Spring Pain Relief
Warm weather and sprouting plants mean that it’s once again time for yard work and spring cleaning. For many Indiana residents, that can also mean back pain. Fortunately for them, Woods Chiropractic is here to provide relief.
Dr. Ron Woods has been practicing medicine since 2000 and is experienced with all kinds of degenerative conditions and injuries to the neck and spine. He is a proponent of considering natural, less invasive treatments before seeking surgery.
While people may not think of chiropractors as having a “busy season,” he explains that spring and summer bring more patients with back pain.
“We stay fairly busy; we’re just getting out of the slow period at this point. January through March is kind of slow, and we pick up as people start getting out in their yards and working, and it stays steady from there on out.”
Woods says that what makes his office different from others is the number of services that patients can get for their money, such as massage therapy. Most of these services are covered by insurance.
“We’ve got a decompression table, we do acupuncture, we have electric stimulation, ionic foot detox, and an ultrasound machine. Most people end up getting the electric stimulation at the end of their treatment. It helps to work with the muscles, keep them from tightening up, and helps calm the nerves,” he explains.
He also has almost every patient go on an intersegmental traction table prior to anything else “to help loosen them up.” Using palpation, Woods says he can feel what’s going on in the body and what may be causing pain.
“I start at the low back and work my way up. I can feel where you’re jammed, what’s moving and what isn’t, and what’s inflamed. You can really feel that through the spine,” he says.
“The first visit will be about 45 minutes, and we’ll do a consultation about what’s bothering you, with a possible X-ray. I’ll go over everything with you, form a treatment plan, you’ll go on the roller table, get the adjustments, and do the electric stimulation. Starting out, I usually see people twice a week for four to six weeks. If they get better quickly, we’ll drop them down quicker to fewer sessions,” Woods adds.
“Generally, when I work on people, I do a full-spine adjustment, starting at the shoulder blades and working my way down to the pelvic area. I’ve got special tables for the back-end releases. The flexion and distraction table goes up and down and side to side,” he continues.
Besides the neck and spine, Woods can also treat patients from head to toe. He can help those with foot conditions, such as plantar fasciitis, and those with chronic headaches and migraines.
“Working with headaches is one of the most satisfying parts of the job. I’ve got a special trick that generally, I can make most headaches go away in about five minutes. Everybody loves that one,” Woods says.
He advises patients on exercises and stretches to work on at home to help improve their mobility and prevent pain from returning.
Additionally, he gives lifestyle recommendations. For instance, Woods suggests a firm mattress and making time for standing and walking throughout the day, as sitting for most of the day can lead to back pain.
Woods graduated from Logan College of Chiropractic in St. Louis in 1999 and returned to Indianapolis afterward.
“I started out in Broad Ripple, with the chiropractor that got me into it for about two years before I went out on my own. This is my 23rd year in this location,” he says.
The office was previously owned by another chiropractor, so the space already perfectly suited his needs. Woods says he has no plans to move anywhere else and is happy to be helping Indianapolis residents.
“It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was in junior high. My mom would take me with her to the chiropractor when she would go, and I was an accident-prone kid. I rode dirt bikes and fell out of trees and stuff like that, so I was always hurting myself. That’s what got me into chiropractic. They were the ones who put me back together,” Woods says.
For more information or to make an appointment, visit woodsindychiro.com or call 317-257-3919. Woods Chiropractic is located at 8509 Westfield Blvd., Indianapolis, and is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (until noon Saturday) and closed Thursday and Sunday.
