Clemons Chiropractic Services & Techniques

At Clemons Chiropractic and Acupuncture, we take great pride in providing the finest chiropractic care to each and every patient. We have included information below about the different chiropractic services offered in our St Louis chiropractic office, but please call us at 314-429-2929 if you have any questions!

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Acupuncture

The practice of inserting fine needles on specific meridian points for the purpose of relieving tension, stress, and pain. Highly useful in the treatment and relief of back pain. Acupuncture may also possibly increase fertility. This technique is always personalized to help you achieve the best results.

Chiropractic Care

We provide advanced spinal correction and chiropractic adjustments utilizing "state of the art" chiropractic techniques. Never in the history of chiropractic care have chiropractors been able to provide the level of help and expertise that is available today. Many of the newest chiropractic techniques are actually safer, more comfortable and more effective than ever before. As a chiropractor who cares about utilizing the most advanced chiropractic techniques, Dr. Jeannine Clemons has years of training, expertise and experience in helping patients get pain relief for back pain, neck pain, headaches, and other related conditions originating from the spine. Chiropractic care under a trained professional can even be used to prevent injuries and help you achieve total health or wellness.

Cold Laser Therapy

Cold laser therapy, also known as low-level laser therapy (LLLT), uses light to treat various conditions. Unlike other types of laser light, cold laser therapy does not produce heat or vibration in the parts of the body being treated. Many therapists, including chiropractors and physical therapists, use cold laser therapy to treat conditions such as joint disorders, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and many more.

  • How Cold Laser Therapy Works

    During treatment, the light source for the cold laser therapy is pressed against the skin. The treatments are painless, and you will be awake during the entire session. The light passes through the skin to reach the tissue that is being treated. Unlike surgical lasers, cold laser therapy does not cut the skin.

    This treatment may stimulate the natural healing process in the cells. It also increases the flow of blood and lymph (fluid in the body outside the blood vessels) in the area being treated.


    Afterward, you will be able to return to your regular activities immediately.

    You may require more than one treatment to receive the full benefits. Some people may also need two to four treatments per week. The total number of treatments depends upon the problem being addressed and how severe it is.

  • Conditions Treated With Cold Laser Therapy

    Chiropractors use cold laser therapy to treat many different conditions, such as:

    • Pain
    • Injuries
    • Inflammation
    • Bruises
    • Sports injuries

Cold Therapy

Applying ice after an injury is a common method for reducing pain and swelling. It is especially effective for athletes, who often experience sudden, painful injuries. This type of cold therapy, also known as cryotherapy, is used by chiropractors for the same purposes.

  • Types of Cold Therapy

    Many types of cold therapy are available to reduce pain and swelling after an injury, including the use of:

    • Ice packs
    • Ice massage
    • Cold wet towels
  • Benefits of Cold Therapy

    Cold temperatures cause blood vessels to narrow, which reduces the flow of blood into an area. As a result, cold therapy:

    Reduces swelling and pain after injury

    Slows movement of fluid into tissues

    Reduces the amount of chemicals that cause inflammation in injured tissue

    Reduces bleeding

    Slows the movement of pain signals from nerves

    Decreases muscle spasms by reducing the contraction of muscles

    Cold therapy may also keep cells in the injured area from dying due to the lack of oxygen. This is because an injury can reduce blood flow — and oxygen — to the area. However, cold therapy slows the activity of cells, which reduces how much oxygen they need to stay alive.

  • Tips for Best Cold Therapy

    For cold therapy to work, cold packs should be applied as soon as possible. Pain and inflammation are common within 24-48 hours after an injury.


    To avoid frostbite, cold packs should be applied for only 10-20 minutes at a time, with breaks of at least an hour in between. The ice can be applied several times a day, for three or four days after an injury — or as directed by your chiropractor.

    Also, cold packs should never be applied directly to the skin. Instead, a towel should be placed between the skin and cold pack.

    Cold therapy may not be appropriate for everyone. Some people respond to cold temperatures by breaking out in hives or developing pain in the joints.

    If you have questions about cold therapy or think you might benefit from this type of treatment, please contact our office to schedule an appointment and receive more information.

Corrective Exercises

At Clemons Chiropractic and Acupuncture, we teach our patients how to perform therapeutic exercises which can help strengthen and correct the irregularities in their body which may be causing pain. Many of these corrective exercises can actually be performed in the comfort of your own home to help improve the effectiveness of your chiropractic care and spinal correction plan. In addition to skeletal misalignment, you may be experiencing pain that is caused by muscles and connective tissues which are out of their proper place. Other types of pain such as back pain, neck pain, and headaches are caused by muscles and tissues that are being used improperly, causing injuries over time. In each case, targeted corrective exercises and stretches from our experienced chiropractor will help you feel good while also helping your body achieve balance and health.

Diathermy

This practice is a dry heat source that will warm the tissues underneath the skin to help stimulate blood flow and healing to the area.

Drop Table Technique (Diversified Thompson Technique)

Gentle chiropractic treatment, such as drop table techniques, involves less powerful spinal maneuvering and slower, low-velocity movements that allow the affected joint to stay within its passive range of motion.

  • How Does the Drop Table Technique Work?

    Also known as the Thompson technique, the “drop” approach uses a special chiropractic table. The table used has segments that can be lifted up and then dropped when a thrust is applied by the chiropractor. The drop allows gravity to assist and work in combination with the manual adjustment, and all of this provides a lighter adjustment than that which comes with some other chiropractic techniques, such as those that involve twisting positions.

    To further clarify, the table has various sections that are raised between 1 to 2 inches relative to the rest of the patient’s body. Once the section of the table is lifted, it is fastened in place and the stiffness of the table is altered based on the patient’s body weight. When the chiropractor applies a gentle thrust to the area needing adjustment, the table releases and drops down, causing that segment of the body to fall too. The drop table comes to a rest, but the patient’s body momentum continues for a short period. This momentum is equally as critical to the drop table technique as the thrust and dropping of the table are, because it aids in alignment.

  • What to Expect After a Drop Table Technique

    The number of sessions needed depends on the type of condition the patient has and its severity. However, in general, the patient should have better range of motion and less pain with each treatment.

Electrical Muscle Stimulation

A type of physical therapy treatment that utilizes various frequencies and wave forms of electrical current, which have therapeutic effects on the nervous and musculoskeletal systems.

Heat Therapy

Most people have used heat at one time to sooth normal aches and pains — such as the use of a hot bath, a moist heating pad or even an old-fashioned water bottle. Even today, these types of heat therapy play an important role in chiropractic practice to increase circulation and relax the muscles. At the same time, heat therapy can help reduce pain.

  • Types of Heat Therapy

    The types of heat therapy vary, from simple methods such as the use of warm wraps and heating pads to more advanced techniques such as the use of Diathermy &  therapeutic ultrasound. All of these, though, are designed to relax muscles and promote healing.

    Some of the most common heat therapies used by chiropractors include:

    • Moist heat packs: These are applied over several layers of towels to prevent burning of the skin.
    • Paraffin Treatments: The hands, wrists, elbows, ankles, or feet are dipped in paraffin wax to soothe chronic injuries.
  • Benefits of Heat Therapy

    Heat has long been used for its healing and soothing benefits. But heat therapy may provide other benefits, such as:

    Increased blood flow

    Reduced inflammation

    Relief from muscle spasms

    Decreased stiffness in joints

    Pain relief

    Heat therapy can also be used before other healing therapies, including stretching, exercise, massage and physical adjustments. The heat can increase how easily scar tissue or tight joints will move.

  • How Heat Therapy Works

    Some muscle spasms are caused by a lack of blood flow to the tissues. Heat applied to the area can bring more blood to the tissues, along with extra oxygen and glucose needed by the cells.


    Heat therapy speeds up the activity of the cells, lowering the pH inside the cells and stimulating the release of helpful chemicals. These chemicals cause the blood vessels to widen, allowing more blood flow to the injured, inflamed, or painful tissues.


    Although heat therapy can improve many symptoms, some people may experience negative side effects after treatment. They may experience greater pain, achiness, or stiffness. 


    If you experience any of these symptoms, tell your chiropractor, who may suggest other treatments.

Intersegmental Traction

This treatment is a relaxing form of massage that allows the movement of the spine by using a dual roller system to move up and down the muscles bilaterally. This treatment helps to increase blood flow and oxygen to discs, ligaments, and muscles.

Lifestyle Advice

Many of our patients come to see our chiropractor to address a specific pain symptom such as back pain, neck pain or headaches. While our chiropractor will address each patient's specific condition with chiropractic care, we often find it helpful to "coach" our patients towards achieving a healthier lifestyle. For example, there may be certain activities that you should avoid or do differently to prevent yourself from unintentionally aggravating your particular health challenges. The goal of including lifestyle advice with a chiropractic care plan is to help each and every patient achieve the fulfilling and happy lifestyle they deserve, one that is full of the activities that are enjoyed most. We recognize that every single one of our patients is a whole person, and we use our expertise to help them reach total health and wellness.

Manual Technique (Hands-On Adjusting)

Manual therapy, also known as manipulative therapy, is a physical treatment used by chiropractors to treat musculoskeletal pain and debility.

  • How Does Manual Therapy Work?

    This form of therapy takes a hands-on approach rather than using devices or machines. When a chiropractor uses their hands during manual therapy, they apply pressure on the muscle tissue and maneuver the joints in an effort to reduce pain associated with muscle tension, muscle spasm and joint dysfunction.

  • How Does Manual Therapy Help?

    When a person has insufficient movement and range of motion in their joints, it can lead to pain, discomfort and an interruption in function, movement and posture.

    By implementing manual therapy, the following can occur:

    • An increase in range of motion
    • A decrease or elimination of soft tissue inflammation
    • Pain reduction
    • Relaxation
    • Healing, stability and/or extension of contractile and non-contractile tissue
    • Ease in movement and restoration of function
  • Types of Manual Therapy Movement

    There are many manual therapy techniques, and, as a group, they aim to relax tense muscles and ease restricted joints. Overall, however, these procedures exercise three main types of movement:

    • Manipulation
    • Massage
    • Mobilization
  • Types of Manual Therapy Techniques

    Prior to executing manual therapy, the chiropractor will typically do an assessment of the area of concern. This helps determine whether this therapy is appropriate for the patient’s needs. Contingent on the assessment, the chiropractor may perform one or more of the following manual therapy techniques:

    • Soft tissue mobilization: Breaks up hard or taught muscle tissue (e.g., scar tissue), circulates tissue fluids, restores normal texture to tissue, reduces pain, and lessens muscle tension through rhythmic stretching and deep pressure
    • Strain and counter-strain: Focuses on fixing irregular neuromuscular reflexes that trigger structural and postural problems. Here, the chiropractor first determines where the patient’s tender points are. The patient is then asked at what point the soreness diminishes. The patient is next held in position (at a point where they are comfortable) for up to two minutes. During this time, the muscle is stretched mildly and then slowly taken out of this position, which lets the body reset its muscles to a natural level of tension so that healing can occur.
    • Joint mobilization: Loosens the constrained joint and boosts range of motion by delivering slow speed and amped up distance of movement.
    • Muscle technique: Designed to activate restricted joints and lengthen shortened muscles by using voluntary contractions of the patient’s muscles against a defined counter force implemented by the chiropractor, who helps by taking the muscle to a specific position and placing it in a precise direction
    • High velocity, low amplitude thrusting. Restores the sliding motion of joints and allows them to open and close efficiently. This more aggressive technique involves taking a joint to, but not beyond, its restrictive barrier

Nutritional Counseling

What does nutrition have to do with chiropractic care? The goal of chiropractic care is to help patients achieve total health and balance with their body, and as part of that goal we provide specific recommendations on nutritional supplements and healthy food choices. Nutritional counseling by our experienced chiropractic health professionals can assist a patient on their return to optimal health. Do you know which supplements and vitamins are good for you? Do you know how these supplements and vitamins interact with one another? At our St Louis chiropractic clinic, we can provide each patient with a structured nutritional program that is based on their individual needs.

Spinal & Postural Screenings

There is a saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Your spinal health is no exception. Posture and spinal screenings by a trained and experienced chiropractor such as Dr. Jeannine Clemons can help reveal important health information, unlocking the door to improved health and well-being. Contact us today at 314-429-2929 to arrange an in office appointment.

Ultrasound Therapy

Our doctors use this technique to speed the healing process by reducing inflammation that can be seen in conditions such as:

  • Plantar Fasciitis
  • Sprains & Strains
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Myofascial pain
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Motor Vehicle Injury 
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