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Category Archives: Massage Therapist Beaverton

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The Importance of Compliance

At Straight Up Chiropractic we make it our goal to provide exceptional chiropractic care to the Tigard and Beaverton area.

The focus of this post is on treatment plans. Goals of a treatment plan can be separated into short term goals and long term goals. In general, short term goals often include decreasing intensity and frequency of discomfort, increasing pain free ranges of motion, and decreasing positive exam findings. Long term goals focus on increased functional mobility and how to decrease the likelihood of re-occurrence or new injury onset. Re-evaluations and patient feedback are documented to see if these goals are being reached.

The recommended treatment plan goals and visit frequency are based on researched ethical expectations that take into account stages of the condition and biology of injured tissue. Researchers, such as Perry Nickelson, author of Stop Chasing Pain, Gray Cook, physiotherapist, and Craig Liebenson,DC, have effectively defined reasonable times of the body’s healing process with conservative treatment. It can confidently be stated you should expect 80-90% of acute symptoms to be gone within 2-4 weeks of treatment, about 5-6 visits, when utilizing chiropractic care. The last 10-20% of treatment takes a bit more time, active effort, and compliance.

Research also supports that combination care is more effective than the individual treatments alone. Chiropractic adjustments, muscle work, exercises, diet, and rest are more effective together than simply choosing one route. Long term goals, chronic pain conditions, and injury prevention are dependent on this combination.

At Straight Up Chiropractic we try to support easy compliance. At our office patients have the option to schedule out their appointments as far into the recommended plan as they wish. This allows for patients to consider their schedules and progress. Payment is collected at time of service to ease financial comfort for the patient and to hold us accountable to your visit today.

At Straight Up Chiropractic, we vow to never recommend more treatment that what is reasonably and ethically necessary.  We hope to provide as much flexibility in scheduling and payment options as possible to ensure that time and finances are on the patient’s side to ease compliance to treatment.  We are here for you and want to see your success.

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Benefits of Pairing Massage Therapy With Chiropractic

 

When I first started as a chiropractor, I worked at a practice that did not have in-house massage therapy as a treatment option. We did get good results, we were able to adjust patients and we were able to get them moving again. However, I just felt like there was something that was missing. Then, when I moved on to the next clinic I worked for, they did have licensed massage therapists on the in-house staff.

It was there that I saw a drastic difference in patient comfort, as well as their ability to recover and heal at a faster rate. To be honest, it was an overall better experience for them! So when I opened my own clinic, Straight Up Chiropractic, I knew that I wanted to integrate massage therapy into the practice. That’s the big reason why I push massage therapy as much as I do. It really makes my interventions a lot easier, while also making the patient’s treatments more comfortable.

The nice thing is, with insurance now covering chiropractic 90-95, it makes the treatment more available to patients. We can give higher quality treatment while getting the results that we want faster than we expect. Most importantly, the patient has the most comfortable experience possible in the office.

We believe that massage therapy is a huge advantage for our patients’ comfort, as well as increasing their rate of recovery. We strive to meet each patient’s individual needs, this is one of the reasons having in-house licensed massage therapists is so important to us. So we always ensure that our patients’ needs are met to the best of our abilities. For more information on massage therapy and its benefits or to schedule an appointment, please feel to contact us today.

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The Collision That Shook Winston

SUCP - Winston Collision

Stop and go. Stop and go. Traffic is the worst! It is never fun to sit in and it always makes Winston frustrated. He didn’t participate in road rage, but his commute certainly wasn’t his favorite part of each day. In fact, typically he would do everything in his willpower to avoid it, even if it meant working a little late. Not today though, Winston was trying to get to the home from the store to start cooking a birthday dinner for his wife, Cassandra. They had been together since college, they actually met at the University of Portland years ago. The last few years seemed to fly by as they got busier and busier. They were never big “birthday people,” but Winston wanted to do something extra special this year.

He had been thinking about her birthday nonstop for days! He attempted to meticulously plan his surprise and ensure he could get everything together in time. All he needed that day was to pick up the miniature cake that he had custom made. Now all that was left was to wait in traffic, then the real preparation would begin. He didn’t cook often, but when he did he enjoyed going all out. He rehearsed in his head what needed to be done before Cassie arrived home, hoping this would ensure nothing was forgotten.

As he sluggishly inched his way from intersection to intersection, he could see the time on his GPS slowly increasing with each tap of his brakes. She certainly must be in traffic too, plus her commute is farther. There’s no way she could beat him home, right? This was Winston’s last thought as he saw the light in front of him turn green. It was like he was on autopilot, he immediately pressed on the gas and went. He didn’t think to look out the passenger window, as he had the right of way. SLAM!

Winston opened his eyes to see a cloud of smoke engulfing him. He quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and reached for the door. It was jammed! He fought with it for a moment, hoping to wrestle it free to no avail. He quickly switched directions, noticing the passenger front door, was even worse. The only way out was through the back. As he crawled through, he could see the small red velvet cake lodge under the front seat, still perfectly intact. As stupid as it sounds, that moment gave him a little flame of hope. As he opened the door and finally took his first steps of freedom, he felt grateful to be relatively okay. He was also surprisingly relieved to discover the other driver was too.

Though he walked away with some bruises and lower back pain, Winston was mostly grateful to be alive. Winston was hesitant to use prescription medications as a remedy for his pain, so he sought an alternative means of treatment. What he discovered would change his life forever. The day of the accident, the emergency room doctor explained that his back pain could last as little as a few days or as long as decades… only time would tell. Thanks to chiropractic care, coupled with massage therapy, Winston’s pain only persisted for a few short weeks. This wasn’t the only benefit he received, his neck and shoulders have also improved in function and feeling since he started chiropractic treatments.

In case you were wondering, Winston still beat Cassie home and even though the date didn’t go perfectly as planned it was the best birthday she had experienced in years. We can’t always control the situations that the world throws at us, however, we can control how we respond. Winston didn’t let his accident bring him down nor hold him back. If you are interested in learning more about what to do if you are in a car accident or to schedule and appointment, please feel free to contact us today.

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Have You Had A Bad Chiropractic Experience In The Past?

 

Some of our patients have gone to a previous chiropractor where they had a bad experience. Then they say, “Chiropractic doesn’t work and that they are never going again.” We understand that experiences like this can be dishearting, especially for those living with chronic pain. We encourage these patients not to lose hope!

 

I would ask you, “Have you been to a bad mechanic before?” If that’s the case, would you never see another mechanic again if your car was broken? If you’ve been to a bad chiropractor in the past I’m sorry, that is very unfortunate. However, we would urge you to try again with a chiropractor who you feel is a well-respected and who does reputable work. They can easily help improve your condition and assist you in recovering faster.

 

At Straight Up Chiropractic, we strive to offer our patients everything they may need to get them back to their daily lives. We have licensed massage therapists in our office that can treat any muscle and tissue injuries that you may have. Of course, we have chiropractic that treats any joint issues and some muscular-skeletal injuries that you may come across. Not to mention, we even have an exercise therapist in-house as well, who can help with any imbalances you’re experiencing. This combination of specialties really allows us to assist our patients in recovering and getting back to their normal daily lives as fast as possible, regardless of how extensive their needs may be.

 

We encourage our patients and anyone who’s had a bad chiropractic experience to remain open minded about giving it a second try! We have had many patients come in telling us stories of their past appointments with previous chiropractors. We find great joy in restoring their trust in chiropractic and overall natural-based medical treatments. This is one of the reasons we are so passionate about offering scientific-based chiropractic. Meaning we use not crystals or vials… Just Straight Up Chiropractic! For more information about our office and the treatments that we offer our patients or to schedule and appointment, please feel free to contact us today

 

 

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Alice’s Story: A First Time Chiro Experience

SUCP - Alice's Store

Shower, get dressed, brush teeth, coffee, breakfast on-the-go, traffic, find parking, work, lunch, work, head home. This is Alice’s regular weekday schedule constantly on the go, except at work where she sits for long durations at her desk. It’s been about three years since she started at this architecture firm. While she got all new office furniture upon her arrival, she could tell the stiff office chair was starting to take a toll on her low back.

 

During Black Friday, she had bought a relatively cheap back support for her chair. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to make much of a difference and honestly wasn’t built to last. She was interested in getting a new seat to solve the problem, however, due to company policy, it would have to be on her own dime. Her primary concern was that damage might have already been done and she was dedicated to reversing it naturally.

 

Alice asked around for recommendations for both chiropractors and massage therapists. A few of her friends and family passed on their contacts. Before she saw anyone new, she decided to give her physician a visit. She had been seeing Dr. Ashwood since moving to Tigard over half a decade ago and genuinely trusted his opinion. When he suggested using prescription medication for pain management, Alice didn’t agree. She knows the benefits of prescriptions drugs. However, she didn’t believe this particular situation warranted long-term prescription use. Her doctor respected her opinion and suggested that she visit a scientific-based chiropractor.

 

At first, Alice was a little skeptical. She had once heard stories of chiropractors using crystals and vials of different materials in their practice. While the concept was interesting, she didn’t know how those would benefit her particular situation. When she got home, she Googled “scientific-based chiropractors” and found a place that had an informative blog and even online videos explaining what their office did. These gave her enough confidence to give it a try!

 

She showed up for her visit and was surprised from the moment she walked in! Not only did they have a chiropractor, but also an in-house massage therapist. This relieved her biggest worry that the chiropractor couldn’t help and she’d have to go somewhere else to see yet another specialist, a licensed massage therapist. Instead, she chose a chiropractor who also offered those services in-house. That way she would not only get the treatment she may need for a skeletal injury, but she’d also receive treatment for any muscular issues as well.

 

The chiropractic appointment was fantastic; she received both a comprehensive exam and an adjustment. Alice was anxious about the adjustment, and yet it was nothing like she had imagined. In fact, she surprisingly enjoyed it! She felt so great after her appointment that she decided to get regular adjustments. Her new found relief also gave her the boost she needed to make some significant life changes. She ditched the traditional desk altogether and ended up getting a standing desk. She’s also started participating in a group exercise class that works on core and low back strength, which is something she never thought she would do at her age. If you asked Alice what factor in her life sparked these series of changes, she’d probably tell you it was visiting Dr. Halsy at Straight Up Chiropractic.

 

We know the power of feeling good in your own body and the freedom of being the release from the shackles of pain. While chiropractic didn’t directly produce those changes in Alice’s life, it freed her from the chronic pain that was holding her back. Living with chronic pain and discomfort isn’t enjoyable and often affects a patient’s life negatively in other ways. We are passionate about what we do, and we love making a difference in the life of every patient who walks through our door.  If you are interested in learning more about the services that we offer or to schedule an appointment, please feel free to contact us today.

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Is Chiropractic Safe For My Child?

SUCP - Chiropractic Safe For Child

Chiropractic care isn’t just limited to adults, in fact, we see many adolescent patients as well. We also have quite a few parents ask, “is chiropractic care safe for my child?” The simple answer is “Yes!” Chiropractic is a great noninvasive, drug-free treatment option for many of our pint-sized patients. We believe that part of our job as your family’s chiropractic care providers is to inform our patients about chiropractic and who are the best candidates for this treatment. Just because children are small, doesn’t mean they won’t benefit from seeing our chiropractor and in-house massage therapists.

Chiropractic Care Is Completely Safe For Children

Regardless of age, chiropractic is a safe alternative to many mainstream treatments for musculoskeletal injuries, pain management, and countless other medical issues. In fact, chiropractic even has a better track record than general doctors, as chiropractic treatment doesn’t carry the risks of prescription drugs or invasive treatment options. At Straight Up Chiropractic, we believe a chiropractor can actually be the safest treatment option for many of our patients, both big and small!

When we have parents ask about the risks associated with chiropractic care, they typically are worried about the potential affects of spinal manipulation. Based on a study published in the National Library of Medicine, the risk of injury from spinal manipulation is only one in 5.85 million patients. In comparison, in the last decade, over 700,000 children under the age of six experienced a prescription medication error while at home. Be aware that this statistic refers to prescription medications prescribed to the child by a medical doctor and administered by a legal guardian, not pills they found laying around their house.

Chiropractic Provides Kids With Health Benefits (Parents Will Love)

Not only is chiropractic care safe for children, it also provides these miniature patients with a variety of health benefits. (Most of these benefits parents will love too!) In fact, recent studies by the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association showed improvements in sleeping habits, behavior, attitude, and even immune system function. There is also proof in these studies that chiropractic care can even help relieve some of the symptoms of ADHD in children.

We see children who are injured as well, including sports-related injuries, car accidents, and general trauma. These patients typically get the most out of chiropractic care, as it offers a drug-free, noninvasive approach which leads to a faster recovery. General medical doctors who treat patients with prescription medication are usually just dulling the symptoms, while chiropractic treats the injury at the source. For these patients, depending on the extent of their injury may also see our in-house massage therapists. This combination of chiropractic and massage is known to increase the efficiency of the treatment and accelerate the overall healing process.

At Straight Up Chiropractic, we believe in science-based chiropractic care. That means everything we do in our office is backed by decades of medical research. We also believe that children deserve the benefits of chiropractic care. When it comes to natural healing, chiropractic offers children an efficient road to recovery that medicinal-based treatment can’t. Children are some of our favorite patients and we are committed to offering them the highest quality of chiropractic available. We typically don’t see children under the age of eight years old. However, if a younger child needs chiropractic care we would gladly refer the patients to one of our recommended pediatric chiropractors. For more information about chiropractic care for children or to schedule an appointment for someone in your family, please feel free to contact us today.

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Is Chiropractic The Future of Pain Management?

SUCP - Chiropractic Pain Management

Prescription medication can be expensive, as well as being associated with a variety of side effects. These are two of the primary reasons that some patients prefer to avoid medicinal management of their  chronic pain. At Straight Up Chiropractic, we treat many patients for long-term management of pain. This is also one of the reasons that we offer treatments with our in-house licensed massage therapists. This allows us to treat any muscular-related pain that our patients may be experiencing as well. This 360 approach to pain management has made a huge different in many of our patients’ daily lives.

Chiropractic Treats Pain At The Source

Unlike medication, chiropractic treats pain at the source through a variety of treatment options. Prescription drugs just dull the pain. However, they are not intended to be a long-term solution. Despite this, many general doctors do prescribe them long-term. The biggest issue with this approach to pain management is that the pain is never treated at the source. Instead, it is only masked through daily consumption of medication.

Long-term use of painkillers can lead to patient dependency and sometimes even addiction. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), one in four patients who are prescribed opioids for long-term (non-cancer related) pain management struggle with addiction. We have yet to find a patient addicted to chiropractic care… although, we do have some patients addicted to our relaxing, roller massage table!

Medicinal Pain Management Can Sabotage Recovery

Another common issue with medicinal pain management is the psychological effect it can have on patients. It is very common for a patient using prescription medication as pain management to misjudge the severity of their injuries or pain. In fact, the instant relief from pain medication tricks the patient into thinking that their injuries are less severe than they are and even that their injury has healed. This misunderstanding often leads to patients overexerting themselves before they are far enough along in the healing process. This overexertion is a common cause of delayed healing and in some cases permanent injury. Chiropractic care promotes actually healing, not just the illusion of it. This is why many of our patients choose chiropractic over prescription drugs when given the opportunity.

Chiropractic Can Save Patients Money

Many patients all over the world choose chiropractic for pain management. Some of them make this decision based off of the cost of prescription medications. In fact, the United States has some of the highest drug prices for prescription meds, including a majority of pain killers. The rising cost of these meds doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. According to the Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing, the top 5 most common prescription medications have increased in price by over 100% since 2011. In comparison, at Straight Up Chiropractic, we accept most insurances. Our patients with coverage typically pay about $20 out-of-pocket each visit. We also understand that not all patients have insurance or a policy that covers chiropractic. We offer these patients and patients in the military a reasonable, discounted cash rate.

Prescription medications can be costly, addictive, and in some cases even perpetuate an injury. There are many patients who can manage their pain with chiropractic care rather than prescription medicines. At Straight Up Chiropractic, we believe in the long-term effects of treating pain at the source, not dulling it temporarily with prescription drugs. For more information about chiropractic-base pain management or to schedule an appointment, feel free to contact us today.