Chiropractic medicine

Chiropractic is a form of physical medicine pioneered in the late nineteenth century by David Daniel Palmer (D.D. Palmer). In 1897 Palmer founded a school based on his ideas which would become the Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa--the oldest and largest chiropractic college in the world.

Chiropractic medicine is known for its emphasis on the inherent recuperative power of the body. A basic tenet of chiropractic is that our bodies possess an innate intelligence that strives to maintain a healthy homeostasis. Doctors of Chiropractic view themselves as partners in this process. In particular, they focus on the relationship between the spinal column and the nervous system and how that relationship affects health.

Chiropractic care typically focuses on the chiropractic adjustment - the manipulation of the spine to influence joint and neurophysiological function. There are a wide variety of adjusting techniques. Some of the most familiar include: Diversified, Gonstead, and Thompson. Most chiropractors adjust some or all of the five regions of the spine; some also adjust extremities.

We believe that chiropractic can help a variety of conditions and that, in most cases, chiropractic works best when combined with other physical medicine modalities. We strive to offer all our patients the opportunity to benefit from a combination of techniques.

Traditional techniques are those, like Diversified, Gonstead, Thomspon, and Toggle Recoil, that involve direct, manual manipulation of the spine. Low force techniques, like Lumbar Distraction, Sacral Occipital Technique, and Activator, use instrumentation to accomplish the adjustment. Dr. Deden also does extremity adjusting as appropriate.

In most cases (unless contra-indicated) your visit will include some form of chiropractic physiotherapy in addition to the adjustment. Our clinic specializes in two forms of chiropractic physiotherapy in particular: a form of manual therapy called Trigger Point Therapy and a form of therapeutic exercise and stretching called Active Isolated Stretching.

Massage and acupuncture are also available. Our massage therapists take individual massage appointments, and we have recently added the services of a licensed acupuncturist.