Your Initial Fibromyalgia Evaluation
Your Initial Fibromyalgia Evaluation involves detailed, thorough investigations into the nature, cause, and solutions of your Fibromyalgia. The entire evaluation involves 4 appointment visits including consultations, examinations, tests, X-rays and treatment trials. Your initial evaluation guides the content and frequency of your initial care and establishes a baseline for reevaluation. All abnormal tests will be repeated during your Progress Evaluation to measure your progress, and determine the type of followup or maintenance care you will require.
Initial Fibromyalgia Evaluation Visit One
Fibromyalgia Symptoms Review
The symptoms you report on your Fibromyalgia Symptomatology (symptoms) Consultation Form are reviewed in detail to clarify their location, severity, frequency, onset, quality, and possible radiations (pain, tingling, numbness, weakness originating in one location and spreading to another). We will probably discover symptoms you didn't include on your form.
Fibromyalgia History
Your Fibromyalgia History Form consultation will further clarify the history of your Fibromyalgia, including the causes (accidents, injuries, other stresses), life history, medical history, treatments, medications, supplements, and a review of your organ systems.
Physical Exam
You will receive a physical examination of your head, eyes, ears, nose, throat, thorax, and abdomen. Your nervous system will be screened for reflexes, sensation, balance, equilibrium and muscle control. Orthopedic tests will be performed to assess the health of your joints. A manual muscle strength screening test is performed, and the motion of your spine is observed -- with specific attention given to motions that produce pain.
Upper Cervical Spine and Sacroiliac Joint Examinations
You may have waived your Introductory Fibromyalgia Consultation after reading our website and choosing to begin care immediately. You may have been referred to us by one of our Fibromyalgia patients, family, family friends, or a healthcare provider, and you are ready to begin care right away. In this case, during this Initial Fibromyalgia Evaluation Visit One, you will receive the upper cervical spine and sacroiliac joint examinations, otherwise performed during the Introductory Fibromyalgia Consultation. At this time, these examinations are also performed for patients who have received their Introductory Fibromyalgia Consultation over the phone, and are visiting our clinic in person for the first time.
Lower Cervical, Thoracic, Lumbar Spine, Rib Cage, and Extremity Examinations
The rest of your spine and extremities are evaluated for joint misalignments. For you to be completely healthy and free from nerve, muscle, and joint imbalance, tension, inflammation and pain, all of your body's joints must be functioning properly. All joints not previously evaluated, are checked, misalignments are noted for further examination, and plans are made for corrective mobilizations, corrective exercise, and rehabilitation.
Diet, Hydration, Exercise, and Lifestyle Questionnaires
Your lifestyle habits are studied for opportunities to implement change that will reduces your stress and support the corrective and wellness care you will be receiving. Your Diet, Hydration, Exercise, and Lifestyle Questionnaires are given to you at this time, to be completed and returned at your next visit. The information from these personal history surveys will be used to plan your initial care, and will be repeated for comparison at the time of your reevaluation. The questionnaire analysis and recommendations are presented during your Initial Fibromyalgia Evaluation Visit Three. During Visit Three you will receive the understanding and strategies necessary for you to make the first therapeutic lifestyle changes in your Groover Clinic Holistic Fibromyalgia Treatment Program.
Initial Fibromyalgia Evaluation Visit Two
Fibromyalgia Pressure Point Sensitivity Examination
You computerized Fibromyalgia Pressure Point Sensitivity Test is performed at this time to diagnose and quantify the severity of your Fibromyalgia. 18 standardized Fibromyalgia pressure points are examined your sensitivity to pressure. If you experience pain from less than 8.8 pounds of pressure on at least 11 of 18 standardized Fibromyalgia pressure points, you meet the requirements for Fibromyalgia diagnosis. The greater the intensity of your Fibromyalgia, the smaller amount of pressure required to produce pain, and the greater number of Fibromyalgia pressure points are sensitive to pressure.
X-ray Examination and X-ray Analysis
Upper Cervical Spine X-ray Examination
Your Upper Cervical X-ray Examination involves three precise images for performing a three dimensional X-ray analysis of your abnormal upper cervical spinal mechanics.
Upper Cervical Spine X-ray Analysis
Your upper cervical X-rays are analyzed to compute the precise details of your upper cervical spinal correction. Details from the analysis of your upper cervical spine X-rays are entered into your file, giving the doctor the exact information required for correcting your abnormal upper cervical spinal alignment.
Full spine Front to Back X-ray
Your standing, full spine front to back X-ray is performed using standardized patient positioning and X-ray technique. Great care is taken to acquire an accurate representation of the way your spine ordinarily supports the weigh of your body for accurate X-ray analysis.
Full Spine Front to Back X-ray Analysis
Your full spine standing X-ray is examined for abnormal spinal curvatures and vertebral rotations. Your spinal curves and rotations are measured for monitoring your progress. Entries about your abnormal spinal biomechanics are made in your file for directing your spinal corrective procedures and spinal therapeutic exercises.
Extremity X-rays
Extremity (joints other than your spinal joints) X-rays are taken of misaligned extremity joints detected during your Initial Fibromyalgia Evaluation Visit One. Extremity X-rays are needed to insure there are no joint pathologies that may interfere with our extremity joint corrective procedures.
Radiology Report
X-ray reports are written to preserve all significant X-ray examination findings. Your X-ray report is an official document recording information about when and where your X-rays were taken, and information about you, your condition, the purpose of your X-rays, information about the presence of absence of pathologies such as bone spurs, disc degeneration, and clinical recommendations. X-ray reports may be shared with other healthcare professionals, insurance companies, etc., and are a valuable reference for the care you receive at our clinic.
Initial Fibromyalgia Evaluation Visit Three
Computerized Muscle Strength Examination
Your Computerized Muscle Strength Examination is performed measuring the strength of your upper and lower body, comparing each of your muscle groups on the right side to the same muscle groups on the left. Less than 7% difference between your left and right side muscle groups is ideal. Great individual differences usually represent joint dysfunctions received from accidents and injuries. Multiple weaknesses on the same side of your body usually indicate an upper cervical misalignment is suppressing the nerve innervations to the muscles on one side of your body.
Initial Groover Clinic Holistic Fibromyalgia Treatment Program Report of Findings and Initial Care Planning
Diet, Hydration, Exercise, and Lifestyle Consultation
Your diet, hydration, exercise, lifestyle questionnaires, and your available laboratory tests have been analyzed and it is time for you to receive health and healing modifications and additions to your life.
Dietary Consultation
If you consume the Standard American Diet (SAD), this consultation will give you the understanding and guidelines to begin making dietary choices to support your health and healing. You will receive advice to help reduce the dietary stressors that cause inflammation, acidity, blood sugar instability, toxicity, oxidation and free radicals in your body. You will also receive dietary guidelines to provide the nutritional support required to improve your digestion and elimination, and give you the best protein, carbohydrate, fat, enzyme, and fiber quality and balance.
Hydration Evaluation and Management
You complete a brief questionnaire regarding your water consumption habits. At the same time, your water requirements are computed based upon your body weight, altitude of your home and your activity levels. Poor levels of dehydration correspond to poor levels of metabolic dysfunction. Good hydration habits must be established immediately for our treatment program to help you quickly recover from your Fibromyalgia.
Initial Exercise Evaluation and Management
When you are tired, hurting, and stressed, exercise is usually avoided. The Groover Clinic exercise policy prohibits inappropriate exercise that causes pain, fatigue, and increases your feeling of being "stressed out." You may be required to wait until your initial joint corrective work is performed and your pain and fatigue decreases before adding exercise to your home therapeutic protocols. In this case, you will be introduced to the Groover Clinic therapeutic, corrective exercise theory with an estimated starting time for your exercise program. Your corrective exercise program begins with low stress, low intensity, long duration exercise with specific corrective exercise to help reduce the stress on your muscles, joints, mind, and emotions.
Functional Nutrition Consultation
Your diet, nutrition, and lifestyle protocols are presented to you as you receive the results from your functional laboratory analysis and your metabolic, diet and lifestyle questionnaires. Your nutritional supplements will be ordered fresh from the manufacturers and shipped directly to you. The laboratory requires 10 days to complete your gastrointestinal test, so these results may arrive later. These test results may require additional dietary changes and nutritional support. In more extreme cases, your may require referral to a medical doctor and medication may be necessary.
Initial Fibromyalgia Evaluation Visit Four
Computerized Spinal Range of Motion Examination
Your computer Range of Motion Examination is performed to compare the movement of your spine to values attributed to normal healthy people. Your spinal range of motion reflects the health of your spine. Good range of motion indicates proper muscle tone (freedom from tightness, spasm and dehydration). Good spinal range of motion also means balanced spinal joint function (freedom from spinal joint misalignments, restrictions and degeneration).
Final Report of Findings and Care Plan Recommendations
Your symptoms, history, and results from your diagnostic testing are reviewed and your diagnosis, prognosis and care plan are given. All the details beginning with your Introductory Fibromyalgia Consultation are reviewed, and correlated. Detailed information about the cause, nature, and solution to your Fibromyalgia is now at hand.
You will receive an opportunity to view your X-rays and X-ray analysis. Objective understanding of your spinal condition and the specifics of your spinal misalignments is necessary for you to take complete charge of your health. X-ray images tell the story of your unresolved spinal injuries and the declining health of your spine. Your spinal images bring to light the duration and severity of your condition, valuable information for accurately forecasting the pace and extent your recovery, and the frequency and content of your treatment visits.
Report Of Findings
Next, you are presented with a written report of findings summarizing the results of your Initial Fibromyalgia Evaluation. We have compiled your Total Body Function Score, which is based upon all your functional test scores from your Initial Fibromyalgia Evaluation, compared to test scores measured from normal, healthy individuals.
Care Plan
Your written Groover Clinic Holistic Fibromyalgia Treatment Program Care Plan specifies the procedures used in your appointments and their costs, and details of your home exercise, diet, nutrition and lifestyle protocols. You will also receive recommendations about the frequency and duration of your visits, estimated date of your reevaluation, and the kinds of improvements your should expect in your symptoms and your health.
The Best Initial Care Plan
Your best care plan is an individualized program of office visits with duration, frequency, treatment procedures, and home care that maintain your healing momentum. Fibromyalgia is a serious, multi-system condition requiring comprehensive diagnostic and treatment procedures and devotion to an objective, scientifically verified, effective care plan.
Symptomatic Relief
Intensive care is focused upon rapid, complete symptomatic relief. If your Fibromyalgia symptoms and body's functional deficiencies are sever, your will receive recommendations for daily intensive treatment visits, five days per week, and continue this pace until your symptoms are relieved and your body is functioning well. Weekends are devoted to rest, and you will probably require extra rest.
The duration of your intensive care is entirely dependent upon your individual response. If circumstances prohibit daily appointments, your response will probably be slower and the duration of your intensive care will be longer. When patient's are seen daily, the intensive treatment phase usually lasts 6 to 16 weeks.
Extremity Joint Corrective Care
In addition to the spinal and metabolic aspects to your Fibromyalgia care, your may require corrective care for any extremity (shoulder, wrist, knee, ankle or foot) misalignments you may have. All of your joint misalignments should be resolved to effectively reduce the total stress burden on your body. Examinations, X-rays, mobilizations, and rehabilitation exercises are required for permanent extremity joint alignment, strength, and stability. The need for extremity care will be discovered during your Initial Fibromyalgia Evaluation and will be reported in your Groover Clinic Holistic Fibromyalgia Treatment Program Care Plan.
At the conclusion of your final report of findings and care plan presentation, your will have a clear understanding of the necessity for your care, and the Groover Clinic plan for getting your well.
Spinal Corrective Care Initiated
Pelvis Joint Corrective Procedures
Your spinal corrective care begins by first resolving your abnormal pelvis joint biomechanics. Since all of our Fibromyalgia patients have had pelvis joint dysfunctions, you will probably receive this corrective procedure first. Your pelvis is the base of support for your spine, and must be balanced to improve the effectiveness and stability of your spinal corrective procedures. Your pelvis joint dysfunctions may be simple and require only one procedure to resolve it. However, pelvis joint dysfunctions often are more complex, requiring more than one type of procedure, and more than one appointment to resolve them.
Upper Cervical Spinal Correction
Your upper cervical spinal corrective procedure will continue until it is completed. Completion of your upper cervical spinal correction is verified by perfect upper cervical spinal examination results.
CranioSacral Therapy
Following the corrective work performed on your upper cervical spine and your pelvis, craniosacral therapy is performed to help enhance and stabilize these improvements. Your craniosacral system is a semi-closed hydraulic (liquid moving in a confined space under pressure) network involving the cerebral spinal fluid which surrounds your brain and spinal cord. For mysterious reasons yet unknown to science, this inclosed fluid system has a pulse generated by the rhythmical rise and fall in cerebral spinal fluid pressure. Expansion and contraction of your cerebral spinal fluid makes correspondingly subtle rhythmical movements in all the joints of you body known as your craniosacral rhythm.
A healthy craniosacral rhythm keeps your cerebral spinal fluid circulating to support good brain metabolism (chemical processes supporting life) and supply micronutrients (trace amounts of vitamins and minerals needed by your brain) and peptides (digested nutritional protein fragments) to neuronal networks (neuron groups connected physically or involved in the same circuit) and remove waste products.
Your craniosacral rhythm also helps maintain the homeostasis of your body. As your craniosacral rhythm subtly flexes and extends, expands and contracts, your entire body moves with it. The symmetrical, rhythmic motion of your body helps eliminate stress in your joints and in your physiology.
Normal craniosacral rhythm is about 12 symmetrical pulses per minute with moderate amplitude. Physical, emotional and chemical stresses interfere with your normal craniosacral rhythm, and abnormal craniosacral rhythm causes stress to your central nervous system. Misaligned joints and muscle tension particularly alter the rhythm, symmetry and amplitude of your craniosacral system.
Your craniosacral assessment involves laying of the practitioner's hands upon your head and spine to locate abnormalities in your craniosacral rhythm. Very light, calming hand pressure is used to generally relieve your craniosacral stress and nudge your joints into improved craniosacral rhythm. Patients report that Craniosacral Therapy performed after their Upper Cervical Spinal Correction is an unusually relaxing experience.
Instructions for Maintaining Your Corrective Work
During your rest period, you will receive instructions on posture, movement, lifting, sleeping, etc., to help you maintain your spinal corrective work. Your instructions will include general guidelines to help you understand how you were misaligned, how you were corrected, and how to cooperate fully with the corrective and restorative process.
Upper Cervical X-ray Reevaluation
Your upper cervical X-ray examination and analysis is repeated to assess the improvement in your upper cervical spinal alignment. Information from two X-rays taken following this initial Upper Cervical Corrective Procedure, provides objective verification about the effectiveness of the corrective procedure. Analysis of these X-rays usually confirms excellent progress in restoring your upper cervical spinal alignment. In some cases, smaller improvements are measured, telling us that more time and effort are required to correct the problem. The post correction film analysis may also suggest slight improvements to be adopted in the procedure for correcting your upper cervical spine.
Sometimes, your post X-ray analysis reveals an opportunity to immediately perform more corrective work to make further improvements in your upper cervical spinal alignment. In this case, you will be asked to return to the treatment room for the doctor to touch up you spinal corrective work.
Taking It Easy
After this visit you should take it easy. Try not to get tied up in traffic or perform any strenuous activities. Rest is recommended at this time, because you have undergone dramatic changes in the way your body works over a short period of time. We recommend you take the time to slowly integrate these changes. You may feel tired. Your night's sleep may be unusually long and deep. Uncomfortable side effects from your care is unlikely. However, if uncomfortable side effects should occur before your next appointment, we ask you to contact us immediately. We appreciate hearing from you when you experience improvements in your Fibromyalgia as well.
