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By analyzing different areas of the spine and extremities, we find out how the muscles and bones are doing. Sometimes, the patient may feel pain or the chiropractor may feel tightness or swelling. Our hands - along with our exam procedures - tell us a lot of information about the state of your body. From there, we can administer care that may include the use of heat, ice, massage and gentle movements of the bones back into their correct position. This movement of bones is called an adjustment. Areas such as the feet, knees, hips, shoulders, wrists (we call these extremities), spine and jaw are some examples of the territory chiropractors can cover for you.

When your bones are in proper alignment, the joints function at 100 percent, so you can have and maintain full movement. A full range of movement in the joints also serves to lubricate or "oil" them to facilitate continued movement. Chiropractic tuneups can serve three purposes:

1. Evaluate the state of your body, even if you have no pain.
   It's amazing how many people come into our offices "feeling fine." I guarantee you that even people who feel fine have areas of their spine or extremities that are out of normal alignment. When we adjust those bones back into place, people feel better in some way. Please do not be fooled by thinking, If I am not in pain, then I must be fine. If we all thought that way, we would all wait until we needed root canals or crowns before going to the dentist!
2. Address major or minor pains you currently have, but haven't been too worried about.
   Have you had any nagging discomforts or pains coming from your spine or extremities? Do these discomforts prevent you from doing the activities you enjoy? Instead of wondering if the pain will continue to get worse or stay that way for the rest of your life, give chiropractic a try. You don't have to live with pain. I once asked a patient of mine if she experienced headaches, to which she replied, "Just the normal ones." There is no "normal" pain; it is usually just a symptom of another problem that should be addressed.
3. Prevent future problems that can and likely will arise from your joints being out of alignment and not functioning at 100 percent.
   Our society is moving toward preventative health care. Chiropractic has been at the forefront of this concept since the chiropractic profession was founded in 1895. Having your spine and extremities aligned can help you reduce or avoid major problems. Arthritis, overuse injuries (like carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow), rotator cuff injuries and knee problems are just a few types of conditions that may be prevented with chiropractic care.

Do you follow these common recommendations? Regular dental checkups every 6-12 months to keep your teeth healthy? Annual physical exams with your doctor to make sure you stay healthy and diagnose diseases or other conditions early? Regular scheduled services for your car to keep it running longer?

Scheduling chiropractic tuneups is equally important. Chiropractic tuneups allow you to take care of your body so that your machine functions as well as it possibly can. Please remember to make time to care for yourself; you are worth every penny.

Kevin M. Wong, DC, a 1996 graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic West in San Jose, Calif., practices full-time in Orinda, Calif. He is also an instructor for Foot Levelers, Inc.