Membership of various levels is open to all individuals with a Doctor of Naprapathy (D.N.) degree and/or a state license to practice Naprapathy, along with special rates for Naprapathic students and interns, members of the general public and/or allied professionals who wish to support the Naprapathic profession. Joining the A.N.A. automatically makes you eligible for membership in an approved state organization.

Naprapathic Medicine is a system of health care that employs Manual Medicine, Nutritional Counseling and Therapeutic Modalities, specializing in the Treatment of pain caused by Connective Tissue Disorders.

Connective tissue supports and contains the structures of the entire body, including the spinal column, and surrounds muscles and all joints and all articulations of the body. It includes ligaments, tendons, fascia, inter-vertebral discs, and cartilage.

A connective tissue disorder as treated by Naprapathic care can be characterized by abnormally rigid and/or contracted (strained) ligaments, tendons and related muscles. Disorders such as these may create interference with the nerve pathways, in addition to impeding circulation of blood and lymph. When this occurs, it can often result in pain and inflammation to the affected area of the body.

Causes of connective tissue disorders may include traumatic injury - including car accidents, sports injuries, and falls - repetitive motion syndromes, such as work-related computer or machine use, heavy lifting and also improper posture.

Board Certified and Licensed Naprapaths, often referred to as Neuromyologists, can evaluate and treat patients with or without a referral from your MD, DO, DC, or DPM in Illinois, but may also treat based on referral or prescription from these other professionals.

Doctors of Naprapathic Medicine often use a three-fold strategy in the Naprapathic treatment of connective tissue disorders.

Naprapathic Manual Medicine: involves hands-on (gentle) connective tissue manipulation to the spine, joints and articulations of the body.

Nutritional Counseling: Recommendations for dietary changes, food supplementation (as through the use of herbs, vitamins and minerals) to assist the body in achieving optimal health.

Therapeutic Modalities: The use of the effective properties of physical measures of heat, cold, light, water, radiant energy, electricity, sound, air and assistive devices for the purpose of preventing, correcting or alleviating a physical disability. Modalities may include ultrasound, electric stimulation and/or photobiostimulation (also known as low-level laser or cold laser therapy).

Some common musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders successfully treated through Naprapathic Medicine include:

• Back Pain
• Neck Pain
• Hip Pain
• Leg Pain
  
• Sciatica
• Neuropathy
  
• Tension Headaches
• Migraine Headaches
  
• Disc Herniation
• Tennis Elbow
• Golfer's Elbow
  
• Shoulder Pain
• Rotator Cuff Injuries
• Strains
• Sprains
• TMJ
• Knee pain
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Arthritis
• Plantar fasciitis
  
• Bursitis and more!