09 418 3718

FAQs

Chiropractic Care FAQs

Chiropractic care is a science, philosophy, and art focused on the intricate relationship between the spine and nervous system. Doctors of Chiropractic know that misalignments (subluxations) in the spine can interfere with the vital communication pathway between the brain and the body. This interference can lead to decreased function, loss of energy, pain, and ill-health. Chiropractors use a gentle adjustment to realign the spine, restore normal nervous system function, and allow the body to heal, naturally.

Everyone! Millions of people from newborns to senior citizens use chiropractic care as a way to get healthy and stay healthy. If you want to improve your health and get more out of life, chiropractic is for you!

Dr. Sam and Dr. James have been under chiropractic care since childhood, so they personally know the benefits of lifelong chiropractic care. Patients in our office have varied in ages from 41 minutes through 101 years!

Just the opposite! Chiropractic releases tension in the nervous system that develops over time from the physical, chemical, and emotional stress we experience. Most of the time our patients comment on how wonderful they feel – more energy, less pressure, decreased pain, increased life!

Our doctors are trained in a variety of chiropractic techniques to take care of everyone. If you’re nervous about an adjustment, just let us know and we’ll help you through the process safely and comfortably.

Unfortunately, no. Structural shifts are misalignments in the spine that cause tension in the nervous system and dis-ease. Sometimes structural shifts can cause symptoms like pain, stiffness, weakness, muscle spasms, etc. However, most of the time structural shifts are silent and cause decreased function without causing pain.

Less than 10% of the nerves in your entire body sense pain. So even if those aren’t irritated, there’s still 90% that could be affected without you even knowing it. That’s why getting checked by a Doctor of Chiropractic is so important.

Extremely. Chiropractic adjustments are specifically given based on an individual’s structural shift; there’s no one-size-fits-all application. In our office we utilize a variety of techniques that would suit a tiny baby, a big and strong athlete or even someone with osteoporosis or other bone conditions as we don’t necessarily need to manually adjust the spine.

We always start with a complimentary consultation. After completing the initial paperwork and touring the office, you’ll sit down with one of our doctors for a conversation about your health goals, your concerns, and all aspects of care to make sure our practice is the right fit for you. If you choose to start care, our doctors will perform a thorough chiropractic evaluation to determine how we can best help you. We’ll review the findings with you, come up with an initial plan of correction, and get started.

Usually not. Your health is our main priority. We always thoroughly evaluate the results of your first visit before initiating care. On your first visit we perform a consultation, examination, necessary x-rays, and an extensive assessment of your nervous system. We take the time necessary to properly evaluate the results and make appropriate recommendations. Your follow-up visit will include a personalized report of findings and answers to any questions you may have.

In saying that, if your baby or yourself are suffering from a condition that is causing too much discomfort and inability to live comfortably, we won’t let you or your baby suffer through more pain and may well be able to do something for you on your first visit.

That depends. All healing is coordinated by your nervous system, which is why we focus on reducing the interference caused by subluxations. The less interference, the faster you heal. Our evaluation will determine the severity of interference caused by subluxations, and we’ll do our best to predict when your health will be restored.

Because you deserve to be healthy. Not all chiropractors are the same, and not everyone responds to the same type of chiropractic. There are over 200 named chiropractic techniques, so it’s just about finding the “right fit”.

Shtulman Family Chiropractic uses state-of-the-art equipment to assess the function of your nervous system and specific x-rays to evaluate your spinal health. Don’t let previous experiences prevent you from reaching your health goals. Come see how our office can help you!

No, unless you want to continue improving your health.

Think about anything in your life you want to work properly…your car, your house, your teeth, your muscles. You could easily stop taking care of them, too, but you’ll probably experience a gradual decline in how they work. Your spine and nervous system are no different. Many of our practice members include chiropractic care in their lifestyle to be as healthy as possible.

We always start with a complimentary consultation, a conversation with our doctors to discuss your goals, how our practice works, and all aspects of care – including fees. Chiropractic is best utilized with regular adjustments, therefore we don’t recommend a “per visit” option. It’s similar to exercise…one work out does not get you in shape, and typically neither does one adjustment.

On your second visit to our office, our doctor will spend time with you reviewing the results from your exam and make recommendations to get the best results. That will include a care plan based on the severity of subluxations in your spine and your individual health goals.

We are ACC registered and our Chiropractors can submit your ACC claim right here in our office so you don’t need a GP’s referral to get ACC.

You would have to call your insurance company and check your policy. We are happy to provide you with all of the necessary paperwork to submit to insurance for reimburse. On your first visit, you’ll meet with one of our doctors who will discuss all aspects of care, including insurance and finances, before prior to starting care. This will give you an opportunity to determine if our office will be a good fit before any charges are incurred.

Massage FAQs

The following conditions should be checked out with your doctor before getting a massage:

  • Severe back pain, especially if pain is keeping you awake at night.
  • A high fever or the symptoms of a cold or flu.
  • Blood clots
  • Cancer
  • Skin conditions such as burns, cold sores, bruises, open wounds or swollen areas. You should not have a massage in those areas.
  • Pregnancy, especially during the first trimester
  • Osteoporosis
  • High blood pressure
  • Allergies (especially to nuts, as many therapists use sweet almond oil)
  • Varicose veins
  • Lymph node removal

If you have any concerns about ANY existing conditions, you should always check with your healthcare provider to see if massage therapy is an appropriate treatment for you.

Massage works well with chiropractic and acupuncture. However, you should inform the massage therapist and any other healthcare professional of the treatment you are undergoing to ensure the treatments complement each other.

Client history includes finding out about you and the history of your ailment, aggravating factors (what makes it worse), previous diagnosis and treatment, and effectiveness of any previous treatment. It also builds up information about your general health, since there are a number of conditions which can contribute to muscular problems; a previous whiplash injury, for example, could lead to headaches or dizziness.

Your massage therapist is aware of their limitations, and is required to work within their scope of practice. Taking a client history when you first arrive will allow them to talk through all your needs to establish if it would be in your best interest to be referred to another health professional, or whether having complementary treatment (e.g. using acupuncture, chiropractic) is going to be beneficial to you. Taking the time to sit down to discuss what is causing you discomfort gives you time to become comfortable with the therapist, especially if you are new to massage therapy; it is the first step in building a rapport and trust between you both.

Some forms of massage can leave you feeling a bit sore the next day. But massage shouldn’t ordinarily be painful or uncomfortable. If any part of your massage doesn’t feel right or is painful, speak up right away. Most serious problems come from too much pressure during massage.

Massage is all about making you more comfortable and reducing pain, if you find your massage sessions are increasing your discomfort over the long term then please let your massage therapist know immediately.

All massage therapists are trained to drape/cover their clients so that only the part of the body they are working on will be exposed. If this does not happen, you should ask to be covered or ask your therapist why you are not covered. If you are not satisfied with the answer you can terminate the appointment. More information can be found in the section Visiting a massage therapist for the first time.

Massage is a healthcare practice that needs clothes to be removed as it involves using oil, massage waxes and lotions. It is a ‘whole body’ treatment which requires direct contact between the therapist and client. It is usual for the therapist to leave the room while you undress and get on the table. It is not always necessary to remove all clothing; this depends on what your massage needs are at the time of treatment. Even with a full body massage you can leave your lower undergarments on. . More information can be found in the section ‘Visiting a massage therapist for the first time’.