When most people think about healthcare, especially musculoskeletal care, the focus is usually on one thing:
“This hurts. How do I make it stop?”
At Skare Spine & Performance, we take a different approach.
Recently, I had the opportunity to discuss this philosophy on Midwest Access, which sparked an important conversation about what holistic care actually means and why it matters for lasting results.
What Does “Holistic Care” Really Mean?
Holistic care does not mean ignoring pain.
It means recognizing that pain is often the end result of something else going wrong in the body.
Rather than chasing symptoms, our goal is to:
- Identify the root cause of your pain
- Understand how your body is moving as a whole
- Build a plan that creates long-term improvement and not just short-term relief
Pain is information. When we understand why it’s there, we can address it more effectively.
Why Symptom-Only Care Often Falls Short
Many people are used to healthcare visits that feel rushed:
- You barely explain what’s going on
- Someone treats the painful spot
- You’re out the door before you feel heard
That approach may temporarily reduce symptoms, but it rarely changes the underlying problem.
Covering pain with medication, injections, or isolated treatments can allow people to keep pushing forward… until the issue returns again.
Our goal is different: Fix the problem so pain doesn’t keep coming back.
The Foundation: A Comprehensive Evaluation
Everything we do starts with a thorough, comprehensive evaluation.
Rather than only looking at where it hurts, we assess:
- How your joints move
- Where movement is restricted
- Where there may be too much motion or instability
- Muscle tone, tension, and trigger points
- How your body stabilizes during movement
- How different regions work together
Pain in one area is often influenced by dysfunction somewhere else. A shoulder issue may be tied to the neck or upper back. Low back pain may be influenced by hip or foot mechanics.
We take the time to look at the whole picture.
A Three-Pronged Treatment Approach
At Skare Spine & Performance, we combine multiple forms of care into one integrated plan.
1. Joint-Based Care (Chiropractic)
Chiropractic care helps restore proper joint motion, reduce stiffness, and improve how forces move through the body. But adjustments alone are rarely enough.
2. Muscle & Tissue Care
We address muscles and connective tissue using:
- Manual muscle release techniques
- Dry needling
- Shockwave therapy for chronic and stubborn issues.
This helps reduce excessive tone, improve blood flow, and allow tissues to move more freely.
3. Rehab & Movement Training
This is where everything comes together.
We use targeted rehab and stabilization work to:
- Reinforce healthy movement patterns
- Improve joint stability
- Teach your body how to keep the improvements we create
This approach allows us to move beyond passive care and build long-term resilience.
Why We Focus So Much on Movement
How you move matters.
Poor movement patterns—often developed from old injuries, repetitive stress, or prolonged inactivity—can overload specific tissues while underutilizing others.
Over time, this imbalance leads to:
- PainTightness
- Reduced performance
- Increased injury risk
By assessing and retraining movement, we help distribute load more evenly across the body.
Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS)
One of the methods we frequently use in rehab is Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS).
DNS focuses on:
- Proper spinal positioning
- Deep core and neck stability
- Coordinated, efficient movement patterns
During exercises, we provide constant feedback and cueing to help activate the right muscles at the right time.
The result?
You can get a tremendous amount of work done in just a few minutes, often feeling muscles engage in ways you’ve never experienced before.
What Conditions Do We Treat?
While many people associate chiropractors with back and neck pain, our care extends far beyond the spine.
We commonly help patients with:
- Low back pain
- Neck pain
- Headaches
- Shoulder pain
- Hip pain
- Knee pain
- Elbow issues
- Ankle sprains
- Sports injuries
- Overuse injuries
If it involves the musculoskeletal system, it’s worth having it evaluated.
Why Having Multiple Tools Matters
No two people are the same.
Some patients need:
- More joint-focused care
- More soft tissue work
- More strength and rehab
- Or a specific combination of all three
Having multiple tools allows us to customize care, rather than forcing everyone into the same template.
That’s one of the biggest differences patients notice when they come in.
Chiropractic Care Beyond “Just an Adjustment”
Many people are surprised to learn that chiropractors can help with:
- Shoulder pain
- Knee issues
- Elbow pain
- Sports injuries
- Balance and stability problems
Pain doesn’t have to be in your spine for us to help.
Our job is to assess how your entire body is functioning—and intervene where it makes the biggest impact.
A Long-Term View of Health
One of the biggest advantages of a holistic approach is that it looks beyond today.
What you do in your:
- 30s
- 40s
- 50s
Directly influences how well you move in your later decades.
Addressing movement, strength, and stability early helps preserve independence, confidence, and quality of life in the long term.
How to Get Started at Skare Spine & Performance
If you’re dealing with pain—or want to understand your body better—the first step is to book a comprehensive evaluation.
We’ll take the time to listen, assess, and build a plan designed for you.
Final Thoughts: Healthcare Should Be More Than a Quick Fix
Pain relief is essential—but it shouldn’t be the only goal.
By addressing joints, muscles, and movement together, we help patients move better, feel stronger, and stay active longer.
If you’re ready for care that looks deeper than symptoms, we’d love to help.
Schedule your appointment today and experience a more complete approach to chiropractic care in Rochester, MN.
Nate Skare
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