Treatment Techniques

Dr. McIntosh and Dr. Arnio are Chiropractic Physicians and practice as a portal of entry physician so you do not need a referral for treatment.

  The doctors employ a wide range of proven techniques for each individual case. Below, you’ll find a brief explanation of the popular chiropractic techniques we use at our practice. 

Chiropractic Manipulation:  
Active Living Chiropractic uses gentle manipulation to help restore proper function to joints and surrounding tissues as one of their primary tools to helping improve overall health and wellness.

Rehabilitation:
Using a variety of corrective and therapeutic exercises and stretches, Active Living Chiropractic is able to help address and correct underlying problems that are common causes of acute and chronic pain.  These rehabilitative exercises consist of:

CRAC / RI / PIR Techniques:
These techique protocols were developed to help stretch overly tight muscles, re-activate inactive muscles, and break up adhesions within the soft tissues to help improve muscle function.  By using specific applied pressure to various points throughout the body, while assisting patients with active movements, these techniques are a key component to many of the care plans that Active Living Chiropractic helps patients with.

IASTM (Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization):
IASTM is one of the most effective methods for helping to solve one of the fundamental causes of pain and dysfunction--scar tissue build up.  Injuries typically lead to scar tissue throughout the area of injury.  Using a high grade stainless steel instrument, we are able to massage specific areas of the body to help mobilize and break up scar tissue and help speed up healing.

Trigger Point Therapy:
The primary purpose of Trigger Point Therapy is to reduce the pain that results from hypersensitive muscles. Trigger points are identified by gently pressing on the surface of the skin, sensing the texture of the underlying muscle.

A trigger point is like a knot the size of a pea, buried deep in the muscle tissue. It is made up of lactic acid, a normal byproduct of muscular activity, which sometimes gets trapped in the muscle from physical, chemical or emotional stress.

Weight Loss & Nutritional Counseling:
What many people may not realize is that over 66% of the U.S. population is currently overweight.  Being overweight can not only effective our internal health and chemistry, but it can also have a dramatic impact on our frame and our biomechanics.  This is precisely why the doctor at Active Living Chiropractic offers a clinical weight loss program to help assist our patients in achieving optimal health. 

Drop Table:
This technique makes use of specialized drop-piece mechanisms in the table to assist the adjustment. Individual cushions or "drop pieces" located along the table support each area of the spine until the thrust is given. Then, each drop-piece gently gives way, reducing the pressure needed to move a specific spinal segment.

Traction:
Our specialty-equipment will ever-so-slowly stretch your spine. And then relax it. Stretch. And relax. Excellent for disc herniation cases and chronic neck problems.

Ultrasound:
This high-tech deep tissue "micro-massage" helps reduce swelling, increase blood flow, decrease pain, reduce joint stiffness and stimulate cell-repair. Excellent for Bursitis in the shoulder. 

Electrical Muscle Stimulation:
By applying tiny electrical pulses to specific areas of your body, to control pain, increase blood and lymphatic circulation, reduce muscle spasm, relax or stimulate the nervous system or aid in the healing process. Excellent for chronic pain.

Moist Heat:
Flexible natural clay packs provide moist heat to penetrate deep into tight muscles and joints.  This is applied to promote relaxation and circulation.


Specialized Therapies

Endonasal: 
Eustacian tube manipulation to clear mucous plug formation and normalize middle ear drainage. Primarily used in pediatrics for a true alternative to ear infections.

Nasal Specific:
"The ultimate cranial bone manipulation" Balloons used to create force inside the nasal cavity to normalize movement and reduce pressures on the skull and sinus cavities. Used for treatment of headache patients and chronic sinusitis patients. 

Argyrol:
Application of a silver protein in the nasal cavity to promote complete flushing of sinus cavities for treatment of sinusitis and chronic sinusitis.