There is a common perception that all chiropractors do is crack backs and treat spinal injuries. But in reality we work with all of the joints and muscles in the body.
I’ve had success working with jaw joints (called the temporomandibular joint or TMJ), headaches, shoulders, hips, knees, ankles, elbows and even big toes. Seriously from head to toe.
What is Chiropractic Care?
Chiropractors are trained professionals trained to help with your nerves, muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments, and fascia.
They have extensive training in anatomy - the road map of your body and biomechanics - how your body moves.
Once your chiropractor understands what your issues are, the treatment can consist of some or all of the following:
- Joint Manipulation: This is the crack that chiropractors are famous for. A manipulation is a high velocity low amplitude thrust applied to the end range of motion of a joint. This is just a fancy way of saying chiropractors use a fast but gentle impulse to move the joints in your body.
- Joint Mobilizations Similar to a manipulation a mobilisation is gentle force applied to the end range of a joints range of motion. The thing that distinguished it from a manipulation is that force is applied slowly and progressively not in a quick impulse like in the manipulation.
- Soft tissue therapy: This treatment consists of applying mechanical pressure to a muscle or other soft tissue and then stretching the tissue through its range of motion.
- Education: This is the most important treatment a chiropractor can give you. Chiropractors have a wealth of knowledge on the musculoskeletal system and can give you the information needed to avoid injury and take charge of your own health journey.
- Exercise prescription: Chiropractors will also give you some specific exercises tailored to your injury and athletic competence. These exercises will help expedite the healing process and help you avoid future injury.
Their goal is to relieve your pain and improve your body function.
5 conditions that your Chiropractor can treat
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Neck Pain
Chiropractic care can help with your neck pain. Chiropractors are trained to fully assess your neck muscles and joints and determine what is the root cause of your pain.
A typical assessment looks at how the neck is moving, the tightness of the muscles and if any nerves are affected.
Treatment can vary depending on condition, it may include movement of the joints of the neck called spinal manipulation or mobilization, treating the muscles around the neck and/or some stretches/exercises.
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Strains or Sprains
Chiropractors are experts at dealing with sprains and strains. A sprain is an injury to a ligament. These are the soft tissues that support joints and attach bones together. A strain is an injury to a tendon or muscle. Tendons are the soft tissue that connect muscles to bone.
These injuries can occur anywhere in the body and commonly occur in areas like the ankle when you “roll your ankle”.
Chiropractors will assess the damage tissue to accurately diagnose the magnitude of the injury and then treat appropriately. Very serious injuries may require further imaging or referral to another medical specialist.
The majority of these injuries can be effectively treated by a chiropractor through: activity modifications, exercise, soft tissue therapy, manipulations and mobilisations.
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Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a very common condition affecting millions of canadians. This occurs when the protective cartilage around a joint is worn down over time due to trauma and wear and tear.
Osteoarthritis can cause pain and decrease in normal function especially in the elderly. It can occur in any joint and is very common in the knees and hips.
While there is no cure for osteoarthritis chiropractors can help by accurately diagnosing the problem and treating symptoms so you can maintain function.
We do this with a combination of joint manipulation, mobilisations, soft tissue therapy, exercise, and lifestyle modification.
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Shoulder Pain
The shoulder joint is a complex structure that has a variety of potential injuries and pain generators. Injuries can occur as a result of trauma, overuse, degeneration, or poor biomechanics.
Chiropractors have the ability to identify the specific structure causing your pain so that it can be effectively treated. Chiropractors use a variety of tools to treat shoulder pain and get you feeling your best.
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Low Back Pain
Low back pain is one of the most common reasons for disability or missed work in Canada. This can have a huge impact on your livelihood and places a substantial burden on the health care system.
Low back pain is a chiropractors specialty. They are experts at identifying the underlying causes of low back pain and treating them appropriately.
Low back spinal manipulation has been shown to be effective in relieving pain, increasing function, and reducing the need for drugs or surgery.
So, should you see a chiropractor for your pain? Learn more about our Chiropractor Services now.
Chiropractors can help improve your pain and get you moving again. They can help decrease pain, improve strength and give you some advice on how to manage your issues.
Don’t live with pain! Contact Our Chiropractor Now
FAQ
Is Chiropractic care safe?
Chiropractic Care is safe and effective. Your chiropractor will do a full examination to determine the root cause of your pain and if chiropractic care is effective for you.
Will I have to see my chiropractor forever?
No! A chiropractor will identify the problem and communicate a treatment plan that they feel will be effective. Depending on the injury treatment may be spaced over weeks to months. Once you are feeling better the chiropractor will discharge you and you can get back to doing the things you love. Some patients do choose to see chiropractors for regular maintenance care to keep themselves feeling at their best.
Does Chiropractic care hurt?
This is very dependent on the injury. Some injuries like adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder) can be painful to treat as the chiropractor has to move you through painful ranges of motion as a treatment. Most of the time there is little to no pain involved in a chiropractic adjustment. You may feel pops and cracks, but you should not feel any intense pain. Some chiropractic patients do experience some mild soreness or minor aches after a visit.