Phone: 773-255-2979 • info@skokiechiro.com
Have you…
• Made repeated visits to a chiropractor and gained only minor relief?
• Felt better for a while only to have your pain return?
• Been anxious about having someone “crack” your spine?
• Spent a small fortune and too many hours treating the same issue?
Maybe it’s time for a Different approach?
How our Functional Rehabilitation approach is different
First and foremost, we don’t just treat you… we teach you, so your recovery can take less time and your relief can last a lifetime.
Instead of “cracking” you, we inform and empower you with repeatable, evidence-based techniques to give you quick and lasting relief.
Why our different approach matters.
In addition to understanding what is causing your pain we want to enable you to learn how to address it today, and in the future.
While it’s to be expected that sports, work, and going through life can cause an injury or discomfort to recur, it shouldn’t be expected that every time you reactivate a problem, you end up with a new round of repeated visits to your chiropractor or physical therapist.
About Functional Rehabilitation
I’m Dr. Irwin Heller. Since 2004 my Functional Rehabilitation practice has been focused on a very different treatment model — the McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT). Using this method I help my patients relieve their pain and keep it away with techniques they learn during treatment.
Your treatments will follow a step-by-step program that typically involves:
- Thorough assessment
- Incremental self-treatment to address pain and inflammation
- Restoration of freedom of movement
- Return to previous daily activities
- Recurrence prevention techniques
Dr. Heller, a Skokie chiropractic physician, is a 1987 graduate of the National University of Health Sciences. His ongoing postgraduate studies include rehabilitation/corrective exercise, McKenzie Therapy, orthopedics, neurology, and nutrition.
He is one of only 170 chiropractors worldwide who is certified in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT, also known as the McKenzie Method).
His ongoing postgraduate studies include rehabilitation/corrective exercise, orthopedics, neurology, and nutrition.
About Dr. Heller
Dr. Heller, a Skokie chiropractic physician, is a 1987 graduate of the National University of Health Sciences. His ongoing postgraduate studies include rehabilitation/corrective exercise, McKenzie Therapy, orthopedics, neurology, and nutrition.
He is one of only 170 chiropractors worldwide who is certified in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT, also known as the McKenzie Method).
His ongoing postgraduate studies include rehabilitation/corrective exercise, orthopedics, neurology, and nutrition.
What We Treat
We treat patients with all types of issues. From sports or occupational injuries to pain resulting from impacts like car accidents or even a simple fall.
Below are some of the most common issues we see:
Below are some of the most common issues we see:
These are by far the most common problems seen in the clinic. Our first challenge before we can give you relief is to determine an accurate diagnosis. This is done by first listening to your story, asking specific questions, and by performing a thorough examination. An x-ray or MRI may be ordered, but are not necessary in most cases. Once we’ve identified the problem, the healing process begins. It may be a muscle, joint, disc or ligament, to name the most common. As soon as you begin to improve, we teach you how to better take care of yourself to prevent recurrences. The main goal of treatment is to enable you to return to everything you want and need to do.
Discs act as spacers, connectors and “shock absorbers” between vertebrae and are often a source of back pain. Injury, incorrect sitting posture, and sometimes heredity cause disc material to bulge, wear down, or rupture. This can lead to inflammation and pain. We use the safest and most proven methods to heal your discs, and keep them healthy.
Sciatica is a pain or discomfort associated with the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lowest part of the spine down to the back of the thigh and leg to the foot. Injury to or pressure on the sciatic nerve can cause sharp, aching, or burning pain. This is sometimes accompanied by tingling and/or numbness. Our job is to reduce and eliminate the pressure on the sciatic nerve through various safe and proven methods.
These are the second most common problems we see in the clinic. Our first challenge, before we can give you relief, is to determine an accurate diagnosis. This is done by first listening to your story, asking specific questions, and performing a thorough examination. An x-ray or MRI are usually not necessary, but can be ordered when needed. Once we’ve identified the source of the problem, the healing process can begin. It may be a muscle, joint, disc, or ligament, to name the most common. As soon as you begin to improve, we teach you how to better take care of yourself to prevent recurrences. The main goal of treatment is to enable you to return to everything you want and need to do.
There are many different types and causes of headaches. An example would be muscle tension headaches, arising from tight tissues in the neck and upper back. Migraine headaches are thought to be vascular (blood vessels), hormonal, or inflammatory. Typically, the pain of migraines is felt on one side of the head. There are headaches that are combinations of muscle tension, migraine, and some of the less common headache types. Chiropractic/physical medicine approaches can be very effective for headache sufferers who prefer not to rely on prescription drugs. As a general rule, relief can be found by a combination of simple exercises, posture correction, nutritional supplements, and gentle manipulation of joints and/or soft tissues.
Pain in the shoulder or elbow has many causes. Fortunately, only a few are very common. At the shoulder, the four muscles or tendons of the rotator cuff may be strained or partially torn. We also see many cases of adhesive capsulitis or “frozen shoulder”, which represents a shortening and thickening of the ligaments that hold the joint together. These conditions are safely and effectively treated with a combination of simple exercises and gentle manipulations to restore full movement and reduce or eliminate the pain. At the elbow, pain can be caused by strain or overuse of the tendons in the forearm. Occasionally, the problem is a dysfunction of the elbow joint itself. Once again, a combination of safe and effective treatments usually reduces or eliminates the pain.
Problems with the jaw joints, which are just in front of both ears, can cause pain in the face, jaw, or head. Pain in this area is often related to clenching or grinding the teeth, especially during sleep. This is sometimes accompanied by clicking or popping sounds when chewing or yawning. Faulty posture can also contribute. Surprisingly, in 90% of the cases, the cause of TMJ pain is primarily muscle dysfunction or imbalance. In only 10% of the cases is the problem coming from the joint itself.
Carpal tunnel syndrome includes pain, tingling or numbness in the fingers, wrists and hands. It is often caused by repetitive movements of the hands and wrists. CTS is compression or irritation of the median nerve as it passes through the narrow space between the forearm and the hand. We are most often able to avoid surgery with simple rehabilitative procedures.
Pain in the hip has many causes. Fortunately, only a few are very common. The pain may be caused by a shortened muscle, osteoarthritis within the ball and socket joint, loss of normal joint mobility, or it can be referred from an irritated nerve in the lower back. A careful evaluation will reveal the true cause and lead to an effective solution.
Pain in the knee has many causes. Fortunately, only a few are very common. The single most common cause is abnormal “tracking” of the knee cap against the thigh bone (femur). In the past, this condition was usually called chondromalacia patellae. Knee pain also can be caused by an injury to ligaments, osteoarthritis, or structural problems coming from flat feet. The solution to these problems usually involves simple corrective exercises, manual therapies, nutritional supplementation, and, sometimes, changes in footwear.
The McKenzie Method
The McKenzie Method® of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy® (MDT) is an internationally acclaimed method of assessment and treatment for spinal and extremity pain developed by New Zealand Physiotherapist Robin McKenzie. It has been widely used all over the world for more than 40 years.
MDT clinicians are trained to assess and diagnose all areas of the musculoskeletal system. That means that if a problem exists in or around the spine, joint or muscle, an MDT evaluation is appropriate.
MDT is a philosophy of active patient involvement and education that is trusted and used by clinicians and patients all over the world for back, neck and extremity problems. This approach continues to be one of the most researched physical therapy based methods available.
A key feature is the initial assessment – a safe and reliable way to reach an accurate diagnosis and only then make the appropriate treatment plan. Expensive tests such as MRI’s are often unnecessary. Certified MDT clinicians are able to rapidly determine whether the method will be effective for each patient.
In its truest sense, MDT is a comprehensive approach based on sound principles and fundamentals that, when fully understood and followed, is very successful.
ASSESSMENT
CLASSIFICATION
TREATMENT
PREVENTION
Insurance
Dr. Heller is a participating provider (“in network”) with Blue Cross/Blue Shield PPO insurance. If you are insured by another PPO (ex. Cigna, Aetna, Humana, United HealthCare, etc.), you are probably still covered for treatment at our office, but at a lesser benefit level. We do not participate with any of the HMO plans.
Many patients who do not have adequate insurance choose to pay directly for their visits as they discover that treatment here is extremely affordable. For these patients our care is often cheaper and more effective than other pain treatments such as medications, injections, and invasive surgery.
MEDICARE
Dr. Heller is a participating provider with Medicare. This means that you will pay only for the services not covered by Medicare. The non-covered services will be offered to you at a significant discount
Testimonials
Contact Us
Location:
9150 Crawford Avenue • Suite 204
Skokie, Illinois 60076
Phone:
(773) 255-2979