Frequently Asked Questions

Chiropractic

What is a doctor of chiropractic & what are Dr. Mike’s Credentials?

Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) – often referred to as chiropractors or chiropractic physicians – practice a hands-on, drug-free approach to health care that includes patient examination, diagnosis and treatment. Chiropractors have broad diagnostic skills and are also trained to recommend therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises, as well as to provide nutritional, dietary and lifestyle counseling.

DCs may assess patients through clinical examination, laboratory testing, diagnostic imaging and other diagnostic interventions to determine when chiropractic treatment is appropriate or when it is not appropriate. Chiropractors will readily refer patients to the appropriate health care provider when chiropractic care is not suitable for the patient’s condition, or the condition warrants co-management in conjunction with other health care providers.

In many cases, such as lower back pain, chiropractic care may be a patient's primary method of treatment. When other medical conditions exist, chiropractic services may complement or support medical treatment by relieving the musculoskeletal aspects associated with the condition.

Like their MD colleagues, doctors of chiropractic are subject to the boundaries established in state practice acts and are regulated by state licensing boards. Further, their education in four-year doctoral graduate school programs is nationally accredited through an agency that operates under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Education. After graduation, they must pass national board exams before obtaining a license to practice, and then must maintain their license annually by earning continuing education (CE) credits through state-approved CE programs.

What do chiropractors do?

Chiropractors approach patient care in a manner similar to that used in conventional medicine. They interview the patient, obtain a detailed health history, perform an examination, do tests, and develop a working diagnosis. They then develop a management plan, start treatment, and monitor the patient’s progress. Chiropractors often treat problems related to the musculoskeletal system.

The manual treatment methods used by chiropractors range from stretching and sustained pressure to specific joint manipulations, which are usually delivered by hand and involve a quick and gentle thrust. The purpose of the manipulations is to improve joint motion and function. Manipulations are most commonly done on the spine, but other parts of the body may also be treated in this way.

What is a chiropractic adjustment?

One of the most common and well known therapeutic procedures performed by doctors of chiropractic is spinal manipulation , most times referred to as a "chiropractic adjustment". The purpose of spinal manipulation is to restore joint mobility by manually applying a controlled force into joints that have become hypomobile – or restricted in their movement – as a result of a tissue injury. Tissue injury can be caused by a single traumatic event, such as improper lifting of a heavy object, or through repetitive stresses, such as sitting in an awkward position with poor spinal posture for an extended period of time. In either case, injured tissues undergo physical and chemical changes that can cause inflammation, pain, and diminished function for an individual. Manipulation, or adjustment of the affected joint and tissues, restores mobility, thereby alleviating pain and muscle tightness, allowing tissues to heal.

What does getting an adjustment feel like?

Chiropractic adjustments rarely causes discomfort. However, patients may sometimes experience mild soreness or aching following treatment (as with some forms of exercise) that usually resolves within 12 to 48 hours. Compared to other common treatments for pain, such as over-the-counter and prescription pain medications, chiropractic's conservative approach offers a safe and effective option.

I’ve seen videos of people getting adjustments, and I’m kind of afraid. Should I be?

No. The sound that you hear and are probably “afraid of” is just air coming out of your joints. I will give a quick, gentle adjustment, and most of the time, the chiropractic table does a lot of the moving for the Dr. and you feel almost immediately relief. The tension you once had seems to have dissipated and you feel better able to move freely, the way your body intended you to move. Chiropractic is extremely non-invasive and gentle.

how frequently should I be seeing a chiropractor?

Depending if you are a maintenance patient or a patient with more acute pain, the Dr. will go over an individualized care/treatment plan with you that demonstrates how often you should been seen. That being said, getting frequently adjusted is nothing but beneficial for your body. Chiropractic care is something that you can benefit from for a lifetime, similarly to eating healthy, exercising and stretching.

what should I wear to my appointment?

You should wear clothes that do not restrict movement, women preferably should not wear skirts or dresses to your adjustment although if you are coming from work, we have extra materials (blankets, sheets, scrub bottoms, etc for your comfort if needed.)

Therapy

What is a Licensed Independent clinical social worker?

An LICSW is the highest social work credential available in Massachusetts. This license allows its holders to provide the full range of social work services, both clinical and non-clinical, without supervision. An LICSW has a minimum education of a Masters or Doctorate degree in Social Work, has at least 3,500 hours of post-graduate clinical social work experience, has received a minimum of 100 hours of face-to-face clinical supervision by an LICSW and has passed the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Master’s or Advanced Generalist Level Exam AND the Master’s or Advanced Clinical Level Exam.

Clinical social work is a healthcare profession based on theories and methods of prevention and treatment in providing mental-health/healthcare services, with special focus on behavioral and bio-psychosocial problems and disorders. Clinical social work’s unique attributes include use of the person-in-environment perspective, respect for the primacy of client rights, and strong therapeutic alliance between client and practitioner. With 250,000 practitioners serving millions of client consumers, clinical social workers constitute the largest group of mental-health/healthcare providers in the nation.

How does Therapy work?

At your first session, which is called an evaluation or a bio-psycho-social assessment, you will meet with Samantha and she will gather some information about you, This will include things such as what the catalyst was for seeking therapy, current stressors, past mental health history, some medical history, family history, etc. This allows Samantha the means to better understand you as an individual as we all tend to be products of our environment and/or life experiences. The rest of the session will be what we call “rapport building.” Samantha will get to know you a little better, your likes and dislikes and what you want to work on or get out of meeting with her. After that first session, therapy will proceed dependent on your wants and needs from therapy. Something to remember about therapy, you are always in the drivers seat, as you are the expert in your own life. Nobody will ever change anything about you that you don’t want to change about yourself. Therapy is about becoming empowered to be the best version of yourself and find inner peace within your life.

How Often will I go?

Therapy is fluid. How often you will go will depend on you. I often encourage my clients to ask themselves if they feel it is helpful for them to meet with me? The goal is to not “need” the therapist, it is for the therapist to provide the client with a safe, non judgmental space and to help you help yourself and achieve your inner peace, further growing into the best and happiest version of yourself.

Mind Body Connection

What is the Mind body connection?

The Mind and Body connection means that our thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and attitudes can positively or negatively affect our biological functioning. In other words, our minds can affect how healthy our bodies are!

On the other hand, what we do with our physical body (what we eat, how much we exercise, our posture, etc.) can impact our mental state both positively or negatively. This results in a complex interrelationship between our minds and bodies.

"The brain and peripheral nervous system, the endocrine and immune systems, and indeed, all the organs of our body and all the emotional responses we have, share a common chemical language and are constantly communicating with one another.”'

What is the History of Mind-Body Connection?

Awareness of the mind-body connection is by no means new. Until approximately 300 years ago, virtually every system of medicine throughout the world treated the mind and body as a whole. But during the 17th century, the Western world started to see the mind and body as two distinct entities. In this view, the body was kind of like a machine, complete with replaceable, independent parts, with no connection whatsoever to the mind.

This Western viewpoint had definite benefits, acting as the foundation for advances in surgery, trauma care, pharmaceuticals, and other areas of allopathic medicine. However, it also greatly reduced scientific inquiry into humans' emotional and spiritual life, and downplayed their innate ability to heal.

In the 20th century, this view gradually started to change. Researchers began to study the mind-body connection and scientifically demonstrate complex links between the body and mind. Integrative psychiatrist James Lake, MD, of Stanford University, writes that "extensive research has confirmed the medical and mental benefits of meditation, mindfulness training, yoga, and other mind-body practices."

What are the mental health benefits associated with Chiropractic care?

Most often people associate chiropractic care with lessening the aches and pains of daily life. These may be caused be frequent exercise, sitting at a desk all day, a past car accident or countless other injury producing events. But what if that main cause of your daily pain isn’t physical but mental? According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, major depression at any point in time impacts roughly 3 to 5 percent of all people and there is about a 17% lifetime risk of a person developing this condition. Additionally, roughly a half of all those diagnosed with depression also suffer from anxiety.

While medications are most often prescribed for anxiety and depression, many prefer to take the route of holistic healing. Dr. Mike has worked with many suffering from mental health issues and the results speak for themselves. But how could chiropractic care most associated with physical pain help emotional healing?

Here are some interesting facts regarding how chiropractic care can help with mental health as well.

Study Results from the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research

A study designed to test the correlation between chiropractic care and its impact on mental health was published in the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research on June 20, 2013. This study cited prior research that showed of the 2818 patients undergoing chiropractic care, 76% reported an improvement in their mental/emotional health. Additionally, these 76% also reported positive changes in stress and increased life enjoyment in the months after receiving chiropractic care. Similar findings have also been reported in the American Journal of Psychiatry. So how can having a properly aligned spine impact your mental health?

Decreases Mind-Clouding Pain

One reason that chiropractic care can help mental health is be decreasing any physical pain that may be clouding the mind. As anyone with chronic pain can attest to, this discomfort can have a serious impact on mood and mental health. As the spine becomes aligned and pain decreases, anxiety and depression sprouting from pain are proven to lessen throughout treatment. This was further illustrated by a study of participants complaining of anxiety or depression who underwent 12 sessions of chiropractic care. As a result, muscle tension decreased and mental clarity increased as well.

Decreases Chronic Pain, a Common Cause of Depression

When chronic pain is a part of your daily life, not only is it hard to focus but suddenly you are no longer feeling well enough to be social and take part in activities you once loved. Studies have proven that depression occurs at a rate of three to four times higher in those with chronic pain when compared to their healthier peers. The cycle of chronic pain and depression can continue on and on unless it is broken. Regular chiropractic adjustments have proven to decrease pain, depression and anxiety and allow for a healthier (mentally and physically) existence.

Changes Misalignments Which Impact the Nervous System

Our moods are regulated by our body’s chemistry. This chemistry in your organs as well as your brain is all regulated by the nervous system. Misalignment of the spine (specifically the first, second or third vertebrae) can cause pressure in the area of the brain steam which can cause interference neurologically and chemically. Often people turn to medications that are used to alter their brain chemistry but those looking for a non-medication therapy often find that re-aligning these vertebrae can do wonders for their mental state.

ABOUT THE BUSINESS

Where are you located?

We are located at 11A Raffaele Road, Plymouth MA 02360 off of Camelot Drive. Please call us if you have any trouble finding us.

Do I need to get both psychotherapy and chiropractic care if I go to Lawson Chiropractic and Wellness?

No. While there is always benefit from achieving both physical and mental wellness, each patient is in no way obligated to see both providers. This is simply an option for people who may want it.

Do You take insurance?

We do take insurance for therapy, but not for Chiropractic care at this time. Please email or call Dr. Mike about pricing details.

What is the best way to get an appointment?

Fill out the form on the website, email or call either provider. We will respond ASAP to schedule an appointment.

What should I do if I need to cancel?

Please reach out the same way you did to make an appointment. We will respond ASAP to reschedule.