Dr. Amber Kenmuir, Chiropractor
Helping people feel better through specific, personalized chiropractic care.
Methods of Adjusting the Spine
There are many ways to adjust the spine and not all of them involve using the hand to manually adjust. I use a combination of manual and instrument adjusting, as I assess your spine, to determine where corrections are needed and which adjustments are the best fit for you. An advantage to instrument adjusting is that the amount of force applied can be controlled, meaning the adjustments are safe for patients of any age.
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During the initial exam, or at any point during care, if serious pathology is expected then x-rays may be requested to determine what is going on and if any change to your treatment plan is needed.
Activator
Activator is a method of assessing the full spine where adjustments are done using a spring-loaded instrument that has various fixed-load settings available. The ability to change the amount of force being applied during the adjustment means that this method is safe yet effective for people of all ages.
Drop Table
I also use a Drop Table to help with adjusting a patient's pelvis. The Drop Table has a section that pops up about 1/2" that drops back down when pushed on. The drop allows gentle yet effective adjustments of the pelvis that are safe for patients of all ages as the amount of force required for the drop is adjusted to each specific patient and their individual needs.
FAQ and Information for Patients
FAQ
What happens during a first appointment?
During your first appointment we will discuss your history, what is going on, what may have happened in the past that could contribute to your current symptoms, and other similar questions. I then perform a full evaluation where I assess sensory responses, muscle strength, and various testing to help me determine what is going on. I will go through all the results with you, and then we will perform your first adjustment!
If I start coming, do I have to keep coming for the rest of my life?
Like anything we do to stay healthy, regular visits are recommended. Correcting the spine is like correcting crooked teeth. An orthodontist will place brackets and wires on our teeth and initially we will see him often as he adjusts various aspects of our braces to ensure our teeth straighten out properly. Over time, as our teeth become more straight, we see our orthodontist less and less. Once our braces come off, we are given a retainer and told to wear it regularly to help keep our teeth nice and straight. If we don't wear our retainer, over time our teeth start to become crooked again. The same thing happens to the spine. Initially appointments are more frequent as we correct your spine and get it into ideal configuration. Over time we see you less and less but we do recommend regular checks to ensure mental, emotional, and physical stresses aren't causing misalignment. Ideally we have patients come back monthly or ever couple months but some people only come back every six months or so. It is individual for each person and is assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Can you fix everyone?
Unfortunately, no. While I can help people feel better about 80% of the time, there are some things that I cannot fix. Sometimes I need to refer a patient for concurrent care with a physiotherapist, acupuncturist, or massage therapist. Sometimes there are other things going on that require medical intervention. I do my best but if I cannot help you, I try to find something or someone that will help.