Chiropractic Care

Primarily chiropractors treat muscle and joint pain in the spine and other areas of the body. Some of the common conditions chiropractors treat are:

• back pain
• neck pain
• headaches (migraines, tension type, cervicogenic)
• radiating leg and arm pain (sciatica, disc herniations, disc bulges)
• muscle, tendon and ligament sprains/strains
• sports injuries
• repetitive or overuse strains/sprains
• postural strains rotator cuff problems
• plantar fasciitis
• carpal tunnel syndrome
• golfer and tennis elbow
• shin splints
• arthritis
• bursitis

Of course, these are just some of the more common conditions treated.

Most extended insurance covers chiropractic care. Check with your insurance company to be sure.

Chiropractors practicing in Canada have a minimum of seven years of schooling. Like most health care professionals, chiropractors take a minimum 3 years of pre med courses at a university. Following this, they study an additional four years at a chiropractic college. Finally, they write national and provincial board exams before becoming a fully licensed chiropractor.

In a word, yes. Chiropractic treatments have a very low risk of any serious complications. This is reflected in chiropractic malpractice insurance being the lowest of any health care professional.

It really depend on you. Every patient receives a customized treatment that is outlined for them following a thorough initial examination. It could include spinal adjustments, muscle stretching and stripping, electrical modalities (IFC), therapeutic ultrasound, and exercise/stretches. It also includes advice or recommendations and could involve a referral to another health professional if necessary.

Chiropractors utilize a variety of treatment techniques but adjusting is the most common and well known. A chiropractic adjustment is a highly controlled precise thrust delivered to the joints of the spine or extremity in order to restore normal motion in that joint. It releases adhesions within the joint and relaxes the surrounding muscles and ligaments.

Usually it feels great. The most common response from a hesitant patient being adjusted for the first time is “That felt great/ What was I so worried about?” The majority of patients receive relief immediately following an adjustment while some report it takes an hour or two for the relief to set in.

That is the sound of gas moving around in the joint. When a joints capsule is stretched it creates a negative pressure causing gas to be released out of the joints lubricating fluid. It doesn’t always happen with every adjustment, but is perfectly normal if it does.

This has received a lot of attention in the media recently and has prompted a large multidisciplinary study to determine if there is any truth to it. The issue is whether chiropractic neck adjustments cause people to have a vertebral ischemic attacks or what is commonly known as a stroke. The study found this is not true. People are just as likely to visit a medical doctor in the days preceding a stroke as they are a chiropractor.¹ In both cases it is very unlikely, less than one in a million. You’re 400 times more likely to have a serious medical problem taking an everyday ibuprofen pill like Advil™, than you are with chiropractic care.

References:
1.)Cassidy JD, Boyle E, Cote, et al. Risk of Vertebrobasilar Stroke and Chiropractic Care: Results of a Population-Based, Case-Controlled and Case-Crossover Study. Spine 2008;33(4): S184-91.

It depends on the individual. There is a lot of factors, but the biggest one is how long you’ve had the problem for. Usually new injuries require fewer treatments. Other factors such as the severity of the problem, types of tissue that have been affected, your overall health and your age all factor into your prognosis. It also depends on your goals for the treatment. Some people are happy to reduce their pain from a ten out of ten to a five out of ten while others want to get back to feeling like they did ten years ago.

No. Some people elect to come in for periodic “tune ups” because they find they feel better after treatments and managing at home with stretches and exercises given to them by one of our practitioners. It’s entirely up to you.

Occasionally x-rays will be required before treatment can begin. Whether x-rays will be needed will be determined during the initial assessment.

No. Chiropractors are legislated as primary care health professionals meaning you don’t need a referral to see them. However, you may be referred to your medical doctor if your conditions requires co-management or of its out of the scope of what a chiropractor can treat.