TREATING PRACTITIONERS
Physiotherapist
Physiotherapy is a science based healthcare profession which views movement as central to health and well-being. Physiotherapists aim to identify and make the most of movement ability by health promotion, preventative advice, treatment and rehabilitation.
They work in a great variety of settings such as orthopaedics, occupational health, ergonomics, and sports medicine. The core skills used by a physiotherapist include manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, and the application of electrophysical modalities.
Physiotherapists believe it is vital to take note of psychological, cultural, and social factors which influence their clients. They believe in encouraging their patients to take an active role to help themselves to make the best of their independence and function.
Physiotherapists assist you in achieving your highest level of physical functioning by providing you with a personalized treatment plan based on your specific needs. They will assess your posture, range of motion (ROM), strength and other physical abilities. Then they will design a personalized treatment and exercise program to assist in alleviating pain, restore joint ROM, increasing muscle strength and co-ordination and maximizing independence. Physiotherapists will also assist in designing an ergonomically correct work and home environment. They will educate you in the use of assistive devices such as cane and crutches if necessary. They will help you return to work and leisure activities through physical conditioning programs.
When looking for a physiotherapist, a good place to start is to ask your primary care physician or specialist for the names of physiotherapists who they trust. It also helps to ask friends, co-workers and neighbors for recommendations.
Exercise caution however, because one person’s definition of a good physiotherapist may be quite different from another person’s definition. In general, if multiple resources recommend the same person, chances are good that the physiotherapist is reliable.
Chiropractor
Chiropractors practice a drug-free, manual approach to health care that includes patient assessment, diagnosis and treatment. In particular, chiropractors assess patients for disorders related to the spine, pelvis, extremity joints, and their effect on the nervous system. As a result of taking a physical assessment and patient history, chiropractors are able to provide a differential diagnosis for the patient’s presenting condition(s) and develop a comprehensive treatment/management plan. Chiropractors are also trained to recommend therapeutic exercise, to utilize other non-invasive therapies, and provide nutritional, dietary and lifestyle counselling.
Chiropractic adjustment is the most common form of treatment utilized by chiropractors in clinical practice. Also known as spinal manipulative therapy, adjustment is a non-invasive, manual procedure that is a carefully controlled by a skilled practitioner to dysfunctional spinal or extremity joints. The primary goal is to decrease pain, improve areas of reduced movement in the joints and supporting tissues, particularly of the spine, and decrease muscle tightness or spasm. This is done through the restoration of normal mechanics and improved functioning of the spine, extremities and supporting soft tissue structures.
Adjustment rarely causes discomfort. However, as it is a manually applied therapy, patients may sometimes experience mild soreness or aching following treatment which usually resolves within 12 to 48 hours.
When looking for a chiropractor, a good place to start is to ask your primary care physician or specialist for the names of chiropractors who appear competent and trustworthy. It also helps to ask friends, co-workers and neighbors for recommendations.
Exercise caution however, because one person’s definition of a good chiropractor may be quite different from another person’s definition. In general, if multiple resources recommend the same chiropractor, chances are good that the chiropractor is reliable.
Kinesiologist
Kinesiology is the study of human movement, the goal of which is to discover strategies for human health and performance. A Kinesiologist has trained in a four year University program, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology. This training gives them expertise in physical fitness and exercise therapy. Their role is to perform various physical fitness testing which help to guide in establishing what exercises will benefit you the most. They also monitor and help you learn your personalized exercise program to ensure you perform the activity properly and safely.
Acupuncturist
Acupuncture literally means “needle piercing”, the practice of inserting very fine needles into the skin to stimulate specific anatomic points in the body (called acupoints or acupuncture points) for therapeutic purposes. Along with the usual method of puncturing the skin with the fine needles, the practitioners of acupuncture also use heat, pressure, friction, suction, or impulses of electromagnetic energy to stimulate the points. The acupoints (acupuncture points) are stimulated to balance the movement of energy (qi) in the body to restore health.
Massage Therapists
Registered Massage Therapists are health care professionals committed to restoring and maintaining optimal health and pain-free function of the body. They are educated and trained to accurately assess and treat with techniques that include massage and manual therapy, joint mobilization, hydrotherapy, and patient education.
Massage Therapy is an effective approach to pain management and rehabilitation. They treat and providing relief for a wide range of conditions such as migraine headaches, tendonitis, arthritis, osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, sports injuries, as well as many other common conditions related to soft tissue and joint dysfunction. Research shows that massage therapy provides several important health benefits, including improving blood circulation, relaxing muscles for an improved range of motion, and increasing endorphin levels (which helps improve mood and decrease the effect of chronic pain).
Nutritionists
Nutritionists require a master’s or bachelor’s degree in dietetics, nutrition or a related field such as food and nutritional science or biochemistry and one to two years of supervised practical training.
Nutritionists plan food and nutrition programs and supervise the preparation and serving of meals. They help to prevent and treat illnesses by promoting healthy eating habits and recommending dietary modifications, such as the use of less salt for those with high blood pressure or the reduction of fat and sugar intake for those who are overweight.
Spinal Neurosurgeons and Orthopaedic Surgeons
Neurosurgeons and Orthopaedic surgeons gain experience in the diagnosis and nonsurgical and surgical treatment of spinal disorders during a six or seven year residency training program (after medical school). When physicians graduate from an accredited training program, they usually have assisted in many hundreds of spinal procedures. If they wish to gain even more advanced training, they may elect to do a post-graduate fellowship in spine surgery. This intensive, focused training is typically one or two years after residency training. Though most patients think of neurosurgeons as “brain surgeons”, it may be interesting to know that the majority of operations performed by neurosurgeons across the country are spine surgeries.
Is surgery for neck or back pain necessary? The answer is: sometimes. It is reasonable to consider spine surgery if the pain has not diminished after several months of non-surgical treatment, if your pain does not respond to narcotic medications, or if you are unable to complete basic daily activities. But fear not – there’s a wide array of surgery options. Some are minimally invasive procedures (e.g. micro discectomy for a herniated disc) allow for a quick recovery, while other types of surgery (e.g. a posterolateral fusion for degenerative disc disease) are more extensive and have a much longer recovery time. Understanding your surgery options will help you better decide on a course of action.
Alternative Health Care Options
Other options exist beyond surgery and medication to help you deal with your pain, but it can be difficult to know whether an alternative treatment will actually help reduce your pain and suffering. Whether you’re consideringnutrition changes,yoga,Pilates, or tai chi,to help provide pain relief, deeper knowledge and insight into each of these alternatives is vital to successful pain recovery.