Extremity Adjusting

Before conducting an extremity examination, Dr. Rahim will always perform a complete spinal exam to see if there is a predisposing spinal condition affecting the extremity in question. Dr. Rahim has found, with his experience and in his opinion, that nearly 80 percent of off all extremity conditions he has helped over the years began with a structural spinal misalignment.  An extremity examination begins with a detailed history to ascertain the mechanism of injury.  Next is a physical exam consisting of visualization, orthopedic and neurological testing, gait analysis, a Gonstead Extremity Specific exam, and weight bearing x-rays if indicated. Once the causative factor is identified, a series of specific adjustments to the spine and extremities will be performed over a prescribed course of treatment followed by rehabilitative exercises to increase stability, strength and functional mobility.




What is the primary condition that chiropractors treat?

  • The primary condition that chiropractors treat is the vertebral subluxation complex (VSC) or subluxation.  A subluxation is defined as a misalignment in the spine or extremity causing abnormal function of the joint and resulting nerve dysfunction. Therefore, anytime there is a subluxation present, there will be associated signs and symptoms.  The common signs and symptoms of a subluxated joint include swelling, heat, altered function, redness and pain. Dr. Rahim utilizes the Gonstead System of Chiropractic to specifically identify the subluxated vertebrae/vertebra causing the patients ill health. The components of the exam are: history, visualization/gait analysis, static/motion palpation, x-ray analysis, specific adjustment(s)
  • Secondary conditions that may be present with subluxation:
  • Acid Reflux
  • Allergies
  • Arthritis
  • Autism, Bell’s Palsy
  • Bone Spurs
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Chronic Neck Pain
  • Crohn’s Disease
  • Degenerative Joint Disease
  • Disc Bulges and Herniation
  • Dizziness
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Forward Head Posture
  • Headache
  • Immune Function
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  • Knee Pain
  • Low Back Pain
  • Mid back Pain
  • Migraines
  • Numbness and Tingling (hands and feet)
  • Neck Pain
  • Neurologic Dysfunction
  • Paralysis
  • Pregnancy-related Pain
  • Radiculopathy
  • Repetitive Stress
  • Scoliosis
  • Sciatica
  • Seizure Disorders
  • Shoulder and Arm pain
  • Sports Injuries
  • Spinal Alignment/Cervical Curve
  • Spinal Pain, Stress
  • Temporomandibular Joint
  • Torticollis
  • Trigeminal Neuralgia
  • Vertigo and Balance
  • Whiplash.

Is chiropractic care safe?

Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest drug-free, non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of neuromusculoskeletal complaints. Although chiropractic has an excellent safety record, no health treatment is completely free of potential adverse effects. One way you can judge the safety of a health profession is by how much they pay for malpractice insurance. Chiropractic malpractice insurance is one of the lowest of all healthcare disciplines.


Is chiropractic care appropriate for children?

Yes, children can benefit tremendously from chiropractic care. Children are physically active and experience many types of falls and blows from normal activities of life as well as from participating in sports. Injuries such as these may cause many symptoms including back and neck pain, stiffness, soreness or discomfort.  Chiropractic adjustments are safe and gentle and are always adapted to the patient. Dr. Rahim has found many childhood tailbone injuries in his adult patients that were never addressed and caused problems later in adult life. Getting your child checked for foundational balance should be a priority in maintaining your child's overall structural health.  


What type of education and training do chiropractors have?

Doctors of chiropractic are educated as primary-contact health care providers, with an emphasis on diagnosis and treatment of conditions related to the musculoskeletal system (the muscles, ligaments and joints of the spine and extremities) and the nerves that supply them. Educational requirements for doctors of chiropractic are among the most stringent of any of the health care professions.

The typical applicant for chiropractic college has already acquired nearly four years of pre-medical undergraduate college education, including courses in biology, inorganic and organic chemistry, physics, psychology and related lab work. Once accepted into an accredited chiropractic college, the requirements become even more demanding — four to five academic years of professional study are the standard. Doctors of chiropractic are educated in orthopedics, neurology, physiology, human anatomy, clinical diagnosis including laboratory procedures, diagnostic imaging, exercise, nutrition rehabilitation and more.

Because chiropractic care includes highly skilled manipulation/adjusting techniques, a significant portion of time is spent in clinical technique training to master these important manipulative procedures.

In total, the chiropractic college curriculum includes a minimum of 4,200 hours of classroom, laboratory and clinical experience. The course of study is approved by an accrediting agency that is fully recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.


Is chiropractic care ongoing?

The hands-on nature of the chiropractic is essentially what requires patients to visit the chiropractor a number of times. To be cared for by a chiropractor, a patient needs to be in his or her office. In contrast, a course of treatment from medical doctors often involves a pre-established plan that is conducted at home (i.e. taking a course of antibiotics once a day for a couple of weeks). A chiropractor may provide acute, chronic, and/or preventive care thus making a certain number of visits sometimes necessary. Your doctor of chiropractic should tell you the extent of treatment recommended and how long you can expect it to last.

In the Gonstead System of Chiropractic the idea is to, “Find It, Accept It, Fix It, Leave It Alone.” Meaning once the problem has been identified, the goal is to correct the problem, which may require an initial series of visits.


Why is there a popping sound when a joint is adjusted?

Adjustments of a spinal or extremity joint result in a release of gas bubbles, S similar to cracking your knuckles. The gas bubbles result from a change in joint pressure during the adjustive procedure.  In the Gonstead System of Chiropractic, the sound is usually a deeper hollower sound due to the specific nature of the adjustment given, with the intention of correctly repositioning the misaligned joint.


Will my insurance cover chiropractic care?

While most insurance carriers have chiropractic care benefits,  this office does not bill insurance or medicare. This office will provide a superbill for you to submit to your insurance carrier for whatever reimbursement.may be owed to you by them.


What forms of payment are accepted?

Payment is expected at the time services are rendered

Payment methods include: Cash, American Express, Visa, MasterCard, and Bitcoin.



  1. Are all patients adjusted the same way? No. This is one of the differences in Dr. Rahim and the Gonstead System.  After a detailed history, spinal and extremity examination, Dr. Rahim determines the best way to position the patient and chooses which table (there are 4 tables to choose from) to use to deliver the most precise and effective adjustment to restore the proper juxtaposition of the misaligned spinal or extremity joint. Each patient is unique in body type, condition and demeanor. Therefore, Dr. Rahim always takes into consideration what is best for the patient. 
  2. Will a chiropractic adjustment completely remove back pain? Pain is an indicator but not the objective.  The intention and purpose of the adjustment is not to remove back pain, but to remove the objective signs and symptoms of vertebral subluxation that may be causing the back pain. The analogy I like to use here is as follows. Suppose you have a 40 pound rock on your foot, It hurts! Now suppose we take the rock off your foot, it will still hurt until the tissues have healed. Similarly, when an adjustment is given to reposition the misalignment, it may take some time for the tissues to heal and the inflammation to come down before the pain is gone. 

  1. Is chiropractic treatment appropriate for children? Yes, see above.

  1. Can I get chiropractic care during pregnancy? Yes, there is no evidence to suggest any harm to mother or child are no known contraindications for chiropractic care throughout pregnancy. During pregnancy, there are many physiological and hormonal changes that are occurring to prepare the appropriate environment for the developing baby and delivery. During this time, the mothers body may develop misaligned spinal and extremity joints due to the added stress in her body. If the mother had prior misalignments before pregnancy, they may be increased exacerbated causing pain and discomfort.

  1. How do I know if I need chiropractic care? People usually seek chiropractic care because of a motivating factor, namely, Pain. But a person may have a vertebral subluxation resulting in decreased nerve function and not have pain. Studies have shown that pressure on spinal nerve roots from vertebral subluxation may impact drop the functioning of the nerve by as much as 40%. So that nerve is functioning less than optimal, or 100%. Wherever that nerve goes; cell, tissue, gland, organ or muscle will be receiving less than optimal nerve supply of power and information and this Which leads to dysfunction and eventually symptoms.  Think about this, you go to a dentist to get regular check ups to see if you have cavities in one of your teeth. You may have a cavity and not have pain. Similarly, you may have a vertebral subluxation and not have pain. This is why it is important to get periodic spinal check ups to see if you are clear or free of vertebral subluxations. And based on your lifestyle, adjust the frequency of your appointments.

  1. Can I perform my own spinal adjustments? No. but you can make your joints pop and crack. A Gonstead specific spinal adjustment has a three dimensional component, with the posteriority being the first component of the misalignment. Also, the exact vector to deliver the precise correction may not be attainable by oneself.

While it is possible to make your joints pop and crack, a gonstead specific adjustment has a three dimensional component. The posteriority is the first component of misalignment and the exact force required to adjust may not be attainable by oneself.


  1. Can adjustments make my spine too loose? I have heard of people being over adjusted. But in the Gonstead System, the aim or goal is to adjust only those that are indicated by the examination and not to randomly pop and crack joints for temporary relief. 

It may be possible to be “over adjusted”, however, in the Gonstead system, the goal is to adjust only the areas specified during the examination instead of randomly adjusting for temporary relief.

  1. What happens if chiropractic care doesn’t help? The right question to ask is did the person have objective findings that warranted and facilitated the need for a chiropractic adjustment that was causing their dysfunction. Next, was this a chiropractic case? There are other causes that can lead to pain in the spine and joints, and are not candidates for chiropractic adjustments.  

Some patients are not “ideal” candidates for chiropractic adjustments. There are many factors that can lead to pain in the spine and joints; the more appropriate questions to ask are: Is this a chiropractic case? Did the person have objective findings that warranted and facilitated the need for a chiropractic adjustment?

  1. Will osteoporosis prevent me from getting chiropractic care? A person with osteoporosis may still receive chiropractic care. The intention is not to adjust the oeteoportic bone or joint. There can be a vertebral subluxation somewhere else in the person's body with the associated objective findings that warrant the chiropractic adjustment. Dr. Rahim has found a high correlation between poor diet, digestion issues and osteoporosis in his experience and counsels patients on the appropriate changes that need to be made to help their situation.
  2. What can chiropractic care do for allergies and asthma? Chiropractic care does not specifically treat allergies and asthma. However, many patients have reported a reduction in their symptoms after receiving chiropractic care. 
  3. What is subluxation? A misalignment in the spine causing joint and nerve dysfunction.
  4. Why do adjustments sometimes make a popping sound? The release of gas from joint pressure makes the popping sound. The crackling sounds are usually ligaments or adhesions in the ligaments being released.
  5. How can I tell if I am at risk for back pain? Age, gender, body type, physical, chemical, and emotional stresses may all contribute to risk for back pain. Lets not forget lifestyle! Sedentary vs overactive lifestyle may also be a major factor for risk of back pain.
  6. How can I tell if I have a pinched nerve? The Gonstead Spinal exam is one way to see if you have a pinched nerve. There are specific orthopedic and neurological exams, and MRI or nerve conduction velocity tests (NCV) as well.
  7. Once I go to the chiropractor, do I have to go forever? Chiropractic is a lifestyle choice. People usually initially go to the chiropractor because of some sort of pain. And once the pain is gone they stop. As I have mentioned, the reason to go to a chiropractor is not for pain but to check to see if you have a vertebral subluxation. As mentioned by Dr. Rahimi say in my videos, there is a need you want to check to see if you are CLEAR, just like you go the dentist to see if you are CLEAR of cavities in your mouth
  8. How long will my recovery last? Recovery depends on the individual condition. Nature’s healing principle is 90 days. Whether you break a bone, strain a muscle or sprain a ligament it usually takes about 90 days. Your pain may be gone much sooner but it still needs time to fully heal. People often make the mistake of going back to their normal strenuous and stressful situation and reinjure themselves, because they do did  not allow their body to fully recover and heal their injury. 
  9. Can Chiropractic Treat Carpal Tunnel? Yes
  10. Can Chiropractic Care Treat Elbow Pain? Yes
  11. Do I need a referral from a General Physician to see a chiropractor? Chiropractors are considered primary care physicians, and as such, you do not need a referral from a general medical physician to receive care.
  12. Are the differences after adjustments visible in x rays? It depends on the case and the goal of care. If the problem is structurally correctable then there will be visible quantitative changes on the subsequent re-x ray. If the problem is not correctable, but manageable, then visible changes may not be seen on subsequent re-x-rays.  If structural correction is attainable, Dr. Rahim will communicate that to the patient and after a prescribed number of visits, a re-x ray and comparative analysis will be performed.