What Is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic is a holistic health profession that focuses on treating the musculoskeletal and nervous systems in order to improve function, manage pain, improve function, and increase overall wellness. Chiropractors do not utilize any drugs or surgery and instead focus on assessing and adjusting your spine and surrounding tissues. Ensuring proper movement and function of the vertebrae (bones) of the spine is very important because the spinal cord runs within your spine. The spinal cord and the brain make up your central nervous system (CNS) which is the system that controls the function of your entire body. The nerves that control and communicate with the tissues and organs of the body exit the spinal column between each level of the spine.
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Every day we are bombarded with physical, chemical, and emotional stressors. The body can adapt to these stressors but if they are major enough or last for long enough, the body fatigues and dysfunction can occur. Historically chiropractors believed that a bone had moved out of place and was putting pressure on a nerve. According to the most up to date research, this is not actually what is occurring. When a joint gets stiff or stuck (segmental dysfunction), it causes increased stress and strain on the surrounding tissues. This increased strain can cause the spinal nerves to misfire and affects communication between your body and your brain. More specifically, it decreases the mechanoreception (how your brain senses position and movement) and increases nociception (pain sensation). Think of it like when you are on the phone with a weak signal and are only hearing part of what the other person is saying. To make up for this “static”, the body starts recruiting bigger muscles to help stabilize the spine which can lead to more widespread dysfunction in the body.
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Whether someone is seeing a chiropractor for pain, prevention, or performance, we treat by finding these areas of the spine that are not working and moving properly and perform a chiropractic adjustment using our hands or a tool to provide an impulse into the area to overcome the restriction and restore normal function to the segment and therefore restore optimal communication between the body and brain. The surrounding soft tissues are also frequently treated in order to restore normal function.
Pain, Prevention, Performance
People come to see a chiropractor for a many different reasons. These reasons can typically be broken down into three different categories: pain, prevention, and performance.
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People often start to see a chiropractor due to pain or a problem of some sort. Some of the more frequent reasons adults start going to the chiropractor are back pain, neck pain, headaches, pain during pregnancy, fatigue, or high levels of stress. Frequent concerns that we see in children include ear infections, sleep issues, bed wetting, colic, concentration and focus issues, sensory processing issues, and digestive problems. Chiropractic has been found to be a safe and effective treatment for these conditions and many others!
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Once feeling better, many people continue to see a chiropractor to keep feeling better and prevent the issue from returning. Most people also find that they perform better when getting adjusted regularly. How well your body is functioning influences everything you do. Performing better in everyday life means that you'll be able to do the things you enjoy doing more effectively and with less stress.
Specializations
Dr. Tessa has worked hard to make sure she is trained in a wide variety of techniques and disciplines to make sure that she has something to offer to every patient that comes through the door.
Pediatric Care
Chiropractic care can help with many common childhood concerns such as digestive issues, colic, ear infections, bed wetting, and more! Dr. Tessa loves working with babies and kids of all ages. She has completed further training with the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) and Intersect4Life to be able to provide the best care possible to the little ones in your life.
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Cranial Work
The skull is made up of several different bones that are supposed to gently move. This movement is part of the respiratory pump and helps cerebrospinal fluid move through the system. Cranial work is gentle manual treatment that strives to normalized movement of the cranial bones.
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Pregnancy Care
Pregnancy is a time of immense change in your body. Frequently there is significant discomfort and pain involved in the process but there does not have to be.
Dr. Tessa is certified in Webster Protocol through the ICPA This is a technique that allows chiropractors to safely and gently work with women to keep them healthy and comfortable during pregnancy and labor.
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Dr. Tessa has also done further training with Birthfit, Spinning Babies, and Lori Hendrickson to help you feel great throughout your pregnancy!
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Extremity Adjusting
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Dr. Tessa has received extensive further training in adjusting the joints of the extremities. This means she is able to assess and treat everything from your head to your toes!
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Dry Needling
Dry needling involves inserting a very tiny microfilament needle into symptomatic tissues with the intent to reduce pain, increase circulation, and improve function of the neuromusculoskeletal system. These needles are small enough that little to no discomfort is felt in the process and they are great for alleviating pain, improving muscle function, and kick-starting the healing process.
Dr. Tessa has received training through Integrative Dry Needling (IDN) who provided the most up to date and neurologically focused dry needling education.
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Soft Tissue Care
In order to truly heal, is very important to look at each person as a whole. This means that on top of chiropractic care, Dr. Tessa often assesses and treats the surrounding muscle and fascia. She is certified in Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) and Functional Movement Taping (FMT) through RockTape.