One of Santa Barbara's Most Favorite Chiropractors offering Gentle, Non Invasive Chiropractic and Successful Wellness Care for the Entire Family
Your body has the power to heal itself.
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Throughout her 30 year healing practice as a Santa Barbara chiropractor, Dr. Girard has helped thousands of patients with a variety of health issues, pain, allergies, chronic symptoms and more. She knows that when a spine is well aligned, a powerful feeling of well being is experienced within the patient. When the body’s pure energy is flowing without impedance, there is an innate force that heals from within. In addition, her vast knowledge of nutritional protocols, homeopathy, functional medicine, and use of the cold laser as therapy for many issues, together with chiropractic, make Valerie one of the most experienced and most helpful chiropractors and natural holistic practitioners in Santa Barbara.
Dr. Girard has performed over 75,000 chiropractic adjustments in her thirty years of treating Santa Barbara patients. During this time she has found that using non invasive low to non force chiropractic adjustments are extremely effective if used in proper protocols.
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Muscle Testing as One Means of Diagnosis: Dr. Girard tests muscles that stabilize the areas of involvement. If they are weak or in spasm, they will indicate specific adjustments that need to be made. She has created specific treatments for over ten types of low back issues. These adjustments then strengthen the muscles, showing the patient an instant result as well as giving support to that joint. This very effective system of adjusting is enjoyable, even to the most timid patients.
Gentle and Non Force Chiropractic Available: The Activator: If you are nervous about getting adjusted, Dr. Girard will use the Activator, a gentle tool which applies a non force impact to your spine or extremity. She also uses the Activator to reset muscles to their proper tonicity.
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During a session, she will also use some deep tissue muscle therapy, traction and mobilization to re-educate your body to be in alignment. She may also use the cold laser therapy or doctor assisted stretching to bring the patient into alignment.
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Occasionally, old injuries will re-emerge to be healed. These will also be addressed by Dr. Girard's chiropractic adjustment therapy.
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Nutritional Counseling & Dietary Changes. Often there is a need for dietary changes in order to improve your health, stamina, allergies, lethargy, toxicity, and other conditions. Dr. Girard carries the highest quality of nutritional supplements that can boost the body into healing mode. If there is a need for diet or nutrition counseling, Dr. Girard will often be able to include this in your session.
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Immediate First Aid Nutritional Support or Homeopathy. She also offers first aid nutritional support, sometimes homeopathy or other remedy during your session or on the spot information for those who my suffer from injuries, colds, allergies, flus or metabolic imbalances. You may always ask her opinion. If she does not have the answer, she is always willing to refer to a knowledgeable specialist.
Conditions Treated Using Dr. Girard's Advanced Chiropractic Healing Protocols:
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All spinal injuries: low back, pelvis, sacrum, neck, mid back and ribs.
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Sciatica and all radiating nerve syndromes into shoulders, arms and upper back.
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Injuries of the hips, shoulders, elbows, knees, ankles, fingers and toes.
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Disc injuries and degenerative joint disease.
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Headaches
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TMJ (jaw)
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Muscle strains, pulls, weakness and spasms.
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Complex sports injuries.
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Injuries resulting from auto accidents and personal injuries.
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Acid Reflux, Foot Issues and much more....
What to Expect from Your Appointment:
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During your appointment, you can expect to be thoroughly listened to as you share your complaints as well as your thoughts and feelings. Patients remain fully clothed while Dr. Girard tests the strength of all the muscles around the area of complaint. Each adjustment is delivered with precision and low force and all weak muscles are retested to show an immediate improvement.
Some of the various chiropractic techniques that she uses are:
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Diversified Adjusting
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Activator Non Force Adjusting
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Applied Kinesiology
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SOT Sacral Occipital Technique
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Total Body Modification
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Educational Kinesiology
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Cranio-sacral Technique
Diagnosis:
Dr. Girard always performs a thorough exam at the time of the first visit, as well as needed yearly re-exams. She is adept at reading blood work to assess nutritional needs and to diagnose physiological imbalances. Although she generally treats without the need for X-ray films, Dr. Girard will order and read X-ray films as needed to diagnose complicated cases. In addition, she will order MRI's as needed.
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Treatment Plan:
Dr. Girard will offer you an assessment of your condition as well as a treatment plan. Over the course of your treatment, she will also offer appropriate suggestions for diet and nutrition as well as exercise therapy to support your health and wellness beyond the recovery of your injury or condition.
Modalities:
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Dr. Girard may use various forms of physical medicine to diagnose and treat various complaints and imbalances. These include:
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Muscle Strengthening
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Deep Tissue Massage
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Infratonic Sound Therapy
Nutritional Protocols: Functional Medicine, Tests and More to Determine the Underlying Root of Your
Health Issue.
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Dr. Girard may also integrate nutritional counseling and solutions into your treatment. She has acted in the family doctor role for thirty years, assisting her family of patients who have sought alternative therapy for basic health issues. Dr. Girard utilizes blood work and symptoms analysis as well as employing a strong intuitive process to assess her patient’s exact nutritional needs. She has studied with some of chiropractic’s finest and has developed nutritional protocols and treatments for the following:
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Hypoglycemia
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Allergies
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Acute and chronic infection (non emergency)
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Adrenal insufficiency
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Thyroid Imbalances
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Menopause
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Bowel Imbalances
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Immune enhancement
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Stress
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Fatigue
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Chronic Symptoms
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Recovery from surgery more Quickly
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Healing from Sports Injuries Faster
You may learn more here.
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Underlying Emotional Issues:
Dr. Girard may assist you in “tuning into” any emotional or mental stresses, shock or past traumatic events, that may be contributing to your condition as well treating those conditions with body-centric techniques. Over the years, she has developed numerous techniques for clearing stressors that may inhibit her patient’s full recovery. She is willing to integrate this into your session if necessary. You may read more about her emotional and energetic work here under PanHarmonic Healing.
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She will also work with other health care providers to insure that you receive the care you deserve. If she determines that she cannot treat your problem, she will make appropriate recommendations to other practitioners.
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Insurance: Our office requires payment at the time of your visit. We then can submit your information to your insurance company for reimbursement. We are a provider for some Blue Shield Plans.
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