Wednesday, October 31, 2001

New chiropractic clinic open in Tyrone

The Durden Chiropractic Clinic is hosting a grand opening this weekend in Tyrone and invites everyone to come out and see how it plans to serve the health needs of the community.

Dr. Marilyn Lalka Durden has been devoted to serving patients for more than seven years and brings to west Fayette County the high-technology, precision chiropractic technique called Atlas Orthogonal Chiropractic. This allows Dr. Durden, who is one of only 300 board-certified in the nation, to effectively adjust the cervical spine (neck) using a vibration wave with no manipulation. These adjustments are based on very specific X-rays.

"Most people do not realize that the head, weighing 9 to 14 pounds, is delicately balanced on the top bone of the neck (the Atlas), which weighs only 2 ounces," said Dr. Durden. "Few recognize that this is the area of the neck where most of the movement takes place. This is a very delicate area and one that is easily injured or misaligned."

A fall or accident, even one that does not seem to cause an injury, can move the Atlas out of position, she added. In an effort to keep your head over your neck, your spine and pelvis automatically twist, pulling one hip up and one leg with it, which leaves you walking around crooked.

To simplify the dynamics, the body's ability to compensate is like a hanging mobile. If one part of the mobile is moved, the entire system changes.

The wear and tear on the body is similar to driving a car that is out of alignment. Without correcting the problem, which originated from that small bone being out of place, the entire body is now imbalanced.

These imbalances sometimes manifest years after the original injury, through muscle or joint pain, numbness, tingling or burning at different places in the body, indicating nerve irritation. The symptoms may occur infrequently at first, but will usually get progressive worse over time.

"I've been told by patients in their 30s and 40s that this is a part of the aging process," said Dr. Durden, who is 54 and in many ways feels better today than in her 30s, before receiving chiropractic care. "These individuals are surprised when these problems resolve, as the normal balance is restored and their bodies heal. The sooner these imbalances are corrected, the better."

To visualize what occurs during the adjustment, think about a line of billiard balls lined up on a pool table. When the first ball in the line is struck, the force is sent through the line and the last ball is moved away from the line. This is a demonstration of percussive force.

It is like the vibration wave that realigns the bones in the neck. When this alignment is achieved through the low-force adjustment, the entire body benefits.

The Durden Chiropractic Clinic will be having its grand opening Saturday, Nov. 3, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. "Come see our instrument and a short video that describes our process, including a fluoroscopy (moving X-ray) of an adjustment being performed," said Dr. Durden. "We will be happy to answer any questions and set up free consultations."

The clinic is at 1134 Senoia Road (North Village), Suite A-1, in Tyrone. Call 770-631-7600 for more information.