Barrett Spinal Care
SERVICES
Upper Cervical Chiropractic
Dr. Ryan Barrett primarily uses Upper Cervical Chiropractic (NUCCA and QSM3) procedures to alleviate the pain and symptoms of many conditions that frequently don’t respond to other methods of care. We help conditions such as neck pain, mid and low back pain, migraines and other headaches, numbness in arms and legs, vertigo, sciatica and carpal tunnel.
In addition to Upper Cervical Care, Dr. Barrett utilizes other procedures to help facilitate the healing process that are used on an individual basis. These other techniques include spinal decompression, soft tissue treatment, activator tool, nutrition and exercise support. In short, our goal is to get you feeling and living well. We will use all the tools at our disposal to make this happen.
NUCCA is a little known yet highly effective corrective procedure that has been developed and refined for over fifty years by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). The NUCCA chiropractic method is a gentle and safe form of chiropractic care, with a focus on long-lasting results. The procedure focuses on correcting the entire spine back to a balanced, unstressed position. This reactivates the transmission of healing messages from the brain to the affected part of the body (via the nervous system) so the body’s natural self-healing process can begin.
NUUCA
The NUCCA Approach to Body Balance
What makes NUCCA such a unique treatment?
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NUCCA is gentle and specific. Not only is the NUCCA spinal correction extremely precise, it uses the least force of any chiropractic technique. There is no twisting, popping or cracking of the neck or back.
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NUCCA is highly effective.
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Because of the precise nature of the NUCCA spinal correction, patients are able hold their corrections for longer periods of time compared to traditional chiropractic methods. This allows for better recovery and lasting results with fewer office visits.
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The NUCCA spinal correction is a scientifically-based, thoroughly researched and well-documented approach to health. NUCCA uses a series of precise x-rays to calculate how to best adjust and correct each patient’s individual misalignment.
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An anatometer, which is a sophisticated postural observation tool, is used to measure body distortion before and after each correction is made.
The NUUCA Difference
Accidents and injuries throughout our lives can tear loose the connective tissue that holds our spinal joints together. In an effort to keep the head centered over the neck, the body will compensate and move into an imbalanced, stressed position. This imbalance shows up with one of the legs being longer or shorter, one hip higher or lower, one shoulder higher or lower, twisting of the body framework, muscular imbalance, abnormal movement, and over time progressive wear and tear.
NUCCA recognizes that this body position can cause stress, tension and pressure on the musculoskeletal system and the entire nervous system, most importantly the brain stem and spinal cord. Our body constantly shuttles millions of electrical and chemical impulses back and forth from our brain to every cell of our body through the vast network of our nervous system. Any restriction or distortion of these messages (nerve impulses) can affect body function. (Many of these messages are unconscious such as breathing, digestion, and circulation.) If this distortion is not corrected, the long-term effect is degeneration to that part of the body serviced by those restricted messages. This results in mild to severe pain, lowered resistance to illness, behavioral changes, organ dysfunction, loss of mobility in limbs, and ultimately disease.
Dr. Barrett understands and works to address these alignment issues with the NUCCA spinal correction. The main objective of Dr. Barrett is to restore the entire spine back to a balanced, unstressed position because this re-empowers the nervous system and the body’s ability to function at its full potential. With the NUCCA spinal correction, the spinal column remains straight and balanced where the weight of the head is centered over the neck.
By utilizing a formula calculated from the patient’s x-rays,Dr. Barrett will apply a slight, pre-determined pressure just below the tip of the ear at the atlas vertebrae (first neck vertebrae) to gently re-position the head over the center of the neck. This NUCCA re-positioning is what restores body balance and removes brain stem compression. Immediately, muscles begin to relax, blood and oxygen circulation is increased, healing messages are transmitted from the brain to the affected area and the body’s self-healing process begins. The NUCCA spinal correction requires NO FORCEFUL TWISTING, POPPING, OR CRACKING, and is barely felt by the patient. For more information, go to www.nucca.com.
Soft Tissue
Soft tissue refers to muscles, ligaments, tendons, and other soft tissues that make up the musculoskeletal system. The musculoskeletal system is often overlooked as the source of a person’s pain. However, it has now been proven that many pains that are chronic and previously thought to be associated with structures such as the spine or skeletal system are in fact distortions of soft tissue.
MyoFascial Disruption Technique (MFDT)
MFDT is a hands-on approach to treating soft tissue injuries. MFDT recognizes that most, if not all, soft tissue injuries are a result of a separation or a disruption of the fascia. [fascia – a sheet or band of fibrous connective tissue enveloping, separating, or binding together muscles, organs, and other soft structures of the body]
The fascia can separate at the origin or insertion of a tendon or ligament. The fascia can separate within the muscle in a band like separation. It can ‘wrinkle’ like a shirt pulled out from your hamper. It can ‘un-coil’ in the extremities like a twisted slinky toy. Dr. Barrett repairs the fascia by ‘ironing the wrinkle’, meaning he re-attaches the fascia which helps eliminates your pain.
ProMassager
Typical massagers either vibrate (a shaking movement) or are orbital (a circular motion), while our product uses an up & down percussion stroke (a tapping motion), producing strong waves of energy that travel deep into your muscles — penetrating far beyond ordinary massagers.
We direct the massage energy into your muscle, not across the skin surface. Deep down, penetrating far beyond ordinary massagers. Blood Flow and Lymphatic Drainage are increased dramatically and may produce warmth to the area being massaged. The results are truly phenomenal!
PHYSIOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF OUR PERCUSSION MASSAGER
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Almost immediate pain relief through local Endorphin release
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Increased Blood Circulation
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Increased Lymphatic Drainage
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Trigger Point stimulation and release (Shiatsu action on muscle knots)
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Stimulation of Parasympathetic nervous system (anti-adrenalin, relaxing and calming)
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Release of Joint & Ligament Fixations (increases joint mobility)
Activator
The Activator Method uses a small, hand-held instrument called the Activator Adjusting Instrument to deliver a gentle impulse force to the spine with the goal of restoring motion to the targeted spinal vertebra or joint.
It is an alternative to the traditional manual form of spinal alignment or manipulation, known as the high velocity low amplitude (HVLA) thrust.
A spring-loaded, hand-held mechanical instrument called the Activator Adjusting Instrument provides a quick, low-force impulse at specific points.
There are two advantages of an Activator instrument-assisted treatment. The first is based on the speed of the device. The instrument is so quick that the body’s muscles are less likely to tense in response and resist the treatment. The lack of muscle resistance may facilitate the treatment effectiveness. The second is that the applied force is localized and does not add any additional torque or bending movement to the joint.
Wellness Chiropractic
Everyone, regardless of age, can benefit from chiropractic care, similar to how individuals can benefit from regular exercise or eating properly. Chiropractic care is very much a lifestyle choice and can help individuals optimize their overall health and well-being. We are happy to help people with pain relief, but chiropractic care doesn’t have to stop there. We also help our patients maintain their health and well-being through regular chiropractic check-ups. Just as dental check-ups help keep our gums and teeth functioning optimally, so too does regular spinal corrections help our spine and nervous system operate at an optimum level. We are proud to provide services to pregnant women, children and many others who do not experience pain or symptoms but understand the value of maintaining the integrity of their spine.
Common Conditions
Some of the many symptoms that can be relieved by correction of the Atlas Subluxation Complex include but are not limited to:
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Neck and back pain
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Headaches and Migraines
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Hypertension
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Chronic pain or stress
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Leg and arm numbness
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Scoliosis
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Birth Injuries
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TMJ
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Fibromyalgia
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Sinus and allergy problems
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Herniated disc
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Seizures
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Depression
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Attention Deficit Disorder
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Hormonal Imbalance
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Athletic and auto injuries
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Bed wetting
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Cerebral Palsy
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Multiple Sclerosis
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Arthritis