Welcome to Naturally Aligned Family Chiropractic and the office of Dr. Amber Moravec!
I am dedicated to the well-being of the entire family. I provide expert chiropractic care to newborns, children, and adults! I cater to the special needs of pregnant women and their families. I am trained in the specific chiropractic analysis and treatment to reduce interference to the nervous system which facilitates biomechanical balance in pelvic structures, muscles and ligaments. This balance has been shown to reduce the effects of intrauterine constraint, allowing the baby to get into the best possible position for birth.
My mission is simple. I am here to listen to you and provide you with what you deserve - the best care possible. I am committed to helping people just like you have a life of vibrant health without the use of dangerous drugs or invasive surgeries.
Thank you for checking the website. I am honored to be of service.
Yours in Health,
Naturally Aligned Family Chiropractic is located within Health Foundations Family Health and Birth Center. A birth center is a non-hospital facility where women can birth their babies with midwives who provide constant care with minimal intervention. To learn more about the birth center visit www.health-foundations.com.
I grew up in Le Center, Minnesota and attended the University of Minnesota Duluth graduating with a degree in Elementary Education. A change of heart and growing interest in natural healthcare inspired me to pursue a doctorate degree in chiropractic. In 2007, I graduated from Northwestern Health Science University in Bloomington, Minnesota. I am also a Certified Pediatric Chiropractor and have completed additional coursework through the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, specifically on the techniques and protocols of care for newborns, children and pregnant women. My goal is to educate and inspire people to take responsibility for their health to reach their maximum health potential. Most importantly, my vision is to improve the lives of children suffering from health problems and to inspire parents to become role models.
I have always held a special place in my heart for the importance of family chiropractic care. I know that the strength of our future is dependent on the health and quality of life of our children. I think family health is so important that I have established special family care plans to offset the rising costs of modern health care.
Professional And Community Involvement:
Co-founder of WiseMamas, Member of Minnesota Chiropractic Association, American Chiropractic Association, International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, American Pregnancy Association, and the Childbirth Collective.
I live in White Bear Lake with my husband, Andrew; sons, Everett and Jackson, and daughter, Elise. I enjoy speaking on natural health, wellness and the benefits of chiropractic.
What Is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic is one of the western world's three major healing professions. The other two are medicine and osteopathy. Chiropractors specialize in the neuromuscular skeletal systems (nerves, muscles, and bone), detecting and correcting vertebral subluxations, or misalignments of the spine. Subluxations adversely affect the nervous system and cause "dis-ease" within the body.
The word chiropractic comes from the Greeks: "chiros" means hand and "practic" means practice. Many chiropractic techniques involve the use of the hands in gently restoring the vertebrae to their proper alignment and motion. Free of subluxations, you are free to grow, develop, and become more than you are today. Chiropractic is a lifestyle that more and more people are choosing for the rest of their life. Many parents are discovering that their children are healthier and happier when they receive regular chiropractic care.
The fundamental principles of chiropractic include:
The importance of the nervous system
The nervous system controls and coordinates ALL the functions of the body. Everyone has the inborn ability to heal themselves as long as there is no interference with their nervous system, and therefore in their body’s function.
Recognition of spinal subluxations (vertebral misalignments)
Chiropractic doctors recognize that vertebral subluxations cause interference of the nervous system impeding the perfect expression of health. Subluxations may or may not cause pain or other symptoms. Chiropractors are the only health care providers who specialize in locating, correcting, and preventing subluxations.
The chiropractic adjustment
Chiropractic doctors recognize that when spinal nerve interferences are cleared by means of specific chiropractic adjustments of vertebral subluxations, the nervous system's normal flow of impulses can resume. The fully functioning nervous system can once again direct the body's own healing mechanisms and help in the process of attaining optimum health.
What Is A Chiropractic Adjustment?
A chiropractic adjustment is the art of introducing a specific force in a precise direction, applied to a vertebra that is subluxated or out of place. The Chiropractor identifies the location of the subluxation, determines the exact direction and the best way to correct the positioning. The adjustment itself is a movement of the spine that is done either by hand or with an instrument. The movement may be quick or may be undetectable with low force techniques. The adjustment assists the vertebra back into normal alignment and restores proper motion in order to relieve nerve interference. There are many ways to analyze and adjust the spine, so the actual adjustment will vary from chiropractor to chiropractor and patient to patient.
Is Chiropractic Safe?
Yes! Specific chiropractic adjustments are very safe since care is individually based after a complete health history and chiropractic examination has been performed. Then, depending on the state of health and age of the patient, an appropriate technique will be utilized.
In the pediatric population a peer reviewed study of the literature (Pistolese R. JVSR 2(2) 1998) was performed from 1977 to 1998 and found the risk to neurological or vascular complications from chiropractic care to be 1/250 million. It is important to compare this with something like the risk of serious adverse injury from taking an aspirin at 4/1000.
A New Zealand government study found that adjustments are remarkably safe. By avoiding drugs and risky surgery, chiropractic enjoys an excellent track record. In the adult population, unfortunately anyone who manipulates and injures a patient gets lumped in as a "chiropractic" statistic versus keeping professions as separate populations. This poses a problem for the chiropractors who perform specific chiropractic adjustments. Presently the cumulative risk from the professions who manipulate and adjust is approximated at between 1/3 million to 1/500,000.
Is Chiropractic Addictive?
No! What we often see is that people become aware of how their body should think and feel when they are subluxation-free. When subluxated, they feel different and this becomes unacceptable to them. Chiropractic is part of a healthy lifestyle and is a proactive health care CHOICE; just as daily habits of brushing your teeth, choosing to eat well and regular exercise would not be considered addictive, but lifestyle choices.
What Causes Subluxations?
There are three basic causes of subluxations: physical, emotional, and toxic traumas. Physical causes could include the birth process, slips, falls, accidents, repetitive motions and improper lifting. Emotions such as grief, anger and fear can cause subluxations. Toxic or chemical causes could include alcohol, drugs, pollution, vaccines, and poor diet.
What Causes the Popping Sound?
Lubricating fluids separate the bones of each spinal joint. Some adjusting methods can produce a sound when the gas and fluids in the joint shift. It’s like opening a bottle of champagne or removing a suction cup. It is NOT the bones cracking! The sound is interesting, but it is not a guide to the quality or value of the adjustment.
Can I Adjust Myself?
No. Some people can make their joints "pop" but that is not an adjustment! Worse, damage can occur by indiscriminately mobilizing a joint, causing ligaments to weaken; the body will build up bone in these weakened ligaments over time to stabilize itself, causing osteoarthritis. Chiropractic adjustments are specific and take years to master. Only the spinal joints that are "locked up" receive adjustments allowing weakened muscles and ligaments to stabilize and heal.
Will Insurance Cover Chiropractic Care?
Most insurance policies have some chiropractic benefits. It is wise to contact your insurance company to find out what your exact coverage is. Having your insurance company reimburse you for a portion of your chiropractic care is certainly nice, but don't let it dictate your care! Don’t allow the profit of a huge corporation to make the decision for you. Your health affects everything you do and everyone you know. It is your most valuable possession. Yet, each of us is free to place a different value on our health.
Does your insurance company pay for your health club membership? Or bottled water? How about organic food? Your vitamins and supplements? Probably not, yet many people choose to pay for these items out of pocket because they believe that they will contribute to their overall health and well-being. Many people are becoming educated on how chiropractic can also significantly contribute to their health and choose to receive regular care, regardless of insurance coverage.
Whether this is your first pregnancy or your fifth, congratulations! You’re in for a lot of excitement! Specialized pre-natal chiropractic care can enable you to experience the wonders of pregnancy and childbirth without unnecessary and dangerous medical interventions.
Consider the following aspects of pregnancy that lead to subluxation:
• Rapid increase/decrease in weight• Postural changes
• Changes in sleep patterns & positions
• Altered appetite and eating habits
• Loosening of body ligaments to allow for growth/labor
• Flat feet/pronation due to weight gain/loose ligaments
• Emotional changes (hormonal shifts/new family stress)
All of the above and more can cause subluxation, and this doesn’t even include any of the numerous changes both parents experience after the arrival of the "Little Miracle." Subluxations during pregnancy don’t just affect mom! They affect the baby too!! The baby needs mom’s nervous system to be fully functioning in order to develop correctly.
Studies have shown that woman who have consistent chiropractic care throughout their pregnancies have shorter and less painful labors with fewer complications and fewer interventions.
Of course, chiropractic adjustment techniques are very different for pregnant women, and Dr. Amber is specially trained to insure the safest and best possible care throughout your pregnancy.
Is Chiropractic Safe During Pregnancy?
Absolutely! During pregnancy most women experience pain and discomfort as their bodies adapt to the many changes taking place inside. These changes not only include hormonal changes but biomechanical changes as the body deals with extra weight and changes to posture. Such changes can affect the spine ultimately leading to complications with nerves, joints, connective tissue, ligaments, posture and stability. Being free from subluxations allows you and your body to function optimally. Pregnant mothers free from subluxations experience greater comfort, less pain, shorter labor and delivery times. As a whole these mothers experience vitality and health throughout their pregnancy and are better prepared to deal with the stress that childbirth can provide. Chiropractic adjustments do not harm the pregnant mother or her unborn child. In fact, maintaining a healthy spine and nervous system throughout pregnancy can prevent further postural problems that might occur during and following childbirth.
Is There A Time When Chiropractic Adjustments Should Stop?
No! Some women have even received chiropractic during labor to aid in reducing pain with delivery.
Should I see a Chiropracter if I only Have a Painful Pregnancy?
No! Regular spinal screenings and updates should be common. Remember, your body is changing in many ways and that can place a great deal of stress on your spine and nervous system. So rather than wait for problems to arise, prevent them by frequent visits to your chiropractor.
Can Chiropractic Aid With Breech Presentations?
Chiropractic care benefits all aspects of your body's ability to be healthy. This is accomplished by working with the nervous system--the communication system between your brain and body. Doctors of Chiropractic work to correct spinal, pelvic and cranial misalignments (subluxations). When misaligned, these structures create an imbalance in surrounding muscles and ligaments. Sacral misalignment causes the tightening and torsion of specific pelvic muscles and ligaments. It is these tense muscles and ligaments and their constraining effect on the uterus which prevents the baby from comfortably assuming the best possible position for birth. The Webster Technique is defined as a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment that reduces interference to the nerve system and facilitates biomechanical balance in pelvic structures, muscles and ligaments. This has been shown to reduce the effects of intrauterine constraint, allowing the baby to get into the best possible position for birth.
What About After Pregnany Care?
Post-partum chiropractic care is a must to ensure pre-pregnant status is achieved. Correcting subluxations within the spine and pelvis are very important considerations to achieve and maintain optimal health potential.
The 9th Month Of Pregnancy
According to Parenting (1997) during this time frame, as your baby descends into your pelvic cavity; you may experience sharp, stabbing pains at the base of your spine or in the middle of your pelvic bone. This creates uncomfortable twinges or "pins and needles" in the cervix itself. Pain can radiate down your back or thighs. The increased pelvic aches and pains are likely due to the relaxation and stretching of your pelvic ligaments in preparation for labor. These discomforts can be dealt with by changing positions. A chiropractor experienced in working on pregnant people may be able to help with pelvic adjustments to help balance the hips and pelvis. It is our personal theory that chiropractic care in pregnancy can help to avoid or relieve back pain and also prepare your back and pelvic structures for the stresses of labor and delivery.
The 9th Month. W. Sears, MD, M. Sears, RN. Parenting, June/July 1997.
Why Do Children Need Chiropractic?
The normal birthing process places a tremendous amount of stress on the neck. If the baby's head presents in any other than a posterior occiput position (the baby's face is down), this can cause added stress. Any intervention such as vacuum or forceps causes additional trauma to the head and neck. Cesarean section is also considered a traumatic birth when considering the effects on the spine. In order to birth the shoulder, many obstetricians traction the head using between 40 and 70 pounds of pressure, this often causes damage to the cervical spine (neck) and the nerves that exit off the spine.
Even if a child came through the birth process without subluxations, they can be acquired as they grow. A baby's spine will grow 50% during their first year of life and whenever there is rapid growth, things can go wrong. Baby’s develop the secondary curves of the spine in the neck (as they learn to support their head) and low back (as they learn to walk). If these curves fail to develop, there is a greater chance that they will develop scoliosis, a curvature of the spine. Developmental processes like balancing their own head, learning to roll, sit and walk (and fall) places an extraordinary amount of stress on a child’s growing spine. If you had to learn all of those things over, do you think that your spine would feel the effects? Regular chiropractic checkups ensure that a child's spine is growing properly.
As kids get older, they become more active with more potential for physical trauma. If they play sports, that potential increases even further. Then consider the child who sits at the computer or hunches over his hand-held game! A subluxation free spine means that children can endure more physical stress with a lesser risk of injury.
Physical trauma, emotional strain and toxic stress can also cause subluxations in kids. Many times children have accidents and parents may believe that they are fine because there is no external evidence of damage. Spinal subluxations sometimes don’t signal an obvious symptom. The earlier children’s spines are checked, the earlier problems can be detected, preventing health problems from occurring and becoming serious. All children should be checked regularly for nerve interference, even without symptoms present. Prevention is the best medicine.
Emotional stress, another cause of vertebral subluxation, is becoming a bigger issue for kids today as they try to cope with common scenarios like divorce, violence, and peer pressure.
Our world is also becoming more toxic with an increase in pollution, packaged foods, and the number of recommended vaccines. Toxic overload can stress the body and cause subluxations. Chiropractic can help children adapt to these stressors so that they can function at a higher level.
If you know a child who is not under chiropractic care and suffers from any of the following problems, consider Chiropractic.
| Fever; | Numbness | Irritability |
| Colic | Headaches | Nervousness |
| Croup | Coughs/Colds | Learning disorder |
| Allergies | Asthma | Sinus problems |
| Wheezing | Bed Wetting | Eye problems |
| Poor Posture | Bronchitis | Scoliosis |
| Stomach ache | Constipation | Arthritis |
| Hearing loss | Weakness/fatigue | Poor concentration |
| Ear infection | Skin problems | Hyper-activity |
| Neck/back pain | One leg shorter | Attention deficit disorder |
| Leg/hip/foot pain |
Just as it is recommended that children get regular medical and dental checkups, it is important for kids to have their spines checked from birth onward. The only professional qualified to do this is a chiropractor. More and more, educated parents are choosing to take their children to chiropractors regularly, because they see that their children are healthier and happier!
Specific Chiropractic Adjustments
Chiropractic care is known for its use of the spinal adjustment. An adjustment is the precise procedure in which a trained Doctor of Chiropractic exerts specific corrective pressure on specific places on your spine. When a thorough examination reveals that your spine and nervous system are not functioning properly, adjustments are used to restore function. Only a Doctor of Chiropractic uses spinal adjustments. Do not confuse this with an osteopathic manipulation. They are two entirely different procedures.
Pediatric Chiropractic
Everybody with a spine benefits from Natural Chiropractic Care, babies are no different. The latest research shows that things like ear infections, colic, ADD/ADHD and even SIDS have been linked to problems in the spine that most likely occurred during the birthing process. Restoring the spine to its normal function often helps with these problems.
Pregnancy Chiropractic
Back pain is a common complaint during pregnancy and there's nothing better than NATURAL, DRUGLESS chiropractic Care. Dr. Amber is an expert in the field of Pre-Natal care.
Insurance Coverage
Most insurance policies have some chiropractic benefits. It is wise to contact your insurance company to find out what your exact coverage is. We would be happy to verify your coverage to determine if your insurance carrier will contribute to your chiropractic care, just provide your health insurance card. We also have plans available for those with little or no insurance coverage, flexible spending accounts or for those wishing not to operate within the confines of the insurance system.
Having your insurance company reimburse you for a portion of your chiropractic care is certainly nice, but don't let it dictate your care! Don’t allow the profit of a huge corporation to make the decision for you. Your health affects everything you do and everyone you know. It is your most valuable possession. Yet, each of us is free to place a different value on our health.
Does your insurance company pay for your health club membership? Or bottled water? How about organic food? Your vitamins and supplements? Probably not, yet many people choose to pay for these items out of pocket because they believe that they will contribute to their overall health and well-being. Many people are becoming educated on how chiropractic can also significantly contribute to their health and choose to receive regular care, regardless of insurance coverage.
968 Grand Avenue
St. Paul, Minnesota 55105 | 651.210.5261
amber.moravec@gmail.com
Naturally Aligned Family Chiropractic, P.A. located in within Health Foundations Family Health and Birth Center on Grand Avenue in St. Paul, at the intersection of Chatsworth Street and Grand Avenue, between Lexington Parkway and Victoria Street. There is limited patient parking in the alley behind the house, as well as free street parking along Grand Avenue.
Hours
- Tuesday 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.- Thursday 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
- 1st and 3rd Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
- Individual arrangements can be
made for other times.
Health Foundations New Mom's Group is a great way to meet other mamas & to share the joys and challenges of new parenthood. Facilitated by an experienced mom, there will be both structured & unstructured time. All moms with babies who are not yet crawling are welcome each Thursday from 11:00am until noon at Health Foundations Family Health and Birth Center.
Wise Mamas is a group dedicated to supporting families with an interest in natural health. We gather the 2nd Tuesday of each month in St, Paul to discuss a variety of holistic topics. To be notified via email about location and topics contact: wisemamas@gmail.com
"Surviving the Top 10 Most Common Complaints of Pregnancy Naturally"
» One, 2-hour class. $10.00 for moms-to-be, no charge for partners/spouses.
A discussion on how to survive things like sciatica, heartburn, insomnia, etc. with postural, nutritional, and supportive recommendations. This class will include an overview of natural health options for families in the Twin Cities, a look at childbirth courses, and optimal prenatal supplements. Join us the first Tuesday of each month at 6:15pm.
» Call 651.210.5261 or email amber.moravec@gmail.com for more information
or to register.
