We see the body as a self-healing biological system that when placed in the ideal environment will return itself to a state of health and well-being. The problem is that our environment is far from ideal. Stress, poor diet, lack of hydration, physical injuries, an inactive lifestyle, and lack of social connection to a community can all hinder a body’s ability to heal and adapt to its environment. We call all negative environmental factors: traumas. When traumas occur, the body cannot function optimally. When the body can function optimally, progress towards health is inevitable.

Chiropractic examinations are designed to assess the physical and neurological systems of the body and find areas where there is loss of function; primarily in the axial skeleton (head, neck, back, pelvis). As traumas accumulate throughout life, our bodies adapt and do its’ best to accommodate, however there are limitations to our body’s self-healing capacity. The goal of chiropractic treatment is to peel back the layers of accumulated trauma though physical methods, and intentionally restore the body’s self-healing nature.

At Thrive Health patients frequently receive adjustments, however we place focus on progress and the health goals set by the doctor and patient on the journey of health. Not everyone needs to be adjusted each visit, nor should patients come expecting that they are going to get their back or neck “cracked” or “popped”. The sound that happens is just gas bubbles forming and collapsing within your joints. At Thrive Health we are trained in techniques and methods that don’t create any cavitation or sound, nor put the patient in any twisted or uncomfortable positions. We focus on the restoration of proper structure and through that, the restoration of proper function. Patients should expect that they will receive what their body needs in that moment, and they will leave further along on their journey of health.

Hopefully so, and we want to keep you that way! But pain is a poor indicator for loss of function; all pain shows loss of proper function, but not all losses in function create pain. If you went to the dentist only when you had a tooth-ache, that wouldn’t bode well for the health of your teeth. By waiting until pain has set in, damage will have already been done.

It completely depends on the individual. Those with longer-lasting and more complex issues, often require more care in order for function to return to its peak potential. We create care plans for our patients that are specific, and tailor-made for each individual taking into account their personal history, traumas, and complaints. Our blanket recommendation is that every person should come into the office four times a year, regardless of how you feel. By doing the bare minimum you can at least keep tabs on your progress and ideally stay on top of any unnoticed losses of function.

Chiropractic is incredibly safe. When compared to other common methods of treatment for pain, chiropractic consistently has lower numbers of serious side-effects or adverse events (1)  (2). As for stroke, a meta-analysis of the literature on stroke and chiropractic found no causation, or that in patients that had a stroke, chiropractic wasn’t found to cause the stroke (3). Doctors of Chiropractic are trained similarly to medical doctors and osteopaths (4), and can order necessary specialized testing and imaging to help find the root cause of your symptoms. We take pride in maintaining a reputation that patient health is paramount, and we value the trust our patients put in us.

Our belief is that chiropractic is underutilized as a method of healthcare. Chiropractic is used heavily for back pain, and to a lesser extent, headaches. Because of that, the general population has begun to see chiropractors as an expensive bottle of pain-relievers. We believe that chiropractic-driven healthcare and having a focus on the restoration of function within the body is paramount. With chronic diseases ravaging our country, our vision for preventative and restorative functional care not only has a niche in the healthcare world, but a figurative crevasse where doctors of chiropractic and functional medical doctors can fill the necessary void.

There is a time and place for everything. We at Thrive Health are focused on restoration of function within the body through the restoration of proper structure. By accessing the spine we can affect the nervous system, and ideally restore structure to "default settings". When that happens, people can achieve a level of health closer to their peak potential.  If “thriving” in health is currently unrealistic, or a patient is at risk of not surviving they should not be in our office. If we find something that is beyond our reasonable scope and means of treatment we will refer you and help you find the best care, whether that is emergency care or a secondary- or tertiary-level specialist.