I have been doing some interesting research into the scale and impact of the profession of chiropractic. Chiropractic has its' roots in the free market system of the United States during a period of time that we saw the industrial revolution. In 1895, D.D. Palmer theorized that one could make a thrust into the spine of a suffering individual and produce an anticipated result of symptomatic improvement. He was building upon centuries of manipulation used in cultures throughout the world, but with a different intent: to affect the function of the nervous system by making a structural change relative to the position of the spinal vertebra.

Simply put, poor structure (spinal alignment) = poor function (sickness and dis-ease)

good structure (spinal alignment)= good function (the state of health or homeostasis ie:balance)

What I find fascinating is that in well over 100 years, neither is the proof of that theory irrefutable/proven, nor the public awareness of the chiropractic message strong.

Why is that? Bias of the medical establishment, divisions within the chiropractic community and poor leadership in the area of public relations are three possible explanations.

The unique perspective of chiropractors is that all people of the world need to have their spine checked and adjusted for spinal dysfunction, with no exceptions. This is not true of the medical profession where patients are seen only based on the presence of a condition that can be identified and diagnosed (and treated).

In chiropractic many asymptomatic patients are evaluated and treated (adjusted) for the purpose of prevention and maintenance of the spine.

With that thought in mind, it is our vision and mission to see everyone in the world under the care of a qualified chiropractor. This would produce a desired outcome of a healthier planet and a more peaceful world (more about this topic on a future blog).

So here are the obvious steps that must be taken for this vision to become a reality. By the way, we recognize that between 2-5% of the world would never be willing to have a chiropractor check them (do to their own bias) and we would never want chiropractic to be forced upon anyone (freedom of choice is still a higher value).

Number one: educate and train and license 7 million chiropractors.

Recognizing that there are just under 7 billion people on the planet, and a 1 to 1 thousand ratio is both reasonable and significant.

Number two: have a unified profession wide approach to share this message with the masses and to make this message clear, simple and profound.

My recommendation is to use a slogan such as "Happy Spine, Happy Life". The implications being that if every individual has a happy, healthy spinal column and functioning nervous system, then those individuals will make up a community of healthy people who live in peace with one another. As my friend Dr. Donny Epstein says "Structure affects perception and perception in turn affects behavior".

Number three: create a system that supports this vision with regards to items such as quality patient care, affordable fees, third party payers that reimburse based on this model and not the therapeutic model and standardization of methods (with measurable outcomes).

Number four: pool our resources to educate the public on the benefits of chiropractic and clearly explain our science, art and philosophy.

If you support these ideas about healthcare and chiropractic's future, please contact our office thru our fan page at facebook.com/chiropracticreliefplus. We need support from both professionals and laypeople alike!

We are very excited to have the site up and running. Though not 100% complete, the current content provides an excellent introduction to our office and should become a valuable resource for everyone (patients, doctor and staff). I want to take the time to comment on what is behind these changes. Someone recently commented on our facebook page that if it is not broke don't fix it. This is so true, but why would we change our name from Humber Chiropractic of Henry County to Chiropractic Relief Plus.

First, it is important to know why we were named Humber Chiro.... in the first place. When I arrived on the southside of Atlanta in 2002 I joined a group of chiropractors in which it was very clear that promoting our names was not part of the strategy. So when I got out on my own in late 2005, the first thing I did was rename my practice Humber Chiropractic of Henry County. I was keenly aware that the Humber name was well known in the area, because of the work of my family (in the biz since 1949). So as I promoted my new clinic many folks responded with "I used to go to your dad/uncles". I used local cable television programming to inform the public of our business and did so for about 26 months. It was definitely a good decision to use the Humber name and I am very proud of my heritage, but something came to mind earlier this year. For the last 60 years the Humber's have been seeing thousands of patients and yet there was no congruent, recognizable message that was seen throughout the clinics (5 in metro ATL).

So secondly, why the name Chiropractic Relief Plus. What does every patient calling us for the first time want more than anything...Relief from Pain!! What do we offer...Chiropractic, and what is the plus all about. Chiropractic is for so much more than just pain relief.

Finally, it is important to note that in branding my clinical practice, I wanted to establish a recognizable logo (image), have a memorable slogan (No crack or pop, just point and click) and have a presence on the internet (where most everyone searches for answers).

In the future our blogs will be much less about us and much more about your needs and questions, but I wanted to make this blog about introducing our background and our message!

This is a test

On our last blog/update we discussed PTPDS which give a predictable pattern of symptoms to those afflicted. For today we will be discussing counter rotations of atlas/axis. The top two vertebra are unique in their shape and function. When they move as a unit this is typical of normal biomechanics. However, when they move in opposite directions they produce four common symptomatic presentations. The first is dizziness/vertigo.

The second is tinnitus/ringing in the ears

The third is sinus problems

Finally, many counter rotations are to blame for headaches that are chronic (8-12) per month for years.

If you suffer with these in combination or know of someone who does. Contact us at 770-389-4724 for a free consultation.

Dr. Durie Humber

I wanted to share this exciting study that came from this past weekends Orthospinolgy Advanced Conference in ATL

One of the most profound discoveries that I have found in my past 18 years in chiropractic study/practice is the term PTPDS. If you google this it won't be there, because I coined the term and have never officially published my findings. However, the information that follows could be the answer to your health problems that you have been searching for.

First of all, why PTPDS?: Post-Traumatic Postural Distortion Syndrome is a combination of symptoms that are seen in individuals with a history of trauma (MVA, falls, abuse) that has produced a postural presentation in which the patients shoulder is higher on the right (for example) and their head tilts to the right at the same time.

This produces restless sleep, mood swings, low energy (CFS), low immunity (resistance) and sore joints and muscles (fibromyalgia).

The secret to helping someone with this syndrome is in how a chiropractor makes the adjustment to the upper cervical spine. Twisting motions will only make things worse. A precise correction with the Grostic method (Orthospinology) is the best way to get the job done!!!DH....follow us on Facebook (Chiropractic Relief Plus-Formerly Humber Chiropractic of Henry County)

Launch of new business

I am Dr. Durie Humber, President and CEO of Gideon Chiropractic Incorporated/ DBA Humber Chiropractic of Henry County. We will complete a name change on October 1, 2009 to Chiropractic Relief Plus. Our motto is "No pop and crack, just point and click"! We are an Orthospinology based clinic that specializes in natural relief of pain from 3 days to 3 weeks time! For more information about our services we are temporarily at the current website of www.atlasinjurychiropracticcenter.com/If in the south Atlanta area, feel free to set up an appointment by calling 770-389-4724. Ask for Alicia.