Getting to the Core

Written by Joseph M. Zappala D.C | 15 June 2010


When you hear the word chiropractor, it usually conjures up some pre-conceived notions and ideas. Back jockey, bone crusher, to name a few. Not all chiropractors practice the same way or use the same techniques or have the same philosophy. At South West Health, our philosophy is to perform an assessment to determine the root cause or core of your particular health issue. Once we have identified the cause, then we  put together a plan to bring resolution to the problem quickly and efficiently.

 

We see all types of injuries that range from elbow injuries to herniated discs and everything in between. In the case of lower back pain, it is very important to assess a patient functionally as well as statically which is why we use a variety of assessment tools when evaluating a patient. These tools include orthopedic testing, to help isolate the injured structure, neurological testing such as reflexes to determine the relative health of the nerves and x-rays to establish whether the patient is a candidate for chiropractic care. Most importantly, the patient is taken through a functional evaluation to see if they have the stability in their spine that is necessary to protect it.

 

This functional evaluation usually uncovers several things that help us determine how we are going to manage a particular case.

  • weakness in care stabilizers
  • imbalance in core stabilizers
  • deactivated core muscles

among many other things.

 

A big part of our management of low back pain is the exercise prescription that accompanies the treatment that the patient receives. The treatment may be acupuncture, chiropractic care, massage therapy or any combination of those. The exercises start with core stabilization and build up to dynamic stability. The exercise prescription is based on a series of tests and results in a customized set of exercises that are given. The exercises are like building blocks in that the first set is the foundation for future prescriptions. This type of treatment results in a strong, fit core that will enable our patients to return to an active healthy lifestyle and prevent reoccurrence of low back pain.

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Joseph M. Zappala D.C - Publisher

Dr. Zappala has been a chiropractor for the last 24 years and specializes in the treatment of sports injuries, especially those related to the golf swing. He treats athletes from all sports including gymnastics, dance, tennis, baseball, football, basketball and hockey. As a former athlete, Dr. Zappala understands the functional connection between what he does as a chiropractor and how an athlete performs at his or her sport. He performs his assessments and prescribes treatment based in relieving pain and restoring function to the injured area. This often leads to increased performance and decrease in the recurrence of injuries. He preaches active care to all of his patients whether they are athletes or just aspiring to be. "Use it or lose it" 

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