What Will a Chiropractic Examination Reveal About My Body?

A chiropractic examination includes several areas.

Spinal Kinesiopathology: abnormal motion or position of spinal bones.
 
     Possible symptoms are the inability to turn or bend normally.
This can be caused by a number of factors, including accidents and injuries, repetitive motions, improper lifting, emotional stress and chemical imbalances.

Neuropathophysiology: abnormal nervous system function.
 
     Possible symptoms include numbness or a tingling sensation.
Abnormal motion or position of spinal bones can irritate, pinch, or choke nerves. This can impair the function of the tissues, organs, and systems controlled by these nerves.

Myopathology: abnormal muscle function.
 
     Possible symptoms include stiffness and muscle spasms.
The muscles supporting the spine can become weak and atrophy, allowing them to stretch too much, or become tight and cause painful spasms. If the muscles on one side of the spine are stronger than the muscles on the other they can twist individual bones out of place.

Histopathology: abnormal soft tissue function.
 
     Possible symptoms include swelling and inflammation.
This includes discs and ligaments. Discs that bulge, tear, or herniate put pressure on nerves, causing pain. Ligaments and other tissues can become inflamed and swollen.

Pathophysiology: abnormal function of the spine and body.
 
     Possible symptoms include painful jabbing of bone spurs.
If the above problems are not corrected, the body will produce solutions of its own, which may include bone spurs and spinal decay. Individual spinal joints may fuse together. Improper nerve communication may cause malfunction in other organs and
body systems.
 
 

What Is a Chiropractic Adjustment?

Chiropractic adjustments seek to restore your body’s own inborn ability to be healthy. Your brain communicates with the rest of your body using the spinal cord and nervous system. Your spinal cord is protected by 24 moveable bones, or vertebrae. When these vertebral segments get damaged from accidents or injuries, lack of good nutrition, lack of regular exercise, overuse, pathology or arthritis, there can be interference to the nervous system. This interference is the body having difficulty communicating with itself, and may be thought of as similar to a bad telephone line.

Over time, such abnormal positioning and nerve interference may cause spinal degeneration, loss of body function, pathology, loss of immune response to fight infection, various internal organ dysfunctions, headaches, neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, arm and leg pain, etc.

A chiropractic adjustment is the use of a specific force in a precise direction applied to a vertebra or joint that is out of place or not functioning properly. These adjustments help return the bones to their normal position and mobility. The adjustments also promote wellness, restore functionality and remove nerve interference.

There are many ways to safely adjust the spine. Dr. Greenwood will choose a method that is most effective for your body
and condition.

State-of-the-Art Acupuncture Analysis
 
Dr. Greenwood utilizes the AcuGraph Digital Meridian Imaging system to analyze and document the energetic status of the acupuncture meridians. By touching a probe to acupuncture points on your hands and feet, Dr. Greenwood can measure and analyze the energy balance of each acupuncture meridian. He can then consider the appropriate Chinese herbal nutrition and specific acupuncture points to help correct your imbalances. This analysis is informative and painless. You should expect to feel calmer, less stressed, and more energetic after the initial treatment. The amount of treatment you need depends on your condition and how quickly your body is able to respond. 

Acupuncture meridians are invisible energy pathways in your body that conduct life force energy, called Qi (CHEE), throughout your body. Blockage or interference in these meridian pathways can manifest itself as disease or dysfunction. Acupuncture treatment can restore the balance in these pathways, allowing the proper energy flow throughout the body, resulting in normal function. Your body is able to use the healing energy within it to return to health naturally.

Each time you are evaluated with AcuGraph, you will receive a full-color chart that analyzes the function of your meridians by organ system.
 
Click Here to download a sample patient report.
 
 
What Is the Education of a Naturopathic Physician?
 
Naturopathic physicians (NDs) receive undergraduate training in standard premedical courses, followed by two years – like those of an MD – in basic medical sciences. The following two years emphasize clinical training in naturopathic therapeutics, treating patients with a wide variety of health conditions. This training prepares them to be primary care providers in an outpatient (rather than hospital) setting.

Dr. Greenwood received his Naturopathic Doctor (ND) degree from NCNM, the oldest accredited medical school in North America. He passed rigorous national and Washington-state testing. (There is no licensing for naturopathic physicians in the state of Missouri.)
 
 
Are There Other Kinds of Naturopathic Physicians in the U.S.?
 
Yes. Unfortunately, some people obtain questionable ND degrees from brief correspondence courses, short seminars, or from schools that give credit for life experience but which do not require clinical training. Some chiropractors and medical doctors claim to be naturopathic physicians without completing their training from a nationally recognized and accredited naturopathic college.

In Missouri, a state with no naturopathic regulation and licensing, many practitioners call themselves naturopathic physicians – “NDs” or “NMDs” – without the higher standard of training received from a nationally recognized and accredited naturopathic college.

Dr. Hunter Greenwood received his training from National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon, a nationally recognized and accredited naturopathic college.
 
Dr. Greenwood is currently serving as president of the Missouri Society of Naturopathic Physicians.