Business Profile

 

A Different Kind of Health Care Aptos Core Care Chiropractics Focuses on Low-Force Adjustments, Holistic Approach

 

Dr. McCharen has a variety of instruments to assist in the adjustment of the spine and the healing process.

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An on-the-job injury turned out to be more than an unfortunate event for Buford McCharen, DC. Thirty years ago, while working as a house painter, McCharen turned to chiropractic for work-related pain.

"I was helped by chiropractic, and I found it fascinating — and that prompted me to go back to school and become a chiropractor," he said.

McCharen graduated from Palmer Chiropractic College West in San Jose in 1985. He currently practices in Aptos at Aptos Core Care Chiropractic.

The "core" is the most important part of something and the most important part of the human body is the nervous system. His work enhances the overall function of the nervous system which translates into overall improved health and vitality, hence the name, "Core Care."

"Most people are used to the manual adjustment (crack and pop) and I still do that on occasion. However, most of my adjustments are now done with a low force electric instrument called the adjustor. It doesn't cavitate (pop) the joint, and for those patients who might be afraid of a manual adjustment it still restores normal joint movement, allowing normal nerve transmission." McCharen explained.

Dr. McCharen said that all chiropractors strive to reduce the vertebral subluxation, which is a misaligned bone that is causing nerve interference.

In addition, as a holistic chiropractor, he also wants to address other major health interferences that may be related to or even be causing the vertebral subluxation in the first place.

In addition to low force adjusting techniques, he uses low level laser therapy, energy balancing and detoxifying foot-baths, myofacial therapy and nutrition to address health issues.

He says that headaches, for instance, are sometimes related to impaired nerve function.

"The impairment doesn't necessarily have to be in the head, but if the nerve is throwing off the body's balance, in terms of its ability to self-regulate, then disease can result," he said.

The health of the human nervous system is essential to the health of the body, he said.

"The brain communicates to the rest of the body through the nervous system, and the nervous system controls all of our bodily functions and our health," he added.

Patient and Aptos resident Sally Vaughn said seeing McCharen regularly, along with receiving massage therapy, keeps her pain-free — despite having suffered from chronic pain related to disc problems in her cervical (upper) spine for years before visiting McCharen's office.

"He's gentle, he's thorough, and when you have pain he focuses on that — but he also focuses on the whole body's response to it," Vaughn said of her chiropractor of 10 years. "When there is something that's gone off, like if I've slept wrong or carried something wrong, he gets me back on track really quickly."

Vaughn suffered a "bad fall" two years ago, and credits McCharen's use of laser therapy with getting her on the mend very quickly.

"It helped my bruising and swelling; it was amazing how fast I healed," she said.

Shining a Light on Pain

Laser therapy — applying laser light to areas of the body to relieve pain and address soft-tissue injuries— is something McCharen is very engaged with, both professionally and intellectually, he said.

"The laser's function is to increase ATP (Adenosine Tri-Phosphate) production — that's the body's cellular energy produced by the mitochondria of the cells," he explained. "The laser increases that production. It's called upregulating the cell so the cell operates more efficiently."

He said there are many conditions that can be addressed with the laser.

"Through continued education I have learned laser protocols for many different conditions."

For example, McCharen learned how to address vertigo by applying a laser protocol.

A Popular Type of Health Care

Chiropractic is considered alternative, or complementary, health care. Along with massage therapy and herbal supplements, it is one of the three most-popular types of complementary health care utilized by the American public, according to several national studies.

According to a report by the U.S. Department of Labor, the profession of chiropractic is expected to increase 14 percent between 2006 and 2016, "faster than the average for all occupations."

The department attributes this growth to chiropractic's appeal as holistic health care.

"Because chiropractors emphasize the importance of healthy lifestyles and do not prescribe drugs or perform surgery, chiropractic care is appealing to many health-conscious Americans," the report noted.

Most of McCharens's patients come to him suffering from back or neck pain, or headaches. Back pain is common in the U.S., with eight out of 10 people affected by it at some point in their lives, according to the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

"That's why people come in — and then many times we discover there are other health interferences that can be related to those problems," McCharen said.

Rio Del Mar resident Julie Chapin has been a patient of McCharen's for two and a half years. She came to see him because of severe back pain.

"He brought me back from horrible back injuries where I wasn't even able to stand up," she said. "He would come in on weekends and continue treatment rather than have me go untreated for a couple of days."

Healing Tools

McCharen and his wife, Victoria, who is Aptos Core Care Chiropractic office manager, have resided in Aptos for over 30 years. Prior to moving his office to Aptos two years ago, McCharen practiced in Hollister for 22 years, commuting daily.

The couple has three daughters, two in the area and one in Santa Rosa. They also have four grandchildren, and all get regular chiropractic care. When he is not seeing patients, McCharen enjoys playing the guitar, mountain biking and playing tennis.

His chiropractic office overlooks Nisene Marks State Park, a popular mountain biking venue, and he recently joined the Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz, a club that holds regular rides and helps maintain trails.

He says that his true calling, though, is utilizing his variety of healing techniques and modalities to help patients get well and stay well.

"Anything that I can do to enhance the healing process, I will," he said, "and I have a lot to offer."

Aptos Core Care is located across from Rancho Del Mar Center next to Sushi on the Run on Soquel Drive. Look for the red door at 7963 Soquel Drive, Aptos. Their phone number is 831-688-1214, website is www.aptoscorecare.com.