Therapeutic Services
The Wentzel Chiropractic Centre in Mount Holly, NJ offers a variety of therapeutic services to correct spinal misalignments, decrease neck and back pain and improve health conditions.
Chiropractic Manipulative Technique (CMT): Chiropractic Adjustment or Spinal Manipulation refers to the specific manipulation or adjustment a chiropractor applies to a vertebra or vertebrae that have abnormal movement (fixation) or misalignment (subluxation). The objective of the chiropractic treatment is to reduce the fixation or subluxation, which results in an increased range of motion, reduced nerve irritability and improved function.
The spinal joints often release an audible popping, clicking or cracking sound called "joint cavitation." There may be occasions when cavitation or cracking does not occur and this is often due to either muscle splinting (tightness) or when the patient is not completely relaxed during the chiropractic procedure. This is why we often apply electrical muscle stimulation and moist heat or ice prior to performing the manipulation.
Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS): We often refer to this therapy as simply "muscle stim," or "the pads." It involves low level electrical impulses delivered to the muscles or effected tissues to decrease muscle tightness and spasm, to reduce pain and speed healing. Patients describe this treatment as a pleasant tingling or vibration sensation, or as an "electrical massage." These impulses stimulate the body's release of it's natural pain relievers, called endorphins. These endorphins reduce pain and inflammation thereby promoting healing of the injured tissues. This physical therapy modality is often used to treat acute or chronic strains and sprains of the muscles and joints of the spine as well as other areas.
Ultrasound Therapy: This treatment is not a diagnostic ultrasound, often used with pregnancy, to visualize internal structures. It is instead a therapeutic procedure that utilizes sound waves which travel deep into muscles, joints and soft tissues. It's effects are to increase circulation, decrease edema, relieve congestion and promote healing.
The sound waves vibrate the tissues creating a deep, micro-massage effect. This aids in decreasing scar tissue and adhesion formation which would otherwise slow the body's healing process. The sound waves also decrease inflammation by aiding in the breakdown of unwanted inflammatory cells. The ultrasound waves also facilitate healing by increasing the activity of the cells responsible for cellular and tissue repair.
What does Ultrasound feel like? If ultrasound is combined with the electrical muscle stimulation - called Trigger Point Ultrasound - it feels like a tingling or vibration. If ultrasound is used by itself it feels like a relaxing, gentle warmth of the skin and muscles.
Moist Heat Application: Also called a moist hot pack or hydrocullator pack. These moist hot packs are filled with a silicone gel that holds heat efficiently. These are stored in water heated to a pleasant temperature and then wrapped in a terrycloth towel. They are applied to the effected muscles or injured area.
These packs are used in our office to treat sub-acute and chronic conditions of the muscles and joints. It's effect is to increase local blood flow, reduce pain, decrease muscle spasm and help restore joint range of motion.
Ice Bag or Cryotherapy: Cryotherapy is the application of cold in order to gain a therapeutic effect. The desired effect is a decrease in local circulation, cellular metabolism, and tissue temperature which helps to decrease swelling. It is used in the acute stages of the healing process immediately following injury. A secondary effect of cold application is analgesia which results in a decrease in pain sensations.
Spinal Traction: Spinal traction is a gentle and effective treatment that is based on stretching the spinal column to decompress and therefore remove pressure or irritation to spinal nerves. There is also a beneficial effect to the vertebral discs by reducing herniated discs. Traction is also an extremely effective means of aiding in the alignment of cervical spinal discs and providing stabilization for these types of cervical spine injuries. Spinal traction may be beneficial in the early treatment of radiculopathy (spinal nerve root irritation often called a pinched nerve) caused by a disc herniation (also called a slipped disc).
