What Is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic means "done by hand." Doctors of Chiropractic
focus on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of
muscle and joint problems in the body.
Chiropractic care may complement or support conventional
medical treatment by relieving the musculoskeletal aspects
of discomfort associated with the condition.
Chiropractic care may also be palliative, providing
symptomatic relief to patients with chronic conditions.
By treating the musculoskeletal elements of such disorders,
chiropractic treatment improves the general well-being
of the patient.
Although the major focus of chiropractic is on the
spine and central nervous system, your chiropractor
is concerned with the wellness of your whole body. Plus
chiropractors work with your physician to help you achieve
optimal health and well-being.
What are Chiropractors?
Chiropractors are concerned with how the nerves, muscles
and joints function, not just in the spine, but all
over the body. They focus on the diagnosis, treatment
and prevention of mechanical disorders of the body.
They use specific joint manipulations or "adjustments"
as one of their modes of treatment. This is a highly
controlled procedure that improves the range of motion
and flexibility of joints, and aims at restoring proper
function. Patients often note positive changes in their
symptoms immediately following treatment. Joint manipulation
has a lot of scientific studies showing that it is safe
and helps improve the function of joints and is effective
for common conditions such as headache, neck, and back
pain.
Chiropractors, along with medical doctors, dentists,
psychologists, and optometrists have the legislated
right and obligation to communicate a diagnosis and
to use the title doctor. The College of Chiropractors
of Ontario is established by legislation in the same
manner, and with the same structure and similar regulations,
as the regulatory bodies for other health professions.
It is responsible for protecting the public, standards
of practice, disciplinary issues, quality assurance
and maintenance of competency.
Is Chiropractic Safe?
Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest,
drug-free, non-invasive therapies available for the
treatment of headache, neck, low back and joint pain.
However, no health treatment is completely free of potential
adverse effects. Your Chiropractor will discuss your
diagnosis and plan of management with you before any
treatment is started and review any possible side effects
that may associated with your specific treatment plan.
What is an adjustment?
The wear and tear of everyday life is hard on your spine.
It can become misaligned and cause many health problems.
This is because the nervous system runs through your
spine and controls every function of your body. Spinal
adjustments are highly skilled, gentle manipulations
of the vertebrae correcting spinal restrictions/subluxations.
Treatment emphasizes joint manipulation but includes
other manual procedures, foot orthotics, lifestyle modifications,
ergonomic and nutritional advice, stretching and strengthening
exercises.
What can Chiropractic Help with?
Some examples of conditions that we have had great success
with are:
- Back Pain and Sciatica
- Headaches, Migraines and Neck Pain
- Shoulder Pain, like Rotator Cuff Syndrome
- Arm, Wrist and Hand Pain - like Tennis Elbow and
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Hip and Knee Pain - like Psoas Syndrome and Iliotibial
Band Syndrome
- Leg, Foot and Ankle Pain - like Shin Splints and
Plantar Fasciitis
- Repetitive Strain Disorders
- Sprains, Strains and Other Sports Related Injuries
- Neck & Shoulder tension
- Muscle spasm/cramps
- Rehabilitation
- Pregnancy symptom relief
- Whiplash injuries
- Arthritis
- Tendonitis/Bursitis
Chiropractic treatment and massage therapy
go hand in hand
Chiropractors often work with massage therapists in
treating back and neck pain. Tight, tense muscles can
pull the vertebrae out of alignment. A massage before
a chiropractic treatment will help the body respond
to the care given and decrease soreness post-treatment.
Once the chiropractor has made an adjustment to the
spine, stretching the muscles can help keep the adjustment
in place. It is also difficult for the chiropractor
to perform an adjustment on a person who has tense back
muscles.
A multi-treatment approach to relieving neck and back
pain often has the best success rate.
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