How do I become a new patient?
(See form on home page, or call 870-569-4954)
What should I expect on my first visit?
Dr.
Sensabaugh will take a brief health history, and ask you questions. If
you have a chief complaint, the exam will focus on that area, if not
then he will give you a general health exam. If he feels you can be
treated the same day, then your first treatment will follow your exam.
If additional tests, x-rays, or health records are needed, then you will
be treated on your next visit. The first visit can take
anywhere from 45 min to 1 hr 30 min depending on the complexity of the
patient.
Should I bring anything on my first visit?
If
you have any health records, x-rays, CT, MRI, or any other diagnostic
information that you think might be helpful, please bring it. If you are
taking any supplements or medications, bring those.
What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic is a conservative approach to health care that treats the body as a whole instead of as individual parts. The goal of chiropractic is to remove interference from the body's natural lines of communication. This allows the body to better express it's natural state of health because it can communicate with itself. The interference in the body is called subluxation. These subluxations are caused by chemical, physical, and emotional stresses in our lives. Subluxation can occur anywhere in the body from head to toe. The job of a chiropractor is to locate subluxations and correct them so that the body can heal itself. This is done through manual therapy called adjustment. When a chiropractor adjusts a patient he realigns joints, resets muscles, and stimulates the nervous system. Since the nervous system controls all other systems in the body, the body as a whole is benefited by the adjustment.
Does an adjustment hurt? Is it safe?
Adjustments given by well-trained licensed chiropractors should not hurt. Adjusting is a precision skill that is difficult and takes years to master. It can be dangerous if attempted by anyone who has not been properly trained, but it is completely safe when done by a responsible chiropractor.
What happens during an adjustment?
The chiropractor will position you for the adjustment and deliver a light impulse at the location of the subluxation. You will feel a sensation of movement in your body, and possibly hear a sound called a cavitation. Cavitation is caused by the release of nitrogen built up in the joint, as well as the unraveling of restricted fascia and connective tissue. Along with the feeling of movement you may also experience soreness (due to released buildup of toxins), pain relief, a more relaxed feeling, a feeling of being lighter or taller, or a somewhat euphoric feeling due to the increased endorphin and enkephlin (happy hormone) production.
What is Applied Kinesiology?
Applied Kinesiology or AK is a diagnostic tool developed by George Goodheart, DC in the 1960's. The technique uses manual muscle testing to diagnose subluxations and their chemical, structural, and emotional causes. AK is extremely valuable to wellness doctors because it can identify the underlying causes of stress and disease in the patient's body and give the patient guidance on how to eliminate or correct these stresses.
AK uses several different techniques to help remove subluxations and their causes. These techniques include: spinal adjustments, meridian therapy, cranial adjusting, manual treatment of reflex points, extremity adjustments, manual soft tissue techniques, nutritional testing, emotional techniques, brain balancing, gait correction, and more. Every patient will not require every technique, and it is part of the doctor's job to decide which techniques fit the needs of each individual patient, as well as educating the patient about how the technique works before performing it.
More information, a more extensive FAQ, as well as a list of practitioners who are certified in applied kinesiology,
can be found on the International College of Applied Kinesiology website, http://icakusa.com