Patient Forms:  We will request that in advance you download (click here) and fill out the ‘Confidential New Patient Information’ form located in the “New Patient Center” to save you some time… and to bring it with you to your visit. This paperwork provides us with valuable general information about yourself and your condition(s).

You can prepare for your first visit at the office by bringing your ID and insurance forms-otherwise, feel free to come as you are!  We also recommend bringing any relevant information that you have received from other providers or facilities X-rays, MRI, Blood test, etc., as well as a full list of medications.

Please arrive fifteen minutes early to your first appointment, so we can properly welcome you to our family.

For your first visit, we recommend setting aside 40-60 minutes for a full history, physical exam- includes vitals, orthopedic, and neurological tests. If necessary, at some location, we provide on-site x-rays. After your doctor has review all of the information a care plan is recommended.

A printed ‘Confidential New Patient Information’ form is also available at the front desk upon your arrival for your appointment.

Consultation:   Next, you will have a private consultation with Doctor to discuss your health-related problems and concerns, lifestyle as well as potential treatment options. This could take up to 20-45 minutes.

Your first visit is designed to learn more about you, your condition(s), and your expectations; and to determine whether Chiropractic care at our facility will meet your goals. If not, Dr. Isidore will recommend a healthcare professional that is better suited to look after your presenting complaints.

Examination:   After your Chiropractic consultation and if your presenting complaints fall within the scope of Chiropractic care, Dr. Isidore will perform: a thorough Chiropractic, Orthopaedic and Neurological examination; testing of your posture; nerve reflexes; your ranges of motion (ability to turn and bend); flexibility and muscle strength; as well as other standard and necessary physical examinations. Nothing will be done in our facility without your ‘informed’ consent and permission.

X-Ray Studies:   Your specific condition may require you to have digital HD (high definition) x-rays taken to get a full spinal/joint evaluation of you. X-rays help us rule out more serious conditions and/or assist us in developing the most effective treatment plan for you. Most people are amazed once they view their x-rays that they can often immediately identify their misalignments and degeneration themselves. If you have any relevant X-rays, CT and or MRI performed at any office or hospital, please bring them to your appointment.   Images can be compared with your new Scans/exam.

The analytical reading fee pertains to all x-rays viewed by a chiropractor, including those already prescribed by your physician and interpreted by a medical radiologist. For further details, please call our office.

Report of Findings (Results):   Once all the information and examinations have been performed, Dr. Isidore will arrange for your ‘report of findings’ visit as soon as mutually possible after the first visit. At that time, Dr. Isidore will review your consultation, your health goals, testing, available x-ray(s), and other diagnostic results… to answer the four most frequently asked questions:

Can you help me? What do you recommend that I do to get better? How long is it going to take? and how much is it going to cost? If Dr. Isidore believes that Chiropractic care can help you, he will then discuss his provisional recommended treatment plan, wellness program, and “informed consent” with you. If you have a condition that requires care from other health providers, then Dr. Isidore will tell you and recommend a referral elsewhere. Keep in mind that he only accepts patients for care that he honestly feels will benefit from the chiropractic health services that are provided at his facility.

Treatment:   Patients will be provided with their first treatment at the conclusion of their initial appointment… if they so desire. This only occurs following a discussion with respect to ‘informed consent’ to treatment, treatment options, and with patient permission. Treatment may include various combinations of, but not limited to: spinal and/or joint mobilizing Chiropractic Adjustments; numerous physical therapies such as :ultrasound; heat and/or ice applications; electro-muscle stimulation (EMS), transcutaneous electro-nerve stimulation (TENS), interferrential stimulation (IFC);  low-level laser therapy (photo-bio stimulation, PBS Class 3b); kinesiology taping; instrument assisted soft tissue massage (IASTM) and manual massage-type therapies. This is followed with home-care exercise and advice. Treatment is interactive with you, the patient, so you can express any concerns you may have about the style of adjustments and therapies you will be most comfortable with.

Wellness Program:    Prior to leaving after the first visit, patients will be instructed on a wellness program to be conducted at home. If you are in pain when you first come into our office, this may include ice or heat application instructions, the use of analgesic gels, avoidance of certain activities or positions, as well as home exercises and/or stretches.

If you desire an overall wellness lifestyle, Dr. Isidore will collaborate with you to create good habits and routines that support your success. Everybody is unique and different, therefore requiring a unique and customized wellness plan. The foundation of our overall wellness lifestyle is maintaining healthy posture and good spinal/joint alignment, eating a healthy diet, behavioral lifestyle modification(s), drinking plenty of fresh water, taking nutritional supplements, keeping your weight under control and stress relief.

New Patient Tips Prior To Your First Visit

New Patient Tips Prior To Your First Visit

Here are some suggestions for new patients to enhance their experience at Dynamic Spine Center and make it more effective, efficient, and comfortable.

Please note that these tips are optional and meant to optimize your healthcare journey based on feedback from past patients:

1. Complete Paperwork in Advance:A portion of the paperwork required for ‘new’ chiropractic patients to see Dr. Isidore can be accessed online if you  Click here. You can print the ‘Confidential New Patient Information’ form and fill it out at home or work at your convenience. Doing this before your initial appointment can expedite the check-in process at the clinic.
2. Dress Appropriately for Your Visit:  Many new patients prefer wearing their own clothing instead of a clinic gown during a physical examination. Dr. Isidore often examines the back as part of the initial physical exam for new patients. For female patients… wearing a sports bra or a workout-type top can provide comfort and eliminate the need for a medical gown. Likewise, if your concern involves areas below the waist, such as hips, knees, or ankles, wearing or bringing shorts can be beneficial to avoid using a clinic gown. Rest assured, if you forget, Dr. Isidore has clinic gowns and shorts available for your use.
3. X-rays. If you have any relevant X-rays CT and or MRI performed at any office or hospital, please bring them to your appointment.   Images can be compared      with your new Scans/exam.
4. Bring Blood works also, as this can help with proper diagnosis of your condition and   if you fit for nutritional  care.

Five Phases of Chiropractic Care

Generally speaking most people assume Chiropractic Care is for people in joint pain. While this is true for SOME of the time it is not always the case.  Chiropractic care does provide pain relieve to many of our patient, but it is not the only thing it does.  What makes Chiropractic Care unique is the fact that it address specific misalignment or subluxation in your spine that reduce the body’s natural ability to heal.  Restoring this healing potential relieve pain, reduce s inflammation, improve range of motion and muscle tone , improve mental clarity, improve organ function and so much more!

You see, chiropractic care is like a journey that has 5 different phases. For most people, it starts with getting the ‘temporary’ pain relief and then when the pain is eliminated it proceeds to spinal correction. Usually, once a patient gets past correction it’s already big progress, but the real ultimate goal here is to reach phase 5 or getting wellness care. This phase means achieving optimal health in all areas of your life, where it goes beyond physical health.

Take a look below and learn more about the 5 phases of chiropractic. Which phase do you think you are in now and what phase do you think is right for you?

1. Relief or Acute Care (I want to feel better for the least amount of money)  

Goals

• Reduce Pain
• Reduce Nerve Irritation
• Reduce Tissue Inflammation
• Increase Flexibility

We know it— the pain in your neck, shoulder, and back are what drove you to consult us in the first place! Well, we are not that surprised anymore, as this the most common scenario that we usually get from our first-time patients.

In this phase, we will do our best to identify the root causes of your symptoms, pain, soreness, inflammation, etc.

Pain is your body’s way of telling you “Hey, there is a problem here than I can’t fix alone.” I like to say pain is often the last thing t show up and the first thing to leave.  What this means is that the pain is typically the result of an injury that has been happening for a while.  If there is a fire in the house the alarm would not go off immediately.  It takes a little while for the smoke to build up enough before the alarm detects it.    When this type of patient presents to the office they are often limited in their activity, limited in there range of motion and are experiencing pain daily. This could be caused by many things – an impinged nerve, a previous injury, or maybe a prolong postural problem.

During this phase our goal is to determine the pain generator (nerve, muscle, bone or joint) and reduce inflammation as effectively as possible.  Sometimes this requires X-rays, Electrical Muscle Stimulation, Ice and Chiropractic Adjustments.  Relief can happen in a matter of days or weeks depending on the diagnosis and how long the pain has been present.

Though you’ll be feeling better at this point, long-term changes to muscles and tendons are normally not achieved at this point. In order to prevent a relapse we need to retrain supporting muscles, improve biomechanics, and stabilize your spine.

2. Correction Care (I want to stabilize and retrain the muscles and ligaments of my spine)

Goals

• Reposition Joint to Restore Structure
• Heal Nerve Root
• Increase Range of Motion
• Restore Joint Function
• Restore Function to Muscles

This phase is the first progression out of pain relief. Once the pain levels have decreased and the inflammation has gone down the real correction can begin. Oftentimes it is in this phase that we start to do more in the office. Whether it be massage, acupuncture, stretching, traction, or exercises this is where the most change occurs. When we start to rehab, stabilize, and retrain the muscles and ligaments in your spine we can begin to correct persistent misalignments, muscle spasms, and imbalances that caused your injury in the first place. During corrective care our goals are to create balance which takes consistency and commitment but have major benefits.

The objective of corrective care is to improve flexibility and strength and to improve neuromusculoskeletal function. Depending on the progress you have made in phase one, the frequency of your visits is reduced.  At this stage care may be supplemented by rehabilitation exercises and a modification in your daily habits.

Some people choose to stop their appointments after they get temporary relief, but we don’t recommend that as pain and other symptoms can show back up quickly if the body hasn’t healed yet and the spine is not yet fully corrected.  For the body to fully heal, one must realize that there is a need for correcting misalignments in the spine and any imbalances that caused your injury in the first place. This oftentimes takes time, especially when retraining your spinal muscles, ligaments, and overall posture.

For example, patients who have disc issues need spinal decompression and manual adjustments a few times a week to start seeing results as soon as possible. Herniated discs (which are even worse), require immediate attention and correction which can last up to 4-6 weeks to reinforce the healing process.

So if your correction requires multiple visits every week along with different types of techniques, the best way to reap the benefits is to be committed and consistent in following this plan.

3. Supportive Care (I want to avoid losing my health any further)

Goals

• Rehabilitate Muscles
• Enhance Strength
• Strengthen Joints
• Reeducate Neuromuscular Function
• Increase Muscular Endurance

Supportive chiropractic care indicates that chiropractic care is being used to support a specific medical condition. For example, if someone has been diagnosed with a medical condition (i.e.: Fibromyalgia, arthritis, herniated disc, etc.) or perhaps has had spinal surgery in the past and they decide to use chiropractic care to support allopathic or traditional medical treatment for this specific condition. In this phase our goals are to improve their quality of life and keep inflammation as low as possible.

Additionally, when chiropractic care is used in this way, we keep other systems working optimally such as stress management, posture, sleep, digestion, etc. Supportive chiropractic care is commonly used as pain management along with other medical treatments.   In this way, not only do they preserve their progress through chiropractic care but it also helps them improve their health over the long term. This phase also goes hand in hand with the next phase which is Maintenance Care.

4. Maintenance Care (I want to preserve the progress I have made)

Goals

• Rehabilitate Muscles
• Enhance Strength
• Strengthen Joints
• Reeducate Neuromuscular Function
• Increase Muscular Endurance

This phase of care usually suggests that the patient has experience relief form initial complaint and want to maintain the progress they have made.  This phase indicates that a patient can return to normal activities but may experience flare-ups and inflammation from time to time due to exposure to everyday stressors. During this time, we will keep a close eye on those problematic areas and address them as early as possible. By doing this, it can help the patient avoid old health issues from returning and prevent future health problems from occurring.

Also, the frequency of adjustments can be reduced but once again that depends on the patient’s needs, lifestyle, level of activity, and overall health goals.

5. Wellness and Nutrition Care (I want to be all that I can be)

Goals

• Maintain Structural Integrity
• Reduce Muscular Stress
• Maintain Nutritional Balance
• Achieve Physical & Emotional Well-Being

This would be the ultimate goal when you think about optimal health and chiropractic.

At this point, the patient already has mastered good posture and has maintained a good spinal alignment. Even if they are not in pain or experiencing any symptoms, they still come in for a regular ‘tune-up’. The purpose of this is to just keep their spine and nervous systems healthy so that they can perform at their maximum potential and maintain their body’s self-healing ability.

This wellness phase is designed not only to maintain normal spinal function and prevent the original condition from returning but improve health through Clinical Nutrition.  Wellness care is the ultimate goal when you think about true Health and Chiropractic.  It means that you are able to do  the things you love,  have zero to minimal limitations of activity , rarely get sick  , average  or above average  range of motion  are sleeping well,  maintaining high energy levels and just thriving  overall!!  At this stage you are being proactive when it comes to your health!  This is the “I want to be the as healthy as I possibly can be” and we love it

A personal Wellness and Nutrition program designed specifically for you will teach you how to incorporate nutrition, exercise habits and good posture into your everyday life, so that you can enjoy life to its fullest. This holistic approach helps people avoid disease and maintain optimal physical function for a longer period of time than traditional approaches.  Here are six ways Wellness Care can benefit your health:

Improves Digestion – proper nutrition to avoid poor health outcomes, whether the cause is a disease, food allergies, or eating processed foods.

Immunity Support- support and boost your immune system by improving gut health, increase the levels of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract and removal of toxins from the body. This provides a long-term boost to your immune system.

Detoxify your body- Detoxification to rid the body of impurities and toxins especially in colon and liver

Weight Control & Metabolism- Nutritional supplements can help with weight loss while also promoting good health in other ways.  Antioxidants and vitamins aid in disease prevention and immune function, as well as boosting energy levels so you can get moving every day!

Decreases Arthritis Pain- Inflammation is frequently associated with severe chronic joint pain.  Anti-inflammation diet, a nutrient-dense, low-calorie diet of fruits, vegetables, lean meat and fish can help reduce inflammation. A suggest of vitamin D, magnesium, Zinc and fish oil supplements etc. to help promote joint health.

Increase Energy Levels- recommending high-nutritional foods and vitamins that will provide them with more energy throughout the day.

What phase are you in??  What phase do you want to be in?  Whatever phase it is we are here to help to meet your health goals call us at (758) 518-5000 or email us at Drisidore@hotmail.com  Click here to make an appointment.

How Long Does It Take to Get Better?

How Long Does It Take to Get Better?

How long does it take to see improvement under chiropractic care management? Mastering patience is often a challenging life lesson. Being patient with our children, partners, well-being, vehicles, fellow drivers, or practically anything can present difficulties. Even as a chiropractor, there are times when I need to assess my patients’ patience!

Exercising patience, especially when it comes to regaining our health or waiting to recover after an injury or illness, can be particularly demanding. A fundamental principle is that no process unfolds without the passage of time. Due to our impatience and unwillingness to allow sufficient time for a process to progress, we often expect or even demand quick solutions, like over-the-counter pain relief.

In clinical practice, it’s observed that the most prevalent issue, which naturally requires time for correction, often arises not from a severe injury but from a neglected spine that has finally reached a point of severe nerve compression, resulting in painful symptoms.

In simpler terms, most problems are gradual and progressive. They start silently and escalate. Over the years, accumulated stresses on the spine, both minor and major, take their toll. Many individuals we encounter have faced injuries from sports, work, slips/trips, falls, or car accidents. These cases are understandable. Equally common, however, is the person who arrives at the clinic in significant pain, unable to pinpoint the cause of their condition.

As a chiropractor, we frequently hear dramatic accounts like, “all I did was bend over to pick up my shoe, and I couldn’t straighten up,” or “I just reached out to open the fridge, and my neck became stiff, and now I can’t turn my head.” These are classic examples of the proverbial “straw that broke the camel’s back,” and such occurrences are all too familiar.

In life, anything of value and quality necessitates regular maintenance.

The spine is no exception. Without proper maintenance, vulnerable areas of your spine and supporting muscles weaken, gradually losing their ability to stabilize your spine. That’s why something as seemingly harmless as stooping down to pet a dog can be the “straw” that severely affects you.

What can be startling for those accustomed to quick fixes is that achieving the desired results of reduced pain, swelling, inflammation, improved spinal/joint alignment, and overall health and well-being will require not just time but also commitment to specific recommendations and patience. It’s akin to joining a fitness club and expecting to resemble the trainer or a bodybuilder by year-end with only monthly visits—unrealistic!

After a comprehensive chiropractic consultation and examination, which may involve X-rays, if necessary, we chiropractors often convey to our patients that their condition doesn’t have to remain static or worsen. However, they must adhere to specific recommendations and exercise patience to attain their desired outcomes. This includes eventual pain reduction, reduced swelling and inflammation, improved spinal/joint alignment, and overall health.

We clarify that if the problem took several years or even decades to silently accumulate before the crisis that brought them to the clinic, it’s reasonable to anticipate a substantial duration to begin resolving it. Fortunately, recent years have seen promising research in spinal rehabilitation that we apply in our practice.

While chiropractic care can often swiftly alleviate pain, like any process, it takes time to genuinely strengthen and stabilize a region of the spine. Moreover, it necessitates ongoing maintenance. One of my older patients once shared that she didn’t mind if it took five years to restore her good, healthy functioning because that sounded much better than being five years deeper in trouble by doing nothing! Well, those weren’t her exact words, but you get the gist!

So, I encourage you to invest time in making this season truly special for your spine and health. Most importantly, practice patience. It’s the accumulation of little efforts that makes a significant impact. I recently completed Andy Stanley’s insightful book, “The Best Question Ever.” It’s exceptional. I won’t spoil the question for you, but one thing he emphasizes is that “there is a cumulative value to investing small amounts of time in certain activities over a long period.”

A single workout or a solitary chiropractic adjustment might not yield dramatic results, but with persistence, patience, and time, you could wind back the clock a few years and feel better than you ever imagined.

What is Pain Retracing?

In chiropractic practice, patients may sometimes undergo a phenomenon known as ‘retracing’ or a healing response. Could you explain what retracing involves and how it is related to the healing process? It’s often described as a re-emergence of previous pain, symptoms, or even memories and emotions during the course of treatment. Some practitioners also label this as the “healing reaction response.” Providing specific examples could help in understanding this concept better….

An individual expresses satisfaction with their chiropractic treatment but suddenly sees a return of the original symptoms. These symptoms resolve quickly. Another person undergoes a spinal adjustment and, during relaxation after-ward, experiences a profound sense of lightness and joy, resulting in laughter. Conversely, the person may start to cry, illustrating retracing once again.

A patient starts to recover their health after a series of chiropractic spinal adjustments but, on a particular day, feels pain. This could manifest in any body part; in a specific case, it was the wrist:

“Have you had any prior issues with your wrist?” inquired the doctor. “Yes, I broke it a few years ago at the very spot where I now feel pain.” “You’re likely retracing,” noted the doctor. “The area never fully healed and is now completing the healing process. The symptoms won’t last long.” Another instance of retracing occurs when a spinal adjustment triggers a flood of childhood memories.

Why Does Retracing Occur?

It seems that the body’s tissues retain a “memory” of the traumas, accidents, and injuries they’ve endured. As injuries are often accompanied by feelings of panic, shock, anger, or hysteria, the patient undergoing retracing may sense these emotions “resurfacing” as the physical injury starts to heal.

Retracing isn’t always dramatic. At times, it manifests as a simple urge to take deep, satisfying breaths while receiving care. During these moments, there might be a release of psycho-physical energy, although it might not be accompanied by any conscious memories. Yet, retracing could be occurring in such cases.

Retracing is Real

Retracing is undeniably real. It shouldn’t be dismissed as imaginary, unreal, or a placebo effect. Retracing experiences are genuinely intense, both physically and emotionally. In such situations, recognizing the experience as part of the healing process can be challenging. Patients undergoing an especially intense retracing pattern may feel as though they’ve suffered a severe setback or may even fear worsening.

Although retracing experiences usually last a brief duration and often pass relatively quickly, patients have been known to discontinue their care due to them. During this period, it is crucial for the patient to communicate what’s happening to the chiropractor. Patients who terminate their care due to retracing symptoms may deprive themselves of a full recovery.

Other Healing Arts

The chiropractic profession and other healing arts have long acknowledged the phenomenon of retracing, often using different terminology. For instance, Craniosacral Therapy (CST), developed by John Upledger, D.O., utilizes the terms “unwinding” and “somato-emotional release” to describe this phenomenon. Upledger’s understanding is based on research into body energies and the role of connective tissue in body structure:

Based on our experience, it seems that body tissues, especially connective tissues, possess a memory. When an injurious force occurs, the impacted tissue undergoes a change. It potentially retains the energy from the impact. An elevated level of kinetic activity or higher entropy is established in the affected area. The human body either disperses this energy and returns to normal, or it somehow isolates the impact energy and confines it, much like it confines the tubercle bacillus during the dormant phase of the disease. Once the energy from the injury is effectively contained, the body adapts to this area. Energy (electrical, magnetic, prana, Qi, or your preferred terminology) is then directed to move around this area rather than through it…. Often, upon discovery of the original injury, the repressed emotional components of the somatic injury are concurrently released.

Various forms of bodywork such as Rolfing, shiatsu, and massage therapy also recognize this healing phenomenon. Practitioners have observed patients undergoing “flashbacks” as they release long-held energy in their bodies.

Homeopathy

Homeopathy has organized the observations of Constatine Hering, a homeopathic researcher, as Hering’s Law, which regards retracing as part of a three-part healing process.

According to this law, healing unfolds: 1) from the interior to the exterior; 2) from the most vital to the least vital organs; and 3) in the reverse order from when the symptoms initially appeared.

Psychotherapy

A parallel to the retracing phenomenon is recognized in psychotherapy and labeled progressive abreactive regression or PAR.

This PAR phase is seen as a step toward healing and wholeness. As individuals “advance into new behaviors and accomplishments… [they] introspectively grapple with fears and dysfunctional patterns that need resolution.” PAR naturally occurs in human development as part of growth at all levels. An illustration of PAR is when an individual, after a long-awaited promotion, begins to struggle with feelings of inadequacy.

Retracing and Medicine?

Retracing seems to be common in bodywork and therapies that focus on balancing the body’s energies and reducing stress.

However, it seems less prevalent in standard medical practice, potentially due to medications’ tendency to suppress disease and mask symptoms. As seen, this can be perilous.

An intriguing example from Oriental medicine demonstrates this: Oriental medical theory associates the skin with the bronchi and lungs because both aid in breathing. If a skin condition is suppressed, according to the theory, it may move deeper and affect the lungs and bronchi. In reality, many children who suffered from asthma were treated with cortisone for skin conditions like eczema during infancy. The cortisone suppressed the skin condition, driving it into the lungs and bronchi, manifesting as asthma.

A Need for Further Investigation

Numerous questions about retracing remain unanswered. More research is imperative to comprehend this healing phenomenon better.

  Call Dr. Isidore at Dynamic Spine Center at (758) 518-5000 or click here to send him an email to learn more about pain retracing!