What is Chiropractic

A Chiropractor is a doctor that has specialized in treating conditions involving the muscles, joints and nerves all over your body. Chiropractors are like the mechanics for your body, helping restore proper function and mobility to all parts of your body, not just your back and neck. It takes a minimum of 7 years university-level training to become a Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.).

Dr. Shaw's background includes a double major degree from the University of Victoria (Kinesiology & Psychology) which took 6 years to complete, as well as an additional 4 years of schooling at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto . During her six years at UVic, she worked in the Sports Injury Clinic and was the head trainer for the men's varsity rugby team, so she is very experienced with sports injuries and the therapy required to get people back into action.

Chiropractic therapy provides the opportunity to help you reduce or get rid of aches and pains all over your body without the use of drugs or additives to your body.

After a history taking and examination, treatments will be tailored to your particular needs, including home care (stretches & strengthening exercises) to assist with your recovery and to create new, healthier habits in your life.

Chiropractors utilize many differing forms of treatment, but the main form of therapy that we provide are “adjustments” which are designed to restore the proper mobility of your joints. The bones and their joints provide the framework for your body, and if they're not working properly, you may experience discomfort and lack of proper motion and function. By treating the root cause of your discomfort, you will experience better alignment and less strain on your muscles and joints.

Chiropractic care can also provide preventative therapy, which means that you can see a Doctor of Chiropractic for an evaluation for a check-up when you're not in pain, in order to stay healthy and active. Please feel free to contact our office with your questions to see how you can start to benefit from Chiropractic care today!

Chiropractors are doctors that use natural methods to restore and maintain normal movement and function of the muscles, joints, and nerves.

Chiropractors are commonly thought of as “Back Doctors” but treat muscles, joints, and nerves all over the body. Chiropractic can provide relief from common health problems such as headaches, neck and back pains, tension, stiff joints, shoulder and hip pain, foot and ankle problems, tendonitis, and arthritis.

The main focus of Chiropractic is detecting and treating spinal subluxations (partial dislocations) caused by stress on the biomechanical system. Subluxations are treated with adjustments and other techniques to restore the normal functioning of the muscles and joints. Restoring the normal mechanics of the spinal segments may reduce muscle spasms, inflammation, and your discomfort. A large part of treating subluxations and other musculo-skeletal conditions is improving posture and decreasing stress. Chiropractors will advise you on how to improve your posture, decrease your stress, and help you to live a healthier "chiropractic lifestyle".

Back and neck problems are complex because of the anatomy of our spine, but also because of what we do with our backs and bodies on a daily basis. Repetitive strain from awkward movements or prolonged sitting can cause many back and neck problems, as well as problems with other areas of our bodies. The daily stresses of poor posture, stressful living, lack of strength or flexibility, and faulty body mechanics can contribute to an overall un-wellness of our bodies. Chiropractic treatments aim to correct these stresses, thereby restoring the normal functioning of our muscles, joints, and nerves.

If you have suffered from chronic aches or pains, see your Chiropractor for an evaluation and possible treatment. It may be possible to prevent future recurrences of your condition with treatments at regular intervals, stretches, and/or strengthening exercises.

Is Chiropractic Safe?

Chiropractic treatments are safe and effective forms of health care. Basically, Chiropractic care aims to help restore the proper functioning of the musculo-skeletal system as well as the nervous system. This means making your joints work properly and reducing the tension in the muscles, so that the nerves coming out of your spine can work properly. Chiropractors are essentially rehabilitating small areas of our body to improve the health of the whole body, using adjustments as the primary method of treatment.

The most common risk with Chiropractic is having some discomfort during or after the treatments, and this can last momentarily or up to two days after a treatment. It is considered normal to have some discomfort after any physical therapy, including massage therapy, physiotherapy, and the like, because the musculo-skeletal system has been affected and your body must adapt and heal in a new, more healthy way. Most times, people present to our offices already in discomfort, and rarely do they leave in greater discomfort.

There has been a lot of media attention across the country with regards to Chiropractic adjustments of the cervical spine and possible links to stroke. It is important to realize there hasn't been any scientific evidence to prove that Chiropractic adjustments CAUSE damage to the arteries or that they CAUSE strokes. What the research does show, is that if you have an underlying medical condition of the cardiovascular system (including the arteries in the neck), there is a slight chance that it will be aggravated with extreme or sudden movements of the neck. All of the current medical and chiropractic research indicates that the risk ranges from 1:1 Million to 1:5.8 Million. This is an extremely low incidence. In fact, you have more of a risk of stroke with normal activities of daily living (such as washing your hair, practicing yoga, or doing a shoulder check in your car) than you do with Chiropractic adjustments.

There are certain tests that your Doctor of Chiropractic will perform prior to any treatment in order to rule out any problems that will be aggravated by the treatment. If you have specific problems or concerns, your treatment will be guided to suit your needs specifically.

Please talk to your Doctor of Chiropractic about any specific questions you may have regarding your own personal risks to treatment, as some medical conditions require special Chiropractic attention and care. Your Chiropractor needs to know your entire medical history in order to give you the best possible health care.

Health problems aren't "problems" until they get severe, and Chiropractors can detect spinal problems before they become serious. Most people get a yearly checkup from their medical doctor because they want their MD to perform certain tests to make sure they don't have any serious illnesses or diseases. For the most part, a person can't feel if they have a serious illness until it progresses to a point that affects the entire body, or when it starts to become painful. For example, hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) sometimes shows up first as a heart attack!

If your spinal joints are ignored over the years, they will be more likely to degenerate and become arthritic. So early detection can help to prevent osteoarthritis and maintain healthy muscle tone and joint mobility. The back and neck anatomy is so complex, that the hundreds of muscles and joints will tend to compensate for any problem areas quite well -- the only problem is that the way the structures compensate is by tightening up and trying to immobilize the area. In the long run, this simply creates a permanent immobility and inflammation, which leads to arthritis, limited mobility, and more discomfort.

When a person is not in pain, yet continues to see a chiropractor on a monthly or so basis, they are aiming to maintain the mobility they have achieved from the previous treatments. These people often report a feeling of "looseness" in their backs after their treatments, as well as increased energy, the ability to "stand up straighter" and better in general.

Regular treatments aim to KEEP you healthy, as opposed to waiting until you're back at square one in agony, and we have to start all over again. Our body is designed to only allow us to experience pain when the problem is serious. So if you always wait until you're in pain to have a check-up and possible treatment, there may already be joint damage and dysfunction.

Getting treatments before the pain shows up will prevent those small problems from getting bigger, and your body will be able to focus on the other systems instead.