What Is Pronation?
When a foot is severely “pronated,” it means its arches have fallen and the foot is flat. Flat feet are less shock-absorbent, and make for a less stable “base” for everything above—the bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons of the entire body.

They can also:

• Shift the entire body out of alignment
• Cause aches and pains in the feet, knees, hips, neck and/or spine
• Lead to injury and problems like shin splints, Achilles tendinitis and plantar fasciitis
• Women with flat feet are 50% more likely than those without to have low back pain

Causes of Pronation
The connective tissue, called the plantar fascia, on the underside of the foot is critical to maintaining the foot’s healthy arched shape. Injury and certain health conditions can cause the fascia to stretch out and flatten, but so can everyday, ongoing stressors like walking and standing. Once the fascia stretches out, it is unable to “spring back.” With the foot structure flattened, the body’s very foundation is in trouble.

Treatment
Extremity adjusting to ensure proper positioning of bones and joints. Dr Tinker is able to adjust knees, ankles, feet and toes (anything with a joint).

We combine adjusting of extremities with custom-cast orthotics to create a very stable base, which creates way more comfort and less stress on the body.

The technology in our office allows us to take a 3-D digital scan of your foot, assess the results and then have a pair of orthotics created just for your feet. Not the mass produced pairs you see in the stores, nor the rigid pairs of orthotics that podiatrists have used in the past, but a super-duper durable and comfortable pair of orthotics made by Foot-Levelers, which is a company who has been making custom-cast orthotics for more than 25 years. ​

If you would like to schedule a time to have your foot assessment via the 3-D Digital Scanner, please call the office at 912-748-1506. The cost of the assessment is just $40. 

Chiropractors and midwives have been working together more frequently since the utilization of complementary and alternative approaches in birth. Research has been done previously and has determined that chiropractic can be very effective in helping a woman who is experiencing “dystocia,” which can be defined as being abnormally long, painful, or nonprogressive births. There has been a call for more research in how chiropractors and midwives can aid pregnant mothers, and the following report is a case in which a chiropractor and 3 midwives were helpful in aiding a woman who was having a difficult birth.

A 26 year old woman chose to give birth to her first child at home. Initially, the birth process was proceeding well, but after 22 long hours, progress had stalled. Due to the fact that her contractions had become less frequent, since there was a stalling in the descent of the baby, and cervical dilation ceased at 7 cm, it was determined that the mother was experiencing dystocia. After an additional hour, it was deduced that the baby was “asynclitic,” which means that the baby’s head position was not optimal for birth and was causing restrictions in movement and a decreased heart rate of the baby. At this time, it was decided that the chiropractor would become involved, and would utilize the Webster Technique.

The Webster technique is a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment designed to locate and remove any pelvic subluxations (misalignments) that are causing interference to the normal function of the pelvic neuromusculoskeletal system. Immediately after completing the first adjustment utilizing the Webster technique, which included the “psoas muscles release” and “round ligament contact release”, the mother began to feel the baby “move.” The midwives immediately noted significant progress, with increased contraction timing, and improved fetal heart rate. However, at 28 hours, the baby was determined to be asynclitic once again. An additional psoas release was performed at 34 hours after the midwives had attempted different patient position changes and surgically ruptured the mother’s membrane. Thirty minutes later, a normal heathy eight and a half pound baby girl was born without complications.

Many causes of dystocia have been theorized. They include muscle weakness, poor baby positioning, soft tissue abnormalities, or bony abnormalities of the mother’s pelvis. It is not uncommon for a first time mother to be diagnosed with dystocia. In fact, the rate of cesarean section surgeries increased to above 20% in 2004, with 50% of those being due to dystocia.

Medical treatment for dystocia can include observation, manually moving the baby during contractions, rupturing of the mother’s membranes, and/or changing of the mother’s positioning. The decision to move to operative vaginal delivery or cesarean section surgery only comes after there is a sustained drop of fetal heart rate, indicating fetal distress.

​Chiropractic asserts that chiropractors and birth care providers should collaborate during pregnancy. Within the scope of “Integrative Medicine,” multiple approaches are used to give the best possible care to the patient. Reducing the effects of subluxations (spinal misalignment) to the mother during pregnancy is well within the chiropractic scope of practice. Additional research regarding chiropractic, midwifery, and resolution of dystocia is underway. To date, experience and clinical evidence have shown that cooperation between these professions may greatly aid pregnant mothers and their births.

​-Joel Alcantara, Justin Ohm, & Jeanne Ohm. “Chiropractic Care of a Patient with Dystocia & Pelvic Subluxation.” Journal of Pediatric, Maternal, & Family Health.