our methods & Techniques
Chiropractic Adjustments
Chiropractic adjusting (chiropractic manipulation, joint manipulation) is used to restore motion to joints in the spine or other areas of the body that have reduced movement. The chiropractors at Midwest Movement determine which joints can benefit from chiropractic manipulation through palpation, or by taking the joints through their ranges of motion and feeling which areas aren’t moving appropriately. Following chiropractic manipulation, most patients report increased mobility and decreased pain and tightness.
The chiropractors at Midwest Movement in Elkhorn, Nebraska, primarily use Motion Palpation (MPI) adjusting, but Dr. Whitney is also Webster Technique certified for the treatment of pregnant patients. To read more about chiropractic adjustments, how they work, and who can benefit from chiropractic care, click here.
BirthFit
BirthFit is a modern approach to women’s health, used to prepare women as they transition through the preconception, prenatal, and postpartum periods. This approach focuses on strengthening and empowering women through movement, exercise, mindset, and connection. BirthFit applies the principles of DNS to help women with common conditions related to pregnancy and birth, like diastasis rectus abdominis, incontinence, pelvic pain, and much more. Schedule with Dr. Whitney for your BirthFit evaluation!
Cupping Therapy
Cupping is a technique used to treat sore muscles, nerve entrapments, and other conditions. We use silicone cups that we suction onto the skin over affected areas. Cupping increases blood flow to the area which can accelerate recovery, decrease muscle tightness, and help release stuck or entrapped nerves. While most other myofascial treatments use compression, cupping uses decompressive force for treatment. Cupping can be used alone or as an adjunct therapy to chiropractic care.
Dry Needling
Dry needling (trigger point dry needling) is a technique used to release trigger points in muscles, improve blood flow to involved areas, and decrease pain. Unlike acupuncture, which involves placing thin needles in the outer layer of the skin for a prolonged time to alter the body’s energy flow (qi), dry needling involves inserting a similarly thin needle into a muscle’s trigger point until it releases, which is typically for only a few seconds.
When a trigger point releases, you will typically feel a quick contraction of the muscle, called a twitch response. The experience of a twitch during dry needling is a normal reaction, and it confirms that we successfully treated the muscle trigger point. Dry needling can be used alone or as an adjunct therapy to chiropractic care.
Dry Needling with Electrical Stimulation
Dry needling can also be paired with electrical stimulation (e-stim). While dry needling is very effective on its own for the treatment of trigger points and muscle pain or tension, the addition of e-stim can provide greater pain relief for some patients. Dry needling with e-stim can help to desensitize a painful area, and it can also act as a “hard reset” for chronically tight or spasmed muscles.
Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS)
DNS is a hands-on rehab approach used to improve motor control, strength, and stability. Good control is needed for safe movements, and when people are able to stabilize their bodies correctly, they stay pain and injury-free. DNS is based on developmental kinesiology (the study of how babies learn to move), and these principles can be effectively applied with infants, children, adults, pregnant women, and elite athletes. It is used for rehabilitation following injury, as well as optimizing movement quality and efficiency to prevent injury and maximize sports performance. DNS perfectly complements chiropractic care because poor movement patterns often lead to tight muscles and pain.
Functional Movement Screen (FMS)
We use the FMS for athletes and patients to screen for potential injury risks during sport or exercise. It is similar to the SFMA but involves more advanced movement patterns, like those required during sports and exercise.
Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Manipulation (IASTM)
IASTM is a technique that can be used in several ways to to decrease pain and improve function. Depending on IASTM’s use, we can increase sensory input to the brain, speed up the natural healing process, and reduce swelling following an injury. This treatment uses a stainless steel tool rather than the provider’s hands and can increase mobility, improve blood flow, and decrease pain to improve motion throughout the body.
Kinesiology Tape
Kinesiology tape provides sensory feedback, assists with lymphatic movement, and offers mild pain relief to the patient when they are not in the office. Unlike standard athletic tape, kinesiology tape is flexible and moves with you so that it adds sensory stimulation to the skin without limiting range of motion. We can also use kinesiology tape or other taping methods to provide more structural stability for active patients.
McKenzie Method (MDT)
McKenzie or MDT is an assessment and treatment protocol utilizing repetitive movements to treat disc pathologies and other joint limitations. In applicable cases, the provider will assess the patient to determine the patient’s directional preference, and the patient is then instructed to perform repetitive movements to decrease and/or prevent symptoms.
The mobilizations used in MDT can also be helpful for patients who don’t want to (or shouldn’t) be treated with chiropractic adjusting.
Myofascial Release
Myofascial release (muscle release) is a hands-on soft tissue technique used to treat sore, tight, and overused muscles. Myofascial release can increase mobility of muscles and fascia, improve blood flow, and provide sensory input to reduce pain and increase range of motion. We love using myofascial release with chiropractic adjustments, because we almost always see tight and sore muscles alongside restricted joints.
OnBaseU
OnBaseU is a world-class physical screen for both baseball and softball players, which MLB teams currently use OnBaseU to maximize their players’ performance. We use the OnBaseU screen to assess softball and baseball players’ swings, improve their performance, and keep them out of pain. The screen allows us to pinpoint and treat any physical limitations that could be hindering the player’s performance or causing pain. Schedule with Dr. Nolan for your OnBaseU evaluation!
Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA)
We use the Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) to assess your motion and movement patterns throughout the body. The SMFA helps us to gain a better understanding of your condition and highlight your specific, underlying problem areas. This allows us to direct treatment where it’s needed most to maximize your treatment outcome. We use the SFMA with every patient because we believe if providers aren’t using a thorough assessment, then they’re just guessing at treatment. You deserve more than that.
Titleist Performance Institute (TPI)
TPI is a world-class physical screen for golfers who want to improve their golf game or have pain during their swing. The screen allows the clinician to treat the physical limitations that could be hindering the player’s performance or causing pain. All of the top golf pros in the PGA have a TPI-certified member on their team, and Dr. Nolan is TPI-certified. Schedule with Dr. Nolan for your TPI evaluation!
Webster Technique
Webster Technique is an assessment and adjustment used by chiropractors to improve the biomechanics of the pelvis and surrounding muscles and ligaments. Webster Technique is especially beneficial in pregnant women because it can help to optimize the pelvis in preparation for birth. Dr. Whitney is Webster certified, and she loves helping women to move and feel their best throughout pregnancy and beyond. Schedule with Dr. Whitney for your Webster evaluation.