FAQ

The education of a chiropractor mirrors that of a medical doctor up until the final year of study. The chiropractic curriculum encompasses a diverse range of subjects, including anatomy, pathology, biomechanics, chiropractic principles, diagnosis and adjustment techniques. The education synthesizes the diverse knowledge to specific anatomical regions and systems, thereby making the material meaningful for the purposes of a primary-contact health care practitioner.

Through Chiropractic adjustments your body is given the opportunity to heal itself. That’s because once the spine is properly aligned your entire nervous system can work the way it was intended.

The simple answer is a resounding YES. There have been few if any therapeutic interventions studied and validated through top quality research as much as spinal manipulation. Spinal manipulative therapy consistently comes out on top in terms of safety, patient satisfaction and cost effectiveness when compared to other interventions such as drugs, surgery and exercise alone. Not every person is suitable for spinal manipulation. Dr.Sean-Michael Browne has the education, knowledge and experience to determine which patient may benefit and for who it is not suitable.

Careful examination will reveal the areas of spinal restriction (hypomobile joints). These joints are not moving enough. The body compensates and creates other areas of hypermobility which are joints that are moving too much. The specific adjustments will be applied to the areas that are not moving only, to allow the body to heal. The soft tissues (muscles, ligaments etc) will adapt to the new movement patterns to allow the body to heal, improve function and overall quality of life.

Dr. Sean Michael Browne will discuss the need for any ongoing care with you, and the length of your care will depend on your specific problem.

Different levels of care include:

Relief care is where you are experiencing immediate pain and discomfort;

Corrective care treats long term spinal problems and because these problems have existed for some time, they require longer, more complex period of care;

Supportive or maintenance care helps you maintain and enjoy the benefits you achieved fro relief and corrective care. Continuing to work with Dr. Sean Michael Browne and having adjustments once in a while will keep your spine as healthy as possible.

Your joints that move too much can ‘pop’ themselves. Those areas that are moving too much are unstable and can lead to degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis), degenerative disc disease, disc herniations and muscle spasming/guarding. Even a highly qualified chiropractor can not adjust him/herself. These specific therapeutic techniques takes years and years to master. A chiropractor will visit another chiropractor to get his or her spine properly adjusted in the specific areas which are not moving enough to restore proper spinal movement.

Individual experience varies from person to person, many patients feel immediate relief from a spinal manipulation. Others may feel a slight soreness following their first few manipulations as the body realigns and begins the healing process. This is usually very mild and only lasts for a short period of time. Depending on how chronic the condition is will depict how long it will take the body to fully recover. Chiropractors are trained to make the specific manipulation as comfortable as possible.

Yes. Depending of the condition, age and health of the patient different types of interventions can be used. Gentle hand held adjusting instruments (activator) may be used, gentle low force drop piece tables can also be used with some patients with osteoporosis along with an active rehabilitation plan. Not every person is suitable for spinal manipulation, someone with osteoporosis will be treated differently than someone without. Dr Sean Michael Browne will clearly define and explain each individual case depending on their health and condition.

Pain is your bodies way of saying “STOP! Something is not working right!” It is like driving down the road and your red engine light is flashing at you, you then decide to get a piece of black tape, put it over the flashing light and keep on driving. The engine will continue to deteriorate over time. This is the same thing that would happen to your spine, degenerative spinal disease which is permanent and would be much more time consuming and difficult to resolve if possible.

Yes, depending on the area and surgery performed. A compensation pattern normally develops in the spine as a result of the surgery. The area surgically altered will not be touched during care. Other areas which have compensated will be address to try to improve overall spinal function and pain reduction.

Some patients will get immediate pain relief after their first manipulation. In others it may take a considerably longer amount time to feel better and improve their quality of life. This is dependent on the structures involved (ie. disc, muscle, joint, nerve etc), the chronicity of the condition, how healthy and active the individual is before they begin care and sometimes even psychological factors are involved. Dr. Sean Michael Browne has the knowledge and experience to get each individual back to their goal of health, function and pain reduction in the shortest period of time.

It is always up to the individual how much care they wish to receive. Patients who receive chiropractic care can feel the significant difference it makes to the overall functioning of their body and overall health. No, they can not get addicted to spinal manipulation. Those who choose ongoing chiropractic care do so because of the understanding of how it makes them feel. It allows their body to function at its optimal level, decreases pain, improves quality of life and help prevent major relapses.