Edmonton Chiropractic
Chiropractic Care
River Stone Wellness Centre is located in Terwillegar, South Edmonton. We are leading the industry in personalized, patient-focused treatments to improve health and wellness and combat pain. We believe in providing excellent therapy in a supportive, safe and relaxing environment.
Here at River Stone, we value health and well-being. We want to be able to provide you with a variety of treatments to help you reach your wellness goals. Chiropractic care is an important part of becoming pain-free. If you are experiencing pain from an injury, a car accident or trauma or even general stiffness from age or posture, chiropractic care can help get you back into a pain-free state. River Stone’s integrated approach to wellness means that you can have chiropractic care along with other successful treatments. The result is a truly personalized path to healing. You can choose chiropractic care alone, or in combination with acupuncture, osteopathy, massage, laser or physiotherapy.
All of our practitioners are committed to the highest standard of patient care, regardless of whether you are experiencing acute pain from a current trauma or trying to improve upon a chronic condition. Each of our practitioners knows what they can do to help you, and when to refer you to a different practitioner for a different technique. Chiropractic care is an essential part of this integrated approach. We believe it’s possible to maximize your quality of life—without pharmaceutical medications—by providing a complete spectrum of care.
Adjustments
Chiropractic care is often misunderstood—it isn’t about cracking joints. Manual adjustments may result in cracking or popping sounds, but this is only a portion of chiropractic care. A chiropractic adjustment is when a chiropractor manipulates any vertebrae that show a reduced range of motion. The technique is called High-Velocity Low-Amplitude (HVLA). The popping sound results from bubbles of gas that are trapped in the joint being released. This reduces the pressure in the joint, improves the range of motion and provides relief. Manual adjustments can be very effective for neck and back pain. Patients with headaches, migraines, and lower-extremity joint issues may also benefit from manual adjustments.
Muscle Release Technique
One of the innovative treatments that chiropractors use is called Muscle Release Technique (MRT). This is a manual technique that is used on soft tissues throughout the body, not just the spine. MRT has become a leading part of chiropractic care as it addresses musculature, fascia, and nerves. As the name suggests, the techniques work on soft tissues while they are in motion. Joints are moved throughout their full range of motion while the technique is applied. MRT targets pain that is associated with certain movements, postures or tasks. This highly focused technique can be a stand-alone treatment or used in conjunction with other Chiropractic techniques.
Spinal Decompression (Traction)
Chiropractic care at River Stone may also include a type of treatment called Spinal Decompression on our traction table. Spinal decompression can be done on the lumbar spine (lower back) or the cervical spine (neck). It involves a small amount of force to pull your pelvis or your head away from the centre of your spine to allow the vertebrae to decompress. This reduces pressure on the discs, nerves and connective tissue. The result is reduced pain and increased range of motion. Like other treatments, Spinal Decompression may be used alone, or in combination with other therapies. Our traction table can also use laser on the lumber area to help the muscles and joint tissues relax and repair while reducing pain and inflammation. More information on our Spine Specialist Traction Table can be found here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do chiropractic treatments hurt?
Largely no, but some treatments to a painful problem area can elicit that pain. Graston Technique may have a painful sensation, but it’s the good kind of pain and it passes quickly.
What happens on an initial visit?
Typically the chiropractor will go through a full history and assessment on the problem area. Specifically, the chiropractor will determine where the problem is, when it started, the mechanism of injury, what makes it worse, what makes it better and what has been done to try to make it better. The assessment includes evaluating the range of motion, muscle testing, and orthopedic testing. Based on the assessment the chiropractor will discuss the diagnosis and move on to treatment and treatment planning. After the assessment the chiropractor will begin treatment, using manual adjustment, muscle release, traction or laser. The chiropractor will also draw up a treatment plan. Part of this plan may include stretches, exercises and foam rolling.
What happens on subsequent visits?
Most visits involve reviewing what’s been working, what isn’t working, which exercises have been done and how symptoms have changed. Mobility may be checked. Treatment may include a variety of modalities and followed up with a treatment plan and homework again, such as stretches or elevation and compression.
Overall, chiropractic care is an excellent way to address injuries, chronic and acute pain and to improve overall well-being. Another advantage of chiropractic care is that it manages and improves pain without the use of medical drugs. At River Stone, we are certain that chiropractic care can be helpful in your wellness routine or to address trauma during or after a critical crisis. Our chiropractor is care-driven, meaning the most important part of the process is you and your well-being.