Category Archives for Chiropractic Care

Hello everyone.

Dr Brad Ivanchuk here. I am a Burlington, Ontario Chiropractor at Life Chiropractic Centre on Guelph Line in the Beacon Hill Plaza in Burlington, Ontario

I am also a Certified Posture Expert and Postural Neurologist with the American Posture Institute.

Today I am going to share with you a case history because there are a couple of very, very important lessons we can learn from this case.

This patient was recently referred to me … a male in his early 50’s and his chief complaint was headaches.

So, we followed standard procedure. Consultation, health history, detailed posture scan and thorough examination.

I did send this patient for some posture xrays because I did not like what I saw on his posture scan.

Our next visit was his Report of Findings where we both sat down and had a very frank discussion about his posture scan and his xrays.

And he was utterly in shock!

He had terrible forward head posture in Posture Quadrant 1; hence the headaches. A curve in the second Posture Quadrant where there should be no curve. And his 3rd posture quadrant was a hot mess! His lower back was crooked, his pelvis was tipped and twisted, he had 2 degenerating discs at the very base of his spine and both his hip joints were arthritic! Big, big problem !!

This patient looked at me and said …. “Dr Brad! How could I get this way?! I have been going to the chiropractor since I was 16 years old! I am retiring in a few years and I want to play lots of golf with my 2 boys and ride my motorcycle.

This greatly concerns me!”

I then asked this patient 2 questions …. “ Was your prior chiropractic care focused on postural correction or at least postural maintenance?

And, were you getting your adjustments on a regular basis?”

He answered “No” to both questions. He said to me there was never any mention of posture and he only went to the chiropractor when he was feeling head-achy or when his back was giving him grief.

I have heard this story too many times before! People are looking forward to their retirement and all of a sudden their physical health is starting to fail them.

Now, I do not want this to happen to any of you so next time I am going to give you some ideas on how you can prevent this from happening to you.

If you do have any questions on this topic or any health concerns you or your kids may have, please call me.

Consultations here are always free of charge. These include a detailed posture scan.
Our phone number is 905 335 LIFE (5433) or you can email me by clicking on the link on our home page.

Remember that good posture is by design and not by circumstance.

Life Chiropractic Centre … helping families just like yours build vibrant, healthy, drug-free lives in Burlington, Ontario for over 25 years.

Hello everyone.

Dr Brad Ivanchuk here. I am a Burlington, Ontario chiropractor at Life Chiropractic Centre on Guelph Line in Burlington, Ontario.
 
I am also a Certified Posture Expert and Postural Neurologist with the American Posture Institute, and a canfitpro certified Personal Training Specialist.

Today we are going to discuss the different possible causes of shoulder pain.

The shoulder joint is not just one joint but it is actually 4 joints. There is one joint at each end of the clavicle (collar bone), the ball and socket joint (the shoulder joint proper), and a gliding type joint in the back between the shoulder blade and the rib cage.

Even though there can be a problem with one or more of these, there are surrounding structures that can also mimic shoulder pain – namely the cervical spine (neck), the upper part of the back (thoracic spine) and the ribcage itself; Posture Quadrants 1 and 2.

The most common area that shoulder pain sufferers point to is the top of the shoulder between the neck and the shoulder joint proper.

Once we have ruled out any issues with the 4 shoulder joints, then the cause of the shoulder pain is most likely due to a spinal misalignment (pinched nerve) or posture distortion in Posture Quadrant 1, 2 or both.

And we have talked about this many times before as we were learning about the 4 Posture Quadrants.

And it has been my clinical experience over the years that chiropractic adjustments and postural correction gets greats results with people who suffer from shoulder pain.

So if you or your kids are suffering from shoulder pain, I can help. All you need to do is call to schedule an appointment for your Free Initial Consultation which includes a detailed postural analysis. We will take a close look at the entire posture system including your shoulders.

Our phone number here in Burlington is 905 335 LIFE (5433) or you can email me by clicking on the link on our home page.

Remember that good posture is by design and not by circumstance.

Life Chiropractic Centre … helping families just like yours build vibrant, healthy, drug-free lives for over 25 years in Burlington, Ontario.

Hello all. Dr Brad Ivanchuk here.

I am a Burlington, Ontario chiropractor at Life Chiropractic Centre on Guelph Line in the Beacon Hill Plaza.

I am also a Certified Posture Expert and Certified Postural Neurologist with the American Posture Institute. And a canfitpro certified Personal Training Specialist, an Active Aging Coach and a Children’s Fitness Coach.

And today we are going to find out if neck pain and dizziness are related.

According to the Vestibular Disorders Association, there is a classification of dizziness called cervicogenic dizziness which means dizziness resulting from neck pain.

There are a number of neck-related conditions that can cause dizziness and disorientation. Bone spurs on the neck vertebra for one, trauma such as whiplash or concussion (discussed in last week’s post), and cervical osteoarthritis which is the most common.

Recall that spinal degenerative arthritis (osteoarthritis) is a consequence of posture distortions in Posture Quadrant 1; the head and neck (cervical spine).

Symptoms of cervicogenic dizziness usually occur after the onset of neck pain. It can be a sensation of movement or the spins that coincide with voluntary neck movement, or after a prolonged time of keeping the head in one position.

Headaches may accompany the dizziness and neck pain, but generally the dizziness will subside as the neck pain subsides. And this is typically a recurring presentation.

It has been my clinical experience that chiropractic care not only gets great results with neck pain, but dizziness also. So yes, neck pain and dizziness can be related as long as other more serious causes of dizziness have been ruled out.

So if this is a problem you or your kids are struggling with, I can help.

All you have to do is call 905 335 LIFE (5433) to schedule your free consultation which includes a detailed postural analysis.

Or you can email me by clicking directly on the link found on our home page.

Remember always that good posture is by design and not by circumstance.

Life Chiropractic Centre … helping families just like yours build vibrant, healthy, drug-free lives for over 25 years in Burlington, Ontario.

Hello everyone.

Dr Brad Ivanchuk here.

I am a Burlington, Ontario chiropractor at Life Chiropractic Centre on Guelph Line in the Beacon Hill Plaza.

I am also a Certified Posture Expert and a Certified Postural Neurologist with the American Posture Institute.

I am also a canfitpro certified Personal Training Specialist.

Today we are going to talk about whiplash and concussion and see if there is link between the two.

Whiplash is characterized by a constellation of symptoms that are very similar to people who have suffered a minor Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) or concussion.

These being but not limited to headaches, neck pain, dizziness, loss of balance, nausea, vomiting, visual problems, brain fog and difficulty concentrating.

Because chiropractic care gets such great results with whiplash injuries, researchers queried if the same would hold true for patients with concussions.

March 2015 in the Journal of Physicians and Sports Medicine, researchers looked at 5 case histories of concussed patients whose symptoms had not resolved within 30 days and had become chronic.

Three of these concussions were due to sports injuries, one due to slip and fall, and one due to a motor vehicle accident.

They all began a course of chiropractic care focusing on adjustment of the cervical spine only. And the results were incredible!

Improvement in all 5 cases ranged from 80% improvement to complete resolution and all within a time frame of 3 months.

This study thus concluded that yes there is a connection between whiplash and concussion, and also that chiropractic care gets great results with both.

So if you have had a whiplash or a concussion or both, you need to get your neck checked right away.

And this is where I can help you. Remember that consultations here in our office are always free of charge and these also include a detailed postural analysis.
 
All you have to do is call 905 335 LIFE (5433) or you can email me directly by clicking on the link found on our home page.

Life Chiropractic Centre …. Helping families just like yours build vibrant, healthy, drug-free lives for over 25 years in Burlington, Ontario.

Hello everyone.

Dr Brad Ivanchuk here.

I am a Burlington, Ontario chiropractor at Life Chiropractic Centre on Guelph Line in the
Beacon Hill Plaza.

I am also a Certified Posture Expert and Certified Postural Neurologist with the American Posture Institute.

Today we are going to talk about headaches. Most every single person will experience some type of headache at least once in their lifetime.

But the good news is that most of time these headaches are the result of spinal misalignments or postural distortions in the cervical spine (neck).

Recall that the head and neck constitute Posture Quadrant 1, and posture distortions here will irritate the spinal joints and compress on the spinal nerve roots and the top three side-effects of this are headaches, migraines and neck pain.

But I must caution you that there are signs and symptoms that would point towards a complicated headache such as a sudden, intense, unusual headache.

Or noticeable visual or auditory disturbances, dizziness and loss of balance, mental confusion, difficulty speaking, paralysis and/or weakness along one side of the face or body, nausea and vomiting.

If any of these are present, it is best to grab your phone and hit 911 asap.
 
Also, headaches that get progressively worse over a 24 to 48 hour period or headaches following head trauma would require an immediate visit to your family doc.

Otherwise, postural correction of the neck – chiropractic adjustments in combination with spinal traction and corrective posture exercises – gets fantastic results with headaches.

So, if you or your kids are struggling with headaches, please give us a call to schedule your appointment for your free initial consultation which includes a free detailed postural analysis.

Our phone number here in Burlington is 905 335 LIFE (5433) or you can email me by clicking directly on the link found on our home page.

Remember that good posture is by design and not by circumstance.

Life Chiropractic Centre …. Helping families just like yours build vibrant, healthy, drug-free lives for over 25 years in Burlington, Ontario.

Hello again.

Dr Brad Ivanchuk here. I am a Burlington, Ontario chiropractor at Life Chiropractic Centre on Guelph Line.

I am also a Certified Posture Expert and Certified Postural Neurologist with the American Posture Institute.

Today we are going to talk about lower back pain.

 Specifically chiropractic treatment for lower back pain vs non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID’s; Tylenol, Advil, Aleve etc.) treatment for lower back pain.

Lower back pain is the single greatest cause of disability worldwide.

It is the second most common reason people visit their family doctor.

And it costs society 100 billion dollars annually when you factor in lost wages, reduced productivity, legal and insurance expenses.

Studies regarding chiropractic adjustment for lower back pain are plentiful. In fact the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society both recommend chiropractic as the first course of care for lower back pain.

A 2013 study compared spinal adjustments and NSAID’s for lower back pain and found that not only were adjustments more effective, but there were no side-effects. NSAID’s have many side-effects and some of them are quite dangerous.

More importantly, a 2015 study showed that NSAID’s actually slow down the healing process and even accelerate osteoarthritis and joint degeneration.

Remember that osteoarthritis and joint decay/degeneration are the result of posture distortion patterns. Not due to a lack of NSAID’s in your diet.

So if you are struggling with lower back pain, you need to get in here for a check-up! Medication is not the solution and is certainly not doing you any favors!

All you have to do is call to schedule an appointment for your free initial consultation. Remember that these include a detailed posture analysis.

Our phone number is 905 335 LIFE (5433) or you can email me by clicking on the link found on our homepage.

Life Chiropractic Centre … helping families just like yours build vibrant, healthy, drug-free lives for over 25 years in Burlington, Ontario.

Hello again.

Dr Brad Ivanchuk here.

I am a Burlington, Ontario chiropractor at Life Chiropractic Centre on Guelph Line in the Beacon Hill Plaza.

Today we are going to talk about SCOLIOSIS and if you have kids, you absolutely need to read this. Especially if you have daughters.

Scoliosis by definition is a twisted or crooked spine.

Three percent of the population have scoliosis.

The primary age if onset is 10 to 15 years of age.

Females are 8 times more likely to develop scoliosis than males.

There are 3 causes of scoliosis.

One is congenital which means something went wrong during the embryonic stage.

The second cause is neuromuscular which means the scoliosis is the result of another condition such as cerebral palsy or spina bifida.

The third cause is idiopathic. This accounts for 80 to 85% of the cases. Idiopathic means unknown cause.

Some developmental theories regarding idiopathic scoliosis are that it arises as a defect of biomechanical function and/or a defect of neuromuscular control.

In other words, defects of the neuro-muscular-skeletal system which is what all posture correction chiropractors deal with specifically.

The world renowned Society on Scoliosis Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Treatment recommends the following guidelines for treating scoliosis:
1-Posture Correction.
2-Auto-correction of curve training during activities of daily living.
3-Patient education.

And as a Certified Posture Expert and a Certified Postural Neurologist with the American Posture Institute, this is where I can help you.

You will not know for sure if your kids have scoliosis unless they are checked by a posture expert. But one clue is that 23% of kids who have scoliosis will also suffer from lower back pain.

So if any of your kids complain of lower back pain, you need to get them checked as soon as possible.

But the prudent thing to do is to have them all checked regardless.

I have had very good results saving kids from unnecessary surgery for scoliosis over the years.

We were able to at least keep the curve from progressing, and there have been cases of curve reduction and the occasional complete correction.

All you have to do for me to check all your children is call and schedule an appointment for your free initial consultation.

This also includes a free detailed postural analysis.
 
Our phone number here in Burlington is 905 335 LIFE (5433). Please ask for Tina or Luanne to schedule your appointment.

Remember that good posture is by design and not by circumstance.
Life Chiropractic Centre … helping families just like yours build vibrant, healthy, drug-free lives for over 25 years in Burlington, Ontario.

Life Chiropractic Centre … helping families just like yours build vibrant, healthy, drug-free lives for over 25 years in Burlington, Ontario.

Hello everyone.

Dr Brad Ivanchuk here. I am a Burlington, Ontario Chiropractor at Life Chiropractic Centre on Guelph Line.

I am also a certified Posture Expert and Postural Neurologist with the American Posture Institute and a canfitpro certified Personal Training Specialist, Active Aging Coach and Children’s Fitness Coach.

Today we are going to learn about the health benefits of having a proper cervical (neck) curve. And this is the same thing as having good posture in Posture Quadrant #1.

You can see on this website what a proper neck curve looks like and these health benefits I am about to share with you have all been verified within the scientific research community.

Cervical spine correction and maintaining the correction will improve headaches, neck pain, dizziness, arm pain, disc herniation in the neck, lower back pain, sciatica (leg pain), fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndromes.

And the reason why cervical curve correction can have far-reaching effects throughout the body is because the spinal cord in your neck is a bundle of every single nerve in your body.

Even the ones that go right down to the tips of your toes.

Two other benefits that you need to know about – people with proper neck posture are much less dependent on opiods and a properly curved neck increases your spinal cord velocity.

What this means is that the nerve impulses that are generated in your brain ( tens of millions every second of every day of your life) will travel down the spinal cord to every single part of your body faster.

And the faster that these impulse can travel, the greater is your health potential.

This study in particular confirms that good postural alignment greatly determines your health status.

And in one way or another, principled chiropractors have been saying this for decades!

If you have any questions on this topic or any other health concerns you may have or your kids may have , please call me.
 
Consultations in our office are always free of charge and these include a detailed postural analysis. We offer this as a community service.
 
Our phone number here in Burlington is 905 335 LIFE (5433) or you can email me by clicking directly on the link found on our home page.

Remember that good posture is by design and not by circumstance.

Life Chiropractic Centre … helping families just like yours build vibrant, healthy, drug-free lives for over 25 years in Burlington, Ontario.

Hello again. Dr Brad Ivanchuk here.

I am a Burlington, Ontario chiropractor at Life Chiropractic Centre on Guelph Line.
 
I am also a canfitpro certified Personal Training Specialist, a Certified Posture Expert and a Certified Postural Neurologist with the American Posture Institute.

Today we are going to learn how postural correction can help carpal tunnel syndrome.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is characterized by pain, numbness and tingling in the thumb and fingers, a burning sensation that travels up the arm, wrist pain at night that can interfere with sleep and weakness in the hand muscles.

This most commonly manifests as a loss of grip strength in the hands.

CTS is very common in people who use their hands a lot. Computer workers and people who use hand-tools especially.

We have learned previously that postural distortions in Posture Quadrant 1 (forward head posture) and Posture Quadrant 2 (hump back) will compress on the nerves in the spine that go down the arm and into the wrist, hands and fingers causing CTS.

It is the median nerve specifically that is compressed.

Another thing that you need to know is when the little bones (carpal bones) in the wrist are misaligned – and this can easily happen with repetitive use – the carpal tunnel itself can become smaller compressing on the median nerve in the wrist.

A study published in 2018 showed that chiropractic treatment of the wrist itself can actually open up the carpal tunnel and give the median nerve more breathing room.

So, chiropractic treatment to correct one’s posture distortions in the spine and to correct the alignment of the carpal bones in the wrist is the perfect choice for non-surgical CTS care.

If you have any questions on this topic or any other health concerns you may have or your children may have, please call me.

Remember that consultations here at Life Chiropractic Centre are always free of charge. These include a detailed postural analysis.

We offer these to the residents of Burlington as a community service.

Our phone number here in Burlington, Ontario is 905 335 LIFE (5433) or you can email me directly by clicking on the link found on our home page.

Remember too that good posture is by design and not by circumstance.

Life Chiropractic Centre …. helping families just like yours build vibrant, healthy, drug-free lives for over 25 years in Burlington, Ontario.

Hello everyone.

Dr Brad Ivanchuk here. I am a Burlington, Ontario Chiropractor at Life Chiropractic Centre on Guelph Line in the Beacon Hill Plaza.

I am also an American Posture Institute certified Posture Expert and Postural Neurologist. And a canfitpro certified Personal Training Specialist.

Today we are going to talk about postural correction for shoulder pain.

Specifically, subacromial impingement which is a common shoulder injury in sports that require overhead motions such as throwing a baseball, football, shooting a basketball and swimming for example.

A new study on this condition showed that the athlete often times also has a problem in their neck and this is what I would like to share with you today.

Two patients in this study – a collegiate swimmer and an elite high school quarterback – both had shoulder pain and weakness which was affecting their athletic performance.

But neither of them reported having any neck pain.

A postural assessment however revealed that they both had very poor posture.

In Posture Quadrant 1 and 2 especially.

Specifically Forward Head Posture in PQ 1 and slouched and forward rounded shoulders in PQ 2.

And we have talked about this many times before how these particular postural distortions can affect ones shoulders.

Standard treatment on the shoulders only had very little effect for these two athletes.

But when the treatment protocol was changed – chiropractic adjustments to correct the postural distortions and reverse posture exercises to support the postural correction -- both athletes were able to return to their individual sport with no further issues.

Now, this is a great example of why most chiropractors, especially those who focus on postural correction, take the whole patient into consideration and evaluate the entire posture system, not just the problem area. Because the problem area is often times not the real problem!

If you have any questions on this topic or any other health concerns you may have or your kids may have, please call me.

Remember that consultations in our office are always free of charge and they include a detailed postural analysis.

Our phone number here in Burlington is 905 335 LIFE (5433). Or you can email me directly by clicking on the link found on our home page.

Good posture is by design and not by circumstance!

Life Chiropractic Centre … helping families just like yours build vibrant, healthy, drug-free lives for over 25 years in Burlington, Ontario.