New Family Wellness Center Promotes Manipulation – But In A Good Way!

By John Voket

The ancient Greek philosopher Hippocrates once said, “Get knowledge of the spine, for this is the requisite for many diseases.” If only Hippocrates and his contemporaries could have envisioned the ways 21st Century technology and science are aiding chiropractic professionals and their patients.

At Sandy Hook’s Physical Health & Family Wellness Center, two husband and wife teams, one a pair of chiropractors and the other naturopaths, are complemented by massage and family therapists. And while much of the care dispensed at the modest office is based on tried and true health regiments that in some cases date back centuries, the practice is embracing much of what modern science and technology have to offer.

After moving to Newtown from California with their two young children to be closer to family, Drs Rod and Mayumi Deraney purchased the practice formerly known as Physical Medicine and Wellness Center from Dr Beverley Marr and Dr Christopher Sova. Along with their move back East came the opportunity to realize the couple’s collective dream of helping people in a practice, “…that provides a place of healing, inspiration, guidance and education for all,” Rod Deraney said during a recent interview at the Glenn Road practice.

Dr Rod Deraney graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic West in San Jose, Calif. He is also in the process of obtaining his Diplomate in Neurology. Dr Mayumi Deraney graduated from Life West Chiropractic College in San Lorenzo, Calif. She specializes in gentle, low force chiropractic techniques.

According to numerous historical sources, the understanding that the spine is somehow involved in health and wellness, as well as the practice of using manual manipulation as a source of healing, dates back to the time of the ancient Greek philosophers. But modern chiropractic marks its beginnings in the late 1800s when Daniel David Palmer, a self-educated teacher and healer, performed the first spinal manipulation on a patient.

That patient was Harvey Lillard, a janitor who worked in Mr Palmer’s building. Mr Lillard was nearly totally deaf, and mentioned that he lost his hearing many years ago when he was bending over and felt a “pop” in his upper back.

Mr Palmer, who was a practitioner of magnet therapy (a common therapy of the time) was quite knowledgeable in anatomy and very interested in how the spine interacts with the rest of the body’s systems. He felt strongly that the two events — the “popping” in Mr Lillard’s back and his deafness — must somehow be related.

He examined Mr Lillard’s spine and found that one of his vertebra was misaligned. After applying slight pressure, Mr Palmer returned Mr Lillard’s vertebra to the correct position and an amazing event occurred — Mr Lillard’s hearing was restored. This procedure has become known as a chiropractic adjustment.

Today, the Deraneys tap technologies including cold laser and their new spinal decompression table, which only recently received FDA approval for use in the United States.

“Chiropractic is a nonsurgical, drug-free way to treat many symptoms, including pain, tenderness, tingling, muscle spasms, and numbness as well as other ailments like headaches, neck pain, jaw pain, sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, and digestive problems,” Dr Rod Deraney explained. Since these problems often stem from misalignments of the spine, leading to interference with the exchange of nervous information between the back and body, chiropractic adjustments work to realign the spine and neck and thus restore the body to optimal form and function.

He said realignment of the spine relieves pressure and irritation of the spinal nerve caused by subluxations (distortions) of the spine that result from a multitude of causes, including injuries, stress, and repetitive motions.

The Deraneys said they are very excited about their recent acquisition of an FDA-approved cold laser made by Erchonia Medical. Cold laser is a low energy laser and differs from high power lasers in that cold lasers do not use heat or destroy tissue.

“Cold lasers are safe, nontoxic, and noninvasive and use photonic energy to stimulate biological function at the cellular level with no negative side effects. Cold laser is used to promote healing in many conditions including chronic/acute pain, wound healing, strains and sprains, repetitive use disorders like carpal tunnel syndrome, inflammation, joint and neurological conditions,” Dr Mayumi Deraney said. “It enhances tissue recovery and speeds up injury healing time. Treatment times can be just a few seconds to several minutes long, and multiple intervals may be needed, depending on the condition.”

The other brand-new weapon in their natural arsenal to combat pain and discomfort is a recently installed spinal decompression table.

“This new, drug-free revolutionary therapy has helped thousands of people nationwide in relieving back and neck pain caused by herniated or bulging discs, facet syndrome, degenerative joint disease, pinched nerves, and other spinal afflictions without undergoing any surgical procedures,” Dr Rod Deraney said.

“Our spinal decompression table works using computer-aided technology to stretch the spine in a very precise and controlled way,” Dr Mayumi said. “Because the stretching action is extremely gradual, the discs between the vertebrae are actually stretched, creating a vacuumlike effect. This vacuum can, in some cases, help retract or draw in a herniated disc that may be pinching a nerve.”

The husband and wife naturopathic physicians, Drs L. Vicky Crouse and James S. Reiley, treat patients by restoring overall health rather than suppressing symptoms.

“Naturopathic physicians find the underlying cause of a condition and apply treatments that work with the natural healing mechanisms of the body, rather than against them,” Dr Reiley said. “Naturopathic treatments result less frequently in adverse side-effects, and help stop chronic conditions that inevitably arise when the cause of the disease is left untreated.”

Also available through the naturopathic doctors is electromagnetic therapy.

“The aim of electromagnetic therapy is to holistically treat illnesses caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi through generating resonance waves that destroy these harmful pathogens, without harming the patient,” Dr Crouse explained.

Psychotherapy is also available at the center as a drug-free approach to those with marriage and family problems and associated mental health issues. Marriage and family therapist Kathryn Krecker, MA LMFT, has an office at the Wellness Center and is state licensed and trained to treat these and other mental health problems, according to Dr Rod Deraney.

In addition, the office offers many types of bodywork including Swedish, shiatsu, stone, and Thai massage dispensed by Gordon Young. All of the affiliated professionals at the practice are eager to help local residents achieve their wellness goals through customized treatment plans that utilize the latest in professional developments and the most natural, noninvasive techniques.

“If people don’t feel they are getting the healing they want through conventional means or medications, there is definitely something to explore here,” Dr Rod Deraney said.

For more information on the Physical Medicine and Family Wellness Center at 24 Glen Road, Sandy Hook, call 426-6334.