Well Adjusted

Winchester-Hilgefort Spine & Joint Center
Brett Winchester, D.C. ART, DACRB(c)
Mat Hilgefort, D.C., ART, CSCS, CCSP

The bodys joints are designed to live 120 years. Yet joint replacements and fractures are at a reported all-time high. Why?

Rarely is a joint out of place. Rather, joint restriction results when two joint aren't moving properly. Lack of movement not only causes dysfunction and discomfort, but it also ignites a degenerative chain reaction in the body. The result, other joints move too much to try and compensate. This is a recipe for joint destruction.

Compensation Creates Dysfunction

Take for example the assembly line model. When one person working the assembly line underperforms, other workers must compensate to complete the job. In the human body, the tremendous capacity to compensate creates widespread problems. Here again, simple engineering principles apply. If one link or joint in a system is not moving correctly, other areas become hypermobile to offsett the lack of movement at the source. Yet this natural chain reaction in the body can often go unnoticed for years presenting symptoms when its too late to correct the joint dysfunction. At this point, surgical procedures may be necessary.

The site of pain is not where its at

With any treatment regime, manual or surgical, you must ask if the true source of dysfunction has been addressed. According to Neurologist Karel Lewit, M.D., recognized internationally as the father of manual therapy. He who only treats the site of the pain is often lost. Lewit's lessons live in clinical practice. Take low back pain or herniated discs for instance. If the physician only treats the low back, yet the origin of dysfunction lies in the knees, hips, foot or ankle, the patient is left with little more than temporary relief, at best. Long term, degeneration and arthritis often plagues these patients.

Adjusting the problem

When it comes to joints, the goal of chiropractic is to asses joints for restriction through palpation and functional tests. When a restriction is identified, the adjustment restores movement to the restricted joint and proper coordinated movement to the entire body. At Winchester-Hilgefort, our physicians rely on the Motion Palpation technique, proven to effectively determine the source of dysfunction for short-term relief and long-term treatment results.
Likewise, the Motion Palpation technique also helps our doctors determine when joints have too much movement. This is an important discemment as an adjustment in a hypermobile joint could not only prove ineffective, but it could also further aggravate the patients condition.

To learn how regular exams with proper adjusting can help ward off potential joint degeneration and improve your overall health, call our clinic, Winchester-Hilgefort Spine & Joint Center, at: (636) 356-5557 or visit us online at: www.whsjc.com