According to Time Magazine, more than 76 million Americans face some kind of chronic pain. We search for relief in cutting-edge methods like mesmerism, acupuncture and meditation, as well as traditional medicine. In 1994, a new form of chiropractic care was developed: Torque Release Technique. Since then, it has helped thousands heal each year. My Upper East

Side doctor, Josh Wagner, at The Life House Chiropractic (lifehousechiropractic.com), is the only Torque Release chiropractor in Manhattan, and he treats his patients with the intention of restoring their life as a whole, not just their body.

As an avid tennis player and runner, with two marathons under my belt, I suffered back problems as well as depression after a car accident in early 2010. After having seen four other chiropractors in the last year, not only was I still in physical discomfort a month or so ago, I was unable to enjoy activities that made me emotionally and mentally happy.

Injury doesn't tend to stay in your anatomy. It often creeps into your brain and sticks there, altering your moods, emotions and mental health. Physical suffering can lead to other unwanted results such as fatigue, anxiety and depression.

According to Dr. Wagner, the spinal column can easily become misaligned with the stresses we experience every day, and that tension is stored in our nervous system. This can cause poor health in your neurology and physiology, producing symptoms like back soreness and headaches, as well as low energy, insomnia, a lowered immune system and chronic discomfort. All of which can lead to emotional and mental issues. Our system will stay "stuck" in this state until an outside force changes it and "snaps" the body out of its downward health spiral. This is what the Torque Release Technique offers.

The actual adjustment is given via a small handheld instrument called the Integrator. It uses a gentle force applied to areas of the spine to "unlock" a stressed nervous system where the spinal bones are "locked" in position, unable to restore alignment on their own.

I'd never encountered this kind of care before, but was surprised and excited about the almost immediate shift I felt. Torque Release is an accurate description because that's exactly what I experienced after my adjustment—a letting go of something I'd been "holding on to" since the accident. Explaining results, as well as a new technique, is always difficult, which is why a short video has been developed on the Life House website, so that people can view the treatment.

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