Chiropractic Is Evidence-Based Chiropractors are Canada’s MSK experts, with over 4,200 hours of core competency training in the musculoskeletal (MSK) system. Chiropractic care is a hands-on, non-invasive, safe and effective approach to treating and managing MSK conditions. MSK conditions can range in severity from minor sprains and strains to back and neck pain to disc herniations and spinal stenosis. MSK conditions can be mild or severe, but they can also be acute or chronic, common or rare, and localized to one body region or widespread. Day-to-day activities can put demands on your MSK system, which can cause painful joint and back problems. From motor vehicle accidents to sports injuries to repetitive stress, chiropractic treatment can help heal the specific injuries to your bones, muscles and nerves. With an individualized chiropractic treatment plan, chiropractors manage chronic conditions affecting the MSK system. The World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) has compiled a reading list of research papers on various topics (neck pain, low back pain, headaches, etc.) curated by the profession and accessible to all. Learn about injuries and conditions associated with musculoskeletal pain and the effectiveness of chiropractic care. WFC READING LIST Research into the effectiveness of chiropractic care is ongoing and has shown benefits to many patients. Approximately 1 million British Columbians visit a chiropractor each year to recover from injuries and pains associated with everyday living. It is common for patients to report pain relief and improvements in their quality of life as a result of chiropractic treatment. Sometimes, changes are immediate, and in some cases (depending on the condition) changes are slow to occur. Patients notice a difference in 3 to 5 visits and full recovery in 6 to 8 visits* on average, depending on the nature of their condition or injury. *Although the provincial average is 6 to 8 visits the range is broad with some patients responding faster than others.

The best time to see your chiropractor is immediately after you suffer an injury or within two days of feeling the pain associated with the trauma. If you find that aches are limiting you from sleeping well, sitting or walking, we recommend that you see your chiropractor as soon as possible. You never need a referral to see a chiropractor. The earlier you see your chiropractor, the greater chance there is for a full recovery. Sometimes, small problems can escalate into big medical challenges that can significantly impact your life. Chiropractors are primary contact providers and can support your recovery from start to finish. Patients who suffer for a long time without chiropractic care may wish to seek out a second opinion from a chiropractic doctor if their current medical treatments are not effective. Many patients get to know their bodies and can sense the need for a visit to maintain optimal spinal health. They may feel like something is “off”, unbalanced or tight in their posture and seek out treatment to correct it.

Chiropractic Care Is Safe! Chiropractic care has proven to be safe and effective for neck and back pain. A comprehensive review of scientific evidence noted that there is as much evidence supporting chiropractic care as for other treatments such as prescription and non-prescription drugs and surgery. Doctors of Chiropractic work with patients to achieve and document informed consent, which involves describing the risks and benefits of all treatment options before performing the selected treatment. The most common side effects associated with chiropractic care are temporary. These are typical symptoms of increased pain, radiating pain, and/or stiffness that usually resolve within 24 hours of treatment. Serious complications are rarely associated with chiropractic care. What About Neck Manipulation? Millions of neck manipulations are performed safely each year. They provide patients with relief from neck pain and headaches and help them to get back to their normal activities. If you suffer from neck pain or headaches, be very specific about your symptoms. Clarity will help your chiropractor offer the safest and most effective treatment, even if it involves referral to another health care provider. Do not hesitate to discuss any concerns you may have with your chiropractor. Depending on your clinical condition, they will recommend the most appropriate and safest treatment for your particular condition. Treatments may include joint mobilization, therapeutic exercise, soft tissue techniques, or other therapies.

Chiropractors are extensively educated in the prevention, assessment, diagnosis and management of spine, muscle and nervous system (also known as musculoskeletal or MSK) conditions. They recommend a course of treatment to help relieve pain and improve function without surgery or pharmaceuticals such as manipulation, soft tissue therapy, exercise, modalities (ultrasound, laser, etc.), rehabilitation, and patient education. Chiropractors are also trained to provide nutritional counselling, as well as recommend injury prevention strategies. Specific training in spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) allows chiropractors to provide adjustments using highly-skilled and precise movements to the vertebrae of the spine, correcting joint motion to restore proper movement and improve function.

Over 4,000 clinical studies have been conducted worldwide validating the effectiveness of Cool Laser Therapy on over 100 treatment conditions, including: arthritis, low back pain, shoulder pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, concussions, wound healing, among many others. In that regard, Most injuries can be treated with laser therapy. Ultimately, it is at the discretion of the healthcare practitioner to determine based on the best available clinical evidence which areas and conditions can be treated with CLT.

The depth of penetration of laser light depends on many parameters such as the laser's wavelength, the power, the type of device driver (superpulsed, pulsed or continuous wave mode) and lastly the technique used. The higher the wavelength typically, the deeper the penetration; however, with wavelengths greater than 950 nm the water in the tissue absorbs light and the depth of penetration is drastically reduced, in addition to causing heat. Secondly, devices of greater power can provide better penetration, up to the Maximum Permissible Exposure (“MPE”) limit of tissue; whereby, they just induce thermal heat. Thirdly, the peak power of the waveform in the laser system is the most critical factor in providing depth of penetration. Thus, devices which are superpulsed have better penetration versus pulsed or continuous wave devices, because they have greater peak power densities for superior photon concentrations at depth, albeit at shorter time intervals. We use a machine that can achieve up to 5" depth.

Yes! As always, there is a lot of leeway here. Some people find great benefit from having multiple different therapies on one day while others find it overwhelming. Always inquire with your therapist as to what treatment timeline might be best for you, but ultimately it is Your body. What feels good for others might not feel good for you and it's important to respect that.

This is a question we get a lot! Unfortunately the answer is ambiguous, as it depends on the condition and the timeline of injury. More recent injuries will respond the most quickly; the further away from injury date the longer it will take to see major changes. For acute injuries(0-1month), we recommend 3 visits within one week, and then 2 treatments per week until symptoms resolution. (usually 6-10 treatments). For sub-acute injuries (1-3months post injury), we recommend 2 visits per week until symptom resolution (usually 10-15 visits) Chronic Injuries (greater than 3 months post injury) will take longer to heal and this means that treatment is often open ended. This includes disc herniations, post surgical care, conditions such as peripheral neuropathy and neuropathic pain, inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis etc. Based on the nature of this injuries and conditions, it is best to take to your Laser care provider and create a treatment plans that suits your personal goals.

One must never shine the laser light directly into the eyes of anyone, as the laser light is strong enough to induce permanent eye damage if held in place for any length of time. We also recommend that CLT not be used on the abdomen of a pregnant woman. Laser therapy is also capable of breaking down the ink in tattoos; it is advised to not be used directly overtop of any tattoo (However, laser tattoo removal uses a different machine, and the machine used for cool laser therapy should not be used for tattoo removal)

Cool Laser Therapy heals tissue ailments by injecting billions of photons of visible and invisible laser light deep into tissue structures. Tissue naturally contains protein strands called chromophores and cytochromes located in the mitochrondria of a cell (known as the cell engine), which have the unique ability to absorb laser light energy and transform it into chemical energy for the cell. This chemical energy is utilized by the tissue to significantly accelerate the healing process and reduce pain in the body naturally.

There are thousands of published clinical research studies that describe the positive effects of CLT. These studies range from studies on individual cell types to in-vivo double-blind randomized control studies. The areas of study range from wound healing to muscular skeletal conditions and have been conducted on different types of laser devices. Numerous clinical studies and research is provided on the internet and there are numerous books on the subject. One very good text is "Low Level Laser Therapy - Clinical Practice and Scientific Background", written by Jan Turner & Lars Hode.

The acoustic waves used in Shockwave therapy interact with your tissues causing the overall medical effects of accelerated tissue repair and cell growth, analgesia and mobility restoration. New Blood Vessel Formation Reversal of Chronic Inflammation Stimulation of Collagen Production Dissolution of Calcified Fibroblasts Dispersion of Pain Mediator "Substance P" Release of Trigger Points

After only 2-3 sessions, over 80% of patients report a significant reduction in pain. 90% improvement for plantar fasciitis (Journal of Orthopedic Research, 2005) 91% improvement for calcific tendonitis (Journal of American Medical Association, 2003) 77% improvement for tennis elbow (Journal of Orthopedics, 2005)

Shockwaves accelerate the healing process by activating the body’s self-healing powers, particularly in cases where the body has been unable to do it on its own. It stimulates metabolism and enhances blood circulation which enables damaged tissue to regenerate and eventually heal. The treatment relieves pain by producing an analgesic effect on the treatment area. Healing occurs over several treatments by initiating an inflammatory response and ultimately vascularization to the area. Shockwave therapy accelerates the healing process in the body by stimulating the metabolism and enhancing blood circulation to regenerate and heal damaged tissue. Strong energy pulses are applied with our equipment to the affected area. These pulses occur for very short periods of time, creating micro-cavitation bubbles that expand and burst. The force created by these bubbles penetrates tissue and stimulates cells in the body that are responsible for bone and connective tissue healing. In many instances, shockwave therapy is most effective in cases where the human body has been unable to heal itself on its own. These high energy acoustic waves that are transmitted through the surface of the skin are spread radially (spherically) into the body and the body responds with increased metabolic activity around the area of the pain. This stimulates and accelerates the healing process and is especially useful for those suffering from chronic heel, shoulder, knee, achilles, elbow and back pain. The use of shockwave in therapy is that it effectively takes a tissue from a more chronic to a more acute state, and in doing so, provides a stimulus (trigger) to a 'stalled' repair sequence.

The therapy session takes about 10-20 minutes depending on the disorder that is treated. In general, 3-5 sessions are necessary at weekly intervals

Shockwave Therapy can be used to treat a wide variety of musculoskeletal conditions, in particular, those involving areas where major connective tissue attaches to bone. Common sites that can be successfully treated are: Foot – Plantar Fasciitis, heel spurs & Achilles tendonitis Knee – Patellar tendonitis, jumper's knee & shin pain Elbow – tennis or golfer’s elbow Shoulder – rotator cuff tendonitis & calcification Hip – trochanteric bursitis Muscles – various trigger points throughout the body and muscle tension Bones-Stress fractures, non union's(delayed bone healing) Nerves-Morton's Neuroma

Shockwave therapy is a recent development that is used successfully by healthcare providers that specialize in musculoskeletal disorders. As compared to other treatment methods, the advantages are: Quickly reduces pain No medication is needed Avoids surgery and anesthesia No major side effects No risk of allergies Accelerates healing Effective for chronic conditions