Chiropractor or massage therapist? Now you don’t have to decide - Campbell River Mirror

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Have you ever asked yourself if you should see a chiropractor or a massage therapist for pain? Whether you’re suffering from headaches, whiplash, sciatica, soft tissue damage or something else, you must first understand what sort of service you need in order to solve the problem.

This is where a multi-practitioner approach to patient care comes in, such as the one taken by the highly-skilled team of doctors at Discovery Chiropractic.

Educated as primary health care providers, the Discovery Chiropractic doctors have been diagnosing and treating patients in Campbell River for 30 years, either in their scope of practice or those that require a medical referral.

Due to their team-based approach to holistic health care, clinic partner Dr. Richard Cronk said their scope of practice is quite diverse.

When a new patient comes to visit their clinic, they can first expect to be greeted by a chiropractic assistant and asked to fill out some brief forms, which will help the team understand their condition.

One of the four chiropractors on staff will then ask about the patient’s history and symptoms to determine the cause of their condition, and if chiropractic care may be of benefit.

Following a thorough consultation, the chiropractor will conduct a complete examination, including spinal palpation and observation, testing range of motion, reflexes, muscle strength, and ability to bend and move, as well as other standard orthopedic, postural, neurological and physical examinations as necessary.

The fully qualified doctors may also do diagnostic imaging studies, such as using their digital X-ray unit, on a case-by-case basis.

The patient then sits down with the doctor, who reports their findings, what they feel is the cause of the condition, how long it may take them to recover and their treatment plan. At the multi-practitioner clinic, the patient may continue working with the chiropractor who performed the consultation and exam, with the clinic’s in-house registered massage therapist, with the medical exercise therapist, who designs one-on-one exercise therapy programs to build core strength, or with a combination of practitioners.

“We can best optimize patient care by utilizing a variety of methods of treatment,” Cronk said, adding that they also make use of multiple pieces of equipment.

The state of the art 1241 Dogwood St. facility the team moved in to about a year and a half ago houses the digital X-ray sometimes used during exams and more, such as a gentle, computerized SpineMED decompression therapy table for patients who suffer from vertebral disc problems, a Shockwave therapy machine for persistent soft tissue injuries, low-level laser for inflamed tissue, and a hydro massage therapy bed to sooth stiff muscles.

The multi-practitioner and multi-modality approach ensure patients’ needs are effectively taken care of so they can get back to enjoying life as quickly as possible.

Learn more by visiting Discovery Chiropractic online at discoverychiropractic.ca or in person at 1241 Dogwood St. in Campbell River. You can also email [email protected] or call 250-287-8487.