PHASES OF CARE
Phase #1
THE CONSULTATION
This will be direct one on one contact with Dr.Katz. During this time he will listen to your complaints and ask a series of very specific questions to help direct us towards the possible areas that may be causing your pain. The importance of this time cannot be overstated. One of my mentors and a brilliant diagnostician, Dr. John Mennell, would say, “Listen to your patients, they are telling you the diagnosis”. He was a master at arriving at a probable diagnosis based upon the consultation and then using the exam as confirmation. It is that model that we try to emulate.
"The Consultation drives the Examination"
THE EXAMINATION
The examination starts with questions and ends with answers. The goal is to determine where the pain is coming from. It is divided into many parts, namely postural, orthopedic, neurological and biomechanical. The sum of these parts will help us arrive at a diagnosis. It is very important to recognize that where the pain is, is not necessarily where the problem is. Spinal nerves, through a very complex series of branches, run through the entire body. The significance of this cannot be overstated. What this means is that any pain in the body can be caused by spinal nerve irritation secondary to a herniated disc, stenosis or arthritis. Through a comprehensive examination, we will be able to differentially diagnosis the source of your pain and determine the appropriate course of treatment needed to help to resolve your condition.
"We will only accept patients whom we sincerely believe we can help"
Phase #3
THE DECOMPRESSION
Spinal Decompression Therapy is an extremely safe, very effective method of treating spinal lumbar (lower back) disc herniation, spinal stenosis, sciatica and spinal arthritis
Neck as well as Lower Back
Spinal
Decompression Therapy can also be very effective for cervical
(neck) disc herniation, cervical stenosis and cervical
arthritis.
"Compression results in pain, decompression results in relief"
Phase #4
THE ACTIVATION
Neural Activation
Your nervous system controls and coordinates every bodily
function, not the least of which, the muscular system. The strength
of our muscles depends upon the heath of its specific nerve
innervation. If that particular nerve has been damaged or
irritated, pain will result that may or may not include muscle
weakness. However, if this condition is not resolved quickly, the
pain may lessen but the weakness will start to manifest itself or,
if it was present at the onset, it will likely get worse. The more
chronic the condition the more the nerve becomes inhibited and the
muscles continue to weaken. This is an example of a known cause and
effect. It is very important to realize that many people have
subtle underlying muscle weaknesses, secondary to poor nerve
function that often goes completely undected. This poor nerve
function can be the result of an old injury that, on the surface
looks to be completely healed, but underneath, the nerve remembers
the trauma and in an effort of self-preservation, essentially,
“turns off”. Simply doing various types of weight-resisted
exercises will only lead to failure and frustration because the
nerve was never re-activated or “turned back on”. Through the use
of light therapy (particularly red and infra-red) and physical
mobilization/manipulation, we are able to re-activate nerves and
turn them back on. Our bodies use light to communicate and
stimulate function. For example, we absorb sunlight to create
vitamin D. Our cells emit light when performing certain cellular
functions. Light therapy is well documented for the stimulation of
ATP (cellular energy) production, lymphocyte activity (cellular
detoxification), increased circulation and tissue oxygenation.
Light therapy has been researched and in use since the 1960’s. It
has been used alone and in conjunction with surgical and medical
procedures for many years. While the video below is an example of a
patient whose sciatic nerve “turned off” as a result of ankle
surgery, the principle is still the same, in that the sciatic nerve
had to be “turned on” or activated. In spite of all the exercises
she had been doing, the calf muscle remained weak. Months of
frustration, was replaced by satisfaction as her strength
completely returned in a matter of weeks using our neural
activation treatment.
"You cannot strengthen a muscle whose nerve has been turned off"
Phase #5
THE REHABILITATION
Core Muscle Activation
Research has found that retraining the timing of contraction
(synergy) of these muscles is important for the ability to
maintain/re-gain lower back stability. Retraining neural pathways
for using this system automatically and efficiently is the initial
goal. If you begin a core strengthening program without first
addressing the ability to activate the core muscles and you ignore
the sequencing and timing of these muscles that you are attempting
to strengthen, you will only reinforce the non-optimal patterns
that you already have. In other words, if you keep doing what
you’ve always done, you are going to keep getting what you’ve
always got.
"Activation before Rehabilitation"
Core Stability Strengthening
Through a series of very specific spinal stabilization and muscle grading tests, we will be able to determine whether the need for spinal exercises exists and most importantly, the type of exercises to be performed. We will tailor this program to the patient, not the patient to the program. In other words, someone who is relatively sedentary will need less strengthening than someone whose job requires heavy lifting. A weekend athlete will not need the same level of exercise intensity as compared to a highly competitive athlete. These exercises can consist of a combination of floor, exercise ball, proprioceptive, and strength training exercises. You will not need to join a health club or buy any expensive machines, as all of these exercises can be done in the comfort of your home. It is crucial that you perform each exercise correctly, taking extra care to isolate the specific target muscles. We will watch you very closely and once you have mastered the movements and can perform all the exercises independently, they can/should be continued to ensure a complete and lasting recovery.
"It is not the quantity; it’s the quality of the exercise that matters most"