The Acacia Chiropractic Method

Chiropractic and myofascial care in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Acacia is the official team chiropractor for the Phoenix Suns and the Phoenix Mercury, and provides chiropractic care for Chicago White Sox Spring Training and Nemesis Baseball. The standard of care professional athletes receive is the standard of care we bring to this clinic.

Chiropractic manipulation is used to release restricted joints in both the spine and the extremities. Joints often become restricted due to poor posture, improper biomechanics, and injury. A joint that is restricted leads to excessive motion in nearby joints, which may ultimately lead to degeneration of the joint. Restoring movement and function in all joints is a preventative procedure for future degeneration and dysfunction.

Our chiropractors use manipulation and mobilizations as taught by the Motion Palpation Institute, the leader in biomechanically sound, evidence-based chiropractic manipulation techniques. For a low-velocity technique that does not provide the audible release, our chiropractors have additional options for patients. These techniques include flexion and distraction, Thompson drop, activator, and end range loading.

Additional tools our chiropractors may use: laser therapy, pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, soft tissue manipulation, dry needling, and cupping.

Book an appointment(480) 702-1537

What we treat

Book an appointment(480) 702-1537

The Acacia Chiropractic Method

Most chiropractic care moves a joint and stops there. We treat the joint, the tissue around it, and the nervous system controlling both, in the same visit.

Fascia is connective tissue that wraps every muscle and links one part of the body to the next. A tight hip can show up as shoulder pain. Treating only the spot that hurts often misses the cause.

Tight fascia limits movement and pulls joints back out of place. You can adjust that joint every week and it will keep slipping, because nothing has changed the tissue holding it. We treat that tissue directly.

It is also why appointments here are longer than a few minutes on a table.

Every chiropractor at Acacia is trained in the Acacia Chiropractic Method. You get the same approach whoever you see.

What techniques does the Acacia Method use?

For joint work, our primary approach is manipulation and mobilization as taught by the Motion Palpation Institute, the standard-setter for biomechanically sound, evidence-based chiropractic technique.

For patients who prefer or require a low-velocity approach with no audible release:

• Flexion/distraction, a table-assisted technique using gentle traction
• Thompson drop, a drop-piece table that delivers force in place of a thrust
• Activator, a hand-held instrument delivering a small, precise impulse
• End range loading, repeated movement to the end of available range

Soft tissue work, in every treatment

Joint work is half of it. Every treatment also uses one or more of the following, chosen for what your tissue is doing that day:

• Myofascial release, hands-on work to free restricted connective tissue
• Cupping, negative-pressure cups that lift and decompress tissue
• Scraping, instrument-assisted soft tissue work along the fascial plane
• Dry needling, a thin needle into a trigger point to release a muscle that will not let go
• Acupuncture, performed by a team member certified in acupuncture, used where the restriction is systemic rather than local

Why your adjustment might not be holding

A joint's position can be changed in a single visit. Whether your body keeps it depends on the soft tissue around it and the nervous system controlling that tissue. When tension comes back three days after every adjustment, repeating the adjustment is not the answer.

We have written about the nervous system side of this in this article, tissue will not hold a correction while the brain is still convinced it needs to guard.

What we combine it with

• PEMF TherapyPulsed electromagnetic field therapy for pain, inflammation, circulation and bone healing. Many patients drop out of a guarded state on the table, which is often what lets an adjustment hold.
• Class IV Laser TherapyFor tissue healing and inflammation.
• Prolotherapy and PRPFor tendon and ligament injury that has stopped repairing itself.
• Massage and CuppingAdditional soft tissue work where the fascial restriction is widespread. Book massage with Bridget.

Who treats you

Acacia is the official team chiropractor for the Phoenix Suns and the Phoenix Mercury, and provides chiropractic care for Chicago White Sox Spring Training and Nemesis Baseball.

You get the same care here whether you play professionally or sit at a desk all day. We have written more about that in this article, and about what multidisciplinary teams understand that most people never hear in this one.

Meet the team on our about page.

After your treatment plan

Once the acute work is done, most people move into the Aligned Club, which keeps you on a monthly rhythm with priority scheduling.

Common questions

What is the Acacia Chiropractic Method?

The Acacia Chiropractic Method treats the joint, the soft tissue that holds it, and the nervous system that governs both, in the same visit. Every treatment combines chiropractic adjustment with myofascial release and with cupping, scraping, dry needling or acupuncture, and extremities are treated as readily as the spine. Every chiropractor at Acacia is trained in the Method, so the approach does not change depending on who you see.

Do I have to be cracked during a chiropractic adjustment?

No. We offer low-velocity techniques that produce no audible release, including flexion/distraction, Thompson drop, activator and end range loading. Tell us at your first visit if the popping sound concerns you and we will use a different technique.

Is chiropractic just adjusting the spine?

Not here. An adjustment moves a joint, but the muscle and fascia surrounding it decide whether it stays moved. Every treatment combines joint work with myofascial release and with cupping, scraping, dry needling or acupuncture, and we treat the extremities as readily as the spine, because shoulder, knee, hip and achilles problems rarely resolve by treating the back alone.

What is the difference between dry needling and acupuncture?

Both use a thin filiform needle, but they are reasoning from different maps. Dry needling targets a specific trigger point in a muscle that will not release, and the goal is local: get that muscle to let go. Acupuncture works from the meridian system and is used when the pattern is systemic rather than confined to one muscle. We use both, and which one you get depends on what your tissue is doing, not on preference.

What is scraping and does it hurt?

Scraping is instrument-assisted soft tissue work, using a smooth-edged tool along the fascial plane to break up restriction a hand cannot reach as precisely. Pressure is adjusted to what you can tolerate. It can leave temporary redness or light bruising, which fades within a few days and is not a sign of injury.

What is myofascial release and why is it part of my adjustment?

Fascia is the connective tissue web that wraps every muscle and links one region of the body to another. When it becomes restricted it limits movement and pulls joints back out of position. Myofascial release addresses that tissue directly, which is why an adjustment paired with soft tissue work holds longer than an adjustment on its own.

Can a chiropractor treat shoulder, knee or achilles problems?

Yes. Restriction in the shoulder, hip, knee, ankle, wrist and elbow is treated alongside the spine. A restricted joint forces nearby joints to take up excess motion, so extremity work is frequently what resolves a complaint that first presented as back or neck pain.

Why does my adjustment not hold?

A joint can be moved back into position in a single visit, but whether the body keeps it there depends on the surrounding soft tissue and the nervous system controlling it. When tension returns within days, repeating the adjustment is rarely the answer. The limiting factor is usually fascial restriction or a nervous system still in a protective state.

Do you take insurance?

We are not in network with insurance companies. We accept credit card, debit card, HSA and FSA cards for payment at the time of service.

Book an appointment

Your initial visit will be approximately 60 minutes and includes a full history, a biomechanical assessment and your first treatment.

Book an appointment(480) 702-1537

We are at 13951 N Scottsdale Rd Suite 110, Scottsdale, AZ 85254.

We're here when you're ready.