Welcome to Columbus Chiropractic & Rehabilitation Center
Our mission is to provide high quality, patient-centered care to the Columbus community. We believe that health is a way of life. Our goals are to empower patients to surpass what they thought was possible and achieve their movement goals. At the Columbus Chiropractic and Rehabilitation Center, we take an evidence-based, functional approach to musculoskeletal problems. We specialize in chiropractic care along with physical therapy and manual therapy. We do so in order to eliminate pain, but also to address the source of pain to prevent recurrence.
Our Approach
Simply put, the goal of every assessment and every treatment is to supply the highest quality of care to our patients. It is for this reason that all sessions are hands-on, one on one with the physician. Supplying high quality care requires identification of not only the source of the pain, but the dysfunction that has resulted in the pain. If the primary dysfunction is not addressed, the problem is destined to return. A thorough, detailed examination is required because the dysfunction, or root cause of the problem, is often not where the pain is. As an example, many lower back problems result from foot dysfunction and many hand/wrist problems result from shoulder or neck dysfunction. It is our passion to identify the cause of our patient’s problem so that we can get them out of pain and restore them to full, healthy activity as quickly as possible.
Evaluation & Assessment
The goal of every assessment is to identify the not just the source of the pain, but the actual cause of the problem. All too often in the medical field, treatments are based completely on symptoms (covering up the pain). At CCRC we do thorough examinations to identify both where the pain is coming from and the originating dysfunction that initiated the problem. By identifying the original or primary dysfunction, we are able to achieve faster, more effective and longer lasting results for our patients. Depending on the needs of the patient, examinations will involve any combination of the following:
Functional Evaluation:
This will involve movement assessments such as watching a patient walk, lunge or squat to identify improper movement patterns. Often, patients will not move with ideal patterns or strategies, which can result in decreased performance, injury or both. Movement dysfunction such as a loss of joint range of motion or joint instability frequently causes the problems which the patient experiences (i.e. neck pain, sciatica, tennis elbow, shin splints). If the movement dysfunction is not addressed, the problem is destined to return. Functional evaluation and proper movement restoration are of central importance to the physicians at CCRC, which sets us apart from other chiropractors and physical therapists in the area.
Orthopedic Assessment:
We treat a lot of athletes/active people at CCRC, ranging from professional athletes to people training for their first 5K. In many of these cases, people will injure bones, joints, cartilage and/or ligaments. To properly identify the structures damaged and to assess if further imaging (such as an MRI or a bone scan) or a second opinion is necessary, we will use orthopedic tests. Orthopedic tests are movements either performed by the physician or by the patient that stress and test the integrity of a structure such as a meniscus or an ACL.
Neurological Examination:
Many of the conditions that we treat such as sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome or radiating (radicular) pain are the result of damage done to the nervous system. The nervous system involves the spine, the brain, and the nerves that travel throughout the body. The nervous system is responsible for gathering information about the body (i.e. what position the joints are in, heat/cold, pressure, the amount of tension in a muscle, etc. and instigating movements such as grabbing a glass or kicking a soccer ball). If the patient has potentially stressed or injured one of these structures, the physicians at CCRC will perform tests to assess their integrity. This may involve testing reflexes, muscle strength, balance, or the ability to feel sensations on their arms, legs or torso. They may also have the athlete perform movements that test the integrity and function of the nerves to see if they are involved in the problem. Assessing the nervous system helps the physicians at CCRC more accurately identify the structures involved for faster, more patient specific treatments.
Soft Tissue Palpation/Assessment:
Soft tissues such as muscles, tendons and ligaments are frequently injured. The physicians at CCRC are well trained in powerful soft tissue techniques such as Active Release Technique and Tool-assisted techniques. During the examination, the physician will need to palpate the related soft tissues to identify possible damage of dysfunction. Having the ability to both assess and treat soft tissue injury allows us to speed up recovery time and keep our patients and athletes active without forcing them to rest.
Joint Motion Palpation:
Palpation (manually assessing) joints is very important to the physicians at CCRC. Traditional Chiropractic care assesses joints statically, either utilizing x-ray imaging or feeling the position of the joints without moving them. Motion palpation assesses joint function by palpating the joint as it is brought through a motion. This is superior to static assessment because joints are designed to move; therefore, proper assessment involves palpating the joint as it does what it is supposed to do…move..
Treatment
We see a large variety of conditions ranging from plantar fasciitis to lower back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome to headaches and neck pain. To handle this wide variety, we utilize a multitude of therapies in addition to Chiropractic joint manipulation. All treatments are hands-on, one-on-one with the physician and all treatment plans are specific to the patient. A typical treatment session may involve joint manipulation, soft tissue mobilization (Active Release Technique or tool-assisted mobilization) and/or active functional rehabilitation exercises. The goal of each session is to not only alleviate pain but to improve function for better performance and to decrease the likelihood of recurrence.