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Special techniques we use include:

• Network Chiropractic (Network Spinal Analysis)
• Specific Gentle Acupressure (No Needles)
• Gentle Extremity Adjusting of Shoulder, Arms, Hands, Legs and Feet
• Gental Cranial Work, Craniosacral Therapy
• Trigger Point Therapy
• Arthrostim & KST
• Primal Reflex Release Technique (PRRT)
• Zero Balancing
• Nutritional, diet and lifestyle advice

In our Health center we utilize a specific application of gentle acupressure. In this article, we will first describe acupressure in general and then we will go into the very specific powerful way that we work with acupressure with our patients.

General Acupressure

Acupressure is basically acupuncture without needles. It is believed to be around 5000 years old and originated in China. It relies on finger and thumb pressure to stimulate points called “acupoints” along energetic pathways in the body called meridians. Acupressure is believed to be the “father of Acupuncture” in that it predates the use of needles to stimulate the body energy flow. It uses the same principles of Meridian and points as Acupuncture, but pressure is applied directly to the Acupoints of the body mainly by using gentle finger pressure.
This is a system that moves vital energy pathways in the body. There are twelve main meridians that have been mapped out that flow in specific pathways like rivers flowing through the body. Blockage to proper flow of these meridians is theorized by acupuncturists and acupresurrists as possibly causing imbalances in the cells, tissues, organs, and glands of the body.
In 1979, the World Health Organization, which is one of the most respected and premiere health organizations in the world, created a list of conditions for which stimulating acupoints is appropriate therapy. They listed:
• Digestive Conditions: abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, hyperacidity and indigestion.
• Emotional Conditions: anxiety, depression, insomnia, nervousness and neurosis.
• Eye-Ear-Nose-Throat Conditions: cataracts, gingivitis, poor vision, tinnitus and toothache.
• Gynecological Conditions: infertility, menopausal symptoms and premenstrual syndrome.
• Musculoskeletal Conditions: arthritis, back pain, muscle cramping, muscle pain/weakness, neck pain, sciatica.
• Neurological Conditions: headaches, neurogenic bladder dysfunction, Parkinsonism disease, postoperative pain and stroke.
• Respiratory Conditions: asthma, bronchitis, common cold, sinusitis, smoking cessation and tonsillitis.
• Miscellaneous Conditions: addiction control, athletic performance, blood pressure regulation, chronic fatigue, immune system tonification and stress reduction.

NAET, CBT, TBM, these are all wonderful acupressure techniques which utilize the acupressure system in a specific way to help restore balance and health to your body.

While the NAET, CBT & TBM methods all have differences, all have in common the “Back Shu” acupressure points. The “Back Shu” acupressure points are a series of points that run along each side of your spine about ½ inch from the center of the spine. Acupressure theory describes these points as having a tremendous effect on the functioning of the glands and organs in the body when they are stimulated.

In our office we stimulate the Back Shu points along each side of the spine with gentle finger pressure and no needles are ever used.

These Back Shu acupressure points are located in the areas where the spinal nerves come off from the spine and go to the cells, tissues organs and glands in the body. Because of this similar location, some doctors theorize that pressure on these points also stimulate the nerves going to the organs and glands and tissues of the body.

When you read the success stories on the web site of our patients with musculoskeletal problems, thyroid, allergy, digestive, PMS, menopause, etc., please know that their great health improvements came after we made specific stimulation of Back Shu points and totally gentle spinal adjustments along the spine to help the nerves function better.

Arthrostim is a totally gentle adjusting instrument and KST is one of the analysis methods we use to determine where and how to use the arthrostim instrument. The arthrostim consists of a small rubber tipped stylus that is placed on a bone or joint. The doctor presses a button on the hand held arthrostim and the stylus gently taps the bone or joint.

            The amazing health results achieved with the arthrostim are due to two things:

1. The arthostim taps with a soothing totally gentle frequency at 12 times per second. Because of this, the body does not go into any guarding or resistance. The frequency at which the arthrostim pulsates is healing and soothing to the body and the repeated quick gentle taps help the brain reset its commands to the nervous system. The repeated input helps produce an accumulative, healing, snowballing effect at neural receptors (both motor and sensory) without activating undesirable pain receptors.

2. KST and other techniques that we have learned help us decide exactly in which direction the bone should be directed to promote healing. The arthrostim instrument is an amazing totally gentle tool, but the KST and other analysis techniques are the key to the great results we get. We use a protocol of indicators that your body shows us to know that exact spot and direction to adjust with the arthrostim.

 A great thing about the KST system is the concept of adjusting people in different postures: standing, sitting, lying down/ and or in the position of injury or dysfunction. This is very important because sometimes a misalignment can only be observed when you are in a certain posture. For example: after a car accident, a patient has arm pain and remembers holding tightly on the steering wheel when the impact of the accident occurred. Arthrostim adjusting of the arm while reenacting holding the arms up as if tight on the steering wheel may be the key component to releasing the misalignment and pain in the arm joint.

While this is one of the wonderful tools we have in our health tool box with which to adjust you when this method best matches your health needs, we can instead use our totally gentle hands only adjusting methods to adjust you should you not want instrument adjusting. We have studied so many gentle adjusting techniques that we can modify our care to accommodate your preferences.

John Iams, the developer of PRRT, works with the “Startle Reflexes”. There are scientifically accepted reflexes in the body that are automatically triggered when we are startled. For example; when you are walking around a blind corner and are surprised by someone coming around the blind corner from the other side, your body automatically goes into a startle response. Your arms pull up, your fists tighten, your jaw tightens, your leg may pull up and other muscle contractions occur. Iams contends that these startle reflexes occur from day to day physical and mental stress, accidents, sports injuries, and even prolonged postures, etc.

Eventually these startle reflexes can get so overloaded that they get stuck in a hypersensitive state of tension and contraction in particular muscles in the body. This can produce back pain, shoulder pain, arm pain, leg pain, etc depending on which muscles get into this hyper stressed state. PRRT can often produce immediate improvement in a muscle spasm and tension because it works with the special way the nervous system and muscles are wired. The wiring system is called “Reciprocal Inhibition” and it works like this: Every muscle in your body has a sister muscle that is wired with it. When you contract your bicep muscle for example, your triceps muscle has to relax- that’s how the body is wired.

With PRRT- when we want to release the bicep muscle from its spasm, what we do is place the triceps muscle in a position that causes it to contract (tighten). Then we tap on the contracted triceps muscle with our fingers to make the muscle contract (tighten) even more. Because of the sister muscle wiring relationship, when we cause the triceps to contract by tapping on it and positioning it, the sister bicep muscle that has been chronically spasmed has to start to release its contraction, tension and spasm.

We never tire of seeing the body of a patient respond positively to this technique. It’s not magic…. it’s based on the physiology, the wiring of the nervous and muscular systems. This technique is in our healing tool box and we use it if necessary after we do our spinal adjustments during a visit.

            We have a great track record with these problems because we provide care for extremity problems with a two step methods.

            First we adjust the misalignment (subluxations) of the spine with our gentle spinal adjustment methods. We do this first because the spinal nerves go out to every cell and tissue of your shoulders, arms, hands, legs and feet, etc. The spine and spinal nerves traveling to your upper and lower extremities are like the fuse box of your house that sends wires out to all your appliances in the house. If appliances in your house are not working right, it is always a good step to first check the fuse box and then check the appliances directly. In this same way we always gently adjust the spine and free up the spinal nerves, before we gently adjust your arms and legs, etc. Many times correcting the spinal misalignments (subluxations) of the spine will automatically correct the problems in the upper and lower extremities without ever working on the extremities directly. This is the great power of correcting the spinal subluxations.

            If it is found that the spinal adjustments have not fully corrected the problem in the extremities, then we may choose to work directly at the problem area of your shoulders, arms, hands, legs, etc. We have studied and mastered many gentle methods to directly work on extremity problems. These include specific focal muscle work called trigger point therapy, active movement release techniques of the problem area, gentle tapping on muscles to release them called Primal Reflex Release Technique (PRRT), Zero Balancing, gentle instrument adjusting using the Arthrostim adjusting  instrument and therapeutic exercises. All of these techniques are totally gentle. We select which of these gentle techniques will best help your arms, hands, legs, etc that visit and do that technique after your spinal adjustment that day.

1. Gentle adjustments to your spine, and gentle specific pressing of your acupressure points, and other gentle methods listed on the “About us Page” on our website.

2. We help empower you to make wise nutritional, diet and lifestyle choices. We invite you to take full advantage of the many ways we offer to you, at no charge, to create a wellness lifestyle. These lifestyle choice improvements are not a substitute for the most important health enhancement method of getting your spine adjusted and receiving specific acupressure from us. Our lifestyle advice is an adjunct to spinal and acupressure care. Our nutritional, diet, and lifestyle advice can be received from us through the following free offerings.

            A. Our book

            B. Outside “Natural Strategies” classes given to the public

            C. In house talks

            D. Handouts

            E. Ask us questions

            F. 2 week Health Rejuvenation and Health Boosting program

            G. Self-Help specific exercises

            H. Lending Library

            A. Our Book: Natural Possibilities for a Healthy Life

At your initial consultation and examination, every new patient receives this book as a gift from us. It is our pleasure to introduce you to natural possibilities for a healthy life. In this book you will learn a number of ways you may help yourself to become and stay healthy naturally.  There are chapters in this book on Hormones, the Nervous System, Musculoskeletal problems, Allergies, Stress, Weight Loss, and more.  Read the whole book or pick out the chapters that interest you. It is our hope that these pages will illuminate for you, how your body may get unbalanced and ill health may occur and how it may be restored through natural means.  We also hope that these pages help you to gain a deep appreciation for the amazing natural inborn ability of the body to heal when we naturally remove the interference that blocks the full working of your inner health force.  Most of all, we hope you gain a determination to not settle for ill health and disease as your fate or destiny.  Instead we hope you embrace the healing potential inside you and actively seek natural ways to enhance your health and to live in vitality.

B. Outside “Natural Strategies” classes given to the public.

For over 20 years we have helped thousands of Bay Area residents greatly improve their health through “Natural Strategies” classes. Both Dr. Allen D.C. and Dr. Sharon D.C. were high school teachers before they become chiropractors and they love to teach you how to create abundant health naturally. They have given over 600 of these public talks. The Drs. Give “Natural Strategies” talks for the following health concerns: Sluggish Thyroid, Sugar Balance, Allergies, Asthma and Sinusitis, Weight loss, Digestive problems, Back pain, Women’s hormone problems, and a talk entitled “Healthy to 100″. These in depth classes give you self help measures you can immediately implement into your daily life. We give these classes at Cupertino and Los Gatos Adult ED, Deanza College, Whole Foods Markets, East West Bookstore, YMCA locations and corporate lunch and learn programs. As a patient at our office, you are invited to attend these classes and we will reserve you a spot upon your request. You can find the schedule for these classes under the “Learn” and “News” sections of our website

C. In House Talks

We have set up two health talks in our health center for patients who have started care at our office or as an introduction to someone who has not yet taken care with us. These talks will help new patients get the most out of care at our health center and will help all attendees learn how they can create abundant health through the course of their lives through wise choices. The classes teach you how to choose more positive survival values for yourself. The #1 and #2 classes are each given once a month on a Tuesday evening from 7:00 pm to 8:15 pm.

D. Handouts

We have info handouts in our health center on many health topics printed up and available to you. Examples of some of these health handouts are: Best Sources of Calcium, List of MSG in Packaged goods, foods to help high blood pressure, stress reduction exercises, healthy house cleaning products, etc. We will happily give you these other handouts based on your health needs.

E. We wish to be a natural health resources for you.

If you have a question ask us. We will be happy to answer it on the spot or research it and get back to you as soon as possible.

F. Two week health rejuvenation and health boosting program.

Besides receiving gentle chiropractic adjustments and specific acupressure at our office, many patients opt to also do a two week, three step powerful jump-start health rejuvenation and health boost for their overall health. Patients who are interested in this program can opt to do this program at any time during their care at our office. It consists of three steps:

1. Patients go on a specific diet for 2-2 ½ weeks. This is not a calorie limiting diet. The purpose of this diet is to avoid foods that promote yeast growth in the intestines. We give you a handout that tells you exactly which foods to eat and not eat during the two weeks.

2. Rubbing and tapping specific acupressure points including specific large intestine acupressure points.

3. Taking a specific probiotic powdered supplement that consists of live “Good” bacteria to replenish the intestines.

Patients doing this program often report improvements in health areas such as: increased energy, loss of sugar cravings, weight loss, allergy improvements, digestive improvement including acid reflex, skin concern improvements, sinus improvement, blood sugar and blood pressure balance, and balanced mood and emotions, to name a few of the many changes reported.

 The theory behind this program has to do with the importance of having balance within the intestines. The theory is as follows: there are “Good” bacteria that are supportive to our health and “Bad” bacteria which are not supportive to our health are both in our intestines. In a healthy person the good bacteria and bad bacteria are in balance with each other. When they are in balance with each other, a third resident of the intestines, yeast, is kept at a low level. When a person takes antibiotics it kills off the bad bacteria, and it also kills off some of the good bacteria and the delicate balance in the intestines is disturbed. In these now imbalanced intestines, the yeast growth increases beyond normal and can spread throughout the body causing problems.

Other things that also cause this imbalance in the intestines are over the counter or prescription cortisone medications found in pills and salves and some asthma and sinus sprays, birth control pills, and hormone replacement therapy. Also the increase in estrogen and other hormones for women during pregnancy can also throw off this balance. The goal in this theory is to bring balance to the intestines to improve overall health.

Our patients that opt to do this 3 step 2 week health boost program, have raved about the great health changes that they have experienced.

G. Free Lending Library

 We have a free lending library in our office of books which are great adjuncts and support to your spinal adjustments and acupressure care and will help you create a wellness lifestyle for yourself.

H. Self Help Specific Exercises

While receiving care at our office, the doctor may give you specific exercises to do to help your overall health or to help a specific aspect of your health. They may give you powerful stress reduction techniques, specific muscle tension releasing techniques and specific muscle strengthening techniques and more. These powerful, specific self help exercises you may receive come from over 30 years of study by us with natural health experts from around the world. We will select and tailor these exercises just for you.

In the 1970’s, Dr. Fritz Smith, an osteopath, medical doctor, acupuncturist, discerned another energy flow in the body. He found that energy flowed through the bones and that this energy could get blocked leading to poor health and lack of harmony in the body. He found that the key bones to release of blocked energy flow to create more balance and harmony in the body were the sacroiliac joints, the joints of the spine, the back of the skull and certain joints in the feet.

Zero balancing use specific gentle finger pressure by the doctor and held stretches by the patient (called fulcrums). These gentle pressures and held stretches provide a point of stillness around which energy and structure can reorganize, giving the patient an opportunity to let go of held tension and pain and experience new levels of integration and ease in their body. Zero balancing is another wonderful gentle tool I appreciate having in my healing tool box and I enjoy using aspects of this work with patients when it matches their health improvement needs.

What is trigger point therapy?

Trigger point therapy is a bodywork technique that involves the applying of pressure to tender muscle tissue in order to relieve pain and dysfunction in other parts of the body.

Trigger point therapy is also called Myofascial trigger point therapy. It was developed by Dr. Janet Travell in the United States in the 1940s.

What are Trigger Points?

Trigger points are areas of tenderness in a muscle. There are two basic types of trigger points: active and latent.

 Active trigger points cause muscular pain and will refer pain and tenderness to another area of the body when pressure is applied. Latent trigger points only exhibit pain when compressed, they do not refer pain to other areas of the body. Latent trigger points are believed to be one of the causes of stiff joints and restricted range of motion of old age.

Trigger points may be associated with Myofascial pain syndromes or Fibromyalgia. Trigger points are very common. They are also referred to as muscle knots.

Trigger points differ from acupressure points. Acupressure points are concentrations of energy or blockages of the body’s energy pathways. Trigger points are physical phenomena that can be felt by touch.

The pain caused by trigger points may be the biggest cause of disability and loss of time in the workplace.

What causes trigger points?

Trigger points have several causes. Some common causes of trigger points are: birth trauma, an injury sustained in a fall or accident, poor posture, or overexertion.

What is the Purpose of Trigger Point Therapy?

The purpose of trigger point therapy is to eliminate pain and to re-educate the muscles into pain-free habits. After several treatments, the swelling and stiffness of neuromuscular pain is reduced, range of motion is increased , tension is relieved, and circulation, flexibility and coordination are improved.

We have studied Sutherland’s osteopathic cranial work, De Jarnette’s Chiropractic Directional Non Force Technique, Chiropractor Donald Epstein’s Network Chiropractic, Chiropractor Ferreri’s Neuro Organization Technique, Osteopath Smith’s Zero Balancing Technique and Chiropractor Turner’s Cranial style.

The following is the history of the development of cranial and craniosacral work which will give you insight into the different methods.

The History of the Development of Chiropractic Cranial Adjusting.

The concept that the bones in the skull fuse in early childhood originated in a paper written in 1873 referred to as the “Munro-Kellie Doctrine.” The research that supported this theory is 136 years old and apparently the paper was not very well done (even for the standards of that time). This view was still espoused as late as 1931 by the British autonomists, Sperino. We were even taught this same concept in Chiropractic College in the 70’s.

In 1939 William Sutherland hypothesized that the cranial bones actually articulate against one another. He was a student at the American School of Osteopathy in Kirksville, Missouri. He established that the cranium was capable of Primary Respiratory Mechanism and that the C.F.S plays a vital “nutritive role” in all the tissues of the body. The meninges and attaches to the foramen magnum, the upper cervical vertebrae and to the second sacral segment. He rationalized that when the head is traumatized the dura matter is the outermost layer of the meninges and attaches to the foramen magnum, the upper cervical vertebrae and the second sacral segment. He rationalized that when the head is traumatized the dura may become twisted and compressed producing dysfunctions and ill health.

In the mid 70’s John Upledger proved that the bones of the skull sutures moved 100th of an inch and contained blood vessels, nerve fibers and connective tissues. Upledger and his research team from Michigan State University studied fresh cadavers using electron microscopes, radio waves and cinematographic X-rays to prove that the cranial bones moved.

When fusion occurs in the skull it is pathological condition resulting from a trauma that has interfered with normal has been damaged from trauma and remains subluxated and/or fixated.

Upledger developed a technique called Cranial Sacral Therapy (C.S.T.). This is an extremely light touch technique taught mostly to massage therapists.

Leon Chaitow in his book Cranial Manipulation Theory and Practice examines the research on cranial suture movement and refers to the research of Zanaskis et al 1996 on suture respiration. Zanaski measured the range of cranial movement between the sutures at 1/100 of an inch or ¼ of a millimeter.

In 1930, Major B. DeJamette (Chiropractor and Osteopath) developed a technique involving the movement of the cranial sutures and he called it Sacro Occipital Technique (S.O.T). He taught it until 1984. The Sacro Occipital Research Society, International, continues it on today. All chiropractors have been taught the three categories and their testing procedures in Chiropractic College.

Directional Non- Force Technique (D.N.F.T.) was developed by a Chiropractor, Richard VanRumpt. This technique consists of gentle challenging and a unique leg length check. The adjustment is a gentle, but directionally specific thumb impulse.

In 1979, Carl Ferreri, D.C. developed a technique called Neuro Organization Technique. He integrated several other Chiropractic techniques along with his own method of testing and treating and came up with his own protocols. Dr. Ferreri developed a breakthrough treatment protocol for dyslexia and learning disabilities. This was my first introduction to the concept of moving the bones in the skull after adolescence.

Dr. Rodger Turner, D.C., first took Ferreri’s course in 1986 and started the journey of correcting cranial subluxations and misalignments. Initially we only used 5 different cranial adjustments. Today, the technique, which is called Cranial Adjusting Turner Style (C.A.T.S.), has developed exponentially to include 86 different adjusting procedures in the first level workshop.

Trauma is not limited to the spine and extremities. Much attention is paid to the protection of the head with the insistence that helmets be used for various sports. Some of them are very effective; such as the football helmet, others are less effective, the hockey helmet for example and others are almost totally ineffective like the bicycle helmet. The bicycle helmet is only effective if a brick falls straight down, directly on top of the helmet; otherwise the helmet actually causes more problems and subluxations to the skull when hit from the side, front and behind.

Chiropractors have all seen patients whose problems have originated from a head injury. The first head injury can occur during childbirth, then falls in infancy from the head hitting the edge of the coffee table or if the child tumbles down the stairs. The incidence of head injuries from hits from baseball bats, swings, balls, pucks, fists, sports injuries, car and industrial accidents are extremely common. Unfortunately, most of these patients do not receive adequate care for these injuries and their conditions deteriorate and result in chronic debilitating health problems.

The injury to the head is sufficient enough to cause temporary unconsciousness in some cases. The patient survives, but has many acute symptoms such as: headaches, blurred vision, speech difficulties, memory lapses, brain fog, emotional irregularities, decreased reflexes, altered coordination, and behavior changes.

If the cranial subluxations that resulted from the head injury are not corrected these symptoms persist and become chronic, causing a life time of pain, emotional roller-coastering, cognitive disorders and cognitive difficulties resulting in a sub-standard levels of life and health.