Carucci Chiropractic Center will REMAIN open during the Corona Virus Crisis. Governor Ned Lamont executed Executive Order 7H on Friday March 20, 2020. As such “essential” personnel will remain working including all physicians. We understand this time is stressful and anxiety producing for many. Practicing the public health practices of social distancing, frequent hand and face washing and refraining from unnecessary travel are important for your personal health and that of our fellow citizens. We at Carucci Chiropractic remain open to assist with this crisis in the following ways:

1. We have just ordered 25 COVID – 19 test kits. The cost to be tested is $50.00 – if you feel you are truly carrying the virus and want to be tested please call the office and request a time slot to be tested. We ask that you mask yourself when coming to the office even if you use a bandana to cover your mouth and nose.
2. We are practicing sanitary procedures first by utilizing the Triad Aer Air Purification System so WE HAVE CLEAN (virus free) AIR in the office! Second we are sanitizing surfaces, tables, door knobs etc frequently.
3. We have activated our “Wellevate Account” where you can go to Wellevate.com so you can order your immune boosting vitamins and supplements and have them shipped directly to your home as our in office inventory is limited at this point.
4. As you know receiving your chiropractic adjustment ramps up your white blood cell activity within 20 min. of an adjustment and it upregulates your Parasympathetic Nervous System – this combats the Fight/Flight Stress Response – something we all need at this time! You can also influence your parasympathetic nervous system by mediation, relaxation breathing and humming/chanting!
5. As Physicians Dr. Espinal and I are part of the State’s healthcare team to help you navigate at this time. We have office hours to check your blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation rate, temperature, lung and cardiac function. We also are recommending Charleen Miele, MA-LPC for mental health consultations. Charleen can be reached directly for telemed consultation at: (860) 614-8382

Dr. Gina Carucci is pleased to announce that Dr. Stephanie Szabo Lang and Dr. Alica Saunders have joined Carucci Chiropractic Center. Dr. Szabo Lang, a Connecticut native, is a 2016 graduate of The University of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic. Dr. Saunders is also a Connecticut native and is a 2016 graduate of New York College of Chiropractic.

Dr. Szabo Lang specializes in Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Manipulation and Therapeutic Cupping. Dr. Szabo will offer extended evening hours until 7:30 pm Mon, Wed, Thur and Fri til 5:00 as well as alternating Saturday mornings. Dr. Saunders specializes in Dry Needling technique and offers chiropractic care care for the entire family. She too offers convenient hours starting at 8:10 am Mon, Tue, Thur and Fri and alternating Saturdays now making Carucci Chiropractic Center open every Saturday morning between 8:30 – 11:00 am.

Treatment is what is different in Holistic Primary Care and Functional Medicine, the examination is the same. This approach is more Naturally based and “Functional” in it’s therapeutic approach and goals. Our treatment (if treatment is indicated) is nutritionally based and supplement based to support and/or heal the dysfunctional biochemical pathways. For example: a patient with recurrent colds may be suffering from a weakened immune system due to a poorly functioning gastrointestinal system (where the bulk of our immune system lives). In this case, specialized testing would be performed to evaluate that health status of the gastrointestinal system and the immune system and appropriate care would be offered. In this example the individual may have a subclinical bacterial overgrowth in their digestive system which is often compounded by a yeast overgrowth as well. Treatment would focus on eliminating the offending bacteria and yeast (using natural products that are very capable of “doing the job”), modifying the diet, implementing appropriate exercise, assuring proper hydration/water intake levels and supporting basic physiological functions with supplements such as a multi-vitamin and probiotics.

“Holistic” Primary Care is a term used to describe Primary Care that offers a more Natural approach. Yearly examinations are performed to evaluate an individual’s “state of health” and determine “what’s changed” over the year in the patient’s life. For example: the patient lost 30 pounds, added a pet to the family, or lost a spouse, etc. The doctor performs an annual examination that consists of:

• Height and weight, assesses heart rate/pulse and heart function,
• Abdominal exam, skin, hair and nails evaluation, muscle tone and fitness,
• Cognitive/mental function and psychological status (happy and productive, depressed, etc.),
  spiritual life, sleep habits,
• Urinary function and basic health status laboratory analysis (focused labs if the patient requires such
  evaluation and monitoring)
• More detailed evaluations are ordered when and if necessary: EKG, Spirometry, Ultrasound, X-ray,
  MRI, CT Scan, Bone Density, Nerve Conduction Studies, Stool analysis, Endoscopy, etc.

You can reach our office by calling 860-257-8445 to make an appointment with Dr. Carucci. Please indicate at the time of the phone call that you are making a Primary Care appointment so that we can properly schedule your appointment.

Toronto – February 15, 2008 – A seven-year, international study published today finds that some alternative therapies such as acupuncture, neck manipulation and massage are better choices for managing most common neck pain than many current practices. Also included in the short-list of best options for relief are exercises, education, neck mobilization, low level laser therapy and pain relievers.

Therapies such as neck collars and ultrasound are not recommended. The study found that corticosteroid injections and surgery should only be considered if there is associated pain, weakness or numbness in the arm, fracture or serious disease.

The Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders 236 page review of the current research on neck pain is published in the journal Spine. The multi-national and inter-disciplinary study team included Canadian, American, South American, Australasian and European researchers. The Task Force was created to help neck pain sufferers and health professionals use the best research evidence to prevent, diagnose and manage neck pain.

“Neck pain is not a trivial condition for many people,” says Task Force president Dr. Scott Haldeman, clinical professor, department of neurology at the University of California, Irvine; and adjunct professor, department of epidemiology University of California Los Angeles. “It can be associated with headaches, arm and upper back pain and depression. Whether it arises from sports injuries, car collisions, workplace issues or stress, it can be incapacitating. Understanding the best way to diagnose and manage this problem is of high importance for those who are suffering and for those who manage and pay for its care.”

The study found that neck pain is a widespread experience that is a persistent and recurrent condition for the majority of sufferers. It is disabling for approximately two out of every 20 people who experience neck pain and affects their ability to carry on with daily activities says the Task Force.

A key recommendation of the Task Force is that neck pain, including whiplash-related pain, be classified and treated in a common system of 4 grades:

Grade 1: neck pain with little or no interference with daily activities
Grade 2: neck pain that limits daily activities.
Grade 3: neck pain accompanied by radiculopathy (“pinched nerve” – pain weakness and/or numbness in the arm)
Grade 4: neck pain with serious pathology, such as tumor, fracture, infection, or systemic disease.

“The majority of neck pain falls into Grades 1 or 2,” says Task Force member, Dr. Linda Carroll, Associate Professor, School of Public Health at the University of Alberta, and Associated Scientist, Alberta Centre for Injury Control and Research (ACICR). “Many sufferers manage to carry on with their daily activities. Others find their pain interferes with their ability to carry out daily chores, participate in favorite activities or be effective at work. For these people, the evidence shows there are a relatively small number of therapies that provide some relief for a while, but there is no one best option for everyone.”

In addition to its comprehensive review of the existing body of research on neck pain, the Task Force also initiated a new study into the association between chiropractic care of the neck and stroke. This innovative piece of research found that patients who visit a chiropractor are no more likely to experience a stroke than are patients who visit their family physician. The study concludes that this type of stroke commonly begins with neck pain and/or headache which causes the patient to seek care from their chiropractor or family physician before the stroke fully develops.

“This type of stroke is extremely rare and has been known to occur spontaneously or after ordinary neck movements such as looking up at the sky or shoulder-checking when backing up a car,” noted the study’s lead author, Dr. David Cassidy, professor of epidemiology at the University of Toronto and senior scientist at the University Health Network at Toronto Western Hospital.

For the minority of neck pain sufferers who experience Grade 3 neck pain – that is neck pain accompanied by pain, weakness and/or numbness in the arm, also referred to as a “pinched nerve”, corticosteroid injections may provide temporary relief says the study. Surgery is a last resort according to the findings and should only be considered if accompanying arm pain is persistent or if the person is experiencing Grade 4 pain due to serious injury or systemic disease.

Top findings for neck pain suffers:

• Stay as active as you can, exercise and reduce mental stress.
• Don’t expect to find a single “cause” for your neck pain.
• Be cautious of treatments that make “big” claims for relief of neck pain.
• Trying a variety of therapies or combinations of therapies may be needed to find relief – see the therapies for which the Task Force found evidence of benefits.
• Once you have experienced neck pain, it may come back or remain persistent.
• Lengthy treatment is not associated with greater improvements; you should see improvement after 2-4 weeks, if the treatment is the right one for you.
• There is relatively little research on what does or does not prevent neck pain; ergonomics, cervical pillows, postural improvements etc. may or may not help.

“This is an important body of research that will help to improve the quality of patient care by incorporating the best evidence into practice and patient education,” says Dr. Carroll. “Neck pain can be a stubborn problem – we hope this comprehensive analysis of the evidence will help both sufferers and health care providers better manage this widespread complaint.”

As long as you like! How much chiropractic care you receive is entirely based on your personal goals regarding well being for yourself and/or your family. We do our best at Carucci Chiropractic Center to make this clear from your first visit to our office. Our goal is different than that of other “health care” providers. We don’t try to reduce your discomfort on a temporary basis. Our efforts are directed at “maximizing” the natural process of life expression/innate potential.

Most people in our society do not have a clear set of goals or expectations for their own well-being, and therefore depend on others to set their goals for them. This concept seems to be appropriate in the medical/mechanistic environment in which most of us were raised. In the “traditional medical setting” the responsibility of deciding if and when we are “cured,” or no longer “sick” is in the hands of an “expert,” the doctor. In our office you are part of the expert team.” We make recommendations for chiropractic care, and you decide how much of that care you want. In chiropractic we are not putting a name to a group of symptoms so as to diagnose a “disease” that requires treatment. We are providing an opportunity for your body to more fully express its potential for normal function, which can actually be, at times, the expression of symptoms. We work with the vitalistic philosophy for health and well-being.

It has been said that in life, it is not the destination but the journey that matters. This statement is very much in line with the philosophy of chiropractic. You would never consider it to be sensible to plan an exercise or nutritional program for better health with the concept of sticking with if for 2 or 3 months. Yes, in that period of time you would probably be feeling better to some degree. But you would know that the purpose of entering that program is not just to feel a little better for a while and then go back to your old sedentary ways or poor nutrition. The idea would be to increase your overall health and well-being to ensure a higher quality of life as well as a longer one.

The same concept underlies chiropractic. Our goal is to enliven the journey of your life. You will of course decide your own goals in life. Are you only concerned with temporary relief of symptoms until the next time you are experiencing a health problem? Although that may sound foolish, it is the reality for many people in terms of their health goals. If that is all you care about, then you will discontinue care. If that is your choice, we ask only that you are clear about that with us from the beginning so that we can provide the type of care that will help you meet that goal. Whether that makes sense to us is not the concern. Supporting your personal goals is our desire. We will always be here and ready to assist you should you decide that you desire chiropractic care in the future.

On the other hand, if your personal/family goals for well being include supporting your body’s natural ability for optimal performance physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, then your path is clear. The entire underlying purpose of chiropractic care is to remove any interference from the one system in your body that is responsible for allowing that potential to fully express itself. That system is of course the neuromusculoskeletal system. That is why whether you are “sick or symptomatic has no real bearing on whether you need an adjustment. You should be getting checked regularly and adjusted as needed as part of your regular program of working toward optimal health and performance. If that is your goal, then regular chiropractic care for a lifetime of well-being, just makes sense.

The most important thing to remember is, whatever your goals are, we are here to serve you with the highest quality of chiropractic care available to meet your needs.