Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can Chiropractic Help Me?
A: If a subluxation is diagnosed, chiropractic adjustments will be beneficial. The degree of response may vary due to the length of time the condition has existed, the lifestyle of the patient and their compliance to the care plan.

Q: Is Chiropractic Safe?
A:Chiropractic spinal adjustments are extremely safe when performed by trained chiropractors. In fact, chiropractic adjustments are among the safest treatments for most back and neck problems. According to a 1993 Ontario Ministry of Health commissioned study.

Q: Does the Adjustment Hurt?
A: Typically, no. If you are in so much pain that simply touching the spine hurts, the doctor will apply ice for 15 or 20 minutes and that will reduce the discomfort for the procedure. An adjustment is felt and heard like cracking one’s knuckles. There could be some stretching sensation felt when the lower back or pelvis is adjusted in the side posture position and that is normal.

Q: What should I expect after an adjustment?
A: Often times after the first adjustment you will feel tired. The release of the adjustment to a fixated inflamed segment is like pulling out a longstanding sliver or lancing a boil. The body says “ahhh” and wants to rest. This is normal. Some patients feel a little general soreness like they “used muscles they didn’t know they had”. This is because some muscles have been tight or spastic for so long in response to the subluxation that they go unnoticed until they start to relax. Only then do we realize how tense they were. About 3-5% of people may experience a sensation like their arms or legs are tingling. If this occurs it typically lasts a couple of hours or less.

Q: How many adjustments will I need?
A: The exact amount is case specific. The doctor will have a better idea after 2 or 3 visits when your body’s response is better understood. Some acute conditions such as a catch sensation in a hip or midback may resolve in one adjustment. Other more chronic subluxations may take 1 to 2 years of treatment to reduce to an optimal level. Some cases will require supportive maintenance the rest of one’s life just at some people need insulin for their diabetes or medication for their heart after bypass surgery. Again it’s case specific, but one thing you won’t find at our clinic is “pre-determined” treatment plans.

Q: Will my Doctor give me exercises?
A: YES. Dr Anderson will give you exercises specifically for your condition and if she feels you need an evaluation by a therapist or exercise physiologist, she will refer you to the appropriate professional. Exercise is not recommended until the motion of the spine has been restored to at least 50% of its normal movement. Prior to that the muscle will not receive the exercise well and the therapy may even cause pain.

Q: Who should be checked for subluxations?
A: EVERYONE….. If you have a spine and a nervous system, you should be checked. Dr Anderson’s youngest patient was 3 days old and her oldest 96 years old.

Still have questions?
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