A higher level of health.
At HIGHER FUNCTION CHIROPRACTIC, we take great pride in providing the finest chiropractic wellness care to our patients. Below is a sampling of the different chiropractic services we offer in our Walnut Creek office.
Functional Neurology
Dr. Culver assesses the nervous system from a variety of perspectives including muscle testing, primitive reflexes, eye movement, posture, gait analysis, and more. Then, based on individual needs, we have an assortment of treatment methods that can be incorporated into a management plan to optimize healing potential and the ability for the body and soul to thrive.
Chiropractic Care
We provide spinal correction utilizing gentle chiropractic techniques. Never in the history of chiropractic have we been able to provide the level of help and expertise that now exists. These newer correction methods are even safer, more comfortable and more effective than ever before. As a Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Kevin Culver, D.C. has years of training and experience in spinal adjustment.
Applied Kinesiology
Posture & Gait Analysis
The body has a language and it never lies. Each postural muscle will exhibit certain signs of weakness that can lead me to quickly identifying the muscle(s) involved. Likewise, observation of abnormalities in the gait mechanism may disclose many muscle incoordination problems. By addressing these imbalances, your Chiropractic care will be much more effective and increase the potential for lasting results.
Functional Muscle Testing and Treatment
Dr Culver utilizes Professional Applied Kinesiology (PAK) in evaluation by using the muscles of the body as a “window” into the nervous system to accurately detect function. PAK is also used extensively in treatment to neurologically affect overactive and underactive muscles. These techniques and others, in conjunction with Chiropractic care, facilitates bringing the entire neuro-musculo-skeletal system into balance.
| ACUPUNCTURE MERIDIAN THERAPY | |
|---|---|
| Today, thousands of years after the establishment of acupuncture as a method of treatment, its laws and principles are better understood on a scientific basis. Sophisticated electronic instruments yield information about the meridian system heretofore unknown. A primary aspect of meridian therapy is the concept that energy goes through twelve bilateral meridians, and the energy should be balanced within the system. This energy, traditionally called Chi (or Qi, both pronounced "chee"), is an electromagnetic energy.
| Understanding the body lanuage of the meridian system increases one's ability to understand dysfunction that causes symptoms when there is no pathologic process to diagnose. The primary contribution Applied Kinesiology has made to meridian therapy is in diagnosis and understanding why there may be imbalance of energy in the system. Treatment includes the use of manual stimulation of acupuncture points without the use of needles, as well as chiropractic adjustments and nutrition as indicated. |
Functional Nutrition (aka functional medicine)
We provide specific recommendations on nutritional supplements and healthy food choices to enhance our patient´s return to optimal health. Do you know which supplements and vitamins are good for you? Do you know how these supplements and vitamins interact with one another? Dr. Kevin Culver, D.C. can provide a structured nutritional program based on your individual needs.
Evaluation
There are a variety of ways to evaluate optimal function. Blood lab tests, muscle testing, hair analysis, and saliva testing each reveal different sides of the story. They may be used individually or combined depending on each case. The goal is to assess all major organs and glands of the body for function and determine what the current priority is for each individual. We then focus primarily on that area and determine which specific nutrients are needed to address deficiencies or imbalances and to support optimal function.
As your body begins to heal, other areas might show themselves as the new primary focus. In the process, all of your body’s major systems—digestive, hormonal, cardiovascular, skin, muscles, nerves and brain—come into balance in the order that works best for you, without overwhelming or confusing the body. The process is akin to peeling back the layers of an onion.
Whole Food Supplements
When I determine that supplementation is required, I use whole food organic nutrients and herbs in a form as nature intended, as food, for the body to utilize most effectively. The goal is to provide support for your body to heal naturally and function properly on its own. This is a different approach and philosophy from the use of fractionated vitamins, "nutraceuticals", and other synthetically created substances that affect body chemistry but can have side effects in the same way pharmaceuticals may.
| WHAT IS A FRACTIONATED VITAMIN ? | |
|---|---|
| An example: ascorbic acid, commonly referred to as vitamin C, is a fractionated vitamin. The truth is, ascorbic acid is only the outer protective shell of the entire vitamin C complex. So it would be much like eating an eggshell and expecting the same benefits of eating the egg. Furthermore, ascorbic acid as found in most vitamins is a molecule that is made cheaply in a laboratory. And although in the beginning it may seem to be working, what is happening is that | molecule is likely robbing the body's tissue reserves of necessary enzymes, co-factors, and synergists to make the ascorbic acid molecule into something the body can recognize and use. Over time however, your body's reserves will begin to deplete. Now the "vitamin" is working against you and starving you of vital nutrients. This is true of all fractionated vitamins, including B vitamins which are most commonly extracted from coal tar! |
Functional Exercises
We teach our patients special "blueprint" exercises to help strengthen and correct their own unique problem. These exercises can be performed in the comfort of your own home and can improve the effectiveness of your spinal correction. In addition to skeletal misalignment, muscles and connective tissues can be out of place or strained by improper alignment and use. Specific exercises and stretches can help your body stay in balance and in health.
Physiotherapy
Percussion
“Ahhhh!” That’s what most patients say as soon as they feel the percussor on their tight muscles and sore backs. This instrument delivers mechanical percussion to the area being treated. The frequency of percussion is variable so different tissues and tissue depths can be affected. I’ve found that it works very well prior to adjustment in loosening up tension around the vertebral subluxation. This allows the adjustment to set with less force and with greater patient comfort than without percussion. Patients generally report that percussion “feels great” or “is very relaxing.”
Another great use of the instrument is unwinding facial adhesion of traumas or surgeries. When our body is injured or cut, as in surgery, the fascia, (dense connective tissue) of the body becomes tight and tense. It is as if someone put their fist into your body and grabbed tissue and twisted. This is how soft tissue heals, through fibrotic scarring and contraction. The percussor is wonderful for releasing fibrotic scar adhesion especially in surgeries of the abdomen, knee, or shoulder. It also works very well for releasing old traumatic shoulder injuries as well as the neck tension associated with them. Percussion reduces adhesion and contraction; increase the amount of lymphatic and blood drainage, and decreases systemic nervous system tension and muscle spasm.
Advice
We often find it helpful to "coach" our patients on certain activities they should avoid or do differently to avoid aggravating their particular health challenge. Our goal is to help every patient achieve a fulfilling and happy lifestyle full of the activities they enjoy most. We recognize that each patient is a whole person, and helping them reach true health and wellness is a collaborate effort between our professionals and our patients.