whattoexpect



Meet the Doctor: Dr Ria Tjiong

Growing up on the sunny island of Singapore, I had the opportunity of experiencing not just Western medicine but also Eastern medicine. That enabled me to have a holistic view of healthcare, which guided my philosophy of conservative care prior to pursuing more aggressive venues.

I am fascinated by how complex the human body is and how it is more than the sum of its parts.

For more than a decade, my mother suffered from severe lower back pain. We brought her to many doctors; primary care doctors, neurologists, orthopedic surgeon and acupuncturists. She would get temporary relief, and then it was back to the same pain, if not worse. Finally, an Oriental medicine doctor asked if we had tried chiropractic care for her. Chiropractic care? What is that, we wondered?

Fast-forward a year, my mother received tremendous and lasting relief from her low back pain via chiropractic care. It inspired me so much that I applied to the Palmer Chiropractic College in Davenport, Iowa. If I was going to study chiropractic, I wanted to head to the fountainhead. During my time in Palmer, I was able to see mom’s lower back pain go away. In addition, with regular chiropractic care, my mom’s vertigo as well as frozen shoulder, also went away.

I’m passionate about helping people being able to achieve a better quality of life naturally via chiropractic care. Chiropractic is more than neck pain and back pain. It’s about allowing your body to work without interference to restore function. I have been so fortunate to not just get people out of pain, but also to be able to help them get back to doing the things they love.

On a personal note…

I’m a woman of many interests. I recently stepped down from serving as President of not one but two Toastmaster clubs (public speaking) in Chicago (Toastmasters of Lincoln Park and Lakeview Toastmasters). I am currently the Vice President of Public Relationships at Lakeview Toastmasters. I also volunteer at Harmony House of Cats, which is a local no kill cat shelter.Organic gardening, composting and vermicomposting are also interests of mine.

What is the Activator Method®?

This is one of the low force chiropractic methods of adjusting. Many clinical and scientific peer-reviewed papers encourage Activator use when compared to most chiropractic analytical treatment procedures.

The Evaluation

We begin by analyzing how well your spine moves. We test how well you turn and bend. While you’re lying face down, we’ll evaluate the length of your legs. This simple procedure can reveal significant differences in leg lengths.

This time-tested protocol tells us if subluxations (misalignments with neurological components) exist. As well as where they exist. It also helps us to know when to adjust and when not to adjust.

Activator Method® Adjusting Instrument

activatormethod

The hand-held Activator Method® Adjusting Instrument is a spring-loaded tool that delivers a consistent low-force, high-speed thrust.Because it’s a lot faster than adjustments delivered by hand, the body rarely tightens to resist, making adjustments more comfortable and effective. It’s also helpful for adjusting elbows, wrists, knees and other joints of the body.