Our Services
What is Chiropractic Care?
Techniques and Physical Therapy offered
Testimonials from prior patients
Effectiveness of Chiropractic treatment
What is Chiropractic Care?
Doctors of chiropractic, called ‘chiropractors’ are spine, muscle, joint and related nervous system experts. Every chiropractor receives at least seven years of post-secondary academic and clinical education. They are trained in how to evaluate, diagnose, recommend, and deliver a treatment plan that manages issues within these systems, according to your preferences. A chiropractor’s education also includes courses in radiology, pain management, prescribed exercise, rehabilitation and physical therapy, and nutrition among others.
Based on the best available evidence, combined with their clinical expertise, your chiropractor will then work with you to determine the best treatment to relieve your pain. They will also help prevent it from returning and restore your mobility.
Some of the conditions chiropractors treat include:
Back pain
Sciatica
Disc Disorders
Neck pain
Pain between the shoulders
Carpal Tunnell syndrome
Sprains/strains
Headaches
Pain associated with arthritis
Work and sports injuries
Chiropractors use various treatments depending on their patient’s specific needs and preferences. Common treatments include:
Manual, ‘hands-on’ therapy
Soft tissue therapy
Electronic modalities, such as therapeutic ultrasound and cold laser therapy
Customized, therapeutic exercise programs
Self-management tools and techniques (like positions for relief or coping strategies for pain)
Advice and education
One of the most frequent treatments a chiropractor uses is manual manipulation of the vertebrae of your spine or other joints, which is called an ‘adjustment.’ To perform an adjustment, your chiropractor will use their hands to apply controlled force to your joint and guide it through a range of motion. This action restores your joint’s natural movement and improves its function. When applied to your spine, this treatment is called spinal manipulation therapy (SMT). Manipulation is also used on other joints, such as those in your wrist, ankle or foot, as an effective treatment.
After a first appointment to assess your condition, your chiropractor will use their clinical expertise and the best available evidence to make a diagnosis and recommend treatment options for you.
Chiropractic care is the primary method of treatment for many medical conditions, such as low back pain. For other conditions, such as pain associated with arthritis, diabetes or osteoporosis, chiropractors and other health professionals recommend an interprofessional approach. So in these situations, your chiropractor will coordinate with other health care professionals in your circle of care to support your overall treatment. Working with this team, they will provide chiropractic care to relieve your spine, muscle or joint pain.
Techniques and Physical Therapy Offered
Why should you try chiropractic medicine?
Chiropractic physicians have pioneered in the field of non-invasive care promoting science-based approaches to a variety of ailments. We use chiropractic medicine to treat individuals with neuro-musculoskeletal complaints, such as headaches, joint pain, neck pain, low back pain and sciatica. Chiropractors also treat patients with osteoarthritis, spinal disk conditions, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, sprains, and strains.
Chiropractic Procedures Performed
Spinal Manipulation
Techniques that treat back pain, neck pain, and other musculoskeletal conditions via the application of force to the spinal joints to restore the spine’s structural integrity, reduce pain, and initiate the body’s natural healing processes. Techniques include Gonstead, Diversified, SOT Activator
Extra-Spinal Manipulation
Chiropractic manipulative treatment to the head (including temporomandibular joint or TMJ), lower extremities, upper extremities, rib cage, and/or abdomen.
Therapeutic Exercises / Activities
Active or passive movements prescribed to correct impairments, restore muscular, and skeletal function and/or maintain a state of well-being.
Acupressure
Application of pressure on specific points on the body to release stimulate the body's circulatory, lymphatic and hormonal systems to relieve stress and anxiety, improve sleep, relax your muscles and joints, regulate digestive issues, minimize headaches and migraines, and help resolve back pains and menstrual cramps.
Graston Technique
Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization that uses specially designed stainless-steel instruments to detect and treat soft tissue fibrosis (scar tissue) or chronic inflammation in muscles, tendons and ligaments.
Ultrasound
Application of sound waves to cause microscopic vibrations in deep tissue molecules to warm and increase metabolism for pain relief and to promote tissue healing.
Electrical Stimulation
Electrical muscle stimulation, interferential therapy, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) or E-Stim uses low voltage and/or electrical current to provide pain relief and stress in soft tissues.
Hot / Cold Therapy
Ice packs are used for acute injuries or pain, along with inflammation and swelling. Heat packs for muscle pain or stiffness.
Testimonials
(pulled from Dr. MacAulay’s previous Chiropractic practice in San Jose - Yelp reviews)
Cupertino, CA
I have been visiting Graham to work on my back and other parts of my body, Shoulders, hips and neck. I have been needing an adjustment for a while and when I saw Graham, he put literally straightened me out. :)
He is fantastic, makes you feel comfortable and he really does take attention to detail.
After my session with him, I was back running harder and easier and my joints and body felt so invigorated. Im a teenager again I thought. Well done to Graham. I will be back once a month.
San Jose, CA
I have been in a lot of pain for a while now, neck and back issues that were affecting my whole body. Dr MacAulay listen to me. He came up with a treatment plan. Happy to report that I am feeling great now. Soon I will be coming for as needed care. If your looking for someone to help come see Dr MacAulay.
Walnut Creek, CA
I've had lower back pain since I was a teenager (a long time ago...), at some point I got used to living with it and just learned to ignore it.
4 months ago I had enough, I yelped a local chiropractor and found Graham.
He diagnosed my pain, and after intensive treatment for the first month I now visit him once a month for a 15 min "tune-up".
I don't think I remembered how good it is not feeling the sharp back pain.
I would highly recommend using his services !
Willow Glen, CA
Graham is great, personable and is flexible when you need to make last minute changes to the appointment. Highly recommend.
San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Dr. MacAulay is amazing!!! He really takes time to talk to you to see what's going on and gives great advice on how to adjust habits to help mend the issue. I have been to many chiropractors in my life and he is one of the best! He isn't push, don't try to sell you anything or set you up with a year long plan. He is flexible and will do all he can to make his self available to help. He also gives you the option or the traditional type of chiropractic or use of the thumper (mini pogo stick thingy) which I really appreciate!
Thanks Doc, see you next time!!!
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San Jose, CA
He's great!
i was in an awful car accident, and have been struggling to work out & reduce pain for three years. I've obviously been to numerous chiropractors, and he's helped me the most, in the shortest amount of time.
I have bone spurs in my neck, bulging discs & pinched nerves in my back, plus a host of other problems. I never realized how much pain I was in until he relieved some of it. Within a WEEK of seeing him, I felt like I could move more freely and after about 3 was nearly pain free.
Los Gatos, CA
Dr. MacAulay was really a great find for me! I have struggled with neck pain and migraines for years, and with his patience and gentle technique, he has helped relieve them entirely. He can always get me in, even with a busy schedule and long commute, and is very attentive. After trying out numerous chiropractors, I am very thankful to have found someone this great!
The location is great, and the service could not be better. Would highly recommend it!
San Jose, CA
I guess I'll start at the beginning! (Sorry if this review seems a bit disjointed. I wrote it over multiple weeks)
-------------pretext---------------
About 12 years ago I had hurt my shoulder playing a dodgeball-type game. I have lived with burning shoulder pain almost everyday since then. It made sitting and standing for long periods of time extremely painful for me. (which is bad because I work retail.)
I had tried the chiropractor thing before back in my hometown, but after every visit I felt worse than when I came in. By the time my next appointment rolled around I was in so much pain I could barely make it to the office. After a few years I just gave up and decided to live with the pain.
------------ review for Graham------------
I was searching yelp for different doctors in the area (I just moved to San Jose) and when I saw the rave reviews Dr. MacAulay had, I decided to try one more time. I called up Graham and set up an appointment for that next morning.
The office is very nice and clean and Graham is very friendly and makes you feel comfortable around him.
He took me into a room and started asking me questions about my symptoms so I told him about my shoulder. He then asked if I had any headaches. This confused me because what would headaches have to do with my shoulder? I did have headaches though. Almost 24/7 I had some sort of headache happening along with terrible migraines every few months.
He explained very clearly that my neck was straightening out and it was causing my shoulder pain and my headaches. He took an X-ray (he has a machine in his office) to confirm.
Dr. MacAulay uses hot pads and massage to make his adjustments easier on the patient. But just as a tip: if you're sensitive to high heat, ask him for a second towel around the heat pad. It can get pretty hot.
He did 3 adjustments on me: lower and upper back and my neck. When he did my neck, the headache I had immediately went away.
It's been about a month and a half so far since my very first visit and I must say I am extremely impressed. He is friendly, caring, and gentle with his adjustments. I have been working my retail job this entire time with zero shoulder pain and minimal headaches. I'm not crawling into his office by the time my next appointment rolls around in pain. In fact I go in feeling better than I did and I leave feeling better than I did. I would recommend him to anyone needing chiropractic care without even a second thought.
San Jose, CA
I have had severe pain in my lower back for more than 6 months. I had been playing a lot of tennis and not doing the right things like stretching before going full on. After multiple sports and deep tissue massage sessions, seeing my old chiropractor three times(did not make anything better), trying two different mattresses, and taking a lot of pain killers, I realized that this pain was going to stay. Sleeping did not mean relaxing for me. During the day I would feel better but as soon as night approached, I would be scared. Every morning I would wake up in pain.
Then, one day I went to Yelp and found Dr. Graham A. MacAulay. He took some X-rays and did some adjustments. You would not believe how better I felt in just 3 weeks. I am seeing him regularly now, like once a week, and I feel so much better. I even play tennis every weekend. I am so grateful to Dr. MacAulay.
Also, he worked on my neck, and I stopped having those bad headaches every morning.
And moreover, he is so humble and accommodating. And may be that is one of the reasons that I still see him despite him being out of my insurance network.
Research on Chiropractic Effectiveness
Growing Evidence Offers Proof of Chiropractic Effectiveness
Some people ask, is chiropractic effective? A growing body of evidence-based research offers proof chiropractic care works. It demonstrates the value of chiropractic care in addressing conditions affecting your spine, muscles, joints, or nervous system. Some key evidence-based highlights are cited below.
Research and Outcome Highlights
Pain Relief and Management
The American College of Physicians Low Back Pain Systemic Review demonstrated that exercise is effective for reducing long-term (chronic) lower back pain, and spinal manipulation provides better short-term pain relief than other active interventions.1
Studies have shown people who receive chiropractic care are more likely to be physically able to work for a shorter duration of time.2
Reduced Medication and Opioid Use
Patients with noncancer spinal pain who received chiropractic care were 52% less likely to obtain a prescription for opioids than patients who did not receive chiropractic care (and 71% less if patients received chiropractic care within 30 days of their initial visit.)
After a course of chiropractic care at a publicly funded multidisciplinary inner-city facility, 59% of the patients no longer required opioids.
A 2019 U.S. study found that 64 percent of patients who saw a chiropractor were less likely to use opioids than people who didn’t, as reported in the journal Pain Medicine.3
83 percent of patients surveyed now rely less on medication, including opioids, to help manage their lower back pain after receiving care from a Musculoskeletal (spine, muscle, or joint) expert, such as a chiropractor, at one of Ontario’s government-funded Primary Care Low Back Pain program sites. 4
2017 Canadian Guideline for Opioid Therapy and Chronic Non-Cancer Pain recommends therapies without medication, such as spinal or joint manipulation and therapeutic exercise, for treating back pain, as well as neck pain, knee osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, and severe headaches or migraines.5
Health Quality Ontario (HQO) suggests making better use of non-medical treatments to manage acute and chronic pain will reduce the number of people who use opioids for the long-term. Its Quality Standard onOpioid Prescribing for Chronic Pain also recommends spinal manipulation in conjunction with an active physical therapy or exercise program.
