Before you decide to become a patient, this consultation will give you the opportunity to discuss your health concerns with one of the doctors. At this point the doctor will find out if you are a candidate for chiropractic treatment. During the entire consultation, we encourage you to ask questions. Generally the consultation will take 15-30 minutes.

At the conclusion of the consultation, you will have more understanding if we have services that can benefit you and what you need to do next in reaching your health goals.

The chiropractor will establish specific goals for a patient’s individual plan for treatment:

•     Short-term goals include reducing pain and restoring normal joint function and muscle balance

•     Long-term goals include restoring functional independence and tolerance to normal activities of daily living.

To reach these goals, a specific number of chiropractic visits will be prescribed and followed by a re-examination by the doctor of chiropractic.

GENERAL RECOMMENDATION FOR A HEALTHY DIET

Eat a lot of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and a limited amount of red meat. Eat at least five servings a day of fruits and vegetables. More is even better. Trans fats and saturated fats should be avoided. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats should be used instead. Eat fewer store-bought baked goods that may contain partially hydrogenated fats, such as crackers, cookies, and cupcakes. When eating at fast food restaurants, choose items like broiled chicken.

Doing well equals succeeding which stems from being in good health that means having no need in dopes and additives. What could be more important than health? Money? Career? Relationship? – If you got the first you’ll get the rest and even though it’s not always easy, it is always a game.

Wellness is a state of optimum mental and physical health and involves two major factors: (1) knowledge and (2) self-discipline.

Educate yourself on natural organic foods, high quality vitamins, exercising and managing stress. Get a good piece of advice from a good wellness doctor, get a good book on the subject and start spending 30 minutes a day on getting information.

Second, discipline yourself on what you need to do and what you must not do and follow the rules. If you fail, don’t blame yourself and never abandon your new schedules and menus, just keep doing and soon you’ll get your rewards.

Fact: One part of Chiropractic treatment involves applying quick, precise pressure to the joint, which creates a cracking or a popping noise. This is called an adjustment. The popping noise doesn’t come from your bones, but from the release of a gas bubble when two joints are separated. This is just like when you pop your knuckles, or you scrunch up your toes first thing in the morning.

Myth: No one should use so much pressure on my spine…that can’t be right.

Fact: The adjustment does not involve a great deal of force. Skill, positioning, speed, and timing are more important than force.

Myth: I heard that cracking your joints can cause arthritis?

Fact: There is no reason to think there is a connection. In fact, an adjustment increases mobility, reduces pressure on the joints, muscles, and nerves, and allows the spine to return to a natural position and movement.

How Can Chiropractic Care in Pregnancy Help you?

Pain Relief:

Many women find themselves in significant musculoskeletal pain during pregnancy, and their OBs don’t address the pain other than to tell them to rest and take Tylenol.

Some common pregnancy conditions are:
• Pubic symphysis disorder
• Sciatic nerve pain
• Sacroiliac joint dysfunction

Please visit Dr. Richards’ blog for more information on these conditions.

Dr. Richards has been treating pregnant women with great success at his North Haven office through gentle spinal adjustments, exercises, and soft tissue work. All of these techniques are safe for use during pregnancy.

Shorter Labor:

A study done in 1990 showed that women who were under Chiropractic care throughout their pregnancy had reduced labor times. First time moms experienced 25% less time in labor and birth, and moms with previous babies averaged 31% shorter labor times.

Reduced Occurrence of Caesarian Section:

Dr. Richards is a licensed practitioner of the Webster Technique, a non-invasive, gentle technique for pregnant women, many of whom seek it out due to breech presentation.

The Webster Technique corrects intrauterine constraint, which occurs when the proper shape of the uterus in constricted due to tight ligaments, rotated sacrum, or other external forces. When intrauterine constraint is present it can keep the fetus from attaining the proper head-down birthing position, which leads most often to a cesarean section. In fact 13% of all cesarean sections in the US are due to breech positioning.

Performance of the Webster Technique begins by analysis of the relationship of the bones of the pelvis. Upon finding a restriction, a light force chiropractic adjustment of the sacrum corrects the restriction. Dr. Richards will then analyze abdominal muscle tension or spasm and work to relax this tightening.

Prepared Childbirth Class:

Michelle “Shelly” Taylor, a registered nurse and childbirth education teacher for over 8 years, will begin teaching her Prepared Childbirth class at Keystone Chiropractic in June, 2012. This is a very informative and interactive class for the expectant mom and her support person. I highly recommend this class to all expectant moms, but especially to those having their first. For additional information, please see Shelly’s website: www.BabyBeeBirthing.com.

Here is what a few of his patients have said:

“I started seeing Dr. Richards when I was about 32 weeks pregnant because I had an aching back. After only a few sessions my back started feeling better. Dr. Richards took the time to explain what he was doing and told me about exercises that I could do at home. By the time I gave birth, I felt fantastic and ready to go. Besides being a great chiropractor, Dr. Richards is also a really nice person and I enjoyed every visit.” –Liz C.

“Dr. Richards was well educated about pregnancy and was able to explain what was happening to me. He treated me with respect and a gentle regard for my needs. I went into birth a little more comfortable and confident due to his care. It was a great alternative to taking pain medications during my pregnancy.” –Maggie S.

“I met Dr. Richards when I was pregnant with my first child. I was 40 weeks pregnant and had just learned my baby was breech. He was honest about the reality of my situation and I felt comfortable he would at least help ease my mind. Not even a version performed by my OB could turn the baby but those first appointments with Dr. Richards began a wonderful relationship. Now pregnant with my second child I see Dr. Richards regularly to help ease a variety of discomforts, from pain in my ribs and hips to general tension headaches and TMJ. He is a great listener and spends quality time with me at every appointment using massage and stretching as well as manipulation. I highly recommend him for any one pregnant or not.” –Liz L.

Just like breaking your neck can cause complete failure below that level, small interferences in the nervous system can cause incomplete failure or less than normal function at or below that level.

These are the childhood illnesses that chiropractic for kids has helped, as told by chiropractors (and happy patients!) across the country. They’re in no particular order:

Ear infections
Asthma
Colic
Constipation
GERD or reflux disease
Allergies

Research has also shown that the immune system improves by 10-20% after an adjustment, so if your child is fighting something off, it’s a good way to give them a natural boost.

Regardless of your particular response, the function of your nervous system is involved
That’s why chiropractic can be so helpful.

The chiropractic approach to stress is to help normalize the function of your nervous system by removing interference caused by the Vertebral Subluxation Complex. Finding the weak links in your spine (the major communication pathway of your nervous system) and helping restore better function, can make a profound difference in your response to stress.

It may not be possible to remove the stress from a busy life. However, with the help of your chiropractic doctor, you can respond better to the unique challenges you face.

We believe that knowledge can be empowering. The more we understand our bodies and the mechanisms that cause injuries, the more committed we become to getting better. Our office is devoted to educating you about your body, how it works and how to heal it. We believe in working with our patients as partners, to learn from each other in our journey together to maximize health.