Healthcare is no laughing matter, no matter the type of ailment a person is experiencing, or the type of treatment that they’re seeking.  Unfortunately, it seems like these days, folks are getting more and more lackadaisical about their approach to their health.  This is certainly the case across Canada, as our healthcare system continues to struggle to properly recover after the covid 19 pandemic.

This means that often, it can take weeks or months to receive the care we need or to make appointments with certain doctors.  While this is frustrating, certainly, a lot of people have simply accepted it as the new norm.  Today, we’re here to tell you that this doesn’t need to be the case, especially when it comes to chiropractors and physiotherapy.

Here in British Columbia, there are a lot of options for clinics to visit.  In fact, finding a chiropractor in Burnaby is easier than ever!  The tricky part is sorting out what sort of treatment plan you’re looking for, as well as what services you desire.

If you want to learn more about that, as well as how the entire process works, then be sure to stick around.  Even if you aren’t certain that you need a chiropractor, it can be a good idea to learn more about it so you can get a proper understanding of what it is!

 What is a Chiropractor?

First thing is first – let’s take a look at what a chiropractor is, and what they can do for their patients.  Simply put, a chiropractor is a healthcare professional who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, particularly those related to the spine.  Something to keep in mind is that chiropractors use a holistic approach to healthcare, focusing on the relationship between the spine and the body’s overall health.

For this reason, they’ve become quite popular in recent years.  What sorts of things do they treat?  Well, there are plenty of examples, but here’s a short list: back pain, neck pain, headaches, sciatica, whiplash, sports injuries, and arthritis.  We often hear about them in the context of sports injuries – in fact, plenty of television shows that center around athletes feature these doctors.

All of this combined hopefully provides a pretty good idea of what you can expect from these doctors – at least as far as why a person might visit one.  Now, we can take a closer look at how they provide treatment.

Treatment Techniques

For those entirely unfamiliar with the techniques, you may want to check out this page: https://meridian.allenpress.com/jce/article/36/2/84/480834/Chiropractic-techniques-and-treatment-modalities to get some background information.  That said, let’s look at some of the potential options.

Spinal Manipulation: Typically, this involves applying controlled forces to specific joints in the spine to improve joint mobility and reduce pain.  While it can sound intimidating, it can really get results. 

Chiropractic Adjustments: This is a specific type of spinal manipulation that involves applying gentle, precise forces to the joints to restore proper alignment and function.  When you hear about people visiting these doctors, this is often the reason they’re going. 

Massage Therapy: Admittedly, this is one that can take people off guard sometimes.  However, chiropractors may use massage techniques to relax muscles and improve circulation.

Physical Therapy Exercises: When you see a clinic offer both physiotherapy and chiropractic treatment options, this is why.  You see, they may prescribe exercises to improve strength, flexibility, and range of motion.

Nutrition and Lifestyle Counseling: As with any doctor, chiropractors may provide advice on nutrition, exercise, and stress management to promote overall health and well-being.

The Principles of Chiropractic Care

With some of the basics covered, let’s also take a look at some of the primary principles of chiropractic care.  While this may not seem necessary, it’s in fact quite an important piece of this overall puzzle – try to look for doctors who subscribe to these beliefs.

1. The body’s ability to heal itself: Chiropractors believe that the body has the innate ability to heal itself, and that their role is to remove any impediments that may be preventing this process from occurring.  This is why they tend not to prescribe medications in situations where they aren’t absolutely necessary.
2. The importance of spinal alignment: Something else to note is that chiropractors believe that proper alignment of the spine is essential for maintaining overall health and well-being.  You can think of this as their core principle.
3. The use of natural therapies: As we mentioned above, these doctors tend to focus on using natural therapies and avoiding surgery or pharmaceuticals whenever possible.  In today’s world, this is something that more and more patients are looking for.

 What are the Benefits of Seeing a Chiropractor?

Before you run out to find a doctor like this here in Burnaby, you’re probably wondering why you’d want to.  What are some of the benefits, anyway?  As it happens, there are plenty, so we’ll be going over a few of them.  Of course, you can also read about it in sources like this one, if you’re curious.

Pain and Discomfort Relief: Most notably, this type of care can help alleviate pain and discomfort in the back, neck, shoulders, and other areas of the body.  This is one of the main draws.

Improved Spinal Alignment: In this day and age, a lot of folks don’t have the best posture.  Chiropractors use techniques to adjust the spine and restore proper alignment, which can improve overall health and well-being.  

Reduced Inflammation: Clincs that offer this type of care can help reduce inflammation in the body, which can contribute to a range of conditions, including arthritis and fibromyalgia.

Improved Joint Mobility: These doctors can help improve joint mobility and reduce stiffness, making it easier to move and perform daily activities.

Boosted Immune System: This is currently one of the primary things being studied about chiropractic care.  Preliminary studies have shown that it has been shown to boost the immune system by reducing stress and increasing overall well-being.

Improved Sleep: Many chronic conditions can lend themselves to creating sleeping troubles.  This sort of care can help alleviate stress and tension that can disrupt sleep patterns, leading to improved sleep quality, which can be a real lifesaver for many patients.

Reduced Stress and Anxiety: Let’s face it – most of us lead stressful lives.  Luckily, chiropractic care can help reduce stress and anxiety by promoting relaxation and reducing muscle tension.

Improved Athletic Performance: Naturally, these types of care techniques can also help with flexibility, reducing injury risk, and enhancing overall physical function.  In turn, this can certainly help athletes perform better in their sports of choice.

Pregnancy Support: Pregnancy can be an extremely stressful time for any parent.  Chiropractors can provide support during pregnancy, helping to alleviate back pain, improve pelvic alignment, and promote a healthy birth.

Long-Term Health Benefits: Finally, some of the main things that can result from this type of care are improved overall health, reduced risk of chronic disease, and increased life expectancy.

Finding a Chiropractor

At first glance, it may seem like this process should be exceedingly simple, right?  Just type in “chiropractor near me” and see what pops up.  Seeing as there are a few options here in Burnaby, this could be a decent first step.  Of course, there’s a lot more to the story though.

Rather, it can be a good idea to do some research before committing to any specific clinic for care.  See what the online reviews are for one thing and see what other patients have to say.  There’s also the fact that some of these places have extremely long waitlists.  It may be good to call their customer service lines to see if there are any openings for new patients.

Hopefully, the resources that we’ve provided here can help you with that, if you aren’t sure where to start.  Overall, it’s quite critical to find a doctor who will follow through with the core principles we’ve described, and that will consider the needs of each of their patients.  

That’s why we recommend reading some reviews to see what others have to say about the clinics you’re considering.  Find out how they treat their patients, whether or not there are extreme wait times, and whether the care is personal or not – or at least, you can get a sense for all of those things if you browse through!