Chiropractic Care
Diversified Technique
Thompson Technique
Soft Tissue Therapy
Orthotics
Chiropractic care focuses on restoring and maintaining the
health of muscles, joints and nerves through the use of an adjustment.
A chiropractic adjustment is the application of a specific force
through a restricted joint. The adjustment restores normal
joint movement, reduces muscle tension and allows your nervous system
to function properly again. The results are a
decrease in pain, increased mobility and flexibility, and a renewed
sense of vitality.
Chiropractic treatment works because it treats the cause of
your back and joint pain, not just the symptoms. Just a few
of the many conditions that respond well to chiropractic care are
lower back and neck pain, pregnancy, athletic injuries,
sciatica, headaches, menstrual pain and arthritic conditions.
How does Chiropractic work?
Your spine and surrounding skeleton has a very important function in
your body, which is to support your body weight and allow movement.
But your spine also protects your spinal cord, which is the "central
highway" of your nervous system. Our ability to walk, run, jump, lift,
and feel almost every sensation below our neck requires a healthy
spine and skeleton.
The bones in your back (vertebrae) and in your arms and legs are
connected by ligaments, muscles, and cartilage and work together in
very specific ways. When everything is working and moving well, you
are aligned, strong, and flexible. The stress of daily living,
injuries, overuse or accidents can cause the bones to shift out of
their proper alignment, reducing normal movement patterns, and
affecting their range of motion. These small changes can cause pain by
putting pressure on the different joints, muscles, and nerves in your
body.
Chiropractors understand how to relieve this pain. They are specially
trained to find the source of your pain, assess the problem, make the
proper adjustments, and provide advice that will allow your joints to
work properly again.
Today, many medical doctors in Ontario refer patients with back pain
to a chiropractor, and studies show that chiropractic
treatment is increasingly recognized as the most safe and effective
treatment for most patients with back pain.
Chiropractic Techniques Used By Dr. Kimberley Macanuel, BSc(Hons), DC
What is
Diversified Technique?
Diversified Technique is the classic chiropractic technique, which
focuses on the restoration of normal biomechanical function to the
spine and extremities. Through the use of High Velocity, Low Amplitude
(HVLA) thrusts or gentle mobilization therapy, dysfunctional segments
are restored to normal, pain-free movement.
What is
Thompson Technique?
Thompson Chiropractic Technique is based on the body's natural
biomechanics and Newton's Law of Inertia, which states that "an object
in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an equal and
opposite force". Thompson Chiropractic Technique uses this law of
inertia via a "drop piece" in the table to help adjust joints that are
not moving normally.
During a drop table adjustment, the table is first set to the
patient's weight. The doctor then places the contact hand on the
segment to be adjusted. A gentle thrust is applied, setting that area
of contact into motion, which in turn, activates the drop piece. When
the drop piece stops, the force of gravity, combined with the force of
the doctor's thrust, is translated into the targeted joint and the
soft tissue of the body, producing the desired change in the joint and
the surrounding muscles.
Based on over 50 years of research and clinical use, drop piece
adjustments are lighter, gentler, and without many of the twisting
positions that can accompany diversified adjusting.
What is Soft Tissue Therapy?
Soft tissue therapy is used in every treatment session with Dr. Kim
Macanuel to address dysfunction of the muscles, tendons,
nerves, and ligaments in the area of complaint. It is used
along with adjustments to treat acute strains and sprains as well as
chronic overuse conditions such as tennis elbow, carpal tunnel
syndrome, plantar fasciitis, low back pain, knee pain and headaches.
What are Orthotics?
We constantly walk on unnatural and hard surfaces and floors.
Consequently we alter our foot's natural shape and compromise our
natural arches. Prescription orthotics are medical appliances that are
custom made to correct your specific foot imbalance.
Orthotics are precisely designed to re-establish and re-create our
natural foot function and balance. Your feet have a direct impact on
the rest of your body. A stable foundation can improve the entire
body's functioning and mobility.
Insurance Coverage
The cost of custom-made orthotics is not currently covered by OHIP,
however, most extended health care plans do cover the majority
of the expense. Check with your extended health insurance
provider to determine if orthotics are included in your benefits
package and whether or not a medical doctor's or chiropractor's
prescription is required.
Fees
Custom-made Orthotics $400