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LAPLACE — A car out of alignment will still drive, but the continuous wear on its tires will prove damaging over time.

The same logic applies when talking about chiropractic services, according to Dr. Casey Accardo of the new LA Health Solutions location in LaPlace.

A chiropractor balances the nervous system and makes sure all of the bones are aligned so the muscles work properly.

Located at 1524 W. Airline Highway in the suite previously occupied by Little Caesars, LA Health Solutions utilizes state of the art equipment and personalized treatment to give patients relief from spinal, back and neck pain.

Accardo said many people do themselves a disservice by brushing off the need for treatment. Popping an ibuprofen may provide temporary relief, but it takes a trained musculoskeletal expert to address the root of the pain.

“You can go on through life without ever seeing a chiropractor, but once you start to see one, you start to see what it’s like to feel good. You see what it feels like to be aligned, and you start to realize how beneficial our services are,” Accardo said.

Susan Cruthirds has hips out of alignment and five herniated disks in her lower back from an automobile accident. Some days, the muscles in her shoulders are so tight that she can’t even move her head.

“Dr. Accardo is able to get me to feel a lot better and keep my back from locking up, which makes it possible for me to go to work,” Cruthirds said. “He’s awesome at what he does. Everything is very professional, very sanitized, and the people are nice.”

Whether she receives dry needling or uses the roller bed, the chiropractic work eliminates tension headaches and gives her the freedom to live life to the fullest.

Cruthirds added, “If people haven’t tried going to a chiropractor for whatever reasons, they should, because it will help you a whole lot.”

LA Health Solutions handles a lot of personal injuries, especially those involving car accidents. However, a person does not have to be in an accident or have an injury to see a chiropractor.

Courtney McAllister, an employee at LA Health Solutions, said the range of services offered sets the business apart.

“Dr. Casey offers other therapies that the average chiropractor doesn’t offer, like his dry needling and other therapies that go hand-in-hand with typical chiropractic practices to help with pain,” McAllister said. “I think that is what’s going to make this location stand out.”

There are eight LA Health Solutions locations spread out over the New Orleans metropolitan area. Other locations offer neurology, orthopedics and physical therapy, among other services. Patients coming to the LaPlace office who desire other services can be referred to the main clinic in Metairie.

Dr. Accardo has been a chiropractor for 13 years. His new practice at LA Health Solutions marks his return home to St. John the Baptist Parish.

Dr. Accardo wants prospective patients who are apprehensive to know that there are many ways to do an alignment, and not all involve manual manipulation.

When evaluating a patient, Dr. Accardo tries to determine the source of the pain. It might be a result of poor posture, sleeping habits or the way a person stands or sits at their desk.

“We are taught to heal things with our hands based on what we find on X-rays and what we find in our examinations,” Dr. Accardo said.

One of the therapy stations involves spinal decompression, often used by patients who have disk herniation. The decompression takes pressure off of the nerve with muscle stimulation and helps the body utilize its natural endorphins for pain relief.

Dr. Accardo is also certified in dry needling, a technique that uses acupuncture needles to pierce the muscles and create a lesion to promote a healing immune response within the body. Another technique called cupping brings oxygen and blood flow to the area of concern.

Dr. Accardo said dry needling is not the same as acupuncture.

“Acupuncture is based on the meridians, balancing the body and balancing the chi, whereas dry needling is more about muscle spasms in parts of the body where I feel the muscles are tight,” he said.

Red light therapy, offered at LA Health Solutions, also activates the body’s natural healing abilities by energizing mitochondria.

Part of the newly renovated office provides space for light physical rehab and stretching.

“We have state of the art equipment, more than what most offices will have,” Dr. Accardo said. “What makes us most unique is myself and my staff. Your staff is what makes the business, not the building. When you have a staff that’s caring and dedicated to patient care, it makes everything a lot smoother.”

Also located inside the office at 1524 W. Airline Highway is Helping Hands Massage, an independent business operated by Anne Hooter. Dr. Accardo said chiropractors and massage therapists are a great combination.

“When patients go and get a massage from her and get an adjustment after, it makes my job a lot easier, and the patients hold the adjustments better,” he said.

LA Health Solutions is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday.

For more information, please call 985-233-2600 or visit lahealthsolutions.com.