About our Clinic

Welcome to our clinic! As you experience our unique modes of treatment, you may have questions concerning the Doctor’s methods and history. This information sheet will introduce you to our method of restoring you to health and well-being.

I have had dreams of becoming a Doctor since I was a child, but in Russia, my family’s political and economic status did not allow me to fulfill that dream. When the opportunity came to immigrate to the U.S., I was finally able to make those dreams a reality. I injured my lower back while studying at medical school. I went to a physical therapist for treatment, and after six months, I still could not walk. My friends recommended that I see a chiropractor. I soon began to study for the degree of Doctor of Chiropractic.

The doctor I chose was a specialist in Spinal Biomechanics, a new, revolutionary, and scientifically oriented method created by Dr. Burl Pettibon, who presently lives in Gig Harbor, WA. Upon beginning this treatment, I realized that finally there was a treatment for the spine that actually delivers on its promise of spinal restoration and rejuvenation.

Chiropractic began to take root in the year 1895, in Davenport, Iowa. It was founded by Dr. Palmer when his attention was attracted to an unusual occurrence. While leaving the clinic one evening his attention was drawn to a custodian who did not answer to his customary “goodnight”. Dr. Palmer stopped to talk with him and soon learned that a few days previously, a horse had struck the custodian in the neck. Since the incident, his hearing had dramatically worsened. The janitor said, “Now I cannot even hear a horse carriage that passes by me on the street.” Dr. Palmer offered to examine him, and found that the custodian had, as the Doctor put it, a “yanked out of place vertebra.”

By manipulating the patient’s neck, doctor Palmer restored its original motion, and shortly thereafter, the janitor’s hearing returned. Dr. Palmer was an analytical man and this episode sparked an amazing idea in his mind. He began to research and further develop his ideas. His theories led to a new, innovative treatment that produced outstanding results with his patients. Dr. Palmer thereby laid the very foundation of the chiropractic profession with his realization that the health of the individual depends on 1) the function of the Central Nervous System (CNS), comprised of the brain and spinal cord, and 2) the functionality of the Spinal Column, which determines the health of the CNS.

Dr. Palmer and other contemporary doctors of chiropractic devoted their lives and talents to research and development of chiropractic science. As a result of this research, we know today that the brain controls all functions of our body by sending bio-electrical signals or “Life Energy” via nerves to our vital organs and tissues, and to all cells of our organism. In turn, all these vital organs, tissues, and cells return the signal to the brain to inform it of the body’s “health status.” The brain analyzes the information and takes necessary action to attempt to correct the problem. As we can see in the case of a vertebral displacement (subluxation), if anything interferes with this bodily communication, vital organs, tissues, and cells begin to weaken, degenerate, and eventually become diseased. Hence, if a nerve becomes constricted, the best and most efficient way to resolve the problem is to free the nerve and keep it free.
Dr. Palmer theorized that if a vertebra goes out of place, returning it to its customary position is sufficient to temporarily end the problem. This is exactly the type of treatment you can expect to receive at an ordinary chiropractic office. It should be noted that this method of treatment is not capable of restoring spinal discs or the spine itself (posture), but it is an excellent method of keeping keep your spine pain free.

We see that the idea behind chiropractic treatment is great and produces excellent results, but spinal manipulation by itself cannot restore ligaments and muscles and produce permanent biomechanical changes of the spine (correct posture). Spinal manipulation by itself can only free compromised nerves, which by itself is insufficient to re-hydrate spinal discs and restore the spinal structure (e.g. Scoliosis, lateral deviations of the spinal column, posture). This is where Spinal Biomechanics treatment differs from what you have seen at a regular chiropractic office. This unique method corrects posture and restores the natural curve of the neck and lower back through Dr. Pettibon’s series of carefully designed stages of treatment. The treatments gradually increase functionality of the spine, muscular and ligamentous strength, and stability, all absolutely necessary for the spine and nervous system to work correctly. The final stage of the treatment teaches the body to sustain spinal or postural correction for long periods of time.

Dr. Pettibon began his research in 1959, after he was involved in a motor vehicle accident that almost left him paralyzed by a broken neck. Being a firm believer in the power of the body and mind, Dr. Pettibon received Chiropractic manipulations daily and saw no changes in his condition. Despite these daily adjustments, his condition did not improve. Burl Pettibon spent the next six years developing his cure. Doctors had proclaimed: “he will be in a wheel-chair for life,” but Burl Pettibon refused to give up. He continued to develop his own theories about human biomechanics. After years in a clinic studying the workings of the human body, he developed a new treatment system that eventually allowed him to resume normal life. Today Dr. Burl Pettibon is 73 years old and despite his severe injury and respectable age, every week-end he is up in the mountains skiing. At the present time he is acclaimed as the “Father of Spinal Biomechanics” and his works are known and accepted around the world. His revolutionary new methods of spinal treatment, restoration, and rejuvenation revealed new modes of treatment that have achieved unprecedented results.

To see how the spine works, we must first take a look at how it develops. The adult spine is comprised of several functional curves that determine health and functionality of the spinal column and CNS. At birth, a child has only one curve in his/her spine. In other words, a newborn baby’s spine looks like a giant letter “C.” This “dome” shape of the spine is ideal for life in fluid (a fish also has a C-shaped spine) and this curve serves as protection for the child in the womb. It minimizes external forces so that the unborn child does not sustain an injury during an incidental blow to the mother’s abdomen. At birth, the child changes its environment from fluid to gas (air), and in this new setting gravity is a major factor. Gravity constantly pushes down on the spine, but a newborn’s muscles are not yet capable of supporting the long “arms” of the “C” shaped spine. This is why a newborn child cannot stand, sit, or even lift its head. Soon after birth, the curve of the neck begins its development. When the arch of the neck has developed, the child is capable of supporting the weight of its own head.

The next curve to develop is in the lower back. When it is fully developed, a child is capable of sitting, standing, and even walking. At this full development stage, the spine looks like a “wiggly” worm from the side. It has multiple curves that increase its overall strength and endurance. Smaller lever arms allow muscles to work more efficiently. Without these spinal curves, the ability of our spine to support our weight and sustain its functionality dramatically diminishes. Euler, a Swiss mathematician, has shown that with every newly developed curve, spinal strength and function increase several-fold. Therefore, spinal shape determines health and functionality of our spinal column, which in turn determines our health.

Dr. Pettibon realized that this closed kinetic chain created by our bones and musculature supports a heavy head on a long “stick” (our spine). The position of the head above the spine creates forces that determine the spine’s shape and functionality. The spine supports both our weight and the health of the Central Nervous System (CNS). The healthy position of the spine is supported by the Para spinal (or along the spine) muscular network. These muscles create and support the shape of our spine and posture. The section of the brain called the cerebellum controls this muscular network. Dr. Pettibon recognized that our spinal column is a system that consists of six secondary systems and not simply of 24 vertebrae acting independently of each other. These vertebrae must be arranged in a certain pattern to function properly. Swiss neurosurgeon Alf Brigs demonstrated through MRI studies that when the spinal arch is lost, the spinal cord inside of the arch increases in length by up to 28%. This stretch translates into spinal cord and nerve tension that in turn leads to constricted and malnourished nerves. His studies demonstrated the importance of the arches of the spine to our nervous system. These and other discoveries in spinal biomechanics allowed Dr. Pettibon to develop an unprecedented systematic treatment of restoration and rejuvenation of the spine. Through these discoveries, it had become clear that for restoration of the spine it is imperative for restoration of functional spinal curves. These curves release the tension on the spinal cord and nerves that exit the spine, and allow the spine to function at full efficiency.

Dr. Pettibon soon encountered the biggest challenge of his life. No one yet knew what type of exercises would be required, which muscles must be exercised, and the crucial importance of muscles in postural correction. In fact, the Institute of Scoliosis attempted to correct the spine via surgery and braces, and found that each degree of correction (neck 45, lower back 35) cost $100,000. This method was seen to be ineffective and too expensive. A new spinal model created by Dr. Pettibon allowed doctors to understand the forces involved in spinal destruction, therefore discovering the forces required for spinal restoration. By employing this new knowledge, Dr. Pettibon developed a system of treatment, using state of the art technologies and procedures, which allow for sustainable spinal correction at an exceedingly low cost, and with unprecedented results.

It became clear that it is wrong to regard the spinal column as a chain of independent vertebrae, but must be seen as a closed kinetic chain that functions in units rather than segments. In this system ligaments and muscles play a major role. Ignoring these ligaments and muscles means ignoring the main component of the treatment. Therefore, treatment is based upon a series of exercises that target posture, muscles and ligaments by using very specific patented equipment. Spinal adjustments have become just one part of the treatment. The technique of adjustment itself has changed and is now used for a different purpose. While the conventional chiropractor increases segmental motion, the new adjustment is directed at postural correction.

For more information on Dr. Pettibon’s method of treatment, visit www.pettibonsystem.com  the Institute’s web site.

For information on this revolutionary new treatment, which will restore your health (even if you’ve been told that no one else can help you), please contact us at: 253-520-7531