Calvin Ling On Trauma and Chiropractic Care

U1 0:01 Hi, this is Rachel and Recovery. We're back here with Calvin Ling and he's going to tell us a little bit about himself. And then he's going to answer U2 0:08 some questions about chiropractic U1 0:10 care and trauma. U2 0:14 Hello, everyone. My name is Calvin Lee. I was born in Los Angeles, but my parents raised me in China because they believe there would be easier for me to learn Chinese. And then English versus vice versa. Came back to the States for sophomore year of high school and stayed in Columbus, Ohio for ten years, went through high school and Ohio State with a microbiology undergrad degree, then worked as a medical translator in a hospital lab for two years before realizing that I wanted to play a more active role in helping people to get better. And Cal Practic just made sense to me because my parents have had great results with going to a chiropractor and I resonate very well with the philosophy of the drug free approach to healthcare. I'm still covered. Student and I'll be graduating from Logan University with my degree and a master's degree in both rehabilitative rehab this December. Yeah, so chiropractic care is one of the safest drug free, noninvasive therapies available for the treatment of your musculoskeletal problem, such as back pain, neck pain, headaches and more. We're here to use hands on conservative and minimally invasive treatments to help you restore structural balance, reduce pain and overall improve quality of life. Research suggests that spinal manipulation improves range of motion and generate neurological signals in the body, which would reduce pain signals. 2s Okay, Um, I'm gonna ask some questions. Um. Tell us some symptoms that trauma patients come in with. 2s Yeah. This is a. 1s Very quick question, because different individuals could present with different types of symptoms. What we see in the clinic mostly is musculoskeletal based complaints, such as a lot of unrelenting pain or muscle tightness that just cannot be cannot get relief. And there might be other manifestations such as 1s excessive sweating, insomnia or even who are sleeping too U1 2:43 much, although U2 2:44 almost kind of in line with depression and other psychological issues that people may experience. And it may also manifest itself as some digestive tract imbalances such as constipation or diarrhea. So it really depends on what exactly the patient is going through, what types of trauma they have experienced and what work they have done thus far for managing the condition. Okay. U1 3:17 Um, tell us a little bit about why the body keeps the score in the back. U2 3:23 Yeah. And I love the quote. The body keeps the score. So the body is a very fascinating machinery. In that it leaves traces of him for what has been put through. It's a machine built on reflexes and with reflexes. The human body can adapt to its environment very quickly without a second thought. U1 3:51 However, with that, we are sacrificing a lot of other potentially helpful mechanism. So when there is a prolonged exposure to a certain stressor as an energy saving mechanism, the adaptive reflexes will become habituated and turns into a learned pathway. The body would then be stuck in this type of neurological habituation. The badge on the human body is one of the places that chiropractors exams a lot and we can use them to check for what the body might have been put through. For example, emotional stress or emotional stress force can have a variety, like we mentioned earlier, a variety of physical manifestations on the body. And one of the very common presentations would be muscle tension, which can be found in the muscles next to the spine or what we call para spinal muscles. Or it could be the trapezius muscles right on top of the shoulders or really any other muscles in the human body, depending on the patient. I believe there is a connection between the fight or flight response and the presentation of spinal muscle tension. When the fight or flight response is elicited, the body will then be ready. It will be getting ready for itself to respond to threat. Whatever the threat may be. Thousands of years ago, it may have helped us run away from a bear. Yes. U2 5:42 Nowaday. Yeah. So nowadays, threats take up a different form. It's no longer the bear attacks or getting chased down by a tiger, but more so it may be the rent is due in two days. And there are. There's no money left in the bank or the car broke down, and now you cannot get to work. So it's more like a real life situation that is being perceived by a brain as a threat. U1 6:14 No U2 6:15 mean even they are not a life threatening like a bear attack. The body still treats the scenarios as threats and will still trigger the fight or flight response. And the. 2s Starting with the increase of the cortisol level in the bloodstream, which will lead to an increase in blood sugar. You provide us with fuel to run away from the bear and what have you. 1s As well as an increased breathing rate to provide more oxygen to the system, as well as causing muscle contractions as a guarding mechanism, as if the body is getting ready to be punched or mauled by a bear. Overall, the body can keep the score in an array of areas. But the bag has been a frequent offender because of how worn it is, and that's how chiropractors would use to trace back to what the initial symptoms might have been. U1 7:19 Minkah. 2s Um, tell us about trauma informed chiropractic. 1s Yeah. Trauma informed core Practic is a specific approach that takes the potential impact of trauma into consideration during a patient encounter. So we acknowledge that any type of trauma let it be physical, emotional or psychological can all to a degree affect a person's body, nervous system and overall health. So in the domain, the most important principle in trauma informed chiropractic would be a sense of safety or security, where the chiropractor should prioritize creating a safe and comfortable environment for the patient. It will require very clear communication, respecting the paths of the patient and establishing boundaries. And just with all these provide an overall sense of security during the visit. There are also other principles within the domain which include transparency, where the Cao would talk through how and why they perform any procedures. U2 8:47 Decision making or choice where the patient can receive more than plenty of information for them to make an informed decision for their course of treatment. Respect in respecting the patient's past and present and respecting their specific needs and preferences. Awareness of triggers, which kind of goes back to ensuring a sense of safety. The triggers, depending on the individual, may be just a gentle touch or specific body positioning that may cause distress to trauma survivors. I believe there are more principles in practicing trauma informed chiropractic, but these are the ones that can think of on top of mind. Okay. Um, tell us about, uh. 2s What chiropractors can do to treat trauma. U1 9:50 Oh, yeah. So U2 9:52 basically, um, according to Palmer, the, um, the father of chiropractic, there are what is called the three TS in chiropractic as the fundamental principles of it. The three tees refer to trauma, toxins and thoughts. So let's actually start with toxins, because the other two kind of goes into what we can do for the patient. So for toxins, the chiropractor's world believes that it is important to minimize the exposure to toxins that could affect the body's overall health. This can be ranging from dietary habits, environmental exposure to certain toxins or such as like water we drink or the air we breathe to lifestyle habits that may contribute to the overall health manifestation of an individual. U1 10:54 In this case, chiropractors would play a role in promoting a healthy lifestyle. In attempt to enable the body to heal this step. 2s So now moving on to the trauma. This may refer to any physical, chemical or emotional stressors that could cause misalignment or because patients in the spine. 1s In the chiropractic world, we believe that at least subluxation can interfere with the nervous systems ability to function properly, leading to disease. Or this is. And of the body and eventually a pathology. U2 11:41 If there is a musculoskeletal component to the issue, a chiropractor adjustment would be applied in an attempt to correct the subluxation or fixation. And restore proper movement, motion and nerve communications. U1 12:00 The U2 12:01 last T is for. 1s This principle highlights the mind body connection in that thoughts and emotions can influence the physical health significantly. 1s Proper stress management and mental wellbeing are considered critical components in maintaining overall health. So with all that said. I'm sorry that the background information kind of took a long time. But circling back to your initial question. U1 12:35 Patients mostly go to chiropractor's initially for a musculoskeletal complaint. And this is what we do best to, um, to treat the patient. U2 12:48 Sometimes a direct chiropractic adjustment will do the trick. However, if we start seeing the adjustment not holding between visits, which means the patient says they are better after the last adjustment for a couple of days, but then the symptoms comes right U1 13:08 back. U2 13:10 Then it means that the issue is not staying fixed. So that will make me think that there are more layers to the problem. So we need to start like peeling the onion a little more. U1 13:26 The trauma may also not be brought up initially by the patient. Depending on how comfortable they are with either the chiropractic or their past. But oftentimes, this may be a tremendous help for the practitioner to get to the root of the issue. So from then on, for me personally, I would follow the indicator systems under the sacral occipital technique and CMT to fish for what I can do. U2 14:03 At that moment of time to bring the most relief for the patient. So personally, I would treat the body and affect the psychological and emotional side of things from the physical approach. 1s There are other chiropractors that are equipped with more specific tools such as MBT, which stands for Neural Emotional Technique. So I personally don't know much about it. But from the readings and talking to the colleagues that I've done so far, I believe it's built on the understanding that emotional stress has a strong physical, physiological component to it. And they would target the what's called the neural emotional complex as their center of treatment rather than the classic chiropractic adjustment approach. U1 15:03 Okay. 1s Um, tell us about. U2 15:08 Yeah, that's like the bread and butter for what doctors do. And why do And CMT refers to chiropractic manipulative reflex technique. This is a part of the treatment under assault, also known as sacral occipital technique, which is a branch of comparative technique just like activator or guns that or applied kinesiology. U1 15:40 Salt is a subcategory of procedures under assault. And CMT refers to several specialized techniques to treat the internal organs such as your heart, your lungs, liver, large intestines, what have you. It is a specific set of procedures for each organ and they are all different. To facilitate the healing of the set organs. U2 16:12 The reason for performing these procedures is that each organ has its own neurological communication to the brain. U1 16:22 The nurse will provide the brain with neurological feedback based on the state of the body so that the brain can adapt accordingly. U2 16:33 Such as increasing the breathing rate during exercises. 1s But there is an indicator system that the contractors would use in determining whether there is an organ involvement in the patient. U1 16:49 The procedure would then be applied in an attempt to interrupt the existing communication or break the habituation or habit that the brain organ communication has stuck in. U2 17:08 So that we can break the suboptimal habituation of the neurological pathway and establish a new pattern for the brain. 2s It would also allow the organ to relax, resulting in an increase of function. The doctor may also provide a nutritional counseling to take the effectiveness of CMT to the next step for the patient. U1 17:38 Okay. 1s Um. Tell us a little bit about acupuncture for trauma patients. 2s Yeah. So currently, I think, um, from the medical society, understanding acupuncture has been recognised in its effectiveness for pain management and some other musculoskeletal conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome. However. In China has been used for thousands of years addressing a wide range of condition. U2 18:20 Vince. Every person is built differently. They might find various levels of relief from the same type of treatment, such as acupuncture. U1 18:32 So U2 18:32 by prefacing that. 1s There's nothing wrong with trying acupuncture. Managing emotional stress or trauma. If that is the informed decision of the patient. U1 18:46 Biologically inserting needles into the body can induce stress reduction because it is thought that acupuncture would stimulate the release of endorphins and other neurotransmitters that would promote relaxation and stress reduction. So usually what I would explain to the patient is that it's almost like a shock therapy where we are overloading the system in a short amount of time for a rebounding effect after withdrawing the needles. U2 19:28 And acupuncture is also thought to regulate the Ans or the autonomic nervous system which is in charge of the involuntary bodily function, including the digestion or the fight or flight response. U1 19:47 Though, U2 19:48 if you were to take a more holistic approach and talk in historian terms or traditional Chinese medicine terms, acupuncture would redirect the body's vital energy known as Xi and make you flow properly through the meridians, which can then calm the spirit as well as the body. U1 20:14 Depending U2 20:14 on the practitioner, the needles may be left in the patient's body from five minutes up to more than an hour. The session can be very calming and almost meditative. For some patients, it's almost like a mini get away from there, like real life commitments. U1 20:39 Okay. Um, is there anything else you would like to add on that? U2 20:45 Yeah. So, um, to speak more into the side of things. There are many layers. U1 20:56 What is it? What? What is teeth? TCM. U2 21:01 TCM stands stands for traditional Chinese. U1 21:07 All right. Because think you're talking to a few too many acronyms. I think our listeners might get confused. U2 21:15 God sent my apologies. And I think, uh, during the TCM or the traditional Chinese medicine talk, you also mentioned the 1s autonomic nervous system, which is thought to be able to have and influenced by acupuncture. And what I would like to add on a wife established so far is that acupuncture, although there are many layers of the traditional Chinese medicine system. 2s The baseline for acupuncture is that it harmonizes the patient's energy and reestablish the mind body connection so they can feel more grounded for lack of a better term. U1 22:07 All right. Um. What do you do for self-care? U2 22:12 Okay. Asking me myself or recommending for the travel? U1 22:17 I would say both. U2 22:20 Both. Okay. So it kind of like goes hand in hand, really. So, um, the three big things that I do myself and I always encourage basically all my patients really are meditation awareness, training and breathing exercises because I found them to be most the most effective tools I have for self-care for myself. 2s Though there are as many stars in the sky as meditation methods out there. U1 22:56 Though the key for meditation is to really find what works best for it. For me personally. Um. Alternate nostril breathing. U2 23:08 And Hummel has been the most effective methods of meditation. 1s And in awareness training. I found the doorway reset to be very effective. U1 23:22 Though U2 23:23 our brains are wired in a way that every time we cross a doorway, like moving from one room to another, there is an attention shift taking place at a time. And the brain kind of do this soft reset to get ready for a new environment and new information input. U1 23:48 What I do is basically hijack this mechanism to use it for my advantage. Where every time I enter or exit a room or passing through a doorway, I would do like a mental reset and ask myself. Okay. How am I doing? What's my stress score from 0 to 10? Real quick. It kind of brings awareness within me, though, that at the end of the day, when I do more meditation and process my emotions as a way to manage the stress that way. U2 24:28 And then the breathing exercise that always suggests others to try out, which was the alternate Nostril breathing happens to be a type of meditation as well. Or I think the Sanskrit word is not shut down U1 24:46 like that, U2 24:47 and which I believe in means something along the lines of low purification. What you do, you would basically start with your hand, like though with your thumb out and your ring finger pinky finger out and making a V U1 25:07 that turns. And you will start with closing the right nostril with your right thumb while inhaling through the left nostril and then close the left nostril with your right ring finger and pinch fingers while exhaling through the right nostril. U2 25:29 After that, you would keep the left nostril closed and breathe in via the right nostril and breathe out via the left, and then just keep the cycle going until you feel a relaxation or a calming sensation. So these are the three things, right? Okay. U1 25:48 Um. 1s How has working with trauma patients affected your faith? U2 25:55 Oh, yeah. So. 2s Working with trauma patients have been a very humbling experience, a very great learning experience for me so far. It has taught me to respect a person's past and present and to not judge a patient's current health state, but to focus on how I can best facilitate the healing process for the patients. 1s It is definitely very demanding at times, both physically and emotionally when working with these patients, because the appointments usually take more than just a maintenance chiropractic adjustment. Cases are often more complicated, and even establishing rapport with the patient might take a lot longer. 1s I've learned that it is important for me to recognize my limit of power in helping these patients. And it's also important to work as a part of an integrative health care team with other health care providers, maybe pets and these, or, um, uh, nutritional counseling people or anything like that in terms of to manage these patients for the best outcome. And as definitely changed my perception of Cal Practic and this push the boundary for me a little bit in seeing what Cal practice and cal practice treatment can do to help these patients who have emotional traumas, but with a manifestation of physiological stress and by addressing these physiological issues have an reverse effect on their emotional well-being. So it has been a very phenomenal experience for me. So. Okay. U1 28:11 Um, I think that's it. Is there anything else you would like to add? 1s Now. I think that's all I have. And thank you very much for having me on your show. I hope I've provided some good information regarding the care acupuncture related to trauma patients and how we can best help them. And I would encourage. U2 28:38 You take care. U1 28:41 Very nice. Thanks for listening. This is Rachel in Recovery. Calvin. 1s Sarah, thank you for coming on. And always. Yeah, always. Come and listen to us on your favorite podcast platform or social media platform. And if you have any questions, reach out to Rachel on recovery and you can always subscribe to us on YouTube. Thanks. 2s Thank you.