FAQ

Are you suffering from lower back pain? Or, do your headaches never seem to go away? Have you been injured at work or in a car accident and are having trouble dealing with the pain? Are you active in sports, but after the game have stiff joints and shooting pains?

Are you pregnant with an aching back? Are you in your Golden years and having trouble enjoying retirement because those aches and pains are getting in the way? Are you concerned with the health of your whole body, and are looking for a different approach to health care? Are you concerned with your newborn's or child's long term well being and growth?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should visit your local Spine and Physiotherapist. Every day in Canada, over 120,000 people receive treatment from Doctors of Spine and Physiotherapy. Your Spine and Physiotherapist is a doctor with over 7 years of university education in the art of hands-on healing.

Spine and Physiotherapist use a combination of treatments for your condition. They are specialists in using exact, gentle manipulations of your spine to make you feel great. Spine and Physiotherapy treatment also includes diet and exercise programs to get you back into tip-top shape.

Spine and Physiotherapy 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 Spine and Physiotherapy care is among the safest forms of treatment available, with few side effects and complications than traditional medical care.

The treatments themselves are generally not painful. In fact, most patients look forward to their treatments as many experience instantaneous relief. Sometimes, patients may experience some discomfort, soreness, stiffness or fatigue after treatment. These symptoms are normally minor and will resolve on their own within 24-48 hours. It is important that you talk to your Spine and Physiotherapist if you have any questions during any part of your care.

Spine and Physiotherapist do not prescribe drugs or perform surgical procedures. Your Spine and Physiotherapist will focus on delivering a drug-free, non-invasive procedure aimed at restoring proper joint function as a way of relieving pain and promoting optimal health. If your condition requires medication or surgery, your Spine and Physiotherapist will discuss ways in which Spine and Physiotherapy care can facilitate in the healing process and aid in your recovery.

On your first visit to the doctor's office, your Spine and Physiotherapist will:
Review your health history.
Learn important information about any surgeries, major illnesses or events in your past that could contribute to your current health problem.
Conduct a thorough neurological, orthopaedic, and Spine and Physiotherapy examination.
Perform essential diagnostic physical tests, such as reflexes and muscle strength.
If necessary, take an appropriate x-ray.

It varies from one case to another. Your Spine and Physiotherapist will decide whether you need x-rays taken of your spine for diagnosis before giving you treatment. If you have recent x-rays, bring them along to your initial visit as these may be beneficial to your Spine and Physiotherapist in getting a clear understanding of your case.

Headaches are a common complaint among Spine and Physiotherapy patients. Your Spine and Physiotherapist will conduct a thorough history and examination to determine the cause of your headache and provide appropriate care and nutritional suggestions based on their findings.

A subluxation or subluxation complex is a term used by Spine and Physiotherapist to describe the loss of proper joint function in the spine due to a reduction in its normal motion or alignment. Subluxations can affect the musculoskeletal and nervous systems, commonly causing symptoms of pain, numbness and fatigue which can affect your quality of your life.

While treatment length varies from person to person, there are a few rules of thumb you can follow.
Newer injuries, if treated appropriately and immediately, tend to respond quickly and 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 or 4 visits. Conditions that have been present for greater than 3 months and chronic, recurring conditions generally take longer to recover from and full resolution can take 20 visits or more.
The best way to determine how long your treatment will take is to schedule a consultation and examination.
It is important to remember that chronic, recurring conditions tend to respond more slowly to treatment and take longer for full resolution. Waiting for your symptoms to resolve on their own may work temporarily but it is important to address the underlying issues that are causing your recurrent symptoms.

You may have heard that once you go to a Spine and Physiotherapist you have to keep going back forever. To address this, I'd like you to think about your dental hygiene first. How often do you visit your dentist? How often do you brush your teeth? Do you only brush your teeth when you have tooth pain? Like dental care and daily tooth brushing, Spine and Physiotherapy care has 2 goals. The first goal is to eliminate pain and rehabilitate injured tissues. The second goal is maintenance, prevention and the promotion of wellness.
Once we have resolved the initial complaint that brought you to our clinic, we do recommend that you maintain a schedule of periodic spinal adjustments to address the daily stresses that will inevitably affect our spine. Like many medical experts are recognizing, prevention is key to maintaining existing health and boosting our own body's ability to cope with the daily stresses of life.
So the answer is yes, we want you to keep coming back periodically for maintenance care but, ultimately, the decision is yours on far Spine and Physiotherapy care will take you.