For Dr. Zachary Langgle, D.C., a chiropractor whose practice is Evolve Chiropractic’s second Palatine location, his career was a relatively easy choice.
“While I was an undergrad with a plan to go into physical therapy, I was introduced to chiropractic when I got an adjustment, and a light bulb went off – I knew this was exactly what I wanted to do,” Langgle said.
What appealed to Langgle most was the philosophy behind chiropractic, which is centered around holistic, and corrective care. The first line of defense for individuals struggling with pain of all types, Langgle explains, is focused on healing techniques to fix posture and curvatures in the spine, instead of utilizing surgery or pills.
The goal of treatment is not only to get rid of symptoms, which can include headaches, pain throughout the neck and back, and even the inability to sleep well, but also to prevent long-term degenerative conditions.
“When we can help a patient to improve their posture, they are feeling better, moving better and even sleeping better,” Langgle said. “There is most definitely a tie-in, between posture and a range of symptoms that people experience.”
With the use of handheld technology and computers, Langgle says that many patients can unfortunately cause posture issues for themselves, by looking down at electronic devices daily.
Each of his patients receive an individualized treatment plan, with the goal of achieving long-term results. Treatment, in many cases, can begin at a higher frequency to increase range of motion and better posture, and then move into a maintenance phase where patients visit the practice less frequently.
Langgle likens it to getting in shape through exercising. “It takes a considerable amount of work to get in shape, but once the fitness goals are achieved, individuals can do less and focus on maintaining themselves at that level.”
The implications if individuals let problems go unattended to, can be long-term. Langgle says even the length of a life span can be heavily dependent on how people are able to move and stay active in their later years. Being stronger, he says, is a natural guard against debilitating diseases.
For the younger generation, who have literally grown up with technology and are looking down at cell phones and tablets constantly, Langgle says there is an alarming trend that shows a considerable loss of cervical curve for those 20 years of age and younger.
Despite this issue, since younger bones are more flexible, corrective action can also be taken to address them so that issues do not become long-term.
The largest majority of challenges Langgle sees in his practice are structural issues with the neck, called Cervical Kyphosis. This can cause chronic headaches, that many times are not associated with posture issues by traditional medical doctors. Langgle says this should be a consideration.
“We are able to retrain our patients to again achieve normal alignment, and we have dozens of success stories where headaches no longer plague them on a daily basis,” Langgle said.
Other services offered at the practice include therapeutic massage and cold laser, which helps to accelerate tissue repair and decrease inflammation. Evolve Chiropractic also offers custom orthotics, which are insoles for shoes. Langgle says these can be extremely important to address overall spine health and lower extremity issues in certain individuals.
The practice accepts all types of insurance.
The downtown Palatine Evolve Chiropractic location is one of five practices located throughout the Chicagoland area. In addition to the downtown Palatine location and the practice inside the Buehler YMCA, additional practices are located in St. Charles, Huntley and McHenry.
For more information, visit myevolvechiropractor.com, or call 847-496-4438.