Dr. Gregory T Wright DC

Chiropractor | Sports Physician

120 Route 28 PO Box 686 West Harwich MA, 02671 Show map

About
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About

Dr. Gregory Wright is a Chiropractor practicing in West Harwich, MA. Dr. Wright specializes in preventing, diagnosing, and treating conditions associated with the neuromusculoskeletal system, while improving each patients functionality and quality of life. Conditions treated include sciatica, neck pain, and arthritis pain, among many others. Dr. Wright seeks to reduce pain and discomfort through manipulation and adjustment of the spine.

Education and Training

Bowdoin College A.B. 1982

Harvard University Psychology 1984

Logan College of Chiropractic 1992

Board Certification

National Board of Chiropractic Examiners

Provider Details

Male English, French

Dr. Gregory T Wright DC

Dr. Gregory T Wright DC's Expert Contributions

My Answers

How does chiropractic help the immune system?
If chiropractic is defined as a profession, rather than just one of its many physical medicine therapies (identical to physical therapy), then it can boost the immune system through therapeutic exercise, a major part of chiropractic practices, certainly in mine. Chiropractic—despite attempts by some critics to reduce the profession to that— is NOT the same thing as spinal manipulation therapy (SMT). SMT is simply one of chiropractic’s many physical medicine therapies. So, it is well known and generally accepted in medicine that exercise has a profound effect on the normal functioning of the immune system. For example, while prolonged periods of intensive exercise can depress immunity, regular moderate intensity exercise is beneficial to immunity. Single bouts of moderate intensity exercise are “immuno-enhancing”, and have been used to effectively increase vaccine responses in “at-risk” patients. Exercise is thought to do this by reducing inflammation, altering immune cell composition, and the reduction in psychological stress, to name a few benefits. Beyond exercise, chiropractic treatment includes physical therapy modalities that can treat stress, musculoskeletal injuries and conditions, pain and other problems. The FDA recognizes chiropractic as a viable alternative to opiods. I could go on. But yes, thechiropractic profession offers many treatments that reduce pain and stress, including therapeutic exercise, so therefore MUST enhance immunity. Now, go get the COVID vaccine, because it is safe and effective. Was THAT the purpose of your question? If so, let me be clear: chiropractic will NOT prevent COVID-19 infection! Get the vaccine! Save lives, maybe your own! READ MORE
Why does my back keep going out of alignment?
Your back doesn’t “go out of alignment”. That’s just an expression, like “throwing your back out”. It’s medically nonsensical. What is LIKELY happening—and I say this with zero information, but with 90% probability—is you are re-straining lumbosacral multifidi (microscopic muscle tears) repeatedly through improper bending and lifting. Find someone who TRULY understands eccentic load and lumbosacral musculature and teaches you proper bending and lifting technique, as well as endurance/stability exercises that develop slow-twitch muscle fiber in the lumbosacral and abdominal muscles. Side planks are in your future. Good luck! READ MORE
What should I wear to the chiropractor appointment?
That would depend on what part of your body is being treated. For example, wearing tight fitting pants would not be good if the chiropractor was going to treat a knee with therapeutic ultrasound. You get the idea. Some offices have you change into a hospital “johnny” or gown. Other offices don’t. I’d simply ask that doctor’s office before showing up. READ MORE
Should you rest after chiropractic adjustment?
Spinal manipulation should be performed on spinal joints that have partial or total loss of motion. And things in motion tend to stay in motion. I don’t believe rest is necessarily needed after spinal manipulation, no. The opposite is likely true. Humans do not have control over the movement of their own individual spinal joints like we do with most of the human body’s joints (e.g., knees, shoulders, hips, ankles, etc.). We can’t move individual spinal joints when they have lost or have reduced range of motion (ROM). But a trained chiropractor CAN move a patient’s individual spinal joints with great specificity. Chiropractic physicians are trained to move spinal joints that do not move well or at all when performing spinal manipulation (which is, by the way, only ONE of hundreds of physical medicine therapies chiropractors perform. Others are therapeutic rehabilitative exercises, just like at a physical therapist). That movement is important, since osteoarthritis reduces spinal joint motion, and those joints rely on movement to stay healthy. Other than osteoarthritis, muscle strains and ligament sprains (ligament tears) can also reduce the ROM of the spinal joints. So can poor posture and lack of strength and flexibility, and muscle imbalances. As an example, part of the rehabilitation of sprains (ligament tears of varying degrees) is improving ROM. That’s possible for patients to do on their own for most of the body’s joints (usually with supervision by the chiropractor in-office). But not the spinal joints. You need a trained professional to move individual spinal joints. The best a person can do on their own is move groups of spinal joints (since our spinal muscles control and move groups of spinal joints, but do not move those joint individually). So, if you sprain a spinal joint, which is a very common—sometimes devastating—injury in sports and especially motor vehicle crashes, you will very likely need a chiropractic physician to perform spinal manipulation to rehab the injured, individual spinal joints with great specificity. So, I firmly believe that you could stretch gently after spinal manipulation, and continue to just move normally. Let pain be your guide if you came to the chiropractor for pain treatment. That is, don’t do anything that increases pain! All that said, Newton’s Laws state that things in motion tend to stay in motion. The procedure of spinal manipulation creates improved range of motion in individual spinal joints. You don’t want you neck, upper or lower back to lose that newly acquired ROM (range of motion). So, keep moving! Just don’t do anything that hurts or increases pain. READ MORE
Do neck braces help posture?
I don’t believe they do. Thoracic extension exercises definitely help slumped posture. READ MORE
How can I adjust my ankles myself?
You’ll have to complete a doctorate degree in chiropractic or physical therapy or medical school, sit for state and national board exams, and then apply for licensure to practice chiropractic or allopathic medicine or physical therapy in that state. It’s hard to perform manipulation on yourself, and I recommend against it. Why do you want manipulation performed on your ankle? READ MORE
Can a chiropractor help tight back muscles?
Yes! READ MORE
Can you reverse scoliosis?
The short answer is no in a 29-year old. However , functional symmetry in the strength of frontal plane muscles CAN be achieved despite structural asymmetry (i.e. scoliosis). Strengthening slow-twitch muscle in spinal extensors, flexors and lateral flexors (frontal plane) often yields great relief of pain. READ MORE
Do chiropractors work on arms?
Yes. We are musculoskeletal physicians. So we treat most muscle and joint conditions affecting the entire human body. READ MORE
What exercises improve posture?
Thoracic extension exercises will improve posture. READ MORE
How long should it take for a chiropractor to fix your back?
That would depend on your diagnosis. There are many types of conditions that cause back pain, including ones chiropractic physicians can’t “fix”. That said, we do very well with “mechanical” back pain, meaning musculoskeletal back pain, i.e. strains, sprains, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, cartliage and ligament injuries, and others. If you make no subjective or objective improvement at the end of four weeks of treatment (usually 8-12 visits over four weeks, just like physical therapy), you should try something else. You may not be completely better by the end of four weeks, but you should be measurably (objectively) better. If you are improved, you can try another four weeks. Most back pain is muscle strain, which is microtearing to macrotearing of muscle fiber. Most of my muscle strain patients, whether they strain neck muscles, back muscles or any other muscles in the body (chiropractic physicians treat ALL muscles and joints of the human body), get better in kess than 1-2 weeks. Some take 6-8 weeks. State guidelines in my state (Massachusetts) allow several months of traatment for mote sebere cases. Most low back pain is muscle strain, mostly of lumbosacral multifidi muscles (look it up) caused by improper bending, reaching or lifting. Those strains range from minimal/nuisance to severe/agonizing. They almost never require hospital care, x-rays or MRI, even though pain can be moderate-severe at first. Treatment of back pain usually results in improvement that is much faster than doing nothing. Since time is of the essence for working people, those physicians saying “it will resolve by itself” are correct, but missing the point. Chiropractic physicians can often get you better much more quickly. Hope this helps. It’s a tough question to answer without a medical interview, review of systems, and physical examination, all of which you will undergo at the chiropractor’s office, just as at any other physician’s office. Our examinations are typically more thorough, speaking from personal experience. You do not need a referral from a medical doctor. We are considered primary care for musculoskeletal conditions. READ MORE
Does stretching help back pain?
That depends on what type of back pain you have, i.e., your diagnosis, and what muscles you are stretching. Sonit’s possible. For example, a press-up stretch will cause oroblems with lumbar lateral recess stenosis, and a knee-to-chest stretch will typically help that condition. It’s not so simple to say stretching will help. It could definitely worsen your back pain. You need to know which stretches to do, how to do them, how often, and WHY. READ MORE
Can you become addicted to chiropractic cracks?
No. There is no evidence for that. READ MORE
How should I sleep with scoliosis?
Thank you for this question. The short answer is whatever is most comfortable. More importantly, you need to know—and perform—endurance and stability exercises for your spine’s supportive muscles. I’d start with half side planks as ling as they don’t cause pain or additional pain (if you are already in pain). It’s likely that you will be stronger on one side than the other as you have structural asymmetry that is a part of scoliosis. However, you can achieve FUNCTIONAL symmetry in the frontal plane (i.e. in the spine’s lateral benders) by doing endurance/stability exercises such as side planks. Just start. Keep it easy, and stop if any exercise causes pain. See a sports chiropractor who does in-office therapeutic exercise. Sleep well! READ MORE
Can a chiropractor really straighten your spine?
No. Spinal manipulation creates mobility. Chiropractic is a profession, not one of its many treatment modalities (including spinal manipulation therapy). READ MORE
Can a chiropractor help with headaches and dizziness?
Absolutely yes. READ MORE
What are the risks of chiropractic treatment?
Chiropractic treatment has the lowest risk of any treatment for lower back pain, lower than over-the-counter NSAID therapy. READ MORE
Is a chiropractor a real doctor?
Yes. The doctoral programs in chiropractic schools are graduate schools with 4-5 years of post-baccalaureate study in medical science, with a curriculum almost identical to medical schools. Chiropractic medical schools are accredited through the same governmental agencies as all higher education. The degree granted upon graduation is D.C., or Doctor of Chiropractic. READ MORE
What is the best treatment for neck pain?
The answer to that question depends on a variety of factors, not the least of which is what is causing your neck pain. So a precise diagnosis, with a review of your general health, past medical history, past trauma, past and current medications, and a thorough examination would be necessary. Any primary care physician—including chiropractic physicians—can do all those things. If it is muscle strain (and there are many possibilities there), osteoarthritis, whiplash, ligament tear (i.e., sprain; again, many possibilities), facet cartilage contusion or degradation, herniated disc or other space-occupying lesion, a chiropractic physician can diagnose and treat any of those conditions, as well as order advanced imaging of the cervical spine (neck). READ MORE
Do chiropractors treat muscle pain?
Yes, chiropractic physicians treat muscle pain and a variety of muscle problems. In reality, muscle strain and tightness, and muscle imbalances on opposite sides of a joint can cause a whole host of problems. Headaches are often caused my muscle strain, so are tennis elbow, arm numbness, low back pain, heel spurs, shin splints and many other conditions. Most people age poorly due to muscle imbalances that many refer to as “poor posture”. For example, tight, short and overdeveloped internal shoulder rotator muscles (i.e., subscapularis muscles), combined with weak thoracic spine extensor muscles and short and tight pectoralis (pec major and minor) muscles cause a slumped forward posture. It is entirely preventable, but people need to start early with exercises that strengthen and stretch the correct muscles. Chiropractic physicians are experts in assessing muscle imbalances and how they affect posture, cause injuries and put a person at great risk for injury. There are many examples beyond this one. We are experts in clinical biomechanics. Our training is much, much more than most—if not all—personal trainers. Personal trainers cannot diagnose, so their training is not nearly as much as the training of a chiropractic physician or physical therapist. Your best bet for muscle problems are DCs or DPTs. The treatments are often identical. READ MORE

Areas of expertise and specialization

Rehabilitative medicine, physical medicine, sports medicine, personal training, sutomotive medicine, expert witness in motor vehicle collision injuries