At Clear Chiropractic, we use modern technology to evaluate stress. Find out more.
When it comes to our patients’ nervous system health, we don’t guess; instead, we test! In our office, the INSiGHT scans help us identify any imbalances in the nervous system, and there are also ways to tell what mode a child is in.
Is the child in a nice and balanced place, or is their system stuck in the fight or flight mode? Or do they slow down and put on the brake pedal, because they’ve been in that fight or flight mode for so long? The INSiGHT scans let us know.
The Three Scans We Take
There are three different scans we use, and depending on the age of the child, the exam will vary. For young kids, we use the Thermal Scan that rolls up the spine. Our chiropractors like to joke that it’s like a little car rolling up your back. Rest assured, the scan is painless.
The Thermal Scan measures temperature differentials from side to side at the nerve root, so we can measure any areas of inflammation in the nerves that control all organs and glands. This scan comes with a printout that shows where those areas of inflammation are. We can determine if they coincide with certain nerves that regulate specific functions in the body.
We can even do the Thermal Scan with newborns to identify areas of stress from the birth process and pregnancy-what Mom experienced.
Another scan we perform is called Heart Rate Variability, which shows how one responds to stress based on the pattern of their heart rate.
Usually once the child is a little older and has control over their body, we do a muscle based scan, called Surface Electromyography (sEMG), that measures activity in the motor nervous system (what controls our movement patterns). We can identify any imbalances in the movement patterns from side to side, because the way we move our body is under control of the autonomic nervous system.
Maybe a child has areas that won’t be moving as well. We can identify areas where we can help regulate motor system development (movement patterns and postural development). We tie those scans, usually all together, to complete a picture of what’s going on in the nervous system. Depending on the child’s age, we will modify that exam.
Other Ways We Assess Stress
There are other things we do to measure stress in the nervous system. Our Chula Vista chiropractors can feel for motion in the spine, checking for any interference. Part of our infant and newborn exam, for example, is looking for neurological reflexes.
If a newborn baby has interference in their autonomic nervous system, that will show up in their neurological development. For example, maybe they are not meeting milestones appropriately.
There are many metrics that we use to assess stress, and the INSiGHT scans are one part of that. It’s all about giving us objective insight into the nervous system. Another benefit of the scans is that we can measure again and again to see how a child’s stress response changes not only when they’re under chiropractic care, but also throughout the year.
Contact us today to book an appointment!