Information for Medical Practitioners

The chiropractors at Lehigh Valley Chiropractic serve their patients by providing conservative management strategies with an integrative approach. We make every effort to collaborate with medical providers in order to offer the best possible therapeutic experience for each patient.

What are the types of treatments available to patients?

• There are many treatment strategies that are employed as a part of a management plan for the patients at Lehigh Valley Chiropractic. Manual therapies offered include manipulation, mobilization, soft tissue techniques (including Active Release Technique®), and distractive manipulation. Nutritional therapeutics including weight management and nutritional counseling are also available. Additionally, biofeedback is offered to our patients.

What is manipulation?

• Manipulation (also referred to as a chiropractic adjustment) is often used when a patient presents with a painful joint that is not moving properly; this is commonly referred to as joint fixation. In this type of manual therapy, a joint is moved beyond a passive range of motion with the goal of restoring proper motion, decreasing tenderness in the soft tissue surrounding the joint, increasing function and decreasing pain. There are many techniques used when performing manipulation. Often, with this type of treatment, you will hear a cavitation which is a slight popping noise. This is a benign release of a gas within the joint as it is moved through a rapid range of motion.

Is spinal manipulation safe?

• For most patients, spinal manipulation is a very safe and effective method of pain relief. However, like any therapeutic intervention, there is the potential for an adverse event to occur. Every effort is made to determine whether or not a patient will respond well to manipulation before a trial of care. The most common side-effect of manipulation is transient local soreness. Although the likelihood of serious complications such as fracture, vertebral basilar artery (VBA) injury and cauda equina syndrome are relatively small, patients are screened for contraindications such as infection, acute fracture or dislocation, malignancy, progressive neurologic deficit and osteoporosis in order to further minimize the risk. You may be interested in the latest report with regard to manipulation and stroke in the February 2009 issue of Spine. The authors of the article reached the following conclusion: VBA stroke is a very rare event in the population. The increased risks of VBA stroke associated with chiropractic and PCP visits is likely due to patients with headache and neck pain from VBA dissection seeking care before their stroke. We found no evidence of excess risk of VBA stroke associated chiropractic care compared to primary care (Cassidy, 2009).

What is Active Release Technique?

• Active Release Technique (ART) is a soft tissue technique that involves a gentle yet firm contact to a painful or injured tissue while it is moved either actively or passively through its full range of motion. There are specific protocols for muscle, fascia, many of body’s ligaments, and nerves designed to decrease pain and improve function. Conditions that commonly respond to ART include headache, back pain, neck pain, carpal tunnel, shoulder pain, knee pain, plantar fasciitis, and tennis elbow. Athletes and performing artists (dancer, actors, instrumentalists and singers) often perform repetitive movements which make them prone to muscle imbalances and repetitive stress injuries. ART is a unique system of treatment that provides for optimum performance whether on the field or center stage.

What types of patient conditions tend to respond well to chiropractic care?

• Consider referring patients with (non-surgical) spinal conditions including:
• Stenosis
• Facet syndrome
• Sacroiliac pain
• Sprain/Strain
• Disc related pain
• Stable radiculopathy
• Myofascial pain
• Costochondritis
• Coccydynia
• Cervicogenic Headache
• Pregnancy related spinal pain
• Non-specific spinal pain.
• Consider referring patients who suffer from
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Medial and lateral epicondylitis
• Thoracic outlet syndrome
• Temporomandibular joint dysfunction
• Facial pain
• Plantar fasciitis
• Headaches
• Neurally Mediated Hypotension
• Upper extremity musculoskeletal pain
• Lower extremity musculoskeletal pain

What types of patient conditions tend to respond well to nutritional counseling?

• Consider referring patients with the following conditions
• Overweight
• Obesity
• Metabolic Syndrome
• Dyslipidemia
• Cholesterol imbalance 
• Pregnancy
• Hypertension
• Reactive Hypoglycemia
• Celiac Disease
• Polycystic ovarian disease
• Food Intolerances
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

How many treatments will a patient need before they notice results?

• It is difficult to predict the number of visits that will enable patients to achieve their health care goal. Some patients may respond to care within a few treatment sessions, while others may require a higher number of visits and a longer duration of care. We make every effort to release patients as quickly as possible, and we encourage them to employ lifestyle strategies that will enable independent management of their condition.

What type of training do Doctors of Chiropractic receive?

• Doctors of Chiropractic often hold a bachelor’s degree in a science related field and must complete a pre-chiropractic program before applying to Chiropractic College. Standard chiropractic education is typically 4-5 years of intense graduate level academic and clinical training. Students are required to pass 4 national board exams and a physiotherapy exam prior to licensure. Chiropractors are licensed in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and in countries worldwide.

What types of additional training have the chiropractors at LVC received?

• Dr. Scott Bentson holds a M.S. (Masters of Science) degree from New Jersey Institute of Technology in Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Kristen Bentson holds a M.S. in Human Nutrition from the University of Bridgeport and has biofeedback training from Widener University. Drs. Scott and Kristen Bentson are additionally certified in Active Release Technique®.

How can I contact the doctors at Lehigh Valley Chiropractic?

• Please feel free to contact the doctors at Lehigh Valley Chiropractic. We welcome any questions and look forward to working with you.

References:

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