What To Expect
A very popular COMPLEMENTARY service (if needed) the doctors offer is a 10 minute PHONE consultation at NO CHARGE with any potential new patient that would like to have certain questions answered prior to scheduling an initial evaluation appointment. This is a great way to see if any of our services can help with your specific health concern and if you are a good fit for our office.
WHAT TO EXPECT WITH UPPER CERVICAL CHIROPRACTIC (i.e. NUCCA)
Upper cervical chiropractic care is like building a house – certain things have to happen in a particular order in order for everything to stand strong and work correctly. When building a house, if you tried to put up your walls or your roof before you had a solid foundation, your walls and roof would be weak and eventually collapse. The same is true for your body. Dr. Armen’s passion is to provide your spine with the best foundation through a body in optimal balance. This foundation will create the ultimate platform for your health, maximize your performance, and help you feel amazing while doing the things you absolutely love!
YOUR INITIAL EVALUATION PROCESS
Your first visit will be to meet with Dr. Armen and have plenty of one on one time to further discuss your health related concerns. This will allow the doctor to learn more about you, your condition, goals, and expectations to determine if upper cervical chiropractic care (i.e. NUCCA) is a right fit for you.
Following the consultation, you will be given the opportunity to undergo a state-of-the-art, 3 dimensional, comprehensive postural assessment. This exam will be thoroughly performed by Dr. Armen to identify the nature of your posture, body balance, and structural shift. These objective measurements will be performed mainly using the cutting edge Posture IQ machine. The examination will show us the following:
• Leg length discrepancy
• Uneven weight distribution
• One hip higher or lower than the other
• One shoulder higher or lower than the other
• Twisting of the overall framework of the spine
• Shifting of the overall spine to the right or left
• Neck leaning to the right or left
• Head leaning to the right or left
After the examination, if a structural shift has been confirmed, precise upper cervical digital radiographs will be performed in our X-ray suite (if needed). This is highly recommended to further confirm our findings as well as to provide the patient with the most accurate adjustment possible, unique to their specific misalignment of the upper cervical spine. Dr. Armen will then specifically design a treatment plan to get you the best results in the shortest amount of time and for the least amount of money depending on your specific circumstances and case.
THE ADJUSTMENT
We do not guess. We measure everything objectively. By getting accurate and precise measurements on your spine, it allows us to deliver a very exact and accurate correction to help your body get back to “normal & optimal” structure. This is where your body heals best.
Are all patients adjusted the same?
No. As you know, to open a lock you need the correct combination. There are no two misalignments alike (like your fingerprint essentially), therefore no two spinal corrections are alike. Hundreds of combinations exist in the misalignment between the head & upper neck, and ultimately the entire spine. Each combination requires a different, precise adjustment which is determined from the analysis of the patient’s examination and digital x-rays.
The foundation of upper cervical chiropractic (i.e. Structural Chiropractors) is taking an engineering approach to the spine. Not only do we want you to feel better, we want to SEE EVIDENCE that your spine has changed for the better in order for you to receive long lasting results.
FOLLOW UP VISITS
Tissue repair takes time. Most misalignment patterns (i.e. body imbalance aka structural shifts) have existed for years, causing harm to the nervous system. We live our lives through our nervous system (brain, spinal cord, and all nerves that branch out). It is the one system that controls all other systems in the body. Old injuries & stressors disturb it. We correct them through our specific adjustments and monitor the correction so you can thrive in life!
Some patients experience almost instant relief! Others discover it can take 3-4 weeks (musculoskeletal symptoms) to 3 months (systemic problems) depending on the severity of the condition. Many factors can affect the healing process:
• How long have you had your problem
• Severity of the problem
• Are you following our recommendations
• Are you getting the proper rest, exercise and nutrition
• Are you in otherwise good overall health
• How much stress one has in their life
Within a short period of time (usually 30 days), most patients sense enough progress & feel the difference (the EDGE) to fully carry out their recommendations.
Your follow up visits consist of:
• Pre & Post measurements on the Posture IQ
• Tracking of how well you are responding to care objectively & subjectively
• Upper cervical adjustments based on our objective measurements
• Coaching on how to eliminate habits that weaken alignment
• Coaching on habits meant to strengthen alignment
• Advice on nutrition and lifestyle practices that can positively influence results
PHASES OF CARE
Relief/Intensive Care
Pain is simply frustrating. If you are in pain when you come into our office, our first objective is to help you feel better as quick as possible. Depending on the severity of your problem, your history, and your lifestyle, it is typical to need care 1-2 times per week for 2-3 weeks.
Corrective/Repair Care
Getting the body to stabilize is the key. Tissue repair and healing takes time. During this phase, muscles and other tissues are allowed to heal more completely, thereby helping prevent injury. It typically takes 4 weeks for the muscles to gain a new memory and up to 20 weeks for new neurological patterns to develop. Structural changes depend on the extent of the injury and how long you’ve had the misalignment. The number of visits will vary depending on your overall health, severity of your problem, and how well you are responding to care.
Maintenance/Optimal Living Care
Once your body has fully healed and it begins to hold its correction for an extended period of time, you begin to recognize when you are in need of an adjustment (“TUNE-UP”). Therefore, depending on your lifestyle and goals, many patients who complete the initial intensive care and reach stabilization, only come in 3-4 times per year to maintain the progress they have made and to avoid problems in the future.
VISIT DURATION WITH UPPER CERVICAL CHIROPRACTIC CARE are as follows…
1st visit: 90 minutes
2nd visit: 60 minutes
Follow up visits: 20 minutes
WHAT TO EXPECT WITH ACTIVE RELEASE TECHNIQUE & MOVEMENT THERAPY
YOUR INITIAL EVALUATION PROCESS
Expect your initial visit with Dr. DellaCorte to take approximately 90 minutes. The initial session consists of an in depth history, examination, and Selective Functional Movement Assessment (S.F.M.A.), all performed by the Doctor, to determine the course of action. Following the assessment, Dr. DellaCorte will proceed with treatment consisting of Active Release Technique (ART), Chiropractic Care, and Movement Therapy.
YOUR FOLLOW UP SESSIONS
Expect your follow up sessions with Dr. DellaCorte to each take between 15-30 minutes. Follow up sessions will consist of treatment with Active Release Technique (ART), Rock Tape (when needed), Chiropractic Care, and Movement Therapy. To ensure that progress is moving forward, and that we are continuing progressing you towards your goals, a re-assessment will be administered after a select number of visits as decided by the Doctor. This will give us both a quantitative, and qualitative measure on progress being made and helping you feel great & maximizing your goals with fitness, performance, and overall health.
***Regular clothes are acceptable. If you have athletic style or free moving clothes those work well. It is suggested if you are in dress clothes, a change of shorts and/or shirt can be brought with you.
THE FOLLOWING ARE A FEW GENERAL QUESTIONS WE HERE AT HEALTH EDGE…
Does Everyone Get The Same Care?
No. Specific techniques like the ones we specialize in at Health Edge (i.e. Upper Cervical Chiropractic and Active Release Technique) have an extremely thorough analysis and protocol that account for each person. Your spine and your experience in life is unique to you and MUST be analyzed in such a way for you to get optimal care. Your History, Exam, Age, Lifestyle and how healthy your spine is, will all factor in on what’s recommended for you.
Why will it take time and consistency?
Conditions don’t happen overnight, so why should solutions? The symptom is the last thing to come and the first thing to go. That means well before you felt a symptom, your body had been breaking down over time. Much as in a car, the front was out of alignment when it hit a pothole, however, it took 10,000 to 20,000 miles of asymmetrical wear & tear before the symptom of the flat tire occurs. Health is the same way. For corrective results, healing must occur with time and consistency.
I am exercising, eating right, and taking care of myself. Why may I not be improving?
We commend you on your hard work and continued diligence in seeking answers that lead to success. Health requires not just doing healthy things BUT DOING THEM IN THE ORDER that leads to optimal success. Just like building a house, you need the foundation first and successive steps for a complete product. Imagine if you built the roof first, then installed the windows, then painted. The outcome would fail. At Health Edge we begin with the foundation of your health, the spine – everything else will be built upon that. And that foundation is upper cervical chiropractic, accompanied by active release technique and movement therapy.
Do I have to have a health concern to make an appointment, because I’m interested in wellness and general health maintenance?
No, you do not have to have a specific condition in order to benefit from our cutting edge approach to your body and overall health. Health Edge intends to restore & maintain optimal balance as well as optimal movement of the human body, regardless if there is pain. Those concerned with overall well-being and performance, especially athletes, have found countless benefits by maintaining a body in optimal balance. Specifically the Active Release Technique is a phenomenal method to help athletes and those in fitness move & function better (i.e. more mobility & flexibility while working out, improved finish time at their last marathon, etc.).