Think of an adjustment as "tuning" a piano, adjusting each string so it produces the perfect tone.

What makes Atlas Family Chiropractic unique is the specialized and individualized approach to managing difficult cases. Dr. Nygaard uses a variety of chiropractic methods, all low force in nature. Our utilization of the advanced specialty of Atlas Orthogonal Chiropractic is what differentiates our office from many mainstream chiropractors. Dr. Nygaard is one of less than 250 Board Certified Atlas Orthogonal Doctors worldwide, and the only doctor with these credentials in Western North Carolina.

We also offer a variety of complementary approaches to Atlas Orthogonal. Dr. Nygaard tends to adjust with a variety of instruments, as they provide "light force" - gentle ways of addressing abnormal spinal alignment and biomechanical issues that lead to a variety of pain syndromes.

PULSTAR INSTRUMENT ADJUSTING

The PulStar™ is a computerized handheld analysis and adjusting instrument. The PulStar™  instrument provides a computerized analysis of the patient’s spinal segments for fixation and misalignment. As the spine is being analyzed, the results show up on a computer screen in both numerical and graphic format and are stored for documentation purposes. The analysis is accurate, repeatable, and scientific. 

Adjustments with the PulStar™ are gentle and painless.  This technique avoids the twisting, snapping, and popping that would accompany manual manipulation.

SPINAL DISC DECOMPRESSION

Spinal disc decompression is one of our advanced specialties. Though it is often used with severe cases and a variety of diagnoses, spinal decompression can be used for maintenance and prevention of degenerative spinal and disc conditions...read more

CPB - CHIROPRACTIC BIOPHYSICS

The importance of posture and its contribution to long- term health is often underappreciated. Complete postural correction requires longer term care plans (6 to 9 months), home postural exercises, and tractioning. CBP is for people that have the time, resources, and ambition to commit to a more comprehensive approach to full spinal posture correction.

Dr. Nygaard has utilized CBP and postural correction in his practice for many years, and is well trained and competent in this approach. He also offers less demanding care plans that provide relief of many spinal pain disorders, in a more cost- effective and “user friendly” manner.

Atlas Family Chiropractic uses the Posture Pro digital computerized program to image postural distortion patterns before and after postural correction care plans.

SOT - SACRO-OCCIPITAL TECHNIQUE

The brain and spinal cord coordinate everything we perceive, think, and do; so the body protects this critical assembly by surrounding it with a system of membranes and fluids known collectively as the "craniosacral system". This system runs all the way from the pelvic and sacral areas of the spine up to and including the Atlas, skull, and facial bones.

A brief summary of SOT can be described as a system that restores and coordinates the communication pathways of the brain, brainstem, spinal cord, and nerve system circuitry.
The craniosacral system is very complex and is intimately related to proper Atlas alignment.
Spinal trauma can often affect the functioning of the central nervous system, causing the nervous system to become imbalanced with accompanying blockages. This prevents the body from releasing normal stress, leading to compromised health and wellness.

THE ACTIVATOR METHOD

The activator is a small hand-held spring-loaded instrument which delivers a non-invasive, gentle, and specific impulse to spinal segments. The Activator Method has its own unique analysis and adjustment protocol. Dr. Nygaard has used the activator for years in his practice.

THE ROLE OF FOOT HEALTH IN BODY BALANCE

To achieve optimal and spinal balance, it is vastly important to evaluate what may be causing the symptoms in pain syndromes.

Proper head and neck alignment is crucial to achieving body balance, which reduces the stress on the body that accompanies postural stress. This makes proper atlas alignment a necessary dynamic in overall health. Proper head and neck (Atlas) alignment should not be under-underestimated.

It is also necessary to determine if improper foot mechanics are causing the knees, hips, and spine to compensate for pronated or supinated feet and arches.

We have partnered with a vendor who provides state of the art custom made orthotics.

What separates these orthotics from other foot support is the superior analysis of the foot's mechanics while it is motion, and in gravity (bearing weight). How the arches of the foot maintain their integrity dictates whether the knees, hips, and spine need to twist or compensate for fallen arches. We also measure patient gaitscan, again quantifying how the foot operates in gravity. As the patient strides, stepping on the gaitscan pressure plate, 4096 tiny sensors scan the foot, measuring the relative load and pressure of each area of the foot. This analysis of foot pressure is graphed in 3-D, showing how each foot compares to "normal" and also showing any differences between the feet individually.