, it "resets" the circuitry in the body.

There are a variety of Techniques or Adjustment procedures that Doctors of Chiropractic utilize with their patients. The Activator instrument delivers a high speed but low force Adjustment that will actually move the spinal bones and effect reflexes in your joints, ligaments, and muscles during an Adjustment. Research has shown that the bone movement is identical whether it is moved by hand or the Activator instrument.

Dr. Galvin has utilized the Activator instrument exclusively for all treatment since 1989. Dr. Galvin is a Clinical Instructor and member of the Clinical Advisory Board of Activator Methods International, Ltd.

Many patients present to our office with acute symptoms. Initially, a patient may experience one of three common reactions following an Adjustment.

1.) No Change: Remember that soft tissues that are injured and swollen take time to heal. It may take several Adjustments in addition to home care measures recommended by your doctor before any change takes place.

2.) Relief: Some patients do report immediate relief following their Adjustment. However, do not be fooled by this. Damaged soft tissues that support your spine may take weeks to heal before your spine can stabilize and maintain the corrected spinal alignment from your Adjustments.

3.) Increased symptoms: Some patients report an actual increase in their symptoms initially. The reason for this is that your body will react to any stimulation of damaged tissues and irritation to your nervous system. It is your body's warning system that something is changing. These symptoms will usually decrease after several Adjustments as your body begins healing.

Chiropractic care is extremely safe. Infants and children as well as senior citizens with fragile bones can benefit from Chiropractic care. Using instrument Adjustments allows us to modify the pressure of the Adjustment based on the age and size of the patient as well as if they are in the acute or painful stage of their injury allowing the ability to receive prompt care which can speed recovery. Since we utilize the Activator instrument, there is no turning or twisting of the head or spine to deliver an Adjustment. It is also important to note that manual Adjustments are also safe and clinically effective.

That is like asking: "Can I pull out my own tooth"? Of course you cannot adjust yourself. Often times you'll see people twist their own neck or try to "pop" their back. This popping sound is a release of gas in the joint like popping your knuckles. Trying to adjust yourself can injure your spine by delivering forceful tension in areas that may not need to be addressed resulting in injury or delivering force into an injured area causing further soft tissue and nervous system injury. The fact that the vertebrae in your neck also allow blood vessels to run through them to your brain is also a good reason to allow only a trained Doctor of Chiropractic to Adjust your spine.

Healing depends upon many factors but the most important ones are:

- the type of trauma or mode of onset that caused your condition
- how long the condition has existed (days, weeks, months, years)
- the number of previous episodes
- underlying conditions such as: arthritis and degeneration, disc problems, Osteoporosis,
   Diabetes
- occupational factors such as lifting, sitting at a computer, stress
- your age and overall conditioning
- genetics
- proper rest, exercise and nutrition

Most soft tissues heal over a period of weeks, but it can also take several months for nerves, discs, muscles, and ligaments to heal completely. In some instances where conditions have existed for long periods of time and depending on the presence of complicating factors, healing may take longer and in some patients, complete healing may be unable to occur and may result with some permanent residuals.

Until a patient is examined thoroughly you can never tell for sure. X-rays and MRI's are extremely helpful forms of diagnostic imaging for the spine but in some cases are unnecessary. The need for these or any other procedure will be determined by a complete consultation and exam and will only be recommended if it is clinically necessary.

As soon as possible! Birth trauma is the first trauma that all of us experience. Even if the birth is a C-section, the baby has been in the womb for 9 months. Learning to walk, learning to ride a bike, sports, a typical day in the life of a child. Think how many micro traumas they experience before they reach adolescence. The saying: "as the twig is bent so grows the tree" is most applicable to this question. The sooner a child's spine is checked for misalignments the sooner they can be corrected and the less potential for damage from the effects of undetected misalignments. My daughter Lexi is my youngest patient and she was Adjusted at 4 days old. I personally began Chiropractic care at age 5 after a neck injury and continued to receive regular Chiropractic Adjustments growing up playing sports (football, basketball, baseball and hockey.)

Older patients definitely benefit from Chiropractic care. The longer a patient lives the greater the potential number of injuries they have experienced. These injuries can lead to misalignment and the resultant effects of nerve system irritation. As we age our flexibility diminishes and our discs become dehydrated making our spine less pliable and stiffer resulting in the potential for more problems. By the time some patients present to our office, they have had problems for so long they have developed some permanent areas of weakness and degeneration in their spine and although their problem cannot be corrected it can be managed. Blood pressure cannot necessarily be cured but it can be managed. Periodic Adjustments can help improve mobility and decrease pain as well as slow or stop the degenerative process that has begun.

Low level laser therapy utilizes "photo therapy" or "light therapy" to deliver light energy units to damaged tissue cells. The super pulsed laser delivers light energy units in the form of photons that are absorbed by the mitochondria of damaged cells to accelerate production of the cell's ATP [the cell's energy]. This biochemical increase in cell energy helps transform cells from a state of damage to a healthy stable state and promote healing.
The laser that we will be using is a Class 1 laser and is FDA approved.
It produces no radiation.
Our laser is the only FDA approved laser that includes electrical stimulation as well as low level laser combined in one device.
The electrical stimulation portion of the device is used to detect areas of inflammation and spasm and the laser is dose specific to that tissue and will shut off automatically when the area normalizes so the area cannot be over treated.
Various settings are used to decrease pain, spasm and swelling while additional settings are used for tissue repair and regeneration and improved range of motion.

IS COLD LASER NEW?

Cold laser is not new. It has been used to treat musculoskeletal conditions for over 20 years.
It is supported by over 4,000 published research studies.
The laser company has 400,000 laser units installed in 30+ countries.
It is utilized by 15,000 health care providers and it is also installed in 3,000 hospitals.

WHAT CONDITIONS BENEFIT MOST FROM COLD LASER?

Acute and chronic pain
Neck and back pain
Strain/sprain injuries
Disc problems
Sciatica
Headaches
Sports injuries
Arthritis

HOW WILL I FEEL AFTER COLD LASER TREATMENT?

Most patients will experience decreased pain and spasm following treatment but it may take several treatments to see a significant improvement.
Often the patient may feel a "warm sensation" over the area treated due to increased blood flow to the area.
The tissue effects of cold laser treatment may last for 2-3 days following treatment.
Most patients will experience some improvement within 2-5 treatments. If not, then they will be re-evaluated and additional recommendations will be made.
In very rare occasions (< 5%), a patient may experience brief soreness usually lasting 6-8 hours. This is due to vascular congestion due to increased blood flow to the area. This is a temporary effect and if necessary, ice can be used for pain.

HOW WILL I FEEL AFTER COLD LASER TREATMENT?

Most patients will experience decreased pain and spasm following treatment but it may take several treatments to see a significant improvement.
Often the patient may feel a "warm sensation" over the area treated due to increased blood flow to the area.
The tissue effects of cold laser treatment may last for 2-3 days following treatment.
Most patients will experience some improvement within 2-5 treatments. If not, then they will be re-evaluated and additional recommendations will be made.
In very rare occasions (< 5%), a patient may experience brief soreness usually lasting 6-8 hours. This is due to vascular congestion due to increased blood flow to the area. This is a temporary effect and if necessary, ice can be used for pain.

CAN I USE ICE OF HEAT AFTER COLD LASER TREATMENT?

Ice after cold laser treatment only if you experience soreness. Otherwise, it's best to wait up to 8 hours before you ice.
You can use heat after cold laser treatment but we recommend waiting up to 8 hours to maximize the benefits of the laser on the involved tissues.
Be sure to ask the Doctor what is best in your particular situation.

WHO USES COLD LASER THERAPY?

NFL
NBA
MLB
MLS
Colleges and Universities
Olympic athletes

This is a question that has been commonly asked as the perception is: "Once you start going to a Chiropractor, you have to keep going back". That's like saying I'm going to the Dentist but I'm only going once because I'll have to keep going back. How many people go to their MD annually or more frequently for regular check-ups?

Let me be clear - however long you choose to be a patient in our office is always up to you. As your Doctor of Chiropractic, it is my duty to inform you of the options for treatment. You the patient can decide whether you want to "patch" of "fix" the problem. If you decide you don't want to pursue our treatment recommendations then that is fine as well. I work for you. You get to decide how to proceed once we examine you.

Many people today are looking for ways to maintain their health instead of waiting until they get sick or injured. If this is what you are seeking, we'll give you our best recommendation for this type of care as well. In fact it makes the most sense as the patients we treat who receive some type of regular check-ups, in many cases just like going to the Dentist, have less relapses of their condition.

Our office is happy to provide your physician with a copy of our clinical findings and recommendations both initially and periodically to keep them updated on the care you receive in our office. Our office is proud of the fact that we have developed excellent working relationships with our local health care providers. Just ask us to send a report and we'd be happy to accommodate this.

While many insurance companies claim to cover Chiropractic care, their policies are extremely restrictive in the guidelines they use to determine if the patient should receive care. Often times these decisions are made by health professionals who are not Doctors of Chiropractic. It is becoming increasingly common that the reimbursement for Chiropractic care is less than half of a normal office visit. With this in mind and in the ever changing health insurance environment, our office closely evaluates insurance plans regularly but we only participate with those companies that allow us to decide the most appropriate care for the patient and will reimburse at a fair and equitable fee. Please contact our office to learn what plans we participate with. In the event that we do not participate with your insurance plan, we will provide you with a detail receipt to submit to your insurance plan and in the event additional information is required to process your claim, our office will provide the carrier with detailed office notes outlining the necessity of your care.