Chiropractic Services

Chiropractic services from DC Chiropractic Center go way beyond spinal adjustments. Our specialized therapies and treatments ensure you get the best care available.


What is a Chiropractor?

neck adjustmentChiropractic services from a licensed chiropractor include adjustments and manipulations with the intent of improving health and reducing pain.

Chiropractors are medical professionals who treat patients with a focus on the musculoskeletal system, including the spine, joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

A chiropractor is trained in chiropractic medicine, typically in a three to four year program. The student learns about anatomy, physiology, and biology, and focuses on the skeletal system. Chiropractic doctors believe that many health problems are related to imbalances in the musculoskeletal system, and they learn to perform small adjustments to this system while in school. Contrary to popular belief, these adjustments are not limited to the back.


Chiropractic Manipulation

Chiropractic manipulation, also known as spinal manipulation, is a technique involving the delivery of a high speed, low amplitude thrust usually to some part of the spinal column, commonly called the backbone.

This therapy, which often is employed to treat and correct pain in the lower back, can be carried out by hand after the chiropractor palpates the vertebrae to detect problems with alignment.

It also can be performed using a handheld tool connected to a computer and used to scan the spine to diagnose any abnormalities in alignment.

The purpose of chiropractic manipulation is to restore a joint’s range of motion to normal, because misalignment can interfere with a person’s ability to move.


Cold Laser Therapy

Cold laser therapy is a form of medical treatment that involves the use of a low intensity laser to address pain and inflammation.

This treatment is generally classified as experimental or investigational, because the benefits are still the subject of debate.

Many proponents of this technique make a number of claims about its efficacy, and patients would be well-advised to evaluate these claims critically and seek the advice of a qualified medical professional before embarking on any treatments.


Cold/Heat Therapy

Cold therapy is a term used to describe the act of using cold temperatures to treat an injury. This is usually done with some kind of ice pack or something similar.

Cold therapy can help to reduce the swelling in an injury and lessen pain. It also has the potential to decrease the amount of bruising that an injury will cause, especially if it is used immediately.

Heat therapy is a procedure that uses temperature in order to help alleviate pain and promote a cure to many common aches and pains. It can come in a variety of different methods, including using dry heat therapy, moist heat therapy, and infrared heat therapy.

This type of therapy can be used in different situations and is one of the more common home remedies tried.


Exercise Rehabilitation

Exercise Rehabilitation is the utilization of exercises that are typically designed by a physical or occupational therapist to help a person recover from an injury.

Rehabilitation exercises are also recommended as part of a post-operative therapy program for patients. By participating in rehabilitation exercises, the patient can regain or build strength, endurance, and mobility.

These exercises are typically performed under the supervision of a physician or therapist, who will often recommend the patient continue his physical therapy exercises at home.


Massage Therapy

Massage therapy involves the manipulation and rubbing of the soft tissues of the body, with particular focus on muscles and pressure points.

Massage therapy may be used as part of physical therapy, or on its own to help relax areas where muscles are tight.

In other cases, massage therapy may focus on pressure points of the body that are thought to give relief from pain or health problems in other parts of the body.


Neuromuscular Reeducation

Neuromuscular reeducation is a general term that refers to techniques that attempt to retrain the neuromuscular system to function properly.

The basis of this idea is that the formation of certain patterns of communication between muscles and nerves allow people to perform simple everyday acts such as climbing stairs.

These normal patterns of movement can be disrupted by injuries or may be impaired in people with certain medical conditions.

The general aim is either to re-establish normal patterns of movement in injured people or to create normal patterns of movement in disabled people, by practicing a variety of exercises.


IFC Therapy

IFC Therapy is is form of electrotherapy, or the therapeutic use of electricity for medical treatment.

The use of electricity dates back to ancient Greece, when shocks from an electric eel were used to treat headaches. It was not until the twentieth century, however, that technology had advanced enough to provide safe, effective devices which could use electricity to promote healing.

Back and neck pain, whether acute or chronic, is frequently treated with electrotherapy.

Electrotherapy treatments are most commonly employed to relieve pain, reduce swelling, relax muscles, speed up healing, and stimulate acupuncture points. Chiropractors and physiotherapists have been using various forms and equipment to administer these treatments with great success.

Patients who need deeper skin penetration can use an The Interferential Current device (IFC) that delivers a high frequency wave and deeper skin penetration than other devices.

Electrotherapy and IFC Therapy are relatively pain-free and has no significant negative side effects.


Ultrasound Therapy

Ultrasound therapy is used to treat injuries to the tissues beneath the surface of the skin by producing mechanical vibrations.

Heat is thought to be produced by pressing and continuously moving the metal head of the ultrasound machine over the skin in the region of the injury or the area affected by a chronic medical condition.

The benefits of ultrasound are disputed with little scientific research to back the claims of successful treatments by individual therapists.


Dr. Daniel O. Cook, DC is a chiropractor based in the Salem area. He has numerous years experience providing chiropractic services at the DC Chiropractic Center to the Salem area.

Let's Get You Feeling Better (503) 585-2585