Chiropractic Approach
Chiropractic is a regulated primary healthcare profession focused on diagnosing and treating mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, particularly the spinal column. These disorders can disrupt nerve function, affecting both muscles and organs. At Healthy Roots, we use a variety of techniques to reduce pain, improve function, and enhance mobility.
There is an emphasis on manual treatments including spinal adjustment and other joint and soft-tissue manipulation.
Chiropractors specifically offer a hands-on approach, their work is not just limited to the spine. Chiropractors also work with all of the joints and soft tissues of the body. Improving the function of your spine and nervous system can offer help for a wide range of conditions that can negatively be affecting your health.
Adjusting the spine removes restrictions, reducing pain and discomfort and increasing mobility, letting the body’s functions return to normal, working with the bodies natural ability to heal itself by freeing the central nervous system, without the need for pills, drugs or surgery.
As well as taking into account what your diagnosis is, we also have to consider other factors, like, age, how long you have had the problem, health and fitness levels, lifestyle factors and of course your goals from treatment.
I use a range of techniques to ease muscles and joints, realigning the spine and neck and improving the function of the nervous system.
Why choose Healthy Roots Chiropractic?
My gentle and whole-body approach to Chiropractic makes me stand out from the rest. I listen and work with my patients to get a better understanding of their symptoms and the underlying cause to prevent the symptoms from causing problems again in the future.
I am always on-hand to answer any patient questions or queries.
Chiropractic treatment is a holistic and natural approach to healthcare that really works. I offer several chiropractic services to ensure we are approachable for all patients of all ages and conditions.
Start your journey on the road to recovery and optimum health today.
What is McTimoney chiropractic?
The McTimoney technique was developed over 50 years ago and is taught exclusively at the McTimoney College of Chiropractic in Oxford where I trained.
The McTimoney method is most known for it’s gentle nature, meaning it is suitable for patients of all ages – whether you’re a growing child or an active senior!
How does McTimoney work?
The McTimoney technique uses fast and light adjustments to the wings of your ‘vertebrae‘ to realign your spinal column.
McTimoney Chiropractic can help…
Back pain
Neck and shoulder pain
Migraines and headaches
Sports injuries
Arthritic pain
What is diversified chiropractic?
The Diversified technique (also known as the classic chiropractic technique) is the most prominently used and recognised method of chiropractic treatment and is taught in all chiropractic colleges.
As the name suggests, this technique can be used to treat many of the joints in the body. It was designed to restore normal joint and neurological function to the area that is being addressed. With this restored function comes pain relief and a decrease in your symptoms.
How does diversified chiropractic work?
No instruments are used in this adjusting procedure. The Diversified manipulation/adjustment is delivered by using high-velocity and low-amplitude thrusts which are done by using the hand and often with assistance from the adjustment table. Full body assessments and case histories are used in analysis and diagnosis.
This hands-on technique gives a deeper adjustment and results in a cavitation of the joint – this just means when we give the quick and shallow thrusts, they cause the ‘popping noise’ which is commonly associated with chiropractic treatment.
What is Advanced Biostructural Correction (ABC) ?
Chiropractic traditionally uses a high velocity (fast), low amplitude (short lever) thrust to the spine or joints to provide the adjustment. ABC™ uses a low velocity (slow), high amplitude (long lever) manipulation to correct bone alignment. Traditional chiropractic is mostly done while face down, face up or on your side while lying on the treatment couch. ABC™ is carried out mostly while standing against the wall while some of it is done using the couch.
Whilst it is true that your body has a range of corrective and protective mechanisms built into it, over time it can accrue gradual misalignment and tension.
The aim of an ABC™ practitioner is to “unwind” your body back through these problem areas and “unlock” each area of tension and injury until it’s completely erased.
They do this by only correcting (adjusting) the bones which go out of place in directions that the body cannot self-correct (because it doesn’t have any muscles or combination of muscles that can do so).
Often, our muscles can pull the bone back into place. But when our muscles cannot correct the misalignment, the bone remains stuck and you feel a painful muscle spasm, inflammation, ache or joint pain.
The site of the misalignment is now unstable and your body has to compensate by levering, twisting and shifting your body to take the stress off that area.
This causes pain and other symptoms in different parts of your body and also makes your posture and movements look unnatural.
The conditions are then set for further misalignments to occur.
As a result, as time passes, you suffer more misalignments which layer upon each other, resulting in greater stress and damage to your body.
Accumulated layers of misalignments result in a huge variety of secondary problems.
Your bones, joints, muscles and connective tissues become stressed under the twisting and compression load resulting in pain, inflammation and wear.
Your chest collapses onto your lungs and heart, affecting your breathing and circulation. You also slouch and compress into your abdomen which affects your digestion and gut motility.
Your brain and nerves become stretched and cause issues such as brain fog, nerve pain, sciatica, numbness and weakness.
All these effects happen because everything is attached to your skeleton and it works as a single, functional unit. This means that misalignments instantly affect the entire body.
Thankfully, it also means that correcting misalignments also instantly improves the entire body too.
Misalignments of the spine worsen your posture and balance by making your body fall forward and slouch.
You then have to hold your head and body up which causes muscle aches and pain. You also automatically twist to help compensate. This results in uneven shoulders and pelvis and is the cause of most cases of scoliosis.
Correcting enough misalignments straightens your body and helps it to untwist to reverse your condition and eliminate your aches, pains and other symptoms.
The aim of each ABC protocol visit is to get your body effortlessly upright and balanced. Your body then relaxes in a way that cannot be achieved with any other method and enables it to untwist and unlock further layers of misalignments.
How does ABC work?
During your visit, we use a simple but accurate test to locate the exact bones that need correcting.
We then start by loosening up the twist in your spine where the misalignments are locked up by using spinal stretches called meningeal releases.
Meningeal releases are unique to ABC and they often give instant relief to many symptoms.
We then correct specific misalignments in the entire body. Knowing what to correct and what to leave alone is another unique property of the ABC protocol.
This leaves you upright, bright, alert and happy since your body is aligned well enough to stay balanced without any effort.
We also provide one on one ergonomic training and advice that keeps you well between visits and helps your body untwist and release deeper layers of misalignments.
For most people, significant relief can be experienced in just a matter of days or weeks.
People with serious and chronic conditions can take longer to resolve as their bodies usually become incredibly stiff and locked up.
Consultation Process
The Initial Appointment
Your initial appointment will take about 45-60 minutes. At this appointment, I will take a full medical history, will ask you questions about your presenting conditions and will examine you thoroughly with orthopaedic and neurological tests in order to properly diagnose your condition as well as understand your general health and wellbeing. I will then carefully review the findings.
Results Meeting
At your second appointment, I will fully explain my findings to you, I will review your results and make my recommendations for treatment options. At this point, you will understand what I have found, how long I think the treatment will take, what your expectations for recovery should be, how many sessions you might need, what type of care, as well as how much the treatment will cost.
Start your treatment
Your treatment plan will be tailored to you as an individual. As well as taking into account what your diagnosis is, I consider all factors like, age, how long you have had the problem, health and fitness levels, lifestyle factors and of course your goals from treatment.
Treatment can be started straight after the results meeting, time permitting or another time can be arranged. Treatments usually take around 40 to 60 minutes and patients do not usually need to get undressed.
All treatment plans are patient-centred, tailored to the individual and most patients report enjoying their treatment sessions.
Phases of Care
Intensive Relief Phase
This initial phase of care is focused on decreasing your pain and discomfort.
You will work with me to reboot and restore the brain-to-body connection with Chiropractic adjustments and/ or mobilisations. It is the intensity of this part of the program that helps you to improve as quickly as possible.
Rehabilitate & Restore Phase
This phase of the care plan continues on from the initial phase. The intensity of the chiropractic treatment can be reduced now as the body starts to function better and improve with the changes. At this point myofascial care will be introduced. This may include chiropractic-led massage therapy and the introduction of postural and spinal stabilisation exercises to achieve longer-lasting results.
Support & Stabilise Phase
In this phase of your care your spine will be stabilising, and you will be well on your way to better health. You will feel more at ease in your own body having gained better control and being more in harmony with yourself. You will probably notice other benefits related to your overall health and posture which could result with the promotion of better sleep, healthier digestion, higher energy levels, improved co-ordination etc.
Maintenance & Wellbeing Phase
Your health affects everything you do and everyone you know. Your health is the best investment you can make. Once your body has had a chance to heal, many people want to keep it that way. Continuing into wellness care means having periodic maintenance adjustments and/ or massage therapy to help prevent relapse and enable your body to function at its optimum.