It can be a bit intimidating to go to a chiropractor or medical doctor or even a physical therapist. There are few places like this where someone else knows things about which you know little to nothing. 

It can be challenging sometimes to grasp what they are saying and difficult to judge if it makes sense. So often they are not explaining in plain English what is going on, what their plan is, and most importantly what the rationale for that plan is. 

When it comes to your body and your health I urge you to ask questions until you understand what is being proposed. 

Ask what the plan is.

Ask how long it will take.

Ask what the risk is for complications.

Ask the provider if they have taken care of people with similar issues.

Ask if the proposed treatment will resolve the problem or just relieve the symptoms. 

As a chiropractor I understand that chiropractic differs from all the other health disciplines. No drugs, no injections, hands on care, and a focus on the healing capacity of the body. 

Here are some answers to 5 of the most common misunderstandings I get from patients coming to Life Chiropractic in Grass Valley. 

#1 How Does Corrective Chiropractic Care Differ from Traditional Chiropractic?

Let’s talk about what chiropractors are trying to accomplish to help you understand the difference between traditional chiropractic and corrective chiropractic. 

Traditional chiropractic is what you will get in the majority of chiropractic offices. It’s relatively easy and doesn’t require as much individual planning. The goal is to get stiff spinal and pelvic joints moving. 

It works great at that and much of the time offers tremendous pain relief. However, there is almost always a limit to the improvement or the problem keeps recurring. 

What traditional chiropractic misses is what corrective chiropractic focuses on.

With corrective chiropractic the focus is on restoring movement to restricted pelvic and spinal joints but there is also emphasis on bringing the spine back into balance. Unless you correct the imbalances you haven’t corrected the cause of the problem. 

With corrective chiropractic there is often resolution of long standing problems often unrelated to the primary issue. 

#2 How Does the Vagus Nerve and Polyvagal Theory Fit with Chiropractic?

The autonomic nervous system runs everything in your body without your awareness, from heart rate to digestion to sleep to healing. 

With stress, injuries, and spinal imbalances imbalance develops in the autonomic nervous system.

The Vagus Nerve is the major connection between your brain and internal organs. With imbalances, stress, and pain the vagus nerve is inhibited or turned down in its function. 

While corrective chiropractic can help remove pressure from the vagus nerve with our modern stress filled lives the vagus almost always benefits from a little more help. This is where Polyvagal practices come in. Simple movements and correction of dysfunctional breathing patterns help to bring the Vagus back online.

#3 What About Stretching Exercises for the Neck and Back?

Stretching is one of the more common misunderstandings I experience with patients coming into the office. Tight muscles are more often the effect of structural and neurological imbalances than the cause. 

Muscles don’t do anything on their own. What I mean is they react to other issues. If your pelvis or spine is out of alignment the muscles will tighten up in an effort to stabilize the area. 

When you stretch those muscles, invariably one of a couple of things happen. Either there is little to no relief. You are working against the body here. Or, sometimes it can actually make the pain worse.

I don’t find stretching necessary but the time to do it is once joint balance and movement has been restored.

#4  Why is Chiropractic Care a Couple of Times a Week?

If you have been experiencing your neck pain, back pain, headaches, anxiety or other challenges for a number of weeks or months or even years, it is apparent that your body is stuck in a pattern and is unable to restore balance on its own. 

It needs some help. If you want to establish a new pattern or change an existing pattern you need to reinforce the new pattern until it becomes established. 

If you want to get stronger you have to do resistance training at least 2 to 3 times per week.

If you want to clean up your diet you need to eat healthy at least 5 or 6 days a week. 

Anything that supports your overall health and well being is something that needs to be done regularly. With chiropractic there is a greater frequency in the beginning as we are establishing a more healthy pattern of balance and movement. 

#5  What Kind of Exercises Help Healing Chronic Neck and Back Pain?

I’ve already covered stretching and how that is most often not an effective way of resolving pain and imbalance.

But, there are exercises that do help restore and maintain balance in conjunction with chiropractic care. There are 3 types of exercises I routinely use to supplement corrective chiropractic care:

1. Posterior Chain Activation: the posterior chain is the series of muscles that run up the back of the legs, hips, and spine. These are the postural anti-gravity muscles that get inhibited by modern life and all the sitting we do. 

Very simple exercises are used to turn on these muscles so they can support you as you move through your day without pain. 

2. Spinal Joint Flossing: corrective chiropractic helps restore motion to the small joints of the spine. Spinal Joint Flossing helps to reinforce and maintain that motion. These are simple movements the help establish a new pattern of motion in the spinal joints.

3. Vagus Nerve Activation: modern life and all the stress we are exposed to has the effect of inhibiting the Vagus Nerve. Even after removing sources of irritation, the vagus nerve requires simple practices to help bring the vagus nerve back online. 

If you live in Nevada County and would like to explore how Life Chiropractic in Grass Valley might be able to help you, your initial visit can be scheduled here: Schedule Here

About Dr. Berkowitz  

Bringing more than 3 decades of practice experience, Dr. Bill Berkowitz focuses on balancing and corrective care, applying his expertise to provide patients with predictable, repeatable and measurable results.

Dr. Bill consistently strives to enhance the well-being of his patients by addressing the root imbalances of their problems and promoting optimal balance, alignment, and function of the spine and nervous system.  

Bill’s wealth of knowledge and experience has allowed him to develop a nuanced understanding of the human body and its intricate connections. With each adjustment, he supports the body in returning to a state of balance that goes beyond mere symptom relief, focusing instead on long-term correction for his patients’ well-being.