What to Expect
With each visit you can expect a comprehensive adjustment that assesses your body from head to toe and restores communication between your brain and body for optimal healing.
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Please call 626-346-0977 and leave a voicemail, or email drphillips@sequoiachiro.com to get started. Please make sure to include your name, phone number, and reason for calling in your message. Alternatively, you can fill out the inquiry form on the contact page.
Dr. Phillips will return your communication to set up a date and time for your appointment and discuss any questions. Afterward you will receive an email from Sequoia Chiropractic with information for your first appointment and paperwork attached. Please print and fill out the paperwork prior to your appointment and have it ready when Dr. Phillips arrives. -
On the day of your appointment, dress comfortably. When Dr. Phillips arrives, she will need a space about the size of a yoga mat to set up the chiropractic table with room to walk around it. If you prefer to set up outdoors, a patio or driveway is perfectly acceptable as long as it is flat and firm. If you have pets, Dr. Phillips would love to meet them, but for everyone’s safety please secure them away from the adjusting area.
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Sequoia Chiropractic does not participate with any insurance networks. However, Dr. Phillips can provide a superbill upon request which you may file for reimbursement from your insurance provider directly. In addition, if you have Medicare please let Dr. Phillips know so that she can comply with their rules for filing claims for which you may be reimbursed directly.
Payment is expected at time of service in the form of debit card, credit card, check, or cash.
Chiropractic Techniques
Dr. Phillips uses a variety of techniques to tailor care to your needs.
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This is the most mainstream chiropractic technique taught to all chiropractors. It involves adjustments performed by hand in which the chiropractor places the hands on a spinal segment, brings the joint into a stretch and then thrusts in a specific direction to restore restricted motion in that direction. In these types of adjustments it’s common to hear a “pop” sound, but don’t be alarmed; that’s just the sound of an air bubble dispersing from the joint.
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This is a technique taught at Palmer College that expands upon the foundation of Diversified adjusting techniques. It allows the chiropractor to administer highly specific adjustments with more options for patient positioning and spinal segment contact points so that adjustments can be tailored to the patient’s needs. It also includes a method of X-ray analysis to determine which segments to target. This technique can also create the “pop” sound when the spine is adjusted.
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Thompson technique adds equipment to Diversified technique called a drop piece. The drop piece is a flat board that can change height. When the drop piece is locked into place, it raises about two inches, and then, when force is applied to it, it drops back to its original position. The drop piece is placed under the patient to increase the speed of the adjustment so that less force needs to be applied onto the spine to adjust it. This technique is an effective option for patients who do not want to experience the “pop” of an adjustment. This technique also involves leg length analysis as part of the spinal assessment.
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The activator is a hand-held instrument that looks like a miniature pogo stick. It administers an impulse directly into the joint at 3/1000ths of a second. It is so fast that your muscles don’t fight the adjustment. Dr. Phillips uses this to adjust ribs and extremities. It’s also gentle and effective for the spine, perfect for patients who don’t want to experience the “pop” of an adjustment. Like Thompson technique, the activator method involves leg length analysis as part of the spinal assessment.
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Any joint in your body can be adjusted, including the joints of your arms, legs, and the bones of your skull. With every visit you are assessed from head to toe, and adjustments can be administered by hand or activator to the extremities. Dr. Phillips also can provide gentle hands-on therapy to the cranium.
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As a chiropractor, Dr. Phillips cares for your body’s neuromusculoskeletal system. That means she cares for the nerves, muscles, and skeleton. While adjustments can impact all three, sometimes the muscles need extra attention to promote healing and proper joint function. Soft tissue treatments include:
- Trigger point therapy by hand or activator (handheld instrument)
- Soft tissue mobilization with an instrument
- Therapeutic taping: applying tape across joints and muscle groups to reduce edema and regulate muscle balance
- Assisted stretching
- Application of Biofreeze gel