Clinical nutrition is of utmost importance at Advanced Chiropractic of Virginia. Dr. Pinto stresses the importance of the relationship between neuromuscular dysfunction and nutritional deficiencies. However, in some cases, patients cannot acquire the amount of a certain nutrient needed from whole foods alone. This means that supplementation is necessary to bring levels of nutrients to their desired amount. Studies have been conducted and published in numerous medical journals which show that supplementation is required for optimal nutrient levels in the body.

While these studies have revealed the requirement of supplementation in a healthy diet, especially in clinical situations to replenish deficiencies, it is important to understand why this is a reality today. There are numerous aspects of the typical American diet which cause deficiency. For one, most people are overfed and undernourished; primarily due to chemical pesticides used in modern farming techniques. These pesticides diminish the soil nutrient quality very rapidly and as a result, our food is depleted of vital nutrients which help the body function properly. Other factors, such as chemical additives and preservatives in processed foods have a negative effect on nutritional well being also.

Most people understand the concept that unhealthy chemicals and additives in food are not good for the body. However, what most people don’t know is that poor nutrition leads to improper visceral organ function, which leads to the visceral somatic reflex in the body. The visceral somatic reflex causes the muscles in the back to pull the vertebrae out of alignment due to miscommunication from the visceral organs.

In short: poor nutrition leads to Subluxation which leads to pain and other symptoms and eventually disease may occur.

This does not need to be the case, and most of the time is easily prevented with a proactive nutritional approach. At Advanced Chiropractic, Dr. Pinto tests the blood, saliva, stool, and urine for functional ranges. On test results there are functional ranges and reference ranges. Reference ranges take the average numbers from 100,000 people in a region. This means a newborn baby and a ninety year-old man’s numbers are averaged into the equation. Functional ranges, on the other hand, are calculated by PhD’s and are far more accurate. The difference being that a patient could have an anemia or deficiency and still be within the reference range but out of the functional range.

In addition, it is important to eliminate subluxations through chiropractic adjustments, of course. But without nutritional supplementation, many of these subluxations will persist on a regular basis since nutritional deficiency is often the cause.