Dr. Vicki Souder

(563) 585-0800

419 North Grandview Ave.
Dubuque, IA 52001

New Office Hours

Monday: 8:30AM-12:30PM 2:30PM-5:30PM
Tuesday: 1:00 - 5:00 pm
Wednesday:  8:30AM-12:30PM 2:30PM-5:30PM
Thursday:  9:00AM-12:30PM 2:30PM-5:30PM
Friday Closed
Saturday and Sunday by Appointment

Email Us

officemanager@dubuquechiropractic.com

Member ProSport Chiropractic
dedicated to athletic excellence

Official training facility for Loras athletic trainer interns

Frequently Asked Questions

What do chiropractors do?

Chiropractors treat "subluxations" which is a joint (and their supportive soft tissues) that are stuck, glued, stiff, scarred, worn and in improper global and segmental positions. These dysfunctional joints are a result of a lifetime of injuries that can start at birth, and are also caused by the slow but steady accumulation of daily wear and tear, poor posture and poor ergonomic and exercise habits. Unhealthy joints shut down the motion dependent nerve endings that make the brain work and help quiet pain and increase pain transmission to the brain. Irritated disc and joint degradation continues, disc herniations and bone spurs may deteriorate to a point that nerve roots become compressed, carpal tunnel, sciatica and other conditions can then begin.

I have been diagnosed with a slipped disc, can chiropractic treatments help?

"Slipped Disc" is perhaps one of the most used misnomers in all of healthcare. Disc's rarely slip. In fact, the disc connection to the vertebrae above and below is as strong as the bone itself. So, what really happens?
The disc is a circle of cartilage between each vertebra in the spine that acts as both a shock absorber and a shock distributor. Imagine what would happen to the stack of bony vertebra that make up the spine without the cushioning of the discs. Discs depend on water to keep their height and perform efficiently. When we're young, discs have their own circulation that helps keep them hydrated. As we age, this circulation ends and the spine must move so that water can be drawn into the discs. As dehydration occurs, the discs are more at risk for cracks, fissures and loss of height.

Chiropractic treatments have a long history of successfully providing conservative care for disc conditions, which means it is non-surgical and drugless. In the treatment of low back disc problems, most experts agree that conservative care should be tried before surgery is considered, except in severe cases. Daily stressors in life can cause misalignments in the spine, called vertebral subluxations. The subluxations can result in inadequate brain stimulation, which can cause problems throughout the body including developmental problems. The only source of constant stimulation to the brain comes from the spine and from the postural muscles. They constantly barrage the brain and try to adjust to the force of gravity. Therefore, chiropractic adjustments to the spine can open up channels to the brain and improve the nerve flow to all parts of the body, even parts of the brain that are not functioning properly and are delayed in their development causing the learning disabilities.

Pain pills help my headache but it keeps coming back. My doctor keeps prescribing different medications but nothing seems to work. I'm at wits end!

About one in six Americans suffer from chronic headaches of one type or another. In severity, chronic headaches may range from a tension headache to excruciating pain of a migraine. They all have one thing in common; they always return; sometimes worse than before. Unfortunately, pain pills do nothing to treat the underlying cause of headaches. Often headaches are associated with misaligned vertebra, postural problems in the neck or tight muscles that attach to the back of the head.

A chiropractor is trained to find the underlying cause of the headaches. At Tri-States Chiropractic, we use our training in structural biomechanics and neurology to detect the cause of the headache. Our treatments vary with each individual case.

I have recently been diagnosed with Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. Are there other options besides surgery?

Different causes have been blamed for Carpel Tunnel Syndrome including computer usage and poor ergonomics. Although irritation of the nerve of the carpel tunnel can cause this condition; nerves at the spine, shoulder muscle, or forearm muscle can also be the cause.
Surgical procedures, which 'release' the pressure on the nerves at the carpel tunnel by permanently severing the ligaments that hold the tunnel together are rarely successful over the long term and almost never address the cause of nerve irritation.

At Tri-States Chiropractic, treatment for repetitive motion injuries includes a combination of corrective chiropractic adjustments to relieve the nerve pressure of the spine and low level laser therapies to reduce the inflammation of the nerve and muscle.

Can Chiropractic help my fibromyalgia?

It appears that cases of fibromyalgia are on the increase. Fibromyalgia is characterized by significant muscle pain, which at times is debilitating. "Flair ups" often occur with only a slight increase in activity or even barometric weather changes.

Due to their increased sensitivity, people with fibromyalgia usually require low force procedures which still get to the root of their mechanical imbalances. Often there are chemical imbalances that still need to be cleaned up as well. This can usually be helped by a detoxification process. At Tri-States Chiropractic we utilize the Energy Balancer foot bath that has been proven to remove heavy metals, toxins from joints as well as other organs within the body. If you know of someone suffering with fibromyalgia, let them know there may be a drug free way to help.

I heard that cold laser therapy will help my chronic sinus and allergy conditions, is that true?

Cold laser therapy (Low level laser) is the newest therapy to treat a wide variety of conditions. Sinus infections can be healed with laser in a very short time. The cold laser uses low power light which triggers a response from the body’s natural immune system and is found to induce the cellular healing process (reduce swelling).

According to published medical reports, many acute and chronic conditions can be eliminated with cold laser therapy. Cold laser treatments are painless and completely non-invasive. Laser treatments also reduce pain and inflammation, heal tissue 60% faster (therefore less costly), improve circulation, increase range of motion and repair damaged cells. At Tri-States Chiropractic we use the low level laser in conjunction with spinal adjustments to achieve the best results. I've heard so much information on laser therapy, what is the difference in lasers?

Low level laser therapy is a therapy used for many different conditions. It is very different from the more commonly known hot laser treatments. Hot lasers are used to cut, cauterize and destroy tissue.
Cold laser (low level laser) is a healing therapy that works at the cell level to accelerated the healing process. It is used to remove scars, regenerate nerves, heal wounds, stabilize repetitive injuries (carpal tunnel syndrome), and manage many other conditions. The benefits are many and there is no side affects associated with the low level laser. At Tri-States Chiropractic the patient is evaluated and it is determined what type of treatment is necessary. Dr. Souder is uniquely specialized in Chiropractic Neurology.

I've heard laser therapy works well for pain management and many other conditions, is that true?

Laser therapy has helped hundreds of pain sufferers including professional athletes, elderly, and children.
The most common causes of inflammation are improper alignment, uncorrected trauma, and weakened damaged tissues. If this condition is left uncorrected, scar tissue forms around the joint, causing degenerative changes and chronic symptoms. Many chronic sufferers don't know which way to turn, literally. These conditions have responded extremely well to a combination of laser therapy, chiropractic care and a therapeutic home exercise program through our practice.
At Tri-States Chiropractic, we educate patients on ways to eliminate symptoms and do our best to develop specific treatment programs based on individual patient needs. Our specialty training in neurology and spinal biomechanics