Chiropractic Care

Chiropractors, health-care providers who in Ontario are licensed under the Regulated health profession Act (RHPA), with title doctor, and the licensed act of diagnosis and spinal manipulation and mobilization. As a result, the patient can directly access a chiropractor without a referral from their family doctor.

Chiropractors are able to diagnose neuromusculoskeletal (nerve, muscle and bone) conditions/disorders and if appropriate, treat these conditions, injuries or disorders.

Chiropractors are health care providers who provide non-surgical, clinical management of the spine, extremities and other musculoskeletal conditions.

Chiropractic treatment, as described is based on best evidence available.

Chiropractic management includes:

manipulation, (adjustments) mobilization
myofascial technique (soft tissue technique)
rehabilitation, (exercise)
spinal decompression (traction)
physiotherapy
acupuncture
Active Release Technique (ART)

Reports by the highest current standards of scientific evidence support spinal manipulation, mobilization is effective in:

acute, sub acute, chronic low back pain
migraines, headaches
dizziness, vertigo
acute, sub acute and chronic neck pain
several extremity/joint conditions (including hip, knee and feet, elbow, hands & wrists).
shoulder girdle pain dysfunction and adhesive capsulitis
hip osteoarthritis
knee osteoarthritis
patellofemoral pain syndrome
plantar fascitis

Not long ago there was little or no evidence to support the practice of manipulation, that is the main stay of chiropractic. There were widely advertised claims of serious complications. In the mean time there has been rapid growth in the number of clinical trials. Dr. S. Haldemant, MD and DC, authority of the medical and chiropractic community states, “there is now little dispute amongst knowledgeable scientists that manipulation is of value in the management of neck pain, back pain and headaches that make 90% or more of all patients who seek chiropractic care.” He further states that “the incidences of serious side effects such as stroke following chiropractic care is extremely rare and is probably not related to manipulation in most patients, but due to the fact that patients develop neck pain or headaches as a result of the dissection of the vertebral arteries that progresses through the natural history of the dissection to stroke irrespective of the clinician and patient themselves.

90% of chiropractic practices supported by scientific evidence at the most rigorous RCT level.

It is doubtful that any other profession or medical specialty can rely on conclusive scientific support at this level.

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