Who is a chiropractor?
Chiropractors are medical professionals who diagnose and treat musculoskeletal related disorders. While Chiropractors use traditional diagnostic testing methods (like x-rays, MRI, and lab work), they also use specific Chiropractic techniques that involve hands-on manipulation of the body. Chiropractors do not prescribe medications and they do not perform surgery. However, Chiropractors are trained to recognize when an injury is outside of their scope of practice and will refer patients to the appropriate medical specialist if necessary. The Vancouver chiropractor evaluates every patient as an individual case and treats them with care. In our Vancouver chiropractic clinic we have the most up to date treatment methods.

How do I find one?
Canadian licensing boards regulate the practice of chiropractic and grants licenses to Vancouver chiropractors who meet certain educational and examination requirements. You can ask your primary care physician for a recommendation, ask people you know who go to a chiropractor, look in the phone book, or use Find A Chiropractor on the net to locate a Chiropractor in your area. To find a chiropractor in Vancouver area you can search under "vancouver chiropractor", "vancouver chiropractic" or "chiropractor" then your area.

Adjustments - do they really crack my back?
When vertebrae become misaligned, they can place pressure on the spinal nerves and cause pain. This is called a subluxation. Chiropractors use a specific technique called a spinal adjustment to treat subluxations.

During an adjustment, the vertebra is returned to the proper position in the spinal column. When your vertebrae are adjusted, tiny pockets of gas are released from the joints, sometimes making a "popping" noise. It's the same sound you hear when you crack your knuckles. In Burrard Chiropractic, the treatments are based on the patient's condition.

Who can benefit from Chiropractic?
Some patients with the following conditions have found Chiropractic to be helpful:

* Pain and stiffness in the neck, shoulders, back, arms, hands, chest, abdomen, hips, legs, feet.
* Certain types of headaches
* Sciatica
* Injuries and trauma to the body such as whiplash
* Scoliosis
* Leg pain
* Sports injuries
* Bursitis and Tendonitis (conditions involving inflammation of soft tissues)
* Fibromyalgia (chronic muscle pain and stiffness)
* Arthritis

Other Services
Although their main method of treatment is the spinal adjustment, many Chiropractors also use other therapies to treat their patients, including:

* Custom exercise and stretches
* Ergonomic counseling
* Diet and nutritional counseling
* Lifestyle modification counseling such as smoking cessation, weight loss, and stress management
* Custom foot orthotics
* Workout and fitness counseling

As you can see, chiropractors do more than just spinal manipulations. Vancouver chiropractor uses a variety of treatment modalities to help the body heal itself and return patients to a pain-free and healthy life.