Denise Rassel’s education in chiropractic medicine started at a fairly young age. “Both my parents are chiropractors,” she says. “I saw a lot of people and families enjoy better health through chiropractic.”

At first glance, Rassel-Daigneault Family Chiropractic looks more like a gymnasium than an office. "We do adjustments but we also specialize in structural rehab." The office addresses short-term concerns with the spine and also offers long-term treatment of muscles and ligaments. "When people come to the office we offer them choices based on goals," says Rassel's husband and partner, Dr. Jean-Guy Daigneault. "Our first goal is to alleviate pain. From there, it's up to them."

Structural rehabilitation is also available to improve the state of the spine and prevent future relapses. Clinical biomechanics of posture (CBP) helps produce optimum posture and spinal alignment. CBP is accomplished with exercises, traction and postural adjustments.

"Our specialized nutritional analysis is a hands-on approach to muscle testing," says the Canadian-born Daigneault. "The muscle testing is very specific. No two people are ever alike." Daigneault, who is advanced certified in the procedure, has even been asked to teach other doctors about the specialized process.
The Rassel-Daigneault Family Chiropractic office offers digital x-rays for a quicker glimpse into a potential problem. "We digitize your spine and compare it to a normal one down to the nth degree. That way we can determine the state it is in and help to prevent problems from getting worse down the road," says Rassel.

Both doctors agree most patients show significant improvement within three to six months.

Rassel says the center also provides a new approach to adjusting the spine and a unique aspect of the treatment is that they don't have to use just their hands anymore. An instrument called Impulse puts an impulse directly onto one vertebra. It moves gently without rotating the spine. Impulse allows for a correction to the vertebra without putting force on the spine by hand.

Nutritional response testing is another aspect of treatment. The doctors liken it to kinesiology that tests for weak organs in the body using neurological reflexes. If a weakness is found, it's then matched with what nutritionally will make it heal and become stronger.

Rassel and Daigneault started in 2000 with one office in East Lansing. Two years later, Rassel headed up the Frandor facility which her father ran until he retired. In 2008, the couple purchased the entire building. They downsized to one location, but the consolidation was anything but a budget-cutting move. They renovated the Clippert Street building into a state-of-the-art 3,000-square-foot diagnostic facility, which made patient care more convenient and efficient.

The couple opened their new office with the two sharing responsibilities. Rassel went on maternity leave a few months later and today, Daigneault is no longer pulling double duty. "We have ten people working here, including another doctor and support staff, so we're not planning any changes, at least in the near future." The couple doesn't have much time for change either. Daignaeult travels twice a month to Canada to teach, and both doctors hold public workshops on chiropractic or nutrition once a week.

The Spine Center

Another facility offering a unique approach to pain treatment is The Spine Center in East Lansing, which opened in 2007. "The facility was designed to create a destination, for people in pain to come and get a definitive answer on whether it can be addressed," says Dave Corteville, the center's chief operating officer. "And it's all done on an out-patient basis." The idea for the multi-faceted approach came from two neurosurgeons.

One of them, Dr. Christopher Abood, says the facility offers a comprehensive approach to pain management. "Our goal is to treat the source or origin of pain and reduce or eliminate the patient's dependence on pharmaceuticals. This is achieved through the successful treatment of both the physical and psychological aspects of pain and rehabilitation."

While the surgeons are not on site, they oversee every patient treatment plan. "Laptops allow The Spine Center staff to adjust treatment protocols quickly, thus maximizing the effectiveness of the care and improving overall treatment outcomes," says Dr. Abood.

Although, medical doctors like Abood can write prescriptions—which chiropractors cannot—the objective of The Spine Center is to reduce and even eliminate a patient's dependence on medication. "Our goal is to get people off pain killers through physical therapy, interventional physical medicine and rehabilitation, massage therapy and even acupuncture," says Corteville.

A pain psychologist and social workers are on staff to assist. "We have nothing against pain medication when it's needed," says Corteville. "Long-term drugs, though, mask pain. We aim to find the source of the pain and address it so that medications are no longer needed."

Corteville was recruited by the doctors to bring the idea of The Spine Center to fruition. Under his direction, the center has grown from 20 medical professionals to more than 70 today—including 11 physical therapists who work one-on-one with patients. Non-interventional treatment programs work more with exercise and physical therapy.

Interventional medicine involves a variety of procedures which can include nerve blocks and eventually surgery. While the majority of patients are treated for neck and back injuries and pain, the multi-faceted treatment plan also addresses problems with hips, knees, shoulders and elbows, and other neuromuscular issues.

The center is now expanding treatment options once again. Doctors are looking to assist pregnant women to alleviate lower back pain. A specialized exercise program involving pool therapy has been found to lead to easier deliveries on both the mother and child and a faster recuperation time.

The Spine Center has continued to grow its patient base, but Corteville admits the economy is beginning to take its toll. Many are being forced to pay higher co-pays or have lost their insurance coverage. "It all comes as we're seeing an increase in folks needing stress relief," Corteville says. He adds, for those suffering stress-related pain, massage therapy, acupuncture and relaxation techniques aren't normally covered by insurance. "For those types of services, it's usually cash...and more and more people can't justify the expense."