By Lee Merrill
o you wake up with aches and pains you fear are your new normal? Do antacids or pain relievers have a permanent home on your nightstand? Pain and nagging ailments are not normal. It’s time to take back your functional health with regular chiropractic care, according to Kimberly Griggs, D.C, owner of Aligned with Dr. Kim. “A chiropractor’s job is to remove subluxation, which is interference in the nervous system,” she said. “Chiropractic helps the brain send signals to the body and organs. It’s vitally important that your brain can talk to the body.”
As a young adult Dr. Kim turned to a chiropractor for help with chronic leg pain after her orthopedic doctor gave her no options but pain medication. After a series of chiropractic adjustments, she became free of not only the nagging leg pain, but also migraines. Her personal experience led her to add chiropractic school to her transcript. This year, she celebrated 10 years in the field by opening her private practice, Aligned with Dr. Kim, in Shreveport. Teamed with her husband/office manager, Matthew Griggs, and her chiropractic assistant, Sarah Smith, Dr. Kim provides holistic chiropractic care to dozens of individuals and families. “If you have a spine, you need chiropractic care,” she said.
Dr. Kim uses Zone Therapy in her growing practice, which focuses on six main systems: glandular, eliminative, nerve, digestive, muscular, and circulatory, as well as the six centers of the brain that control them.
She determines which brain center needs attention through palpating specific areas on the skull. “The simple fact that the nerves in the back control the organs is profound,” she said. “For instance, the nerves that control the arms also control the heart and lungs. This is why people can have asthma and other ailments. There are nerves in the mid- to-low back that control digestion. This can explain issues with heartburn, indigestion, bloating, IBS, and other gastrointestinal issues.”
“Your body is made to heal itself,” she explained. “Chiropractic is a safe, drug-free path to wellness. Medicine is for crisis care; chiropractic is wellness care. It helps your immune system and takes pressure off the joints, which allows your nervous system to talk to your body, so that your body can heal at a high level. It’s not just about decreasing pain. It’s about increasing wellness.”
Dr. Kim serves people of all ages and life experiences. Athletes come to her to improve overall function and athletic performance. Parents bring their infants and children to ensure their spines develop in proper alignment. Some parents report their children with ADHD and other neurological disorders have reduced symptoms with regular chiropractic care. Chiropractic is not just for pain relief. It’s for optimal health and function. “I love helping people who think there is no help for them because many times chiropractic does help, and the patient gets their life back,” she said. “I love that!”
Patients often come for pain relief and gain much more. While Dr. Kim would love to see you in her office, her primary aim is to increase awareness about the benefits of chiropractic care and to improve the overall wellness of the community she loves. Find a chiropractor that works for you and get busy getting well.