Dr. Tom Etter is a graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic and has nearly ten years of practice experience. He specializes in Chiropractic adjustments for lower back pain, neck pain, headache, sports injury, auomobile injury, and pain relief. Chiropratic treatment is also avalible for injuries involving the rotator cuff (shoulder pain), knees, carpal tunnel, and running injuries. He has post graduate training in acupuncture, workplace ergonomics and myofascial release treatments. Dr. Etter has an acupuncture fellowship through the international academy of Medical Acupuncture (IAMA). Dr. Etter's office is fully equiped with Bone Density testing equipment, traction tables and physiotherapy.
The focus of Dr. Etter’s practice is conservative management of back pain, neck pain and pain resulting from sports and overuse. Please see the section on sports injuries for a more complete list of common conditions and treatments.
Dr. Etter's chiropractic techniques include Gonstead, Diversified, Lumbar Flexion/Distraction (Cox Flexion), Thompson, myofascial release, and Activator.
Dr. Etter is an approved provider for chiropractic services, including the following insurances: Blue Cross/Blue Shield, United Health Care, Aetna, Humana, Coventry, PHCS, Medicare, FMH, Sprint Choice and others.
The "chiropractic" comes from the Greek works cheir (hand) and praxis (action) and literally means "done by hand". Instead of prescribing drugs or performing surgeries, chiropractors use manual treatments of the spine and joints, exercise therapy, myofascial release, and lifestyle changes to allow the body's natural state of health to fully express itself.
Like conventional medicine, chiropractic is based upon scientific principles of diagnosis through testing and empirical observations. Treatment is based upon the practitioner’s rigorous training and clinical experience. Unlike conventional medicine, which focuses on attempting to treat the disease once it occurs, chiropractic attempts to improve the health of the individual in an effort to avoid illness in the first place. Most people would rather be healthy and avoid illness, if they could. This is one of the main reasons for the big upsurge in the popularity of chiropractic. People are recognizing the benefit of seeking an alternative to traditional medicine; one that will help them achieve and maintain optimal health.
Chiropractors understand that one of the main causes of pain and disease is the misalignment and abnormal motion of the vertebrae in the spinal column called a subluxation. Chiropractic works by removing the subluxation in the spine, thereby reliving pressure and irritation on the nerves, restoring joint mobility, and returning the body back to a state of normal function.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that chiropractic care is one of the most effective treatments for back pain, neck pain, headaches, whiplash, sports injury, and many other types of musculoskeletal problems. It has even been shown to be effective in reducing high blood pressure and irritation on the nerves, restoring joint mobility, and returning the body back to a state of normal function.
The chiropractic approach to healthcare is holistic, meaning that is addresses your overall health. It recognizes that many lifestyle factors such as exercise, diet, rest, and environment impact your health. For this reason, chiropractors recommend changes in lifestyle’ eating, exercise, and sleeping habits in addition to chiropractic care.
What truly differentiates doctors of chiropractic from any other healthcare professionals is the fact that chiropractors are the only professionals who are trained to diagnose and treat what are called spinal subluxations. The word ‘subluxation’ comes form the Latin words luxare (to dislocate) and sub (somewhat or slightly). So, the term ‘vertebral subluxation’ literally means a slight dislocation (misalignment) of the bones in the spine. Although this term was adequate in the 1800s when much was still misunderstood about the human body, today the word subluxation has changed in meaning to capture the complex of neurological, structural and functional changes that occur when a bone is ‘out of place’. For this reason chiropractors usually refer to subluxations of the spine as the ‘Vertebral Subluxation Complex”, or “VSC” for short.
Chiropractors have known the dangers of the vertebral subluxation complex ever since the birth of the profession. More and more scientific research is demonstrating the tremendous detrimental impact that subluxation have one the tissue of the body. In order to be truly healthy, it is vital that your nervous system be functioning free of interference from subluxations. Chiropractors are the only health professionals trained in the detection, location, and correction of the vertebral subluxation complex through chiropractic care.
The chiropractic adjustment is a quick thrust applied to vertebra for the purpose of correcting its position, movement, or both. Adjustments are often accompanied by audible release of gas that sounds like a ’crack’. the sound sometimes shocks people a little bit the first couple times they get adjusted, but the sensation is usually reliving. Occasionally, minor discomfort is experienced, especially if the surrounding muscles are in spasm or the patient tenses up during the chiropractic procedure. There are times when the audible ’cracking’ does not occur. This is often due to either significant muscle tightness or that the patient may be having a hard time relaxing during their adjustments.
Chiropractic is so much more than simply a means of reliving pain. Ultimately, the goal of the chiropractic treatment is to restore the body to its natural state of optimal health. In order to accomplish this, I use a variety of treatment methods, including manual adjustments, trigger point therapy, as well as counseling on lifestyle issues that impact your health. Since the body has a remarkable ability to heal itself and to maintain its won health, the primary focus is simply to remove those things which interfere with the body’s normal healing ability.
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