Additional Information
Acupressure Therapy
Acupressure is an effective treatment of finger pressure or massage of a meridian point. Acu-points are usually very tender and can often be palpated as rather small, localized areas. The tenderness is a diagnostic factor and is one method of locating points for treatment.
Acu-aids
Acu-aids are small steel balls attached to the skin with tape. They are usually applied to ear points when continuous mild stimulation is desired.
Cranial Adjustments
Headaches and TMJ-like problems may be caused by misalignment of the head bones, called a cranial fault. Dr. Gilbert uses craniosacral or sacro-occipital adjustments to help correct imbalances that can cause a wide array of symptoms.
Cryotherapy
Cold treatments are used for pain control and for decreasing muscle spasticity. Cryotherapy is usually applied during the first 48 hours of acute musculoskeletal injuries to decrease the inflammatory response.
Custom Exercise Prescription
How much exercise is enough? Numerous studies have shown that non-vigorous exercises such as moderately brisk walking can provide health benefits similar to those gained from more vigorous activities such as running. These benefits are obtainable as long as: 1) The total number of calories burned per week is similar, and 2) You get your heart rate up at least 50% of its maximum capacity and keep it there for the duration of the exercise.
Dr. Gilbert will help you with your individually-designed exercise program:
1.Calculate your target heart rate zone to make sure you achieve the benefits of aerobic exercise.
2.Begin a walking program to improve your cardiovascular fitness.
3.To increase the intensity of your exercise routine to include other aerobic activities.
4.Begin a strength-training program that works all the major muscle groups of the upper and lower body.
5.Learn to stretch on a daily basis to help reduce muscle tension, prevent injuries, prepare your body for strenuous activity and increase your range of motion and coordination.
6.Make exercise an integral, everyday part of your life and enjoy the benefits of increased energy, stamina, and vitality.
The benefits of exercise last only as long as you make it a regular part of your life. It is much like dieting. You cannot go on a diet, lose 10 or 15 pounds, and then go back to your old habits once your goal has been reached. You will simply gain the weight right back. The same thing is true of exercise and fitness. The benefits of a short-term program are themselves short-term. Exercise needs to be a lifelong habit, just like healthy eating. That is why it is important to select activities that you can enjoy and can commit to long-term.
The Benefits of Exercise
Exercise not only gives you a better body shape, but also gives many benefits:
1.Increases your body's metabolic rate - meaning you burn more calories even after you have stopped eating.
2.Increases your body's percent of lean muscle versus percent of body fat. Since muscle is metabolically more active than fat, the more muscle you have the more calories you will burn - even while resting.
3.Improves your insulin sensitivity and blood sugar management.
4.Lowers your cholesterol levels.
5.Lowers your risk of the most common chronic diseases.
6.Improves your quality of sleep.
7.Increases your energy and vitality.
8.Reduces stress and tension.
9.Elevates your mood and increases your mental performance.
Dental Splints
Recent research indicates that bruxism, or grinding of teeth is now classified as a sleep disorder. Up to 220,000,000 people (80%) of the U.S. population have this disorder at some point. Yet only 40% of the people are actually aware they have this damaging nighttime disorder. Teeth grinding can cause tooth enamel loss, and may cause irreversible damage to the TMJ. Dr. Gilbert provides an adjustable swivel bitepad for patients that grind teeth or have headaches associated with clenching of the jaws.
Electrotherapy
Therapeutic electricity has been used to treat musculo-skeletal problems for a long time. Electrical devices put out alternating current or direct current. Direct current can be continuous or intermittent. Electrotherapy can also have different wave forms, frequencies, durations and amplitudes. The effects of these forms of therapeutic electricity can help decrease your muscle spasms, edema and pain.
Hydrocollator
Hydrocollator packs transfer heat, using conduction. The packs are heated in steel containers with water temperatures between 65 and 90 degrees Centigrade. They maintain heat up to 30 minutes. Moist heat is effective in relaxing muscle spasms since it increases collagen extensibility and decreases joint stiffness.
Infra Red Heat
The primary effect of infrared heat is an analgesic or calming effect on chronic conditions such as strains, sprains and spasms. Your body's response to infrared therapy also includes increased cellular metabolism and increased oxygenation of cells. This, in turn, speeds recovery of tissue damage.
Intersegmental Traction
While lying on your back, this is a gentle traction that passively stretches your spinal segments. What it can do for you:
1.Safely increases joint mobility reducing degenerative effects of misalignments.
2.Gradually reduces chronic joint stiffness, improving range of motion.
3.Reshapes and rehabilitates spinal discs and cartilage.
4.Gently stimulates nerve receptors that relieve pain in the spine.
5.Helps eliminate adhesions and mini calcifications that build up in the joints.
6.Passively exercises muscles weakened by lack of use.
7.Improves suppleness and flexibility of joint fibers.
8.Reduces the progressive phases of joint degeneration of the spine.
Massage Therapies
Massage is a term describing a variety of techniques using the hands, mechanical or electrical apparatus to stimulate or soothe, soft tissues of the body for therapeutic purposes. Massage is useful for many conditions in which reduction of swelling and increasing blood and lymph circulation are beneficial. Scar tissue between muscle fibers can be eased at the site of recent injury or trauma. Chief among many benefits include enhanced joint and muscle function, improved circulation, and increased metabolism.
Microcurrent
A very small (micro) current of electricity (peak current to 1000 microamps) used for analgesia and tissue healing. Microcurrent can also be used for stimulation of acupuncture points. The electrical stimulation causes increased RNA and protein synthesis that helps initiate the repair process of damaged tissues. It is helpful in acute and chronic injuries.
Myofascial Release
The fascia is a tough, connective tissue, which spreads throughout the body in a three-dimensional web from head to foot without interruption. The fascia surrounds every muscle, bone, nerve, blood vessel and organ of the body.
Therefore, malfunction of the fascial system due to trauma, posture, or inflammation can result in abnormal pressure on nerves, muscles, bones and organs.
This can create pain and bizarre side effects - seemingly unrelated symptoms. It is thought that an extremely high percentage of people suffering with pain and/or lack of motion may be having fascial problems, but most go undiagnosed. Many of the standard tests, such as x-rays, myelograms, CT scans, electromyography, etc. do not show the fascia.
Nutrition
Many people today want a "magic bullet," but nothing can replace smart nutrition. Using nutritional supplements that are right for you will help optimize your health now and in the future. The right supplements are an important part of an overall program designed to address any specific health problems or concerns you may have. Remember, nutritional support, whether it is foundational, targeted, or a combination of both, is most effective when combined with a healthy diet, regular exercise, and positive lifestyle choices. Using these tools you have the power to take better control over the course of your health.
Orthotics and Custom Support
No one else's feet are exactly like yours. Since your feet are the foundation of your body, any weakness or unstable positioning in your feet, can over time, contribute to problems in the rest of your body. Orthotics serve you in three important ways: 1) They support your body whenever you stand, walk or run, 2) They assist you in moving from one place to another, and 3) They help protect your spine, bones and soft tissues from damaging shock stress as you move.
Orthotics are flexible custom-made foot inserts worn in the shoes, or built into your shoes. They are scientifically designed for your unique postural problems and they provide support for all three arches of your foot. Dr. Gilbert will measure and cast your foot, send the impression to a lab, give you conditioning exercises to prepare you for the orthotics, and you will receive your orthotics in a week.
Take this test to see if orthotics are right for you:
1.Do you stand or walk on hard surfaces for more than 4 hours daily?
2.Do you participate regularly in any physical sport (basketball, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, etc.)?
3.Are you age 40 or over?
4.Have you had a prior injury to your knee, back or neck?
5.Do your shoes wear unevenly?
6.Do you have joint pain while standing, walking, or running?
7.Is one of your legs shorter than the other?
8.Do you have knock-knees or bow legs?
9.Do you have obvious foot problems (bunions, corns, flat feet, etc.)?
10.Do your feet "toe out" when you're walking?
If you checked any of the above, custom orthotics can help you.
Pillows
How important is your pillow? A properly designed pillow will help spinal alignment from the middle of the back down. First, no one should sleep on his or her stomach, unless instructed by his or her doctor. That leaves two sleeping positions in which you can sleep, 1) On your back, or 2) On your side.
For back sleepers, you must have full support of the spine from the upper back to the head to maintain a correct spinal alignment. Because the height of the neck/head area varies in people, Dr. Gilbert measures you for the proper fit. The pillow has a wedge that allows the shoulders to naturally fall back, helping improve posture. This also fully opens the air passages across the chest, making it easier to breathe. The wedge helps relieve stress and tension, allowing people to relax and fall asleep much faster. When lying on the back, your head must not be allowed to move too much laterally. Lateral movement will stretch and compact muscles and aggravate pain in the spine. The ears and shoulders should be at the same height. In most cases this will reduce or stop snoring.
For side sleepers, you must be at the height that matches the length of your shoulder from the flat of the neck to the outside tip of the shoulder bone. Your head must lie flat in line with the cervical and thoracic spine to maintain a correct spinal alignment. The shape of the top of the pillow needs to allow for TMJ sufferers to comfortably sleep on their side. Also, the edge of the pillow cannot be too firm as to put pressure on the chin, adding stress to the jaw connection. The pillow must be soft enough to provide comfort and yet supportive enough to provide a correct spinal alignment.
Reflexology
An ancient healing system that originated in China, treats the whole body by applying pressure to distinct points along the 26 bones, 107 ligaments, 19 muscles, and more than 7,000 nerves that make up each foot (reflexology can also be done on the hands as well). Reflexology can be used as a preventative therapy, a kind of tune-up for the body, or can concentrate on areas of acute distress.
Teishen
The teishen is considered a non-piercing needle for acu-point stimulation. It is an instrument that has a dull-pointed spring-loaded rod about 1 mm in diameter. A painless method of tapping, it has been found effective in pain control. The point can usually be sufficiently stimulated with under twenty taps.
Traction
This technique uses a distractive force on a particular body part to stretch soft tissues and to separate joint surfaces or bone fragments.
Trigger Point Therapy
Triggerpoints are local tender nodules in the skeletal muscles. They can produce severe muscle pain, muscle spasm, and radiating pain down the extremities, head, neck and back. Often misdiagnosed, they are usually caused by acute muscle strain and prolonged tension. If uncorrected, they can also be the cause of chronic discomfort.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound involves sound waves classified within the acoustic spectrum above 20,000 Hz (cycles per second). The production of heat is due to high-frequency alternating electric current (0.8 -1.0 MHz), which is converted via a crystal transducer to acoustic vibrations. Energy transfer occurs as the crystal undergoes changes in shape when voltage is applied, creating vibrations that pass through the tissue being treated. It is necessary to use a water-based gel as a coupling agent for the energy to transfer to the skin. The result is a reduction in muscle spasm and pain.
