1. How long is each visit?
During your first visit at our office, you will spend about 30-45 minutes with me. We’ll go over your current health issue and past health history, do a thorough evaluation and exam to learn more about your condition and your general biomechanics. You may get your first adjustment that day. (Or some patients are referred out for x-rays before a full adjustment can be performed. This is based on your health/injury history and/or your exam findings). Your second visit will last about 20-30 minutes. This is when I will go over your exam findings with you, and when we’ll determine the appropriate care plan schedule that fits your needs. Your regular adjustment visits will last about 15-20 minutes.

3. What techniques are used?
I use a combination of techniques that’s specifically tailored to each individual patient. (I recently had a student shadowing me one day, who at the end of the morning turned to me and said, “wow - you did something different with every patient today!”) I use the Activator Method to analyze and adjust the spine to start, and add in some different techniques (gentle manual adjusting, drop-table, soft tissue techniques, etc) if needed. This creates a unique approach and experience for each individual patient who steps in our door.

4. Do I have to be in pain to start care?
Of course not! It’s always a good idea to get your spine checked by a chiropractor BEFORE there’s a pain issue or injury. We have many patients who have heard about the benefits of chiropractic as part of their overall health. Usually, these patients do not have to be seen as frequently as patients who are injured or having a current pain issue.

5. Do you take insurance?
We are in-network with some insurances (UnitedHealthcare, Oxford, Connecticare, Blue Cross/Blue Shield) and out of network with others. During your first visit, our Beth (our office manager) will check your benefits and let you know what your responsibility per visit will be. We electronically file insurance claims on your behalf. If you don’t have insurance or opt no to use it, our out of pocket fees are reasonable, and similar to many insured patients’ co-pays or co-insurances.

6. Can chiropractic help with _________?
Maybe! Chiropractic in its truest form is not a “treatment” for anything specific, it helps improve the function of your own body so it can be better equipped heal itself!

Do you have any other questions? Ask us in the comments section below, or give our office a call at 203-355-2830.

If your child exhibiting some of the signs of spinal stress from incorrect backpack use, chiropractic may be able to help! Call us at 203-355-2830 to schedule an appointment for an evaluation with Dr. Cristina.

Can you believe it? It’s already back to school time in Connecticut this week… The start of school also means the return of heavy backpacks, which to me as a chiropractor, means the return of increased spinal stress for school-aged kids and young adults.

Here are some helpful backpack-wearing tips that will help minimize spinal stress:

1. Wear both straps evenly, and avoid the one-strap styled back packs. Uneven distribution of the load causes postural compensations and spinal stress.

2.When putting on and removing backpacks, bend at the knees or put on the backpack from a higher level, such as on a desk or table. Sudden twisting motion adds to the potential of injury – especially in the lower thoracic/upper lumbar spine.

3. Arrange the backpack so it rests evenly in the middle of the back. Shoulder straps should be adjusted to allow the child to put on and take off the backpack without difficulty and permit free movement of the arms. Straps should not be too loose, and the backpack should not extend below the lower back.

4. Keep the load at 10-15% or less of the student’s body weight.

5. Carry only those items that are required for the day. Students (or parents) may be able to request additional copies of textbooks (or digital copies!) that can be kept at home instead of hauling heavy books back and forth from school.

6. Organize the contents of the backpack by placing the heaviest items closest to the back.

When was the last time your child had a spinal check-up? Call us at 203-355-2830 to schedule one today!

And just in case you missed it, here's a great video featuring some parents who are VERY excited about school starting...

Modified excerpt from: Is Your Child’s Backpack a Source of Spinal Stress? By Jeanne Ohm, DC
Read more in Pathways: www.pathwaystofamilywellness.org

When you feel great, full of energy, and have no symptoms, do you wake up thinking, “I should call my medical doctor?” Typically, you call your medical doctor when feeling poorly.

Sick-care and crisis-care are very important services to our culture, but they are not HEALTH care. When we take this “sick care” approach and apply it to our society’s health care model, what we get is a sick society.

Currently, the United States is having a health care crisis. Some of the current facts about our current state of health care are surprising and pretty scary:

• US spending for “health care” totals 2.8 trillion (the HIGHEST in the world), yet we are only ranked 37th for health outcomes.
• The number one killer in the country is cardiovascular disease (nearly 1 million deaths annually), which is a very preventable LIFESTYLE disease.
• From 1990 to 2010, the number of people diagnosed with Diabetes has TRIPLED – From 6.5 million to 20.7 million.
• A reported 60 percent of bankruptcies in the U.S. are due to expensive medical bills.

The Solution? 
People have begun to take more control of their health and well-being to prevent sickness and disease. This approach dates back to the ancient Greeks – Hippocrates was the first to make the connection between disease and natural causes. He believed that natural forces within us are the true healers of disease, and he promoted the maintenance of health rather than just the treatment of disease.

What does this mean in today’s society?
People are beginning to take a new and PROACTIVE approach to their health instead of reacting when they believe something is wrong. This involves a multifaceted approach that involves giving our bodies the right nourishment and energy where they can THRIVE, rather than just survive. This involves movement & exercise, proper nutrients, positive mental state, rest & time to recover, and most importantly, optimum nervous system health.

Why is regular chiropractic care so vital in this proactive approach to health?
Your nervous system controls every single function that occurs in your body, and is primarily responsible for your body’s ability to heal & repair itself. When there is something interfering with this mechanism, your body cannot function at it’s best, and it begins to break down. Regular chiropractic care removes the stress to the nervous system and enables it to function at its optimum. It is the keystone of a true health care approach.

Is your nervous system functioning at its optimum potential? Call us today for a consultation: 203-355-2830 or request an appointment online.

In this week’s blog post, I wanted to share some great information that was released by the ICPA (International Chiropractic Pediatric Association) in their newsletter this week. It provided a fabulous overview on why chiropractic during childhood is so important, and why it’s such a great choice for parents looking for healthier and safer healthcare options for their children.

What Can Chiropractic Do for Your Child?
Chiropractic’s purpose is to remove interferences to the natural healing power running through the body. When that power is unleashed the healing that results may be profound.

Today we find more parents bringing their children to chiropractors for day-to-day health concerns we’re all familiar with: colds, sore throats, ear infections, fevers, colic, asthma, tonsillitis, allergies, bed-wetting, infections, pains, falls, stomach-aches, and the hundred and one little and big things children go through as they grow up.

Chiropractors Do Not Treat Disease
It’s most important to understand that chiropractic is not a treatment for disease. Its purpose is to reduce spinal nerve stress, a serious and often painless condition most children (and adults) have in their bodies. Spinal nerve stress interferes with the proper functioning of the nervous system, can weaken internal organs and organ systems, lower resistance, reduce healing potential and set the stage for sickness and disorders of all kinds.

When a chiropractor frees the nervous system from spinal stress, the healing power of the body is unleashed: the immune system functions more efficiently, resistance to disease increases, and your child’s body functions more efficiently. Your child can respond to internal and external environmental stresses such as germs, changes in temperature, humidity, toxins, pollen and all the other stresses he/she comes in contact with more efficiently.

So although children with diseases are often brought to the chiropractor, the chiropractor is not treating their diseases but is instead freeing them of spinal nerve stress, thus permitting their body’s natural healing potential to function at its best.

You can read of the rest of this article here: ICPA 2014 Newsletter

Are your kids functioning at their best? Dr. Poulos is a member of the ICPA and has additional training in taking care of children of all ages! Have your kids checked today – 203-355-2830.