Your First Visit
We know that it can be overwhelming or intimidating to go to any new doctor’s office for the first time. From the first moment you enter our Plymouth chiropractic office we have tried to create a fun and loving atmosphere. Many of our first time patients have commented how at ease they felt from not only the environment we have created but also how their questions and concerns about Chiropractic were addressed. It is an opportunity for you to meet with us, find out what we do to help people, and to get a feel if our MN office is a good fit for you. It is a time for us to find out exactly what your health concerns are and determine what we can do to help you.
Subluxation Station
So how do we determine if we can help you? In addition to discussing your specific health concerns, we use state-of-the-art technology to detect and pinpoint abnormal function in the spine, which causes nerve system disturbance. The standard tests include SEMG – which measures the amount of electrical current in the muscles, and thermography – skin temperature along the spine. These tests are described in more detail below.
Surface Electromyograpy (SEMG Scan)
Your muscles are controlled by nerves. The SEMG measures how well the motor nerves are working by reading the amount of current found in the muscles. Subluxations (misalignments) disturb the function of the nerve causing an abnormal amount of electrical current flowing to your muscles (indicated by colors and/or abnormal patterns).
Muscle Balance (Symmetry)
In addition to measuring how well the motor nerves are working, the SEMG also determines muscle balance, which is extremely important because the vertebrae in the spine depend on the muscles to move properly. If one or more vertebrae are out of their normal position, it disturbs nerve function. This disturbance creates muscle imbalance caused by an abnormal amount of electrical current in the muscles on either side of the spine. As a result of this disturbance, the muscles can become weaker or stronger, tighter, or fatigued. The abnormal muscle pattern on the scan reveals an increased amount of tension/pull on one side compared to the other (similar to a tug-of-war).
Thermal Scan (Measures Temperature Differences)
If your body temperature is 98.6 degrees, then the left and right sides of your spine should also be at the same temperature. Your skin is the largest organ of the body and the blood vessels under the skin work as the body’s thermostat. (They expand and release heat and contract to retain heat controlling the body’s temperature.) When the communication between the Nervous System and the blood vessels is disturbed, it causes the body’s thermostat to malfunction producing an imbalanced temperature reading along the spine. These blood vessels are controlled by the same part of the Central Nervous System that runs your organs and glands, known as the autonomic system. This thermal scan provides us with information to monitor the autonomic system for proper function.
And The Results Are…
If the SEMG and thermal scan detect areas of nerve disturbance, our next step will be to take x-rays, which provide us with information to determine the condition of your spine and how to specifically correct it. Exceptions to x-ray include our pregnant patients and young children. We only take full spine x-rays in our office which are unique in that they allow us to see the entire spine on one film. This not only allows us to see the position of each individual spinal bone, but also gives us an overall view of your spine that helps us to achieve optimal correction.
Following Your First Visit
Your first visit to our office is all about gathering information. Following your first visit we analyze your x-rays, compare them with your SEMG and thermal scans, review your history, and put all this information together to determine the appropriate chiropractic care for you. We will go over this information in detail on your next visit.
