Chiropractic
Health is multifactorial.
“Doctors of Chiropractic (Chiropractors) are spine and musculoskeletal (MSK) system experts specifically trained to diagnose the underlying cause, treat and recommend options to relieve pain, restore mobility and prevent reoccurrence so people can lead healthy active lives.”- Alberta College and Association of Chiropractors
Chiropractors support overall health, not just fix pain and injury. Although treating and alleviating pain and injury is part of what we do, we also educate our patients on what’s actually wrong with them, why it may have occurred and what they can do to prevent it from happening again. This means, we, as doctors, start by taking a thorough medical history, followed by a physical assessment. We then create a diagnosis and/or differential diagnosis’ based on your signs and symptoms, provide a treatment plan that will suit your needs, and of course, obtain your informed consent for treatment.
General Chiropractic Care for:
- Wellness
- Neck, back, pelvis, etc. pain, headaches
- Motor Vehicle Accident Claims (MVAs)
- Pre/post-natal care
- Infant, child, teen care
- Senior care
- Postural and ergonomic assessment and education
Chiropractic Care can assist…
Everyone. If you have a spine, you can benefit from chiropractic care. Maintaining a healthy spine and nervous system is a fundamental part of health. It is important not to assume that you must wait until you feel pain to get checked. Part of healthy spine maintenance includes regular check-ups to prevent pain and dysfunction all together. When was the last time you had you spine checked?
Those with sedentary jobs (having to sit/remain still for several hours a day), can benefit from chiropractic care by providing :
- Postural advice
- Additional joint mobilization
- Sleeping posture guidance
- Ergonomic assistance
Weekend Warriors
Those who are active (weekend warriors, athletes, runners, and those with physical jobs etc.) can benefit by ensuring there are no underlying issues they may not be aware of.
Children and developing young adults
Kids are active and growing fast. They fall, twist and often hit hard. Always tough on their bodies, chiropractic care ensures that kids keep growing and developing in a healthy manner.
Seniors
As we age, it gets harder to get around. As we age, we want to maintain health, independence and mobility. Seeing a Chiropractor can help maintain and increase joint mobility and wellness.
Chiropractic care…
falls under what is the larger umbrella of conservative and natural health care and holistic living.
The nervous system is the master computer of the body. Housed and protected by the cranium, spine, pelvis and other joints, the nervous system controls every bodily system and function, including growth, movement and development.
Chiropractors maintain the integrity of the spine and nervous system to allow for your body to function optimally. Chiropractors are trained to recognize reductions in joint health, and use physical therapies to help restore this health. Although many see Chiropractic as a “spine based” profession, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Although we specialize in disorders of the spine, Chiropractors spend approximately 40% of their training learning how to diagnose and treat the extremities. This includes shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands, fingers, hips, legs, feet, and toes!
How? A chiropractor uses a “manual chiropractic adjustment” to improve a joints quality of movement when a joint isn’t functioning to its utmost ability.
Chiropractors use their hands to feel and identify joints that are not moving properly. To perform a manual adjustment, they then place the joint in a position where they are able to induce motion by using a controlled high velocity, low amplitude force. The force is always modified depending on the treatment area, patient, and patient preference/condition. It is important to note that just because your adjustment doesn’t always make a sound, does not mean that you haven’t been adjusted, or that the adjustment did not work.
A tool called an “Activator” can be used to induce joint motion in cases where a manual adjustment may not be indicated, for example, if the patient has a preference not to be manually adjusted, or if the treatment area is too tight or restricted to induce a comfortable adjustment. Using an activator is also a very specific way to help induce improvements in joint motion.
Chiropractors also employ muscle therapies to treat the soft tissues. Soft tissue consists of muscles, tendons, ligaments, joint capsules, and more.
Your natural state is health.
Health is multifactorial
Chiropractic care is based on a philosophy that recognizes the body’s ability for self-healing and self-regulation.
Your body has the ability to heal itself. Chiropractors help facilitate this process.
Health is an “inside out” process, which means that your body can grow, function and perform optimally on its own if you provide it the proper resources through good nutrition, consistent activity and an ideal state of mind, and a well-tuned spine and nervous system.
An “outside in” approach to health is more conventional, and more familiar to most, with treatments generally administered through prescription medications and invasive surgeries or therapies; this is what may be described as ‘reactive healthcare,’ or waiting for a problem to surface and then fixing it with external means. In many cases these types of procedures are helpful, clinically necessary and save lives, but a chiropractic health philosophy believes that a first line of defense is proactive healthcare, which means allowing your body to maintain its natural state of health through proper nutrition, exercise, chiropractic care and state of mind, therefore avoiding problems altogether.