The Lansdown Clinic, 1 Lansdown Road, Bath, BA1 5EE
Chiropractic
First move well, then move often
It has been my experience that getting someone out of pain or looking at recurrent injuries requires understanding which areas of the body are not functioning well. The Functional Movement Specialist, Grey Cook, clarifies the purpose of chiropractic: to restore functional capacity or 'first move well' so movements and postures can be performed without causing tissue stress; and then 'move often' i.e integrate proper movement patterns into the system that can be built upon.
Chiropractic
Functional Chiropractic aims to improve every aspect of movement
Movement
Restore functional movement and strength to areas that need attention
Nutrition
Helping injury recovery and increased health in the musculoskeletal system
Stress
Mindfulness, breathing and emotional freedom help to release tension
Chiropractic Treatment
Focus
During the Acute Stage focus is all about reducing symptoms. During the Restorative Phase its about improving function.
Techniques
Joint manipulation and mobilisation; Soft tissue release techniques; Muscle Energy Techniques; Cranial work
Rationale
Treatment sessions target those areas which are near impossible to get to through exercise alone. By normalising joint mechanics we can regain lost movement. Soft tissue techniques are used to increase blood flow and tissue glide, stimulating the tissue to heal or function better.
Rehabilitation &
Movement
Focus
Initial stages are about regaining function through a painless range of motion. Restorative phase onwards focus is on correcting aberrant movement patterns.
Rehabilitative exercises (isometric to eccentric loading). Stability exercises. Movement patterns and mobility exercises.
Techniques
Rationale
Rehabilitation exercises help to heal damaged tissue. Specific exercises increase functional capacity of the joint targeted, allowing for more diverse movements to take place. Global movement progressions are incorporated to increase stability through movement.
Nutritional Support
Focus
Identifying any deficiency or intolerance taking place that may be affecting the musculoskeletal system. Progressing metabolic health through each stage of care.
Techniques
Nutritional advice regarding food choices. Dietary changes. Supplements which fill any nutrient gaps.
Rationale
The musculoskeletal system relies on a good metabolic system for it to work efficiently. Inflammation caused by a food intolerance or a nutrient deficiency causes oxidative stress changing how the body repairs. Metabolic stress can cause stiffness, poor healing, generalised aches, weakness, headaches, and decreased pain threshold.
Stress Reduction
Focus
When the other bases have been covered focus may turn to identifying any patterns of stress that may be involved in the muscular tension.
Techniques
Mindfulness. Breathing and meditation techniques (Pranayama) are used to help calm the nervous system. Specific techniques include Neuro Emotional Technique.
Rationale
It is sometimes essential to change the response to stressful stimulus to reduce the build-up of tension in the body. This means going from fight and flight to rest and digest. When accomplished studies have shown a person shows decreased inflammation and greater infection resilience.
