At Achieve Health, our Victoria Chiropractor team sets itself apart by being part of an evidence-based, multidisciplinary group of practitioners who care for the overall health of each and every patient.
Promoting Healthy Lifestyles
Our Doctors of Chiropractic use the most current, up to date, well researched, evidence-based strategies to assist you to reduce your pain and improve your ability to do what you enjoy. They utilize a multitude of approaches including exercise, symptom modification techniques including manipulation, or adjustment, of the spine and extremities to empower you to return to the lifestyle you desire. This practice forms an essential part of a patient’s health team. Victoria chiropractors take a thorough history, examine patients, and provide a diagnosis (for example, an irritated nerve or a motor control issue) to develop an individualized treatment plan.
Who Can Benefit from Victoria Chiropractor Treatment?
Chiropractic can bring pain relief and improved function to patients from many demographics. People suffering from:
Osteoarthritis
People who have osteoarthritis may have episodic neck and back pain. Chiropractic manipulation, education regarding the condition, and general exercise, combined with appropriate home care, can provide relief from chronic pain as well as acute flare ups.
Tension Headaches
Tension-type headaches often present as tightness or stiffness through the neck and upper back. Chiropractic manipulation, postural guidance, and gentle stretching can help reduce muscle tension and support more comfortable day-to-day movement.
Mechanical Low Back Pain
People with mechanical low back pain typically feel discomfort related to movement, lifting, or prolonged sitting. Chiropractic treatment, mobility work, and simple home-based exercises may help ease symptoms and improve functional movement.
Hip Pain
Your hips are built to absorb a lot of pressure on a day to day basis, however, sometimes they can become painful or stiff. Falls & fractures, vehicular accidents or sports injuries can exacerbate any existing hip joint sensitivities. Sometimes, hip pain refers from lower back pain or comes on due to unnecessary bracing of the back and hip muscles. Chiropractic adjustment can help to alter your perception of the abilities of your body and therefore help alleviate this type of pain and improve flexibility.
Chronic Lower Back Pain
Many people suffer from chronic lower back pain, the cause of which is often undiagnosed. Spinal manipulation can alleviate pain for patients that have otherwise been unsuccessful in achieving drug-free relief. Occasionally preventative chiropractic treatment plans can get ahead of flare ups and manage chronic pain effectively.
Fibromyalgia
Chiropractic treatment is may be an excellent addition to a treatment regime for patients with fibromyalgia. Regular adjustments may help patients maintain or improve their ability to stay active.
Headaches
Headaches can sometimes originate from restricted movement of your neck that may be either a cause or effect of a sensitive nervous system. These types of headaches can often be relieved by chiropractic adjustments. Patients who suffer from headaches caused by tension in the neck and shoulders may also find that manipulation of the spine, combined with exercise, alleviates or improves their headache symptoms.
More Ways Chiropractic Care Supports Everyday Mobility
There are additional conditions we frequently see in clinic and help patients manage through chiropractic treatment, movement guidance, and simple home strategies. If you’re dealing with similar symptoms or conditions, we can help you understand what’s going on and discuss the best next steps for your care.
Sciatica (Leg Pain Related to the Low Back)
Sciatica is a painful condition often characterized by radiating leg discomfort linked to irritation around the low back or pelvis. Chiropractic manipulation, education on activity modification, and targeted exercises can support improved mobility and reduced irritation.
Neck Strain
Neck strain has many causes and may develop stiffness, discomfort, or limited range of motion after poor posture, repetitive tasks, or sudden movement. Chiropractic care, ergonomic strategies, and gentle strengthening can help restore more comfortable neck mobility.
Shoulder Dysfunction Related to the Upper Back or Neck
Shoulder discomfort is usually connected to upper-back or neck mechanics. Patients may notice pain during overhead movement or with normal daily tasks. Chiropractic manipulation, mobility work, and tailored home exercises can help improve mechanics and reduce discomfort.
Description of Manipulation
A Chiropractic manipulation, or adjustment, typically consists of 3 parts:
- A quick, controlled thrust to the vertebra.
- A sudden escape of gas from the fluid that lubricates the joint. This release can usually be heard with an audible “pop” or “crack” sound, which is a typical response to joint manipulation.
- Most patients feel relief of tension and an ease of movement afterwards. Occasionally some people experience some minor irritation a short time after treatment.
Chiropractors also provide less forceful “mobilizations” directed at altering joint mechanics. These are oscillation forces directed at moving the joints repeatedly within pain free ranges to impact the overall mobility. No thrust is provided with mobilizations and typically there is no audible “pop” or “crack” experienced. A third treatment option which is often provided alongside manipulation or mobilization is soft tissue therapy. Soft tissue therapy could involve active release technique (art), instrument assisted soft tissue manipulation (IASTM), isometric loading, which are all directed to alter how your muscles are functioning.
These mobilizations, manipulations, and soft tissue work are meant to increase the patient’s capacity to move regions of their body in order gain range of motion. This in turn may relieve pain and improve function. Your Chiropractor looks at you as a whole person and will specifically assess your nervous and musculoskeletal systems in making their diagnoses and developing their treatment plan. Chiropractic care is a drug-free additional option or alternative to pain management with an aim towards resolving or managing symptoms entirely.
Complementary Treatments
Your Victoria Chiropractor may advise you to use additional therapies to improve your spine health and relieve pain between sessions:
- Use of the analgesic effect hot and cold therapy such as ice and hot compresses
- Targeted or general exercises to improve mobility and relieve pain
- Massage Therapy to calm your system (nervous and musculoskeletal)
Common Questions:
What Can I Expect at My First Visit?
The first time you visit our clinic you can expect to complete basic health forms to help us get to know you and your health history. You’ll then have a consultation with your Victoria chiropractor, who will discuss your concerns and treatment goals with you. An examination is next so you can be diagnosed, and an individualized treatment plan will be devised. Lastly, you will have some treatment on that first visit, with the goal of providing some relief from any pain or discomfort. Depending on your specific symptoms you may require only one session, or you may need to come for several sessions over a number of weeks to achieve optimal results.
Will Treatment be Covered by Insurance?
Chiropractic care is covered by most private insurance companies. We can provide you with receipts for submission or submit the claim for you, with many insurance companies. Chiropractic care may also be covered by WorksafeBC in certain situations.
Will Chiropractic Manipulation be Painful?
Most of the time our patients experience relief of pain, improved flexibility and greater mobility. There are times when patients feel some discomfort during, or immediately following treatment. These symptoms should not last longer than 24 hours. In these cases, we may make recommendations for pain relief, such as applying ice or heat. Remember that you and your chiropractor have a long term goal of improving your health, so be sure to follow instructions and continue with treatments as prescribed.