Tired of being treated like “just another patient”? In the modern US health care system, it seems like providers care less and less about the patient and are more interested in getting you in and out as fast as possible.
It seems like regardless of your age, your activity level, or what you do for a living – you receive the exact same care as the next person. Care has become cookie cutter and it does not consider your specific needs or goals.
At Cardinal Chiropractic and Sports Recovery, in Burlington NC, we pride ourselves in having an approach to health care that allows us to tailor our care to each patient. We have spent years developing a process that is completely unique.
Unique in the overall health care system, and unique to each of our patients.
How is our chiropractic care different?
At our Burlington clinic, we treat each person as a unique individual. We create a tailored and customized treatment plan specifically for them.
We have created a three-step process, coined “The Cardinal Process”, which ensures our patients get better and stay better. The three phases are Pain Elimination, Return to Play/Activity, and Peak Performance.
The 3 Phases of The Cardinal Process
Pain Elimination: Phase 1
The name of the first phase, Pain Elimination, says it all. During the first few weeks of care all our energy is spent on helping the patient feel better and return to normal function (i.e. – can you do all the things you used to be able to do without pain).
Typically, this is when we see our patients the most often, ranging from 1-3 visits per week. The average visit frequency is 2x visits per week for 4 weeks, for a total of 8 visits. This is when we take care of most of your symptoms.
Treatment includes joint manipulation (aka an adjustment), muscle work, and rehab. Sometimes, if needed, we include dry needling and other supportive techniques like cupping and kinesiotaping.
Most of our patients feel 85-95% pain free at the end of the Pain Elimination phase, which is pretty exciting!
Protect and Correct: Phase 2
Now comes the fun part! This is when we shine!
During your last visit of the Pain Elimination phase, we run a functional movement screen. During the screen, we test 7 fundamental movements – like the squat, lunge, core rotation, etc. All these motions are essential for athletes and regular folks alike. The squat motion is the same whether you are lifting in the gym or getting in and out of your chair.
We use the results of the movement screen to program physician supervised mini workouts during the second phase. If you are weak in any of the 7 fundamental movements, we work on them until you are proficient! The goal is to have competency in all the movements, so that when you “Return to Play” or “Return to your Activity” (whether that’s a sport or job), we want to make sure you don’t reinjure yourself.
Think of the Pain Elimination phase as the part where we take away your pain and the Protect and Correct phase as how we prevent the pain from coming back.
During this phase, we typically see our patients one time per week. Each of these visits are a little longer to allow for the mini workout. On every visit the patient is also treated clinically by our Burlington chiropractor.
On the last visit, we run the functional movement screen again to see your progress!
Peak Performance: Phase 3
After the 4 mini-workouts of the second phase, most of our patients are ready to graduate to a once-a-month clinical visit. During these monthly visits, our chiropractor checks your movement, evaluates any new problems that arrive, and treats the patient.
At Cardinal Chiropractic and Sports Recovery, we believe that everyone should have a PAIN-FREE, and ACTIVE LIFESTYLE. During phase 1 and 2, we address the Pain-Free side of that statement. During Peak Performance, we encourage the Active Lifestyle half of the equation.
During the monthly visit, our certified strength coach can program a personalized workout for each patient. If they have the equipment at home, they can get stronger and reach “peak performance” by working out a couple of times per week. Since our strength coaches have been working with the patient all along, they know exactly what the patient needs.
For our patients that do not have equipment at home and really want to achieve a healthier lifestyle, we offer small group personal training. These small classes (2-3 attendees max), led and supervised by our certified strength coaches, can get an awesome workout that addresses their unique healthcare needs.
Why is The Cardinal Process better?
Most chiropractic or physical therapy offices stop after phase 1. All of us are trying to help out patients get out of pain. But The Cardinal Process, goes 2 steps farther. First to address the causes of the pain and prevent it from coming back, and second to encourage a healthier lifestyle that will promote injury resistance. Injury resistance of course lowers the change of reinjury, but it also speeds up healing time and decreases the amount of time in pain should an injury occur.
We would love to help guide you through this process. We know how frustrating it can be when pain gets in the way of your life. Do not go another day stressed that you cannot hit the gym, join your buddies at the golf course, or hit the tennis courts. You can schedule online by clicking the button above and below, or call the office at 336-270-3050. See you soon!
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are you located?
Cardinal Chiropractic and Sports Recovery is located in the Westbrook Professional Center off Westbrook Ave in Burlington, NC. If you are traveling on Church St. towards West Burlington, Westbrook Ave is just after Williamson Ave (heads north to Elon). The Westbrook Professional Center is located behind the Food Lion (at the corner of Westbrook and Church), right after you pass Alamance Skin Center. Visit our Contact Page for a map to the office.
What should I expect on my first visit to Cardinal Chiropractic?
First, we complete a full exam. An exam consists of a detailed history of your aches and pains, and Dr. Andy will ask some follow-up questions including asking about your personal goals. Following the history, we will perform a thorough functional movement exam including orthopedic and neurological testing. We do this to make sure that our treatment will help and that you don’t need to be referred out to another specialist. After we complete the exam, we typically begin with treatment on the very first visit. Please visit our Services page for a detailed look at our different treatment options.
Do you treat more than back pain?
While chiropractic physicians are most known for treating back pain, neck pain, and headaches – our office has had great success treating painful conditions in the arms and legs. Shoulder pain, elbow and wrist pain, carpal tunnel, hip pain, knee pain, ankle pain, and plantar fasciitis can all be successfully treated in our Burlington clinic. Check out our Conditions page for more information on what we can treat!
