Chiropractic Care

Our Approach

The philosophy and science of chiropractic revolves around the
nervous system. Your nervous system controls and coordinates every single function in your body! It controls all of your systems: respiratory, digestive, hormonal, immune, even organ function and muscle contractions. It also activates proper chemicals for cellular function and tissue repair. Without our nervous system, nothing would happen! Any aspect of health can be diminished by nerve interference.

What Does a Chiropractor do?

Chiropractors are experts in detecting areas of nerve irritation throughout your body. An impaired nervous system results in dysfunction. This is where the disease process begins. We start by meeting with you and learning a detailed history. You will then go through a complete neuromuscular evaluation. Our treatment focuses on removing irritation from the nervous system. The bones of the spine house and protect your spinal cord, which is an extension of your brain. The spinal cord carries information from your brain to body and back to the brain again. Misalignments in the spine and other joints, called subluxations, create nerve interference. Chiropractors work with your body to remove the nerve irritation and restore proper alignment and function. We do this primarily through the use of specific Chiropractic adjustments.

 

Pediatric Care

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Common Conditions
Irritation to a young person's nervous system can begin in-utero. The baby's position in-utero and during delivery (natural or cesarean) can create stress on their nervous system. Even a "normal, healthy" birth can induce 40-50 pounds of pressure on a newborn's neck and spine. Some of the symptoms to watch for include:

• Ear infections
• Colic
• Sleep disturbances
• Tilted head position
• Difficulty breast-feeding
• Reflux
• Constipation or Diarrhea

Any bumps and falls can also create joint dysfunction and nerve irritation to a young person during the developmental years. This may present as:

• Headaches
• Growing pains
• Osgood-Schlatter's (Jumper's knee)
• Difficulty sleeping
•  Bed-wetting
• Difficulty concentrating or staying focused
•  Stomach aches, heartburn, or indigestion
• Sports injuries
• Skin Disorders
• Asthma
• Allergies

Gentle Chiropractic care not only removes this nerve interference, but also stimulates the immune system while enhancing your child's overall health. We use a combination of adjusting techniques, cranial-sacral therapy, myofascial release, soft tissue techniques and stretching to enhance your child's health and well-being. Our evaluations also include looking at nutrition and exercise as fun ways to be healthy and have energy.
The following links below give information on symptoms and list things you can do at home.

Ear Infections
Colic
Difficulty Breastfeeding
Reflux
Fever
Thrust

External Reference Links:
International Chiropractic Pediatric Association have go to (www.icpa4kids.com)
National Vaccine Information Center  (http://www.nvic.org )
Upledger Cranial-Sacral Therapy (http://www.upledger.com)

 

Prenatal Care

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Our Approach
Our approach includes hands on therapies and education, which help the woman adapt to the changes her body goes through during pregnancy. Structural changes and associated symptoms which may occur during pregnancy include: increased curve of the low back, changes in center of gravity, alteration of gait and "flattening" of feet, increased laxity in joints (especially pelvis and low back), mid-back pain related to increased breast size and postural changes, hip pain, pain when rising from a seated/lying position, and sciatica.

Optimal uterine position is ideal for preventing in-utero constraint on the growing fetus and for safer, easier labor and deliveries. If all the uterine ligaments are not in balance as uterus expands, it can tilt or tip causing the cervix to be mis-aligned with the center of the vaginal canal. This can present itself in the following ways:

• Groin and/or anterior thigh pain, which may cause women to have to "take a break" from walking or activity
• Abnormal pressure on the cervix causing pre-mature labor (with bed-rest, the uterus drops back and contractions stop)
• Tipped uterus, which presents as lower abdominal pressure and cramping during pregnancy (if the uteruine ligaments are not balanced, back pain during labor and delivery may occur)
• Maternal rib pain or hip pain

The muscles of the pelvic floor are key stabilization muscles creating core strength. During pregnancy their role is increased due to the increased stress of carrying the baby. It is extremely important for the pelvic floor muscles to be balanced throughout the pregnancy. If the piriformis muscles are too tight bilaterally, the mother will complain of a tight band of pain across her low back. If only one side is tight, sciatic nerve pain may occur on the opposite side. She may complain of pubic bone pain, cramping above the pubic area, and possibly difficult urination when the pelvic floor muscles are not balanced.

Through our hands-on approach, we work to restore balance to the women's ever-changing structures. Using a variety of low-force adjusting techniques, we help restore and maintain normal motion in the joints throughout the spine and pelvis. This removes any nerve irritation or interference that may be occurring as the mother's body adapts to her growing baby. We also use a combination of myofascial release, cranial-sacral therapy, soft tissue techniques, and stretches to further support and balance the involved ligaments and muscles.

A wide variety of presentations walk into our office. Most commonly, we work with: low back and groin pain related to pregnancy, sciatica, heartburn, carpal tunnel presentation, headaches, hip pain, difficulty with gait and associated foot/ankle pain, mid-back pain/stiffness. We are trained in the Webster Technique for helping breech babies turn on their own. This is done by restoring balance to the structures mentioned above. Helping the uterus be in proper position give the baby the best chance he/she needs to position on its own, assuming that no other conditions such as a shortened cord, a disposition placenta, etc. are present.

Chiropractic care before and during pregnancy is an essential element of our pre-natal care choices. Obstetrical texts report that difficult labors are caused by pelvic imbalances and it's resulting effects on your uterus and the baby's position. Care at Heartland Chiropractic and Wellness Center restores balance to your pelvic muscles and ligaments which leads to easier births with fewer interventions such as pitocin, forceps, vacuum extractions and cesarean sections. Chiropractic adjustments not only reduce physical aches and pains, they remove interference on your nervous system allowing your uterus to function at maximal potential, and your baby to get into an optimal position for birth. This supports safer and more satisfying labor and deliveries.

Webster Technique

Dr. Valerie Skow is certified in the Webster Technique, which is commonly utilized when in-utero position presents as breech or transverse.

This comfortable chiropractic technique helps to correct sacral misalignment, balance pelvic muscles and ligaments which in turn removes torsion to the woman's uterus, its resulting constraint to the baby, and allows the baby to get into the best possible position for birth. 

 

Care for Athletes

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Exercise is a key component of a healthy lifestyle. Aches and pains, as well as weak or "sluggish" muscles can impede your performance. Inadequate nutrition and hydration, overuse, improper biomechanics, and muscle imbalance all contribute to these symptoms. Joint dysfunction in the spine and extremities causes nerve irritation, which also affects muscle function and overall performance.

At Heartland Chiropractic and Wellness Center, we have a variety of treatment options to address these concerns, including:

• Chiropractic Care
• Myofascial Release Therapy
• Massage
• Nutritional Recommendation

Whether you are a recreational or professional athlete, our comprehensive treatment approach cannot only help prevent injury, but enhance your overall performance and training program.