Family Chiropractic Plus

St Petersburg Chiropractor, Dr. Martin Blankenship, DC, who has been practicing in England, Ireland, Australia and America for over 23 years, returned to the US in 2015 to provide St. Petersburg with the amazing chiropractic care that its residents deserve! His personal experience with the healing powers of chiropractic changed the course of his career, bringing a caring, thorough individual into this field.

Acupuncturist/Medical Doctor, Dr. Alex Smithers, received his graduate degree in Oriental Medicine from the East West College of Natural Medicine where he excelled in his understanding and practical application of both Eastern and Western Medicine. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Smithers wanted to broaden his scope and matriculated into the M.D. program. He passed both of the National Medical Board Exams also known as the USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Exam) step 1and step 2. He completed his clerkship at Manatee Memorial Hospital and graduated Cum Laude from Medical School in June 2016

Dr. Smithers has received extensive postgraduate training in regenerative injection therapies through the American Association of Orthopaedic Medicine (AAOM) and is one of only a few doctors in Florida using Prolozone Therapy with huge success.

A native of Sarasota, Dr. Smithers’ family has a long and well-known history in the community. Dr. Smithers’ work with Prolozone, Prolotherapy and other regenerative therapies as well as High Definition Ultrasound gives him a special gift in this field of medicine.

In addition to our doctors, the rest of our team is dedicated to helping you feel better, too! These great people will be responsible for administering your pre- and post-adjustment physiotherapy modalities in order to give you a deeper, more extensive adjustment and to reduce soreness or discomfort after your treatment.

Our goal is that you don’t simply get rid of back pain temporarily, but that you are able to achieve a higher level of health, well-being and overall happiness. To facilitate this goal, we employ all the tools in our repertoire, including full-body chiropractic adjustments, medical massage, acupuncture, medical doctor, prolotherapy, prolozone, nutritional counseling, rehabilitation and multiple physical therapy strategies.

Whether you have been in an automobile or workplace accident, or if you want to live a healthier, stronger life starting from the inside out, call Family Chiropractic Plus TODAY at 1-727-388-0966.

As a tribute to the men and women who so willingly serve and protect us at home and overseas, Family Chiropractic Plus offers a 15% discount on all services for first responders and active and retired military.

Chiropractic Services

Contrary to what you might hear people say, we do not “pop” or “crack” your back!

The doctors at Family Chiropractic Plus are licensed, professional chiropractors who can apply a number of highly skilled techniques to ease a number of chronic or acute symptoms associated with your spinal column, nervous system and joints.

Here’s a rundown of the major services we provide:

Manual Adjustment Chiropractic Care – Manual adjustments are what most people think of when they envision a chiropractic visit. Chiropractors apply different techniques, pressure being the main application, to the spinal column. In some cases, they may also make adjustments to other joints, including shoulders, hips, ankles or wrists. Adjustments can be done with devices as well, for patients who cannot tolerate the abrupt pressure and force used in a normal adjustment.

Nutritional Counseling – Nutrition is a key area of focus for those wishing to live a healthy, pain-free life. Diet has a major influence on your overall sense of wellbeing, and we can help you to understand how food affects your current and future health condition. Our nutritional counseling service sets us apart from other St. Petersburg chiropractors, because it shows our dedication to your whole-body health.

Massage Therapy – Because bones and muscles are connected throughout the body, it is important that both are given equal attention after an injury. If a joint is injured or irritated, it will affect the muscles around it, and the opposite is true for injured muscles. Therefore, Family Chiropractic Plus takes care of your joints andyour muscles with massage therapy. Our specialists provide relaxing massage therapy that will loosen the muscles and allow for a more effective adjustment. It will also help reduce the tension in your muscles that can cause injuries and tension headaches.

Physical Therapy – Physical therapy is routinely prescribed by a doctor after an injury. Athletes undergo physical therapy all the time, but it’s for average Joes, too. Anyone who strains a muscle or “throws out” their back can benefit from physical therapy. The idea behind physical therapy is not only to heal an injury, but also to prevent a recurring or further injury in the same area. What we usually do is bring you into the office to teach you exercises that will strengthen and repair the injured area. Then we’ll give you an exercise routine to do at home each day between visits. We will ensure that you are doing the exercises properly and monitor your progress at each appointment.

Chiropractic Rehabilitation – Similar to physical therapy, chiropractic rehabilitation is a way to strengthen areas of the body that have been a chronic source of pain. It is something that should be monitored closely by a trained chiropractor, like the ones at Family Chiropractic Plus. This process includes self-myofascial tissue massage, stretching, strengthening exercises, and advanced joint mobility stretches – all practices that loosen tight muscles and the connective tissue around them. Chiropractic rehabilitation is almost always used in combination with manual adjustments in order to give both practices their full benefits.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is an effective form of medical treatment that has evolved into a complete holistic health care system. Practitioners of acupuncture and Chinese medicine have used this noninvasive treatment method to help millions of people become well and stay well.

Acupuncture promotes natural healing. It can enhance recuperative power and immunity, support physical and emotional health, and improve overall function and well-being. It is a safe, painless and effective way to treat a wide variety of medical problems.

What Is Qi?

At the core of this ancient medicine is the philosophy that Qi (pronounced “chee”), or vital energy, flows throughout the body. Qi animates the body and protects it from illness, pain and disease. A person’s health is influenced by the quality, quantity and balance of Qi.

How Does Qi Move?

Qi flows through specific pathways called meridians. There are fourteen main meridians inside the body. The diagram to the left shows the meridian pathways in the body. Each of these is connected to specific organs and glands.

Meridian pathways are like rivers flowing inside the body. Where a river flows, it transports life-giving water that provides nourishment to the land, plants and people. Similarly, where meridian pathways flow, they bring life-giving Qi that provides nourishment to every cell, organ, gland, tissue and muscle in the body.

How Is Qi Disrupted?

An obstruction to the flow of Qi is like a dam. When Qi becomes backed up in one part of the body, the flow becomes restricted in other parts. This blockage of the flow of Qi can be detrimental to a person’s health, cutting off vital nourishment to the body, organs and glands.

Physical and emotional trauma, stress, lack of exercise, overexertion, seasonal changes, poor diet, accidents, or excessive activity are among the many things that can influence the quality, quantity and balance of Qi.

Normally, when a blockage or imbalance occurs, the body easily bounces back, returning to a state of health and well-being. However, when this disruption is prolonged or excessive, or if the body is in a weakened state, illness, pain, or disease can set in.

What Does An Acupuncturist Do?

During the initial exam a full health history is taken. Questions are asked regarding health, symptoms and lifestyle. An appropriate physical exam is conducted, including pulse and tongue diagnosis.

Gathering this information enables the practitioner to effectively diagnose and detect any specific imbalances of Qi that may have contributed to a person’s health problems. The practitioner can then create a well-structured treatment plan.

Once the imbalances of Qi are detected, an acupuncturist will place fine, sterile needles at specific acupoints along meridian pathways. This safe and painless insertion of the needles can unblock the obstruction and balance Qi where it has become unbalanced. Once this is done, Qi can freely circulate throughout the body, providing adequate nourishment to cells, organs, glands, tissues and muscles. This can eliminate pain and restore balance and harmony, as well as the body’s ability to heal itself—ultimately leading to optimal health and well-being.

Prolotherapy

Prolotherapy (proliferative therapy), also know as sclerotherapy, ligament reconstruction therapy, and fibro-osseous injection therapy, is a recognized orthopedic procedure that stimulates the body’s nature healing processes to strengthen joints weakened by traumatic or over-use injury. Joints when ligaments or tendon attachments are stretched , torn, or fragmented, become hypermobile and painful. Traditional approaches with surgery and anti-inflammatory drugs often fail to stabilized the joint and relieve this pain permanently. Prolotherapy, with its unique ability to directly address the cause of the instability, can repair the weakened sites and produce new fibrous tissues, resulting in permanent stabilization of the joint. Prolotherapy can also be used to treat varicose veins, spider veins, hemorrhoids, other vascular abnormalities and other similar conditions.

Q: How does Prolotherapy work?

A: With a precise injection of a mild irritant solution directly on the site of the torn or stretched ligament or tendon, prolotherapy creates a mild, controlled injury that stimulates the body’s natural healing mechanisms to lay down new tissue on the weakened area. The mild inflammatory response that is created by the injection encourages growth of new ligament or tendon fibers, resulting in a tightening of the weakened structure. Additional treatments repeat this process, allowing a gradual buildup of tissue to restore the original strength to the area. Injection of varicose veins and other similar abnormalities creates a mild inflammatory response causing them to contract so that they become smaller or even vanish.

Q: What is in the solution that is injected?

A: The prolotherapy injections contain anesthetic agents and natural substances which stimulate the healing response. There are numerous substances, and each treating physician tailors the selection of substance according to the patient’s need.

Q: Is the Prolotherapy treatment painful?

A: Any pain involving an injection will vary according to the structure to be treated, the choice of solution, and the skill of the physician administering the injection. The treatment may result in mild swelling and stiffness. The mild discomfort passes fairly rapidly and can be reduced with pain relievers such as Tylenol. Anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, should not be used for pain relief because their action suppresses the desired inflammatory process produced by the injection.

Q: Can Prolotherapy help everyone?

A: Each patient must be evaluated thoroughly with patient history, physical exam, X-ray exam, and full laboratory work up before treatment will be administered. With this information, your physician can evaluate your potential success with this therapy. Success depends on factors which include the history of damage to the patient, the patient’s overall health and ability to heal, and any underlying nutritional deficiencies that would impede the healing process.

Q: Who administers Prolotherapy?

A: Physicians who administer this form of therapy are trained by The American Osteopathic Association of Prolotherapy Regenerative Medicine. Postgraduate training is a prerequisite before treating any patient with a medical orthopedic problem, vein problem, or other condition which might benefit from prolotherapy.

Q: What areas of the body can be treated?

A: This form of therapy can be used to treat dislocation of the joints, knee pain, shoulder pain, Temporal Mandibular Joint dysfunction, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and disc problems at any level of the spine. The therapy affects only the area treated and does not cause any problem in any other area. Spider veins, abnormal or bulging veins and other similar conditions can be treated on the legs, feet, hands, arms, breast, face, and most other areas.

Q: How often do I need these treatments?

A: The treatments should be administered every one, two, or three weeks, as determined by your treating physician. Vein treatments are usually scheduled four or more weeks apart.

Q: What’s the rate of success in treatment?

A: The anticipated rate of success depends on a number of variables, including the patient’s history and ability to heal, and the type of solution used. In patients with low back pain with hypermobility, 85% to 95% of patienst treated experience remission of pain with this form of therapy. In comparison, the Journal of Bone and Joint Therapy reports on a 52% improvement in patients treated surgically for disc involvement. Varicose veins can usually be 90% to 100% eliminated. Spider veins can usually be improved 70% to 90%.

Prolozone

Prolozone (TM) is derived from the word ozone and the Latin word “proli”which means to regenerate or rebuild. It literally means rebuilding tissues with ozone. It is important to understand what the word Prolozone (TM) actually means. “Prolo” is short for proliferation, because the treatment causes the proliferation (growth, formation) of new ligament tissue in areas where it has become weak.

Ligaments are the structural “rubber bands” that hold bones to bones in joints – acting like the body’s shock absorbers. Ligaments can become weak or injured and may not heal back to their original strength or endurance. Ligaments also will not tighten on their own to their original length once injured. This is largely because the blood supply to ligaments is limited, and therefore healing is slow and not always complete. To further complicate this, ligaments also have many nerve endings, and therefore the person will feel pain at the areas where the ligaments are damaged or loose.

ProlozoneTM therapy involves the injection of ozone into soft tissues, ligaments, and tendons. This causes a localized inflammation in these weak areas, which then increases the blood supply and flow of nutrients, the blastic stimulation of anabolic cells such as fibroblasts, osteoblasts, and chondroblasts. These effects stimulate the tissue to repair itself, strengthening and tightening and thereby stabilizing the area.

Another largely unrecognized phenomenon that all painful areas of the body have in common is that because of trauma and/or inflammation, the energy producing mechanisms of the cells of the affected area have become blunted to the point that they are no longer able to generate enough energy to maintain an adequate cell membrane potential. Because of their decreased ability to produce adequate amounts of energy, they are constantly producing excessive amounts of lactic acid which results in chronic pain.

These cells are not dead, but they are in a state of shock, and they may well stay in this state for years before they recover. Indeed, they may never recover! ProlozoneTM is an injection technique that targets the soft tissues of the body, and supplies the oxidative stimulus that is needed to bring them back into a positive state of energy production adequate to re-establish a healthy membrane potential and thereby eliminate lactic acidosis. The response to treatment varies from individual to individual, and depends upon one’s healing ability. Some people may only need one treatment while others may need as many as ten.

Prolozone Therapy

Conditions that can be treated with prolozoneTM therapy

Chronic pain resulting from injuries to ligaments and tendons of the appendicular skeleton has long been well recognized. However, because they cannot be visualized on x-rays, injuries to ligaments, tendons, and soft tissues of the body have been largely ignored as a potential source of chronic pain. The treatment is equally excellent for many different types of musculo-skeletal pain, including neck pain, unresolved whiplash, degenerated or herniated discs, carpal tunnel syndrome, torn tendons, TMJ syndrome, sciatica, heel spurs, neuromas, tennis elbow, rotator cuff tears, knee injuries, and virtually any other sports injury.

How did prolozoneTM develop?

Historical review shows that a version of this technique was first used by Hippocrates on soldiers with dislocated, torn shoulder joints. He would stick a hot poker into the front of the joint, and it would then miraculously heal normally. Of course, hot pokers are not in use today, but the principle is essentially the same – stimulate the body to repair itself through the use of controlled irritation. The injection of “proliferating” agents first began in the 1830’s, when potent chemical irritants were used to treat hernias non-surgically. ProlozoneTM in one form or another has been used in Europe for over 40 years, and over the past ten years has been studied and improved to its current level by Dr. Shallenberger.

How does it work? A mixture of ozone, procaine, vitamin B12 and other homeopathic preparations are injected into soft tissues and/or ligaments or tendons where they attach to the bone. This causes a localized inflammation and anabolic effect in these weak areas, which then increases the blood supply, and stimulates the deposition of fibroblasts, the cells which the body uses to repair damaged connective tissue. The high level of reactivity found in the unstable third atom of oxygen present in ozone, seems to initiate just the right level of inflammation, which when combined with the innate safety of ozone, makes it the ideal proliferating agent. Although other proliferating agents can and have been used, ozone has three distinct advantages over these agents. First, it is more gentle and causes less pain. Secondly, since it is a gas, it diffuses into the treated area more effectively, and is more likely to “find” the area of laxity. Hence, it will greatly improve the batting average of even the most proficient therapist. Lastly, there are no side effects with ozone, making it much more user friendly than other sclerosing substances. Once injected, ozone causes a local reaction or inflammation. The fibroblasts which are attracted to the irritated area then begin to lay down the collagen which will form new ligament or tendon tissue. Following the injection, the patient may be a little sore for a few days, although this is usually uncommon. Because the inflammation produced is very important for the healing process, it is important that the patient does not use any anti-inflammatory medications during the 48 hours after the injection. For the same reason, areas that have been previously treated with steroid or cortisone injections cannot be treated with ProlozoneTM until these injections have worn off. The injection process is repeated every 1 – 2 weeks. Patients should expect significant results after the first or second treatments. This is in distinction from classical sclerosing agents which often require from 5 – 10 painful treatments in order to see substantial results. The good thing about ProlozoneTM therapy is that the results actually represent a permanent fix. However, the patient may need a “booster” injection every year or so after the initial series. When ProlozoneTM therapy is administered correctly, there is a 85% chance for the chronic pain sufferer to becoming completely pain free.

Minimally Invasive Oxygen-Ozone Therapy For Lumbar Disk Herniation.

Andreula CF1, Simonetti L, De Santis F, Agati R, Ricci R, Leonardi M.

Author Information

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

Oxygen-ozone therapy is a minimally invasive treatment for lumbar disk herniation that exploits the biochemical properties of a gas mixture of oxygen and ozone. We assessed the therapeutic outcome of oxygen-ozone therapy and compared the outcome of administering medical ozone alone with the outcome of medical ozone followed by injection of a corticosteroid and an anesthetic at the same session.

METHODS:

Six hundred patients were treated with a single session of oxygen-ozone therapy. All presented with clinical signs of lumbar disk nerve root compression, with CT and/or MR evidence of contained disk herniation. Three hundred patients (group A) received an intradiscal (4 mL) and periganglionic (8 mL) injection of an oxygen-ozone mixture at an ozone concentration of 27 micro g/mL. The other 300 patients (group B) received, in addition, a periganglionic injection of corticosteroid and anesthetic. Therapeutic outcome was assessed 6 months after treatment by using a modified MacNab method. Results were evaluated by two observers blinded to patient distribution within the two groups.

RESULTS:

A satisfactory therapeutic outcome was obtained in both groups. In group A, treatment was a success (excellent or good outcome) in 70.3% and deemed a failure (poor outcome or recourse to surgery) in the remaining 29.7%. In group B, treatment was a success in 78.3% and deemed a failure in the remaining 21.7%. The difference in outcome between the two groups was statistically significant (P