Your spine supports the whole structure of your body.  When the structure of your spine gets out of balance, it affects the function of your body.  For example, when the pelvis is out of alignment and one leg is shorter, there is uneven pressure being put on the joints in the legs.  This usually leads to pain in one of the joints, the most frequent being knee pain but also ankle, hip, sacroiliac joint pain, and lower back pain.

Your spine protects the spinal cord and spinal nerves, and the spinal nerves come out between every bone in the spine.  The spinal vertebrae sometimes become misaligned to one side.  When the vertebrae are misaligned, they also lose their normal range of motion. Misaligned vertebrae also put pressure on the spinal nerves and create tension in the spinal cord. This causes problems in the muscles, organs, and other tissues that those nerves supply. Chronic muscle tension or spinal pain that won’t go away is almost always related to the spine being out of alignment.

Pain that keeps coming back after massage or physical therapy is common. This happens because our muscles are attached to the spine, so when the spine is out of alignment it will keep causing the muscles to be imbalanced. Additionally, the spinal nerves when compressed can create chronic muscle tension. Once we relieve the tension from the spine, the muscles are often able to balance out and are no longer tight.

We do not take routine x-rays because we are able to assess the functioning, movement, and alignment of the spine based on our digital posture analysis, spinal range of motion assessment, and spinal palpation examination. X-rays expose the body to radiation, and as we are an advocate for health, we want to minimize such exposure to our clients.

Many people experience relief from symptoms in the first few visits, but for some people it takes more time. Your healing and recovery is affected by a few factors. The health of your body and spine before you came in for care, how much trauma you have had in your life, how much stress are you currently under, and if your current job or lifestyle continues to place stress on your spine. These will all affect your recovery time. We find that clients who stick to their care plan recommendations, do the suggested lifestyle changes, where applicable, and have a trusted wellness relationship with us get the best results with their care. It can also help to have a willingness to change your habits and beliefs about health and wellbeing. If we continue with the same habits that led to the problem, it’s harder to have long-term improvements!

All the parts of our body and spine work together. When one part of the spine is “stuck” or misaligned, it will affect the other parts of the spine. In order to help the body repair, regenerate, recover and function optimally, we don’t just treat pain and symptoms. Our goal is to align the body, spine, and mind so you can have vibrant health and balance from the inside out. Often when the spine and nerve system come into balance, the pain and symptoms resolve.

Short answer, no, you always choose when and how you use the care.

However, when the spine is out of alignment, it interferes with the body’s ability to function optimally and heal. When a client comes in with pain, usually the spine has been out of alignment for many years and it can take time to release the years of tension from the spine and spinal cord. We have many types of nerves and the sensation of pain is just one type of nerve signal. Our assessment of the health of your spine is based on function, motion, and alignment, not on the sensation of pain.

To restore function and alignment it will take a few months of regular care, much like when people align their teeth they have to wear braces for many months or even years. The spine will tend to go back to its previous pattern of tension and misalignment. In order to get full benefit from care and more permanent health changes, it is important to follow your care plan.

Assessment (approximately 60-70 minutes)

The initial appointment includes discussion on your health history, comprehensive assessments and sharing our findings with you. Your selected Spinal Flow practitioner will

1.     Assess your posture
2.    Identify the areas of blockages (which impedes nerve and energy flow) and the areas of ease or where there is flow by observing you making some simple movements
3.    Feel specifically at each vertebral level of the nervous system to identify where there is specific blockages (which impedes nerve and energy flow) at the spinal level as well as to identify if your body is holding stress in a chemical, emotional or physical way.

Spinal Flow Treatment (approximately 30 minutes)

Standard follow-up sessions are typically 30 minutes. Your selected Spinal Flow practitioner will lightly touch areas of openness in the body and spine called “dural access points”, without any manual manipulation, popping or cracking of the spine. By gently contacting these “dural access points”, our intention is to influence the areas of blockages and open them up to facilitate releasing stressors or blockages from your nervous system. All that is required of you is to relax and enjoy your session connecting into YOU.

Note: Working with Children

Assessments and Spinal Flow sessions with children may differ in duration and approach from child to child, depending on age, especially those between 0 to 7 years old, as well as specific health concerns. Your practitioner will work on building trust with your child and may request for a parent’s or guardian’s assistance from time to time. The child will be provided the space to adjust and feel comfortable with the practitioner to facilitate more effective healing.