DIVERSIFIED & GONSTEAD
Diversified and Gonstead are techniques that generally result in a popping sound as the chiropractor makes a manual adjustment to correct misaligned or irritated spinal segments in the spinal column and are the most widely used forms of manipulation our Darwin Chiropractors utilise. Our Chiropractors are particularity focused and experienced in the delivery of safe and effective manual adjustments.
THOMPSON DROP PIECE
The Thompson Drop Table is a special adjusting table with a pneumatically driven, drop system which quickly lowers the section of the patient’s body corresponding with the spinal region being adjusted.
Your practitioner utilises a quick low force thrust to the spine, even though the thrust is small it only has to initiate the movement of the joint as the fast drop piece carries the joint through the remainder of its range of motion automatically. This technique does not commonly create an audible popping noise.
FLEXION-DISTRACTION (COX TECHNIQUE)
Cox Technic is a Chiropractor controlled, hands-on spinal manipulation performed with the patient lying on “The Cox Table”, a specially designed chiropractic instrument. This table permits the effective administration of flexion-distraction and decompression.
Our Chiropractors in Darwin commonly use this technique with patients who are in too much pain for other manual methods or for people who a looking for a non thrust non “cracking” technique within chiropractic.
Cox Technic is appropriate for conditions causing low back and leg pain as well as neck and arm pain.
SOT AND CRANIAL TECHNIQUES
Sacro Occipital Technique (SOT) is another gentle technique of Chiropractic. It is so named because of the relationship between the Sacrum (base of the spine) and the Occiput (base of the skull) and the circulation of the cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) around the brain and spinal cord.
SOT focuses on the treatment of pelvic distortion which is important as the pelvis supports the upper body and transfers our weight down our legs. It also focuses on the skull, as improper rhythmic motion of the cranial system can lead to an imbalance in the flow of cerebro-spinal fluid around the brain and spinal cord.
S.O.T. employs the use of wedge shaped blocks to allow the body to seek its correct alignment and balance. There are many combinations of block positions used, and these are determined by tests that precede each adjustment.
Treatment to the skull is a specialist field in Chiropractic which deals with the micro motion of the cranial vault (skull), its distortions and ultimately the effect it has on normal cerebro-spinal fluid flow and the nervous system. This is commonly performed within chiropractic for the treatment of babies.
ACTIVATOR
An Activator is a handheld spring-loaded instrument that delivers a consistent low-force, high-speed thrust and is one of the most popular “low force” Chiropractic techniques around.
The Activator Method was originally developed in the late 1960′s in response to the need for a low force, specific way to adjust patients who had undergone recent trauma, or had complicating factors such as osteoporosis or arthritic degeneration.
It is also very useful in the treatment of the elderly, small children and babies plus for patients who are uncomfortable with more manual techniques. In addition due to its precision it is also a very useful in the treatment of the smaller joints of the upper and lower limb.
Dry Needling
The origin of the term “dry needling” is attributed to Janet Travell, M.D. In her very famous book, Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: Trigger Point Manual. Which even though was released in 1984, was being heavily researched by Dr. Travell in the 1940’s.
Dr. Travell was utilizing needles thicker than those commonly used in traditional acupuncture to target trigger points, hyper-irritable regions of muscle activity. These trigger points commonly were the cause of some patients pain and the stimulation of the point by a needle caused the pain to diminish with repeated needling.
Dry needling for the treatment of trigger points is based on theories similar, but not exclusive, to traditional acupuncture; however, dry needling targets the trigger points, which is the direct and palpable source of patient pain, rather than the traditional “meridians”, accessed via acupuncture. The distinction between trigger points and acupuncture points for the relief of pain is blurred.