Welcome new, seasoned and prospective
chiropractic patients!
Thank you in advance for taking the
time
to discover the powerful effects chiropractic
can have on human health.
Each year millions of Canadians choose a chiropractor to provide safe, natural and effective
relief from back pain, neck pain, headaches, extremity pain, poor overall
health, low energy levels and many other physical ailments.
According to The Association of Chiropractic
Colleges, "Chiropractic is a health care discipline which emphasizes
the inherent recuperative power of the body to heal itself without the use of
drugs and surgery. The practice of chiropractic focuses on the relationship
between structure (primarily the spine) and function (as coordinated by the
nervous system) and how that relationship affects the preservation and
restoration of health."
Because chiropractic treatments are primarily
applied to the spinal region, many individuals incorrectly assume that
chiropractors treat only back and neck ailments. While we do quickly and
effectively eliminate back and neck pain, it's not the only goal. The
objective is to restore and optimize human health. In fact, according to a
statement from The Association of Chiropractic Colleges, "The
purpose of chiropractic is to optimize health."
You may be wondering... how can the same
chiropractic treatment which effectively treats my back pain also optimize my
health? The answer can be found by looking into the relationship between the
spine and the nervous system.
As you may already know, the nervous system is
the master controller of all living cells, tissues and organs; orchestrating
and coordinating all cellular functions. The spinal column encases the nervous
system (spinal cord and nerve roots) and is responsible for its protection.
Because of this intimate relationship,
biomechanical and structural problems in the spinal column can irritate parts
of the enclosed nervous system. This irritation can result from noxious
inflammatory biochemicals released during tissue injury or may result from
direct mechanical pressure. In either case, the functioning of the nervous
system is negatively influenced as is the functioning of the cells, tissues
and organs which are supplied by the affected nerve(s).
The resulting ailment(s) depends on the cells,
tissues and organs affected as well as the extent of nervous system
compromise.
In short, because the body's innate
recuperative powers are affected by and integrated through the nervous system,
correcting spinal abnormalities which irritate the nervous system can lead to
a number of favorable results in patients suffering from various, seemingly
non-spinal health conditions.
Practically speaking, chiropractors are
primarily concerned with locating and treating vertebral subluxations.
A vertebral subluxation is a complex of
functional and/or structural and/or pathological articular (joint) changes
that compromise neural integrity and may influence organ system function and
general health.
Using a number of unique and highly refined
skills, the chiropractor checks the patient's spine for any misalignments,
fixations or other abnormalities (vertebral subluxations). If subluxations or
other abnormalities are detected, the chiropractor will generally apply a
gentle force in a corrective manner to the affected spinal area.
Chiropractors use many specialized techniques
to identify and treat these spinal abnormalities and optimize overall health.
In addition to spinal adjustive techniques, soft tissue techniques such as
massage, dietary and nutritional counseling, physical therapies, and lifestyle
modification programs are commonly employed.
There is a significant and very important
difference between the way chiropractors and medical doctors approach health
ailments.
When evaluating and treating patients,
chiropractors take a holistic approach which includes identifying and
correcting the cause(s) of the patient's health ailment. In contrast, the
medical approach tends to focus more on the treating the symptoms of a
condition rather than focusing primarily on the actual cause(s).
Chiropractors believe that correcting the cause
of the problem provides significant long-term benefits over only treating the
symptoms.
Short-term and regular chiropractic care have a
number of benefits including:
-
spinal and extremity pain relief
-
headache relief
-
increased mobility and range of motion
-
decreased stiffness and muscular spasms
-
arthritic joint pain relief
-
increased joint health
-
increased performance and energy
-
increased sense of well being and relaxation
-
increased balance and coordination
-
reduced degeneration and risk of injury
-
enhanced tissue healing
-
decreased tissue inflammation
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Accurately identifying the cause of spinal pain
or other discomfort almost always requires a thorough consultation and
examination. Individuals should not assume their pain stems from the same
problem, for example, their neighbor had, and thus what has helped their
neighbor will help them. Just as every individual is unique and different from
the next, so too are the health conditions they suffer and the treatments they
require.
Chiropractic doctors are highly trained in the
diagnosis and treatment of soft tissue injuries and abnormalities common to
the spine, extremities and rest of body. Rest assured that if you are
suffering from back or neck problems, extremity problems or other health
related ailments chiropractic can provide you with the effective professional
relief you demand. If your condition is out of the chiropractic scope or would
be more appropriately managed by another health care specialist, we will
gladly and promptly make the necessary referral.
Chiropractic has helped millions of people
worldwide suffering from all types of problems and not just back and neck
ailments. Chiropractic works with the spinal column and it's intimate
relationship with the nervous system - the major controller of all bodily
functions. By optimizing spinal column structure and biomechanics, irritation
and stress are removed and health can once again be achieved.
You may be surprised to learn that research
studies have provided scientific evidence showing chiropractic care is not
only effective in the treatment of back and neck ailments, but can also
provide effective relief with children suffering from ear infections, women
suffering from dysmenorrhea (painful menses), and a number of other seemingly
"non-spinal" conditions. While it's not prudent to guarantee relief
from such conditions or claim to "treat" these conditions,
chiropractic has successfully helped millions of individuals with all sorts of
health conditions by positively affecting the nervous system.
Of course, doctors of chiropractic are best
known for their success in treating back and neck problems. Through the use of
chiropractic spinal adjustments and other highly specialized chiropractic
techniques, chiropractors have established themselves as the back and neck
injury specialists. Many medical experts are now coming to understand the true
effectiveness of chiropractic care and are recommending major changes in the
way our health care system manages many common spinal problems. According to a
recent Ontario Ministry of Health commissioned study on low-back pain,
"A very good case can be
made for making chiropractors the gatekeepers for management of low-back
pain..."
While treatment lengths vary somewhat from
person to person and from condition to condition, there are a few rules of
thumb you can follow.
First, newer injuries, if treated appropriately
and immediately, tend to respond to fewer visits assuming that major
tissue injury has not occurred. Many of these first time injuries can be
effectively managed in as little as 3 to 4 visits. Conditions that have been
present for greater than 3 months and recurring conditions are generally more
stubborn and difficult to manage. Resolution may require 12 visits or more.
The only sure way to determine how long your
treatment will take is to schedule a consultation and/or examination.
For those of you who believe in just waiting
for the problem to "go away" on it's own - understand that the
longer your condition has been around, the more treatments it will eventually
require to resolve.
Costs vary and generally depend on the number
of treatments required to effectively treat your condition. A number of
studies have shown that chiropractic care is extremely cost effective when
compared to other "medical" forms of care for similar conditions.
According to the 1993 Manga Report,
"There would be highly
significant cost savings if more management of low-back pain was transferred
from physicians to chiropractors. Users of chiropractic care have
substantially lower health care costs, especially inpatient costs, than
those who use medical care only."
Note: We also offer different treatment plans
and payment options, placing chiropractic care within reach for all who wish
to receive its benefits.
You may have heard the notion that once you go
to a chiropractor you have to keep going back. Before we answer that question,
ask yourself how many times you have visited a dentist? Like most people,
you've probably gone dozens of times. Why? Quite simply, to prevent your teeth
from literally rotting out of your head.
Once we have eliminated your pain and
rehabilitated the injured tissues we do recommend that you maintain a schedule
of periodic spinal checkups. Like your dentist and like many of the medical
experts are now recognizing, prevention is the key to reducing recurrences of
existing health conditions and minimizing new injuries in the future.
So the answer is yes, we want you to keep
coming back, but just periodically. Periodic chiropractic care minimizes
spinal and nerve stresses, reduces recurrences of old injuries, prevents new
injuries from developing, minimizes degenerative processes, which enhances
overall health and wellness.
Chiropractic treatments are extremely safe for
individuals of all ages - from infants to 100 year olds. Our treatments are
safe because we only use natural and noninvasive methods of care. Research
consistently shows that care from chiropractors is among the safest care
available and is literally light years ahead of traditional medical care in
terms of "safeness".
The treatments themselves are generally not
painful. In fact, most patients look forward to their treatments as many
experience instantaneous relief immediately afterwards. Individuals who
present with moderate to severe pain may experience some minor discomfort for
obvious reasons, however, care is always gentle, safe and noninvasive.
For research studies evaluating chiropractic
safety, select
What
You Should Know First from the menu.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW FIRST
Chiropractic treatments are extremely safe for
people of all ages. Unfortunately, some critics of chiropractic care have
attempted to manipulate the public into thinking chiropractic treatments are
dangerous. Nothing could be further from the truth. Chiropractic treatments are
among some of the safest treatments used in the health care field.
Read what Canadian researchers stated after
performing the largest analysis of scientific literature on the most effective
and cost effective treatments for low back pain:
The Ontario Ministry of Health commissioned
Manga Report represents the largest analysis of scientific literature on the
most effective and cost effective treatments for low back pain. After
reviewing all of the international evidence on the management of low back
pain, lead investigator Pran Manga, Ph.D., found the treatments provided by
Doctors of Chiropractic were exceptionally safe - much safer than for standard
medical treatments of similar conditions.
- "There is no
clinical or case-control study that demonstrates or even implies that
chiropractic spinal manipulation is unsafe in the treatment of low
back pain. Some medical treatments are equally safe, but others are unsafe
and generate iatrogenic (doctor-induced) complications for low back pain
patients. Our reading of the literature suggests that chiropractic
manipulation is safer than medical management of low back pain."
- "Indeed, several existing medical
therapies of low back pain are generally contraindicated on the basis of
the existing clinical trials. There is also some evidence in the
literature to suggest that spinal manipulations are
less safe and less effective when performed by nonchiropractic professionals"
- "Chiropractic
manipulation is safer than medical management of low back pain.
Chiropractic management is greatly superior to medical management in terms
of scientific validity, safety, cost-effectiveness and patient
satisfaction."
The Effectiveness and Cost
Effectiveness of Chiropractic Management of Low-Back Pain (The Manga Report).
Pran Manga and Associates (1993) - University of Ottawa, Canada.
On December 8, 1994, the Agency for Health
Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) of the US Department of Health and Human
Services released Clinical Practice Guidelines for the management of acute low
back pain. Their guidelines were developed after extensive study of diagnostic
and treatment methods for acute low back pain.
The guidelines were created by the AHCPR panel to provide primary care
clinicians with information and recommended strategies for the assessment and
treatment of acute low back problems. The AHCPR panel was made up of 23
members consisting of medical doctors, chiropractic doctors, nurses, experts
in spinal research, physical therapists, an occupational therapist, a
psychologist, and a consumer representative.
Their findings included:
- The risk of serious
complications from lumbar spinal manipulation is rare;
- Conservative treatment such as spinal
manipulation should be pursued in most cases before considering surgical
intervention;
- Prescription drugs such as oral steroids,
antidepressant medications and colchicine are not
recommended for acute low back problems.
Acute Low Back Problems in
Adults. Clinical Practice Guidelines. Bigos S, et al. Agency for Health Care
Policy and Research Publication No. 950642 (1994) - U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services.
The government of New Zealand published a 377
page report which assessed the efficacy and safety of chiropractic care. The
report was a result of almost 2 years of conducted hearings from recognized
health care experts.
Their principal findings
included:
-
"Chiropractors are the
only health practitioners who are necessarily equipped by their education
and training to carry out spinal manual therapy
(spinal adjustments)."
-
"Chiropractors carry out spinal diagnosis
and therapy at a sophisticated and refined level."
-
"Spinal manual therapy in the hands of a
registered chiropractor is safe."
-
"The duration and training of a
registered chiropractor are sufficient to enable him/her to determine
whether there are contraindications to spinal manual therapy in a particular
case, and whether that patient should have medical care instead of, or as
well as, chiropractic care."
CHIROPRACTIC MYTHS
Over the years a number of myths pertaining to chiropractic have been created,
mostly by economic competitors and those with differing philosophies. While the
majority of myths have no basis, they do exist and cause some confusion to
individuals unfamiliar with chiropractic care.
Quite the contrary. Many patients feel instant
relief immediately after their treatments. In fact, most look forward to their
chiropractic treatments. In patients suffering from severe bouts of back or
neck pain, some discomfort may be experienced for obvious reasons, however,
for most patients this is not the case.
For detailed information on chiropractic
adjustments, see
Adjustments.
Chiropractic spinal adjustments are extremely
safe when performed by chiropractors. In fact, chiropractic adjustments are
among the safest treatments for most back and neck problems. According to a
1993 Ontario Ministry of Health commissioned study,
"There is no clinical or case-control
study that demonstrates or even implies that chiropractic spinal
manipulation is unsafe in the treatment of low-back pain. Some medical
treatments are equally safe, but others are unsafe and generate iatrogenic
(doctor-induced) complications for low-back pain patients. Our reading of
the literature suggests that chiropractic manipulation is safer than
medical management of low-back pain."
Lead investigator of the study, Pran Manga,
Ph.D., however, did warn that spinal adjustments performed by health care
professionals other than qualified doctors of chiropractic were potentially
harmful and less effective:
"Indeed, several existing medical
therapies of low-back pain are generally contraindicated on the basis of the
existing clinical trials. There is also some evidence in the literature to
suggest that spinal manipulations are less safe and less effective when
performed by nonchiropractic professionals."
On December 8, 1994, the Agency for Health
Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) of the US Department of Health and Human
Services released clinical practice guidelines for the management of acute low
back pain. Their guidelines were developed after extensive study of the
diagnostic and treatment methods used for acute low back pain. Their findings
included:
• The risk of serious complications from
lumbar spinal manipulation is rare;
• Conservative treatment such as spinal manipulation should be pursued
in most cases before considering surgical intervention;
• Prescription drugs such as oral steroids, antidepressant medications and
colchicine are not recommended for acute low back problems.
The training and education endured by
chiropractors is extremely thorough and demanding, similar to that of medical
doctors with the exception of pharmacology and surgery.
Prior to entering chiropractic college, the
aspiring chiropractor requires 2-4 years (depending on the college attended
and the state one wishes to practice in) of premed undergraduate studies. Once
completed, the student must next complete 4-5 academic years of studies at a
chiropractic college. This includes extensive training in anatomy, physiology,
pathology, neurology, radiology, differential diagnosis, chiropractic
adjustive techniques, biomechanics , and other health-related studies.
In addition, prior to graduation each student
must successfully complete several hundred clinical hours of "real"
patient management in a clinical setting under professional supervision. Most
chiropractic colleges also require students to partake in clinical externship
programs which place them in actual chiropractic offices, further enhancing
their clinical practice skills.
Near or soon after graduation, the new doctors
of chiropractic must successfully complete rigorous National and State Board
examinations prior to obtaining a license to practice chiropractic. Once
licensed, most states require that chiropractors receive annual continuing
education to ensure that a high level of competency is maintained.
Chiropractors have always sought to provide the
safest and most effective healing methods for their patients. In order to
achieve this, the chiropractic profession has been dedicated to conducting
scientific studies to improve their diagnostic methods and treatment
techniques. In the last 20 years chiropractic health care has established an
impressive array of scientific research that demonstrates the efficacy, safety
and cost effectiveness of chiropractic care. There are many further studies
currently underway, and several have been performed by medical doctors and
government researchers in both the U.S. and a number of other countries.
In fact, the chiropractic profession has
accumulated a greater number of scientific trials on chiropractic than the
medical profession has accumulated for many of the treatments rendered by
medical doctors. According to David M. Edy, M.D., Ph.D., professor of health
policy and management with Duke University, North Carolina, only 15 percent of
all medical interventions are supported by solid scientific evidence. Paul G.
Shekelle, M.D., M.P.H., of the RAND Corporation made the following statement
on ABC's 20/20:
"There are considerably more
randomized controlled trials which show benefit of this (chiropractic care)
than there are for many, many other things which physicians and
neurosurgeons do all the time."
Research clearly disproves this myth.
Chiropractic care has been consistently shown to be cost effective in a number
of government and workers' compensation board studies.
According to The Manga Report, a 1993 Canadian
government commissioned study,
"There would be highly significant
cost savings if more management of low-back pain was transferred from
physicians to chiropractors... Users of chiropractic care have substantially
lower health care costs, especially inpatient costs, than those who use
medical care only."
According to an economic analysis conducted in
Richmond, Virginia,
"By every test of cost and
effectiveness, the general weight of evidence shows chiropractic to provide
important therapeutic benefits, at economical costs. Additionally, these
benefits are achieved with apparently minimal, even negligible, impacts on
the costs of health insurance."
When the State of Florida's Workers'
Compensation Board conducted research in 1988 on treatment costs associated
with injured workers who received care from either chiropractic doctors or
medical doctors, they found chiropractic treatment costs were 58.8 percent of
the treatments costs rendered by medical doctors
($558 vs. $1,100 per case)
Most doctors of chiropractic promote a
preventative type of lifestyle which has been construed by adversaries to mean
that chiropractic care requires a lifetime of commitment. Actually,
recommending that patients return for periodic spinal care is no different
that what dentists recommend to their patients in order to prevent cavities
and gum disease.
Just as it would be ludicrous to believe that
visiting a dentist once per lifetime would ensure permanently healthy teeth
and gums it's equally as silly to think that visiting a chiropractor a few
times will ensure a lifelong healthy spine. Our spinal tissues undergo daily
bombardment of stresses originating from bad postural habits, suboptimal work
environments, psychological stress, and hectic lifestyles just to
name a few.
For theses reasons, after the resolution of
acute problems patients are given the option to receive periodic spinal
checkups which acts to minimize the likelihood of future recurrences or
development of new problems. The preventative approach in health care has been
gaining much recognition as of late and there has been a large push in the
medical community and health insurance industry to incorporate preventative
programs into mainstream medicine.
It's really that simple. Periodic care to
prevent future problems - safe, natural, convenient care now to avoid nasty
and complex problems later.
Chiropractors provide effective treatment for
all types of soft tissue disorders and not just back and neck ailments. This
includes conditions of the joints of the extremities like the ankle, knee and
shoulder.
What you may not be aware of is chiropractic's
success in treating a number of non-soft tissue conditions like dysmenorrhea
(painful menses), ulcers, migraine headaches, and ear infections in children.
While we cannot claim to cure these conditions, we believe that many of these
problems can be mimicked, aggravated and some times caused by disruptions in
the nervous system as a result of spinal abnormalities.
By correcting these
spinal abnormalities like the vertebral subluxation, chiropractic has helped
thousands of individuals overcome these conditions and regain
control of their
lives.
A number of studies have also supported these
findings. In one such study, spinal manipulative therapy was compared with
standard medical treatments in the treatment of duodenal ulcers. The
researchers Pikalov, MD, and Kharin, MD, found those subjects receiving spinal
manipulations took an average of 16 days to heal vs. 26 days to heal in the
standard medical treatment group.
CONDITIONS TREATED
Chiropractic has provided effective relief to
millions of individuals suffering from back and neck ailments. Chiropractic
has also provided relief from many other musculoskeletal complaints ranging
from knee and ankle problems to carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow. In
fact, musculoskeletal pain or discomfort in any area of the spine or extremity
is a candidate for safe, natural, noninvasive chiropractic care. If a
condition exists which is better suited for treatment by a medical specialist,
chiropractors are fully trained to identify such conditions and make the
appropriate referral. However, most patients suffering from musculoskeletal
complaints can and are successfully treated with chiropractic every single
day.
-
low back pain and stiffness
-
neck and upper back pain and stiffness
-
mid back pain and stiffness
-
headaches and migraines
-
leg pain, weakness, numbness and tingling
-
arm pain, weakness, numbness and tingling
-
extremity joint pain and dysfunction
-
carpal tunnel syndrome
Chiropractors commonly treat all types of
injuries and recognize the unique findings associated with each. For
example, it's important to understand that auto injuries often involve a
delayed onset of symptoms which commonly surface weeks and even months
post-accident. In work injuries, chiropractors routinely look beyond the
actual injury and address such things as work station setup, ergonomically
correct equipment, and proper work techniques. For sports injuries,
chiropractors often check for biomechanical and muscle imbalances as a
routine part of the treatment plan. Treating the whole person and optimizing
health is what chiropractic is all
about.
In addition to musculoskeletal problems,
chiropractic treatments have also been shown to benefit many individuals
suffering from "medical" ailments such as chronic ear infections in
children, menstrual pain and irregularities in women, and arthritis in the
elderly. Although chiropractic care is not a specific form of treatment for
such conditions, research has shown that many "medical" conditions
can be caused or aggravated by irritation to spinal nerve roots which share an
intimate relationship with the spinal structures. By restoring proper nerve
functioning by normalizing spinal structure and function, we believe some
individuals suffering from these "medical" ailments can obtain
partial and in some cases, full relief.
-
asthma
-
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
-
dizziness and dysequilibrium
-
dysmenorrhea
-
infantile colic
-
low energy levels
-
otitis media (ear infection)
-
ulcers
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