About Advanced Chiropractic Healthcare

Chiropractors have been called “bone doctors” since the profession came into existence; this is most likely due to the perceived notion that they are actually doing something with the bones. A chiropractic doctor is better described as a “nerve doctor”, because it is an effect on the body’s nervous system that a chiropractic doctor is actually attempting to achieve.

A chiropractic treatment or “adjustment” is more than just “cracking bones”; in fact, chiropractic doctors don’t actually crack bones…think about that for a second. In some instances, chiropractors “set” bones which have either partially or completely dislocated out of place; but to be specific, chiropractic doctors adjust joints.

A joint is an articulation between bones that allows us to move. These articulations consist of the ends of two or more bones which are held together by various tissues, ligaments, and a capsule; and each articulation has a specific way that it moves and functions in order to maintain proper joint stability and motion dynamics.

Why do chiropractic doctors focus so much on joints? It’s not necessarily the joint itself that chiropractors are interested in, it’s actually joint stability. Aside from the fact that if your joints are not working like they should, you won’t be able to move, your body has also placed a multitude of important structures in, and around, each joint.

Blood vessels: There are little tubes of oxygen-rich blood called arteries, which bring necessary nutrients to all of the muscles, tissues, glands, organs, and cells surrounding a joint. There are also little tubes of oxygen-depleted blood called veins, which take away waste products from the area.

Lymphatic or “Lymph” vessels: Along with veins, lymph vessels are a different kind of little tube, which also helps to take waste products away from the area.

Mechanoreceptors: Every muscle in your body has little sensors that send signals to your brain telling it where you are in space. They let your brain know if you’re sitting, standing, running, falling, etc. Your joints have a large concentration of these, and other, types of sensors in and around them.

Nerves: Nerves carry signals/information from all over your body into your brain; your brain then compiles all of the data it receives, and sends signals back out to the rest of your body telling everything what to do, and how to do it.

Most people associate nerves with pain; in fact, only 10% of what a nerve is capable of doing is pain, the remaining 90% of a nerve is function. Nerves carry electrical impulses (information) to every cell of your body; this information influences your DNA, which makes it possible for your body to create proteins, hormones, and other chemicals that make it possible for you to continue living. Nerves carry information to your muscles telling them when, and how, to contract so you can grasp your tooth brush, raise it to your face, put it into your mouth (without spilling), and brush back and forth. Nerves also carry neurochemicals such as Dopamine, Serotonin, and GABA, which allow your brain and nervous system to function. Needless to say, nerves are sort of important, and this is what chiropractic is really all about…influencing nerve, and brain function.

When a joint becomes malpositioned, and thus unstable either through traumatic insult or injury, or through day-to-day stressors (physical, chemical, and emotional), the new position of the joint can compromise the integrity of all the structures that surround it; which needless to say, will start causing problems.

When a chiropractic doctor delivers an adjustment, he’s not simply putting a bone back where it belongs so you can move properly, and the blood vessels, lymph vessels, and nerves can do their jobs, he is influencing the health and integrity of the body’s brain and nervous system by sending a borage of signals through the nervous system straight into the brain.

What makes our chiropractic “Advanced”? In addition to his chiropractic education, Dr. Sweeney has had several years of additional training in Functional Neurology, Functional Medicine, Functional Endocrinology, and Applied Kinesiology. Dr. Sweeney integrates all of his extensive training into every aspect of patient care. His job is to look beyond seemingly simple aches, pains, and movement issues and ask “why?”, what is causing a particular problem, and what would be the best approach to fixing it.

Each regular Advanced Chiropractic visit lasts about 30 minutes.  Dr. Sweeney utilizes a specific protocol to treat every patient.  He incorporates basic Applied Kinesiology principles and techniques, along with training and experience in Neurology, to test various muscle groups in order to assess proper brain/neurological function. This will establish the actual cause of a particular problem, along with the proper course of care.  No two treatments are ever the same, as each patient is a different person with a unique situation, and the dynamics of each person’s unique situation will change with continued care.

Adjusting is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.  One of the major reasons that our office asks all new patients to fill out such detailed paperwork, is that our doctors look at the whole person, and not just the symptoms that walk into our office.  Not only are we looking at neurological function as it directly relates to chiropractic care, we're looking at neurological function as it directly relates to endocrine, and immune system functions as well.  These three facets of your health govern the rest of everything that happens in your body; and if they get ignored, something important is very likely to get missed.  Yes, we did say that the nervous system is what controls everything in your body, but no system is an island, and without the support of the other systems, the nervous system would not function.  Everything is connected, and that is what really sets us apart; we understand those relationships, look for them, and address them in order to give our patients the very best care possible.