Equipment and tools that chiropractors usually use

Your first visit to a chiropractic clinic might make you feel odd if you compare it with visits to the medical clinics you are familiar with. The place might make you feel like visiting a gym as you can see some equipment at a distance beyond the glass partition of the reception area. The experience might confuse you because you have known that chiropractic treatment relies on manual techniques only for curing various pain conditions.

Moreover, you are also aware that they rely on the body’s self-healing powers to relieve pain. While both the facts are true, it is also true that chiropractors use some tools and equipment to assist their manual efforts of treatment for better results, confirms the experts at Active Edge Chiropractic & Functional Medicine.The use of instruments and devices does not violate the principles of chiropractic treatment, hence permissible.

Spine alignment is in focus

Chiropractors believe that to achieve good health and a pain-free body. One must take good care of the spine and protect it from excessive stress resulting in its misalignment and deformity. Spine correction or manipulation is at the heart of chiropractic treatment that helps correct alignment problems, reduces pain, improves movements and mobility, strengthens muscles, and improves its toning while restoring balance.   Correcting the spine and ensuring better integrity of the musculoskeletal system is the goal of chiropractic treatment that drives away the pain.

Here are some tools and equipment used for chiropractic treatment.

Chiropractic table

Although chiropractic tables might appear similar to physicians’ medical examination tables, the table is far different from a regular examination table. The chiropractic table is movable and adjustable. The chiropractor can position it most convenient to treat the patient to ensure easy accessibility to the affected area while making the patient feel comfortable. The table can make a standing patient lie down without the patient making any efforts by pushing a button. Even a part of the table can drop down to facilitate the chiropractor in applying more controlled force on the target area.

Electrical simulation

Trans Electrical Nerve Stimulation or TENS is commonly used equipment for chiropractic treatment with wide application in physical therapy. The small and compact instrument generates electrical pulses, which the chiropractor applies to the affected area with the help of electrodes placed on that part of the body. The chiropractor can vary the frequencies of the electrical pulses from low to high in gradual steps to achieve the desired result.

Full body vibration plate

The equipment looks like a platform scale used for weighing goods and consists of a square metallic platform that might or might not have handrails for safety. A vibrator placed underneath the platform and operated electrically starts vibrating the platform on switching on the equipment.  The vibration passes through the patient’s body standing on the platform, thereby stimulating the muscles to improve their strength and improving blood circulation and muscle coordination.

Besides relieving pain, the vibration plate effectively improves the function of the body parts of patients with cerebral palsy.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing used to be a complicated process that could take days to complete. In the past, most forensic DNA tests were done to establish paternity, and in modern times DNA testing is still a key method used to determine ancestry, and to help establish the identify of wrongdoers.

Whether to establish paternal rights or to pinpoint a criminal, DNA testing is used heavily by the legal system. These days, however, DNA testing may be able to provide information beyond the confirmation of a child’s parentage, or in establish who was present at a crime scene.

Technology may allow modern DNA testing to help identify a person’s specific health vulnerabilities. Although the medical community has mixed opinions about DNA testing’s health uses, a good number of people have found this medical testing process useful.

Let’s understand what the fuss is about DNA health testing and its health-related applications.

What is DNA Health Testing?

DNA refers to the genetic material present in humans and in almost all living organisms. DNA serves as your body’s database of information and provides instructions to your body on how to operate, for instance how your cells develop, exist, divide and reproduce.

In recent times, DNA testing kits have been used to analyze and identify gene mutations or anomalies which may be related to particular health conditions and illnesses. DNA testing functions not too differently from at-home COVID 19 testing kits approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In other words, genetic testing may provide information about a person’s risk of developing a certain type of disease.

DNA health testing kits are widely available and can be done at home from gathering mouth swabs, hair samples, or blood samples. From a medical point of view, these home kits are said to be less reliable than the tests performed by healthcare professionals.

How Can A DNA Test Kit Help?

Some diseases are hereditary. Meaning, they can be passed on by your ancestors to you.

Genetic testing kits look for the presence of genetic markers that may signal vulnerabilities to specific health diseases. Known as single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs, these markers are anomalies in gene sequences, and could be a factor in determining your susceptibility to certain conditions.

By doing your research to find the best DNA ancestry and health test for your circumstances, you could potentially discover if you have any susceptibility to developing illnesses such as the following:

1. Celiac disease- This is an autoimmune disease that targets a person’s small intestine tissues, and trigger abdominal pain and diarrhea. It’s said that up to 87% of the disease origin could be attributed to a person’s genetic make-up.
2. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)– Many Americans over the age of 60 suffer from this condition, which, as its name suggests, refers to the deterioration of the eye tissues tasked with transmitting images to the brain. This form of vision loss is said to affect about 200,000 individuals annually, according to the Macular Degeneration Foundation (MDF), who also said that those found with variations in specific genes responsible for this function have a 30% chance of getting AMD.
3. Bipolar Disorder– According to the National Institutes for Health (NIH), up to 5.7 million Americans aged 18 and up suffer from bipolar disorder in a year. It’s believed that up to 93% of these cases are passed on by a person’s relative or ancestors. The Center for Genetics Education in Australia indicated that a person has 50% chances of developing bipolar disorder if both parents have the condition, and a 20% likelihood if only one parent is diagnosed with the disorder.
4. Breast and Ovarian Cancer-Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie underwent a double mastectomy after a genetic testing result showed she had high chances of developing breast and ovarian cancer. Jolie has herself tested after her mother died of cancer years before. In test results, medical professionals look at the anomalies in BRCA (breast cancer) genes, which are tumor suppressors. Any mutation in BRCA genes could trigger cancer cell growth, and women with these mutations are up to five times more likely to develop breast cancer, and up to 40 times more susceptible to developing ovarian cancer. As the case for Jolie, DNA testing kits may help you prevent specific diseases from developing. If you’re aware of a personal vulnerability to diabetes for instance, this may help you create a healthier lifestyle to regulate blood sugar in your body.
5. Parkinson’s disease-This neurodegenerative disease causes uncontrollable shaking, erratic balance and motor coordination problems. This disease typically affects persons over 50 years old, and gene mutations have been identified as a causative factor. An individual who has inherited a genetic mutation for this disease from either parent has 28% of developing it as well, as he or she ages.

Final Thoughts

DNA test kits are not a diagnostic device, and they’re not known for being highly accurate.

Although their use is still somewhat controversial, DNA testing could potentially be used to predict your susceptibility to serious hereditary illnesses – which can be very useful since most of these diseases do not show symptoms unless they’ve already developed.

If you have been diagnosed with a mental disorder and addiction, there is help for you. Dual diagnosis treatment will be great for you in so many ways. In fact, we were able to come up with the top ten benefits that you can expect.

If you are dealing with both addiction and mental health issues, now is the time to get help. You can visit the Epiphany Wellness website for more information on what to do. Now, let’s start this list of ten benefits you need to know about dual diagnosis treatment.

You get treatment for both disorders

Dual diagnosis treatment means you get treated for both your mental health issues and addiction. Neither one will get ignored. You’ll be able to receive a treatment that is effective and performed by specialists that focus on these disorders.

In the past, there was a time when addiction was only treated. Yet, mental health issues were considered second to it. This would often lead to ineffective addiction treatment.

When you treat a mental disorder, it can help make inroads for your drug recovery. Attacking the issues from all sides can make recovery and managing your mental issues possible.

You’ll work with specialists that can help

You’ll be working with mental health counselors that will focus on your mental disorder. You might work with a specialist that understands your struggles regarding your specific condition. The same will apply when you are being treated for addiction.

Your therapist will be a substance abuse counselor that focuses on the behavioral aspect of addiction recovery. You’ll be working with two separate counselors instead of one that tries to do it all. You will want dual diagnosis to be as simple and laser focused as possible.

You’ll have more one-on-one time with therapists

This kind of treatment will be effective when you are meeting with each therapist one-on-one. This way, you get more focused attention. Sure, you may still need to attend group therapy for your addiction treatment (and that’s normal).

One-on-one focus will make it easier for you and your therapist to come up with solutions for your treatment. Especially when you are searching for answers on how you can treat your mental health disorder going forward.

You have aftercare options for both

Aftercare is essential for both mental health and addiction treatment. The facility you’ll attend will have options available for you. Most of them will be at your disposal 24 hours a day, seven days a week (unless otherwise).

You also will have aftercare options available online. Regardless, you’ll get the help you need in case you have any questions or concerns about your post-dual diagnosis treatment. This will also come in handy if you’re dealing with a day that doesn’t seem like a good one.

There may be days when you may feel an episode coming on. Or even worse – a relapse. Either way, it’s important to have a plan if things like that happen.

You’ll be able to plan for the future

During your treatment, you will have an opportunity to plan your life after treatment. This may be a process that won’t last overnight. This will take time and effort.

You may have ideas as to what you may want to do in the future. This includes eating healthy, exercising regularly, spending time with family, or something more exciting.

You’ll look ahead and be excited and know what lies ahead. You’ll be able to share these plans with your family and members of your support system. If there is one thing that will help keep you going with your treatment, it’s your plans for the future.

Very effective and successful

If you are looking for the most effective treatment, dual diagnosis is one of the best. You’ll be able to succeed in beating your addiction while being able to find the root cause of your mental health issues. It will get to the point where you will be able to easily manage it.

Your therapists will talk with you and figure out what caused it from the beginning. And from there, they’ll put together a plan to help you overcome it all.

Your quality of life will improve

Indeed, your quality of life will improve over time. Especially when your body exist clean of all drugs. Likewise, you’ll be able to see major strides in your mental health.

You’ll feel like you have a lot to live for. You’ll feel healthier both mentally and physically. It’s as if you are reborn again.

You may have reach a point where you may have reversed any kind of damage that has been done to your body. Meaning you might have been able to avoid any adverse health issues that may otherwise be fatal.

A growing support system

If you are undergoing treatment, you’ll have a support system that will grow over time. This can include your family, people who are in treatment with you, the professionals helping you, and more. It’s always a good idea to know you have people on your side that love you and care about you.

So make sure you use them to your advantage. Thank them. Show appreciation for them.

Don’t forget that they are part of the reason why you are continuing onward towards recovery. They are the kind of people you owe your life to.

You’ll know how to cope better

You’ll be able to learn better coping skills when it comes to mental health. There may be days when you are feeling stress out. You may feel like today isn’t the best day.

But you have the ability to get through it in a better way. And drugs is a thing of the past.

You’ll be motivated to recover

Dual diagnosis and all the other benefits we’ve listed are enough for you to keep moving. Recovery is something you strive for. It’s your goal and everyone in your family wants to see it happen.

Life is precious and valuable. So make it even better by reaching the finish line.