WHAT IS CHIROPRACTIC?

The word chiropractic comes from Greek, meaning “treatment by hand.” Chiropractic care is a highly skilled treatment carried out by trained professionals, which focuses on the source of pain, not just the symptoms. The practice of chiropractic consists of the examination, assessment, diagnosis and treatment of neuromusculoskeletal conditions and related spinal and joint disorders. Chiropractic care also involves the promotion of healthy lifestyle through education in the prevention of injuries.

WHAT IS A CHIROPRACTOR?

Chiropractors are regulated primary health care providers like doctors, dentists and optometrists, which means they can see you without a referral from another health care provider.

HOW DOES CHIROPRACTIC WORK?

The bones in your back, called the vertebrae, are connected by cartilage and work together in a very specific way. When everything is working well, your spine is in-line, strong and flexible. The stress of daily living, injuries, or accidents can cause the bones in the spine to shift out of proper alignment. Small changes in the alignment of your spine can cause discomfort in the different joints, muscles, and nerves along your spinal column, and affect your range of motion.

Chiropractors understand how to relieve this discomfort. They are specially trained to find the source of your pain, assess the problem, and make the proper adjustments that allow your spine to work properly again.

Chiropractic joint manipulation, or adjustment, is a treatment in which the chiropractor uses his or her hands to apply a very quick, precise, and safe amount of pressure directly on the problem area of your spine. This pressure momentarily separates the joints, allowing a gas bubble to escape (this is the popping sound or cracking noise you might have heard about). The result? Relief of pressure on the joint and surrounding nerves, and most importantly, allows your spine to return to its proper position. The adjustment is not painful, and often provides immediate relief.

HOW MANY CANADIANS SEEK CHIROPRACTIC CARE?

Four and a half million Canadians visited a chiropractor last year. Chiropractors are trained to provide care to all members of the public. Treatment of back, neck and headaches represents 95 per cent of practice.