At M2 Chiropractic in both Allen and Richardson, Texas, we pride ourselves on how we go about patient care while making each patient feel understood to improve their quality of life. Chiropractic care is essential with helping athletic injuries, aches or pains and to keep you moving the way you want.

Patients who visit M2 Chiropractic typically suffer from one of the following:

Back Pain/Low Back Pain

Back/low back pain is not something any individual should consider “normal” of any age or activity level. Both sudden and chronic low back pain is very treatable whether it is muscle, joint or disc related. We find different strategies and techniques for each and every patient to aid their symptoms and help them reach their goals.

Neck Pain

Sudden and chronic neck pain is very common. We are able to help whether the symptoms are posture related, from a whiplash-type injury, muscle tightness, and degeneration or if you feel like you slept wrong. We are able to address these effectively.

Headaches

Whether it is a tension-type headache, migraine or Cervicogenic-type headache, we are able to help manage symptoms tremendously. We are also able to help with concussion related headaches as well.

Sports Injuries

Sports injuries can either be from overuse or can happen suddenly. These injuries can occur in the back or neck, knees or ankles or even in the wrists or shoulders. Our doctors are highly trained in assessing, treating and rehabilitating these injuries to get athletes back into practice and competition. We also perform sport physicals for students and concussion testing.

Shoulder Pain

Shoulder pain is common with neck-related symptoms or even with individuals participating in sports or exercise with overhead activities. Sometimes the shoulder pain is dull or achy, but other times it feels like a pinch or is sharp. This can be due to the biomechanics of the shoulder, rotator cuff problems, labrum tears, or even shoulder surgery after an injury.

Knee Pain

It is a very common misconception that knee pain is “normal” as we increase exercise intensity or as we age. Knee pain is treatable from a conservative care standpoint and often shows better results than surgery, whether is pain behind the patella/kneecap, coming from the meniscus, IT band syndrome or tendon pain above or below the patella.

Chiropractic care offers many benefits. Chiropractic care does not just include adjustments or manipulations, but also includes working on the soft tissues with different techniques and incorporating some corrective exercises to help with long-term pain relief. Soft tissues include the muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. Creating mobility of the joints with adjustments or mobilizations while also increasing stability at the same time encourages long-term pain relief that most individuals are looking for. It also is preventative when areas are identified as being key-problematic areas that can create symptoms with repetitive activities or one movement in the wrong direction.

Chiropractic care also incorporates overall health wellness. Wellness is essential for long-term relief of symptoms and feeling better overall about energy, physical activity and mental health. This may include supplementation or workout recommendations in order or each patient to reach their own individual and tailored goal.

Some of the techniques offered in our office:

• Diversified - Manual adjusting where the chiropractor uses their hands to increase motion to the area being adjusted.

• Activator/Instrument Adjustments - An instrument is used for an adjustment rather than the provider using their hands. This can be a more gentle approach and more specific for certain areas of the body.

• Mulligan Mobilization - This is a technique used to increase motion in an area related to pain or stiffness. This is performed by the chiropractor using their hands and is slow and gentle.

• Dry Needling - This technique includes inserting a small needle, similar to an acupuncture needle, into specific muscle and tendon tissues to decrease symptoms and increase motion.

• Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) - This is a movement screen performed during the new patient exam to see how each patient moves as an individual in a very specific manner to aid in the diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitative process.

• FRC/FRA - This technique is used to help assess joint motion in a very specific manner and aid in the treatment strategy process.

• Corrective Exercises - These are exercises taught to the patient to help aid with their symptoms. These exercises tend to be challenging, aid in muscle activation and increase muscle strength.

• Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Manipulation (IASTM) - This is a technique used in muscle, tendon and ligament treatments to help increase circulation to the area for tissue healing purposes.

• Cupping/Dynamic Cupping - Cups are used on certain areas of the body to take pressure off of sensory nerves that can be irritated with inflammation and to help increase circulation to certain areas.

• Soft Tissue Mobilization/Massage Techniques - We incorporate these techniques to work on the muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves that are contributing to the patient’s symptoms.

• Distraction/Flexion Distraction - A chiropractic technique to aid in back/low back pain related to disc injury.

• Neurodynamics - A chiropractic technique used to aid in disc and nerve related pain from the neck and low back.

• Kinesiotape/RockTape - Taping techniques can help stimulate the nervous system to help performance and to also decrease pain.

• Leukotape/Athletic Tape - Some specific and advanced taping techniques are helpful for athletes and weekend warriors to aid from a support and pain management standpoint. These tapes are more rigid and help with supporting certain joints in the body to prevent injury or to aid in the rehabilitation process.

• Heat Therapy - Hot packs are used to help relax some of the muscles, tendons and ligaments, decrease pain and increase circulation. Also, helps with swelling or edema as well.

• Concussion Testing - Our chiropractors perform baseline and follow-up concussion testing. They have advanced training in this.

• Sports Physicals - Our chiropractors perform sports physicals for students.

• Prenatal/Post-natal Care - Our chiropractors perform prenatal and post-natal care to aid in the pregnancy or post-pregnancy processes. This can be related to pregnancy pains, nutrition, or fetal development.

• Pediatric Care - Our chiropractors perform treatments for pediatric patients to aid in their symptoms.

FAQ About Chiropractic Care

What is a chiropractic adjustment?

An adjustment is referred to separating two joint surfaces at a quick rate where there isn’t enough motion, which results in improved mobility along with decreased pain and stiffness.

Adjustments often create a “pop” and is referred to as a cavitation where the surfaces separated quickly but isn’t always the case. The cavitation does not have to happen for the adjustment to be successful.

Chiropractic adjustments are very safe and supported by scientifically proven evidence to improve pain and quality of life. Adjustments can be performed using an adjusting tool or the provider’s hands in the spine and the extremities to improve mobility and pain.

Some areas of the body can be addressed with an adjustment to restore proper and ideal alignment. All of our chiropractors at M2 Chiropractic are highly skilled chiropractors.

What are corrective exercises?

Corrective exercises are exercises that our chiropractors teach and prescribe to patients to address areas of the body that aid with their symptoms to promote strength, stability or activation correlated with each patient’s individual symptoms. These are tailored to every patient and help promote long-term pain relief and function in combination with the adjustments.

What should I expect on my first chiropractic visit?

At M2 chiropractic, you should expect a one-on-one appointment that lasts approximately one hour. This will incorporate the provider taking a thorough medical history, performing an extensive exam, and providing an educational portion on the diagnosis/treatment program and treatment. Our providers do their best to educate their patients on what is going on with their body, how they will treat and why the treatment is important. The provider will then treat the patient and possibly teach corrective exercises that are appropriate for the patient’s symptoms.

What is chiropractic care and why is it important?

Chiropractic care varies in each clinic with what techniques are utilized, but the intent is to help patients with neuromusculoskeletal pain or conditions. Chiropractors utilize different techniques to target the spine and extremities to aid in mobility, stiffness and pain. Chiropractic adjustments are often utilized manually and with adjusting tools as well. Some chiropractors perform soft tissue therapies and corrective/strengthening exercises as well to decrease a patient’s symptoms and some chiropractors treat remarkably similar to how a Physical Therapist would. Chiropractic care is important for many reasons. Some include decreasing pain, increasing motion or mobility, decreasing stiffness, increasing strength, maintaining wellness, decreasing congestion associated with viral or bacterial infections, avoiding taking pain killers, allowing for conservative treatment measures and avoiding surgery. There has been an increase in the number of studies being performed to support the safety and effectiveness for chiropractic care. Chiropractors undergo years of rigorous training and education in order to participate in patient care.

How do I select the right chiropractor?

Locating the right chiropractor can be done by using a search engine search on Google with a simple search string of “chiropractor” or “chiropractic.” This is not always complete and encompassing of all the services that M2 Chiropractic offers as the providers at M2 perform various techniques and specialties.

Is chiropractic care safe?

There is an ever-growing amount of evidence that shows and supports chiropractic care with the risks involved being much less than what was once thought. There have been various studies performed to test the safety of chiropractic care, efficacy and results, which show positive results. Chiropractic care is actually one of the leading treatments recommended by the American College of Physicians for low back pain and neck pain, whether it is sudden or chronic.

What conditions do chiropractors treat?

Chiropractors are trained to treat various musculoskeletal conditions and injuries. Not all chiropractors only treat spinal conditions, but treat shoulder, elbow, hand and wrist, hip, knee and foot and ankle conditions as well. Chiropractors go through training in soft tissue therapies on the nerves, muscles, tendons and ligaments in all areas of the body to aid in recovery. This also includes headaches and jaw pain. Ask your chiropractor if there is something nagging you because there is a good chance that your chiropractor can treat it.

Is chiropractic care appropriate for children?

The answer is yes. There are techniques that specifically revolve around pediatric patients and development in order to help children that have low back pain, neck pain, were in a car accident, have ear infections consistently and much more. It is incredibly safe for children to see a chiropractor. The chiropractor does not use the same techniques on a pediatric patient that he/she otherwise would use on an adult patient.

Is chiropractic care an ongoing treatment?

Depending on what chiropractor you see and what their philosophy is, care and protocols may differ. The diagnosis also plays a role in what the treatment protocol looks like as some diagnoses allow for quicker recovery and others have longer recoveries. Some conditions also have an ongoing or poor prognosis and may require longer treatment terms. Every patient is different with what their body needs and requires for them to meet their own specific goals. Wellness care is always an option too where patients can continue to receive treatment to keep symptoms monitored even if there is not a ton of pain. Some patients will seek treatment once a month or quarterly.

What is the popping noise when a chiropractic adjustment is performed?

The popping is referred to as a cavitation. As joint surfaces separate at a slow or even rapid pace, pressure within the joint being adjusted changes and causes the release of a gas bubble and produces the “pop.” This is just like when you pop or crack a knuckle in your hand and is completely safe. Some question if this is breaking or cracking bones – this is not true. The popping does not always have to be present for a chiropractic adjustment to be successful either. Some areas of the body do not pop like other areas, or when there is enough degeneration in joints, the cavitations are more difficult to achieve due to lack of joint separation abilities. The idea is to get motion into the area to increase range of motion, mobility, to decrease pain, and to stimulate a nervous system response.

What type of education and requirements does someone have to meet in order to become a chiropractor?

Becoming a licensed chiropractor is typically an eight-year rigorous process of education. Each chiropractor requires a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with specific pre-requisites for an accredited chiropractic college or university. They have to then go through an accredited chiropractic institution, which is typically around a four-year program with 350+ hours of coursework with integrated clinical internships and externships or even residencies. The coursework incorporates diagnostics, radiology, treatment courses and labs, techniques courses and rehabilitation courses. With these courses, each chiropractor has to pass five National Board of Chiropractic Examiners exams that include practical and radiological components. Each chiropractor must also graduate from his/her chiropractic institution to earn their Doctorate of Chiropractic (DC). Each chiropractor must then apply for a license in whichever state they are looking to work in, which typically requires various licensing exams.

Do I require a referral from an MD?

Typically, patients do not require a referral from an MD unless the patient is using their insurance and their specific insurance policy requires one. Otherwise, most patients do not require a referral and can schedule an appointment on their own.

Does insurance cover chiropractic care?

Several health insurance companies cover chiropractic care. Each individual plan will have different benefits though in regards to care, what is covered and how much each appointment will cost.

Do I have to have health insurance?

No. Patients do not have to have health insurance to participate in chiropractic care. Most chiropractic offices will have cash-based rates. M2 chiropractic offers competitive cash-based rates if the patient does not want to use health insurance.

Do I have to have pain to benefit from chiropractic care?

No. Chiropractic care is considered preventative as well. There are many individuals participating in chiropractic care that don’t necessarily have pain and are looking to move and feel better, or to try and prevent future injuries and pain.

Do chiropractors work in hospitals or VA settings?

Chiropractors are beginning to work in both settings as the literature and evidence supporting how beneficial their care is having been increasing.

The M2 Chiropractic Difference