Structural Care
Structural Care
No part of your body escapes the dominance of your nervous system. Improper function of the spine due to slight misalignments (called subluxations) can cause poor health or function, even in areas far removed from the spine and spinal cord itself. Misalignments can also reduce the ability of your body to adapt to its ever-changing environment. Even the slightest malfunction of your spine may alter the regular transmission of nerve impulses, preventing that portion of your body from responding optimally.
To care for you structurally, Dr. Binley may recommend Chiropractic, CranioSacral Therapy, or Frequency Specific Microcurrent.
Chiropractic
Chiropractic is a natural form of health care that uses spinal adjustments to correct these misalignments and restore proper function to the nervous system, helping your body to heal naturally. Chiropractic doesn’t use drugs or surgery. Rather, a chiropractic spinal adjustment, or the application of a precise force to a specific part of the spinal segment, corrects the misalignment, permitting normal nerve transmission and assisting your body to recuperate on its own. A broad range of techniques are used to locate, analyze and gently correct vertebral misalignments (subluxations) in the spine, including manual or instrumental adjustments, and various positional therapies.
How Does Dr. Binley use Chiropractic?
Dr. Binley is a Board-certified chiropractor. He uses chiropractic as a natural component of functional healthcare to stimulate the body’s communication system to work more effectively to initiate, control and coordinate the various functions of the cells, organs and systems of the body. He uses “eclectic techniques,” including traditional thrust adjustments, the activator and others. In addition, Dr. Binley uses adjunctive therapy modalities with most of his chiropractic patients.
CranioSacral Therapy
CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle, hands-on approach that releases tensions deep in the body to relieve pain and dysfunction and improve whole-body health and performance. It was pioneered and developed by Osteopathic Physician John E. Upledger after years of clinical testing and research at Michigan State University where he served as professor of biomechanics.
Using a soft touch which is generally no greater than 5 grams (about the weight of a nickel) practitioners release restrictions in the soft tissues that surround the central nervous system. CST is effective for a wide range of medical problems associated with pain and dysfunction.
How does Dr. Binley use CranioSacral Therapy?
In children, he uses it as effective therapy for many conditions, including colic in babies, earaches and hyperactivity in children, for infants who are not sucking well during breast feeding, and following delivery to make certain the bones and soft tissues of the infant’s head are in proper alignment (treatment frees up restrictions in movement and promotes normal functioning of the nervous system, as well as optimal flow of blood and lymph). Children typically find CST very relaxing, often falling asleep during treatment.
For patients of all ages, CST is very effective for activating the vagus nerve in order to reduce headaches, insomnia, inflammation associated with head trauma, disorders of the temporomandibular joint (TMJD), and to disrupt stress responses that have become habitual.
For digestive disorders in all ages, CST works well to activate the vagus nerve so that the two-way communication between it and the colon can be optimized and calmed down, allowing healing to occur.
What should one expect at CranioSacral Therapy appointment?
Treatment includes gentle hands-on manipulation of the cranial facial bones and the sacrum (tailbone), and possibly other restricted areas of the body. The overall effect of a treatment session can be very calming. Some patients report pleasant tingling sensation throughout their bodies during treatment. The typical initial visit lasts 45-60 minutes, and any subsequent visits typically last about 30-45 minutes. Dr. Binley will often recommend a series of 8-12 CST appointments, although every case and patient is unique. Sometimes a CST treatment is combined with Frequency Specific Microcurrent. During CST treatment, patients are fully clothed, and usually lie down, face up.
Are there any side effects or conditions where CranioSacral Therapy should be avoided?
Few adverse effects have been reported. In one small study, five percent of patients with head injuries complained of feeling worse after treatment. Rarely, in a series of visits in a CST protocol, fatigue or other symptoms may increase temporarily, on their way to resolution.
Frequency Specific Microcurrent
Frequency-specific microcurrent (FSM) is a technique for treating pain by using low-level electrical current. The current is delivered to certain parts of the body in an attempt to relieve the pain. The current is most often applied with a moistened towel or with skin patches. It’s very important for the patient to be well hydrated (drink plenty of fluids) before FSM treatment.
A frequency is the rate at which a sound wave or electronic pulse is produced. This measurement is registered in hertz (Hz). In using FSM to treat pain, it’s been found that various frequencies can be used to potentially reduce inflammation (swelling), repair tissue, and reduce pain.
How does frequency-specific microcurrent work?
FSM is applied to the body with a device that delivers a mild current. Microcurrent is an extremely mild electrical current (one millionth of an ampere). The human body actually produces its own current within each cell.
In FSM, depending on the tissue involved, specific frequencies are selected to encourage natural healing of the body and to reduce pain. Frequencies have been identified for nearly every type of tissue in the body.
One of the ways FSM works is by potentially increasing the production of the substance ATP in injured tissues. ATP is the major source of energy for all cellular reactions in the body. Because treatment with FSM can increase ATP production by as much as 500% in damaged tissues, this may help with the recovery process. Depending on the condition
What conditions can be treated with frequency-specific microcurrent?
FSM is most often used to treat pain, especially nerve and muscle pain, inflammation, and scar tissue, from the following conditions:
- shingles
- burns
- kidney stones
- asthma
- irritable bowel syndrome
- disc injuries
- fibromyalgia
- diabetic neuropathy
- neuromas (overgrowth and scarring to a nerve after an injury)
- tendinopathy (inflammation and/or swelling of the tendon)
- acute (sudden) and chronic (long-term) musculoskeletal injuries
- acute and chronic neuropathic (nerve) pain
- chronic fracture and bone pain
- arthritis
- torticollis (the head is tilted to one side)
- disc injuries/discogenic- and facet-based pain
- viscerally-referred pain
- concussions
- headaches
- plantar fasciitis (pain in the heel and foot)
- sports injuries
- wounds
Is frequency-specific microcurrent painful?
Treatment with FSM is non-invasive and painless. The currents used in FSM are so low that the patient often does not feel them. During FSM treatment, patients may notice certain effects, including warmth and a softening of affected tissues.
Are there any situations in which frequency-specific microcurrent should not be used?
People who should not receive FSM treatment include those who have pacemakers, implanted pumps, or uncontrolled seizures, and women who are pregnant.
In addition, certain frequencies should not be used in cases of acute infection, new scar tissue (within 6 weeks), and acute fractures. Please discuss any of these concerns with your provider during consultation so that appropriate recommendations can be made.
What are the risks and side effects of frequency-specific microcurrent treatment?
The side effects of FSM treatment are usually very rare and mild, and may include nausea (feeling sick to the stomach) and drowsiness.