Frequently Asked Questions in Vernon BC

Chiropractic literally means "done by hand" (more on this in a second). It's a system of healthcare that started with the idea that your body heals and functions maximally when all of the nerves from your brain, running through your spinal cord, can fully communicate (without any interference) to all of the organs, cells, and tissues of your body. If your spinal bones are out of alignment, nerves can become irritated or compressed. This can cause pain and inflammation, but it can also affect how well your body heals itself, compromising your health. In the late 1800s it was discovered that gentle adjustments (done by the hands of the practitioner) to bones that were out of place could help restore the position of vertebrae and therefore re-establish brain-body communication. This had the effect of reducing spine and body pain, and also seemed to restore health function to many named conditions. This has had such profound effects for so many people that an entire healthcare system was created over time.

This might sound strange, but technically Chiropractors don't treat conditions per se. Our focus, at least in this practice, is to identify potential patterns of nerve irritation in the body, often caused by spinal misalignments and poor posture (but also caused by stress or nutritional issues). It's these imbalances that end up affecting the body's function, which you end up feeling as symptoms. If symptoms are expressed long enough, they end up creating certain conditions, or "dis-ease". By correcting these imbalances and re-establishing effective nerve flow in the body, Chiropractors see great success with:

• Lower back, neck, and mid-back pain
• Pain that radiates down the arms or legs
• Sciatica and other referral pains
• Hip and sacroiliac joint pain
• Joint pain and inflammation
• Carpal Tunnel and hand pain
• Numbness, tingling, and neuropathy
• Headaches and migraines
• Postural imbalances
• Sports injuries
• Muscle knots and muscle pain
• Poor sleep and fatigue
• Sinus and allergy issues
• Poor digestion and digestive issues

A Chiropractic adjustment is made to any area of the body (usually the spine and related joints) with the intention of gently restoring alignment to an area that is assessed to be out of balance. Sometimes adjustments need to be made to areas that are already very tender, and sometimes they need to be delivered to areas that are misaligned but NOT YET painful. We like to catch postural and spinal issues BEFORE they become critical, so we teach a program of prevention and health maintenance, meaning we work to ensure that your posture is on point before your body begins to express damaging symptoms. But if the problem is allowed to persist and take hold, then adjustments are necessary to first help with the pain and inflammation, and then to restore the underlying imbalance the CAUSED the issue. These adjustments are usually done carefully with skilled hands, or sometimes with an instrument that delivers an exact gentle force (mostly for infants or elderly patients who have greater delicacy or sensitivity).

Sometimes patients want to know this before an exam is even complete, and who can blame them? How much will it cost, how often do I need to come, and how long will it take to fix are THE most common questions. Unfortunately, Chiropractic care is not like taking a round of antibiotics, with exact doses for certain conditions and exact timeframes to take the medication. Chiropractic treatment varies widely for many reasons. A rib that goes out of place in your back suddenly when you're gardening is very different from 14 years of chronic pain from a disc injury. What you can be sure of is that a complete exam and history will be taken to assess your condition. This may include taking any necessary x-rays, or obtaining any medical studies that might be important in your case. Then, a report of your findings will be presented so that you can create an excellent path forward with your Chiropractor.

Restoring alignment and balance to a body can have vast benefits, but for many it's like turning the alarms off and the lights back on. As your nervous system communicates your brain's messages to the body and back with less interference, the most notable things we see in patients are:

• Reduced and/or eliminated back pain, neck pain, and headaches
• Reduced joint pain, carpel tunnel symptoms, referral pain, and sciatic pain
• Improved numbness and tingling
• Improved digestion
• Improved sinus and allergy symptoms
• Improved sleep
• More energy

Whether it's medication, surgery, physical therapy, massage, yoga, or Chiropractic care, all treatment carries risks. Thankfully, Chiropractic is considered to carry very low risk. The minimal risks that do exist can be highly mitigated by performing a complete history and exam, by taking any necessary x-rays or releasing prior studies you may already have, and then by gathering all of that data to formulate a plan that keeps any risks in mind. A conversation called an Informed Consent is always had between you and your Chiropractor before any treatment is offered so that all options are discussed prior to care. We want you to feel fully informed and comfortable before moving ahead with any treatment.

The simple answer is that adjustments are not supposed to be painful and for the most part, they have many people giggling as a common response. Seriously, laughter! Sometimes adjustments need to be delivered to the body in areas that are ALREADY VERY painful, like when people get brought into our office, unable to walk because they're in so much pain. But even in these extreme cases, Chiropractors are trained to ensure that you are as relaxed as possible before and during treatment to mitigate any unwanted discomfort.

There are many great choices for chiropractors in and around the Vernon community, and I know of many of them. I think what makes us stand out is our multidisciplinary, collaborative approach to your health, and the thorough treatment plans we create alongside you to ensure that you meet your health goals. Also, not very many clinics have an on-site digital x-ray facility for those that might need spinal pictures to get a better idea of what is going on. This drastically reduces waiting times and additional medical appointments so we can get right to helping you quickly in your time of need. Lastly, we get a ton of great reviews from patients commenting on their excellent care and warm, friendly staff!

Depending on where you are in your treatment plan, visits can last as long as 45 minutes for a full new patient intake, to 15 mins for progress exams and consultations. For uncomplicated conditions or routine follow-ups, visits can take 10 mins or less. You can be sure that whatever time is necessary, we're prepared to spend it to maximize your body's response.

Chiropractors in Canada require a minimum of 7 full years of university study (3 full years in a Bachelor's degree, and 4 full years in a Chiropractic College).

Of course! It could be argued that pregnant women are going through and enduring more biomechanical change (not to mention hormonal!) than any average human being. Pregnancy shifts your center of gravity. The added weight of carrying a new life adds stress and strain to all of the joints in the body. You might say that there could be no greater time to ensure optimal alignment and nerve function! So yes, we see a lot of pregnant women in our practice. We just use soft supports and modify treatment to ensure that you are always comfortable.