Seth Chalfin, DC: Chiropractor Upper West Side New York, NY: Chalfin Family Chiropractic

Chalfin Family Chiropractic is conveniently located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. We see both and adult and pediatric patients of all ages.

As part of our effort to better serve our patients, we are pleased to offer an on-site x-rays. Having the ability to take x-rays in the office allows us to diagnose and treat our patients with more precision, fewer appointments and less hassle, so you'll feel better sooner.

New Patient Forms

Want to save 20 minutes on your first visit? Download and fill out our new patient forms in the comfort of your home of office, then bring them with you to your next appointment. If you have any questions, feel free to call our office. To access the forms, click here.

What to Expect During Your First Visit

At our chiropractic center our examinations procedures are geared toward detection and correction of the "Vertebral Subluxation". The procedures we use are therefore specifically selected for your spine and nervous system health. There are a couple of things that you should expect when you have a first visit at our clinic.

Our examination consists of a thorough spinal and nervous system exam which includes "Palpation". Palpation essentially is checking your spine by hand. With this exam the doctor can feel areas of your spine that may be involved with subluxations problems. Spinal position, curvatures and muscle tone can also be examined as it relates to possible spinal subluxations. Your examination may also include some specialized equipment designed to better access your spine and nervous system. This examination could involve several components.

The first part of this examination process may involve reading spinal heat differences from one level of the spine to another, as well as from one side of the spine to the other. Heat is a byproduct of circulation, which is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. From this we can see how subluxation may be affecting these functions of your nervous system.

In the second part of this examination scans may be performed on the surface of your spinal area to evaluate surface electrical impulses and measure them along your spine. This helps measure the effect of subluxation on the motor nerve system and the affect subluxations may be having on your muscles.

The importance of each of these tests will be explained to you at your Report of Findings. However, it is important to note that this examination helps scientifically understand the subluxation processes going on in your spine. It also gives us a baseline for future tests so we can accurately measure your progress to see how your spine is correcting and your nervous system is functioning. Using these examination procedures is much more accurate than just depending on "how you feel" on any given day.

Spinal X-rays may be taken depending on your age, and situation. There are many reasons why we would not take x-rays on certain patients including pregnancy, most children, recent usable spinal x-rays and some other various situations. Aside from these situations, x-rays are a common part of the examination process when looking for vertebral subluxations. X-rays give us important information including the position of the spinal bones, and the quality of the spine and safety of adjusting it. X-rays also tell us the relative length of time subluxations may have been involved in your spine. Commonly, most patients receive three spinal x-rays at the beginning of care.

With this important information we can make a more accurate determination of the type of adjustments your spine needs as well as the ongoing frequency of your care. Your x-rays will be explained to you and covered in detail at your Report of Findings. You will be scheduled for your Report of Findings within a few days of your initial visit. This visit is your most important visit and may take up to one hour. It is at your Report of Findings that we will give you a care plan and go over any special instructions you will need to obtain the best and fastest possible results. We have set aside specific times for these visits so as not to interfere with regular patient care hours. Our staff will schedule your Report of Findings with you after your first visit.

Our Chiropractic Care utilizes the most modern chiropractic analytical, and adjustive procedures and equipment available. We consider subluxations to be a serious threat to the quality and quantity of your health and that of your family. It is therefore imperative that we utilize the most modern, and the well established time-proven procedures to help you. We feel you're worth it!

In simplest terms, a subluxation (a.k.a. Vertebral Subluxation) is when one or more of the bones of your spine (vertebrae) move out of position and create pressure on, or irritate spinal nerves. Spinal nerves are the nerves that come out from between each of the bones in your spine. This pressure or irritation on the nerves then causes those nerves to malfunction and interfere with the signals traveling over those nerves.

How does this affect you? Your nervous system controls and coordinates all the functions of your body. If you interfere with the signals traveling over nerves, parts of your body will not get the proper nerve messages and will not be able to function at 100% of their innate abilities. In other words, some part of your body will not be working properly. It is the responsibility of the Doctor of Chiropractic to locate subluxations, and reduce or correct them. This is done through a series of chiropractic adjustments specifically designed to correct the vertebral subluxations in your spine. Chiropractors are the only professionals who undergo years of training to be the experts at correcting subluxations.

To learn more about Subluxations, click the following links:

Your nervous system controls and coordinates every function of your body. It is your nervous system that allows you to adapt to, and live in your environment. A large portion of your nervous system passes through your spine. It is your spinal cord that acts as the major cable exiting your brain, travels down inside your spinal column and branches off into spinal nerves at various levels of your spine. These spinal nerves then exit between individual spinal vertebrae and go to the various parts of your body.

To be healthy it is essential that your nervous system function properly and free from any interference caused by subluxations. Subluxations can cause interference to the nervous system at any point along the spine where the nerves exit. This can adversely affect the function of various parts of your body, and ultimately your health.

This interactive nerve chart is designed to give you a look at just some of the relationships between the areas of your spine and your nervous system. Keep in mind that your nervous system is much more complex than can be shown here.

To visit the interactive nerve chart, click here.