WHAT IS CHIROPAEDIC?

CHIROPAEDIC – was formed due to an inherent need for Chiropractors who specialise in Orthopaedics; the specialty that focuses on injuries and diseases of your body’s musculoskeletal system. This complex system, which includes your bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves, allows you to move, work, and be active.

At Chiropaedic, we utilize only evidence based treatment and are fully equipped to meet your needs and maximize your neurological and muscular function. Our Chiropractors will work with you to develop a customized treatment plan to manage the physical, emotional, and behavioral changes that you may experience.

We treat patients with a wide variety of conditions and diagnoses including:

• Brain injury
• Spinal Cord Injury
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Muscular Dystrophy
• Neuropathy
• Other neurological injuries

Neuromuscular rehabilitation consists of evaluation and treatment of conditions related to the neurological system; brain, nerves, and spinal cord. Neuromuscular rehabilitation has been scientifically proven to assist in the faster recovery of neuromuscular injuries than Chiropractic alone.

Commonly used techniques during rehabilitation include stretching, mobility training, gait training, neuromuscular retraining, functional training and pain management. Technology plays an important role in advancement of neurological rehabilitation and we offer the following:

• Redcord® Neurac; a treatment method that aims to restore functional and pain-free movement patterns through high levels of neuromuscular stimulation
• Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES); is a technique used to elicit a muscle contraction using electrical impulses.

Electrical stimulation has been shown to be an effective therapeutic option for individuals suffering from pain and weakness. Below are some of the benefits clients may experience:

• Decreased pain
• Muscle re-education and Strengthening
• Increased range of motion
• Increased circulation
• Decreased spasticity
• Reduced edema
• Decreased inflammation
• Improved overall function

At Chiropaedic your care plans are goal focused. Utilising visual outcome measures we can set a benchmark of your functional ability. We can track your performance during your care so that you can see noticeable improvement in not just how you feel but how you function. We focus on improving your activities of daily living, reducing the risk of injury and therefore improving your long-term quality of life.

To learn more about Chiropaedic, visit our website here: https://www.chiropaedic.com.au

CONTACT & LOCATION DETAILS

• Phone: (02) 9438 2868
• Shop 3/38-46 Albany St
  St Leonards NSW
  2065

CHIROPRACTIC CREEPS

Corporate “Wellness” clinics and franchise arrangements may soon dominate the marketplace for Chiropractic treatments. Aggressive marketing while diminishing the real risks of treatment hallmarks, are the voracious drive to get the punters in the door. Once you are in the door, upselling is the name of the game. 

Unhappy with the outcome? Well too bad-you didn’t read the fine print when you signed on? It should be appreciated that these clinics operate to a “set play”, delivered by practitioners trained to a formula. The delivery is fast track with the predictable simplicity of a “one size fits all” formula. 

The clinics are almost exclusively motivated by profit and characterised by an “off the shelf” approach. It may be worth asking who owns the clinic. The answer is more than likely to be a Chiropractic entrepreneur, struck-off from international regulatory boards, replicating the same formula in Australia. 

Targeting the inexperienced, excited apprentice, motivated by the promise of success and financial reward, the formula then replicates and becomes scalable. Like “Fast Food Chains” they may well succeed but the stomach is far more forgiving than the Spine. 

Discerning patients are not seduced by the lure of cheap end entrepreneurs with highly indigestible outcomes.

by Dr Vivienne Brimelow (Chiropractor & Health Writer)

POSTURE PERFECT

As children we were told “Stand up straight!” “Pull your shoulders back!” We were often advised about the importance of good posture by our parents, but seldom taught why and how to achieve it?

The consequence of this is seen all around us; stiff neck, hunched shoulders, restricted breathing, tightness in the thighs, legs and ankles, backaches, headaches and a multitude of other painful symptoms.

Posture is the window to the spine and poor posture can indicate a problem with the spine and nervous system.

Slouching and forward head posture is the first indicator of poor posture. This compromises lymphatic drainage in the neck (cervical spine) causing further strain on the posterior neck muscles. It increases the load on the discs, joints and nerves and can lead to premature ageing or arthritis of the cervical spine. 

Some of the causes of this type of posture are sporting injuries, motor vehicle accidents, working with computers and loss of bone density. Postural problems can simply result from poor sleeping habits on soft pillows and unsupportive mattresses.

Another common postural problem is flattening of the normal curve of the lower back (lumbar spine), which leads to a backward tilt of the pelvis and anterior weight bearing of the lumbar spine. This causes an increase in disc pressure, chronic lower back pain, muscle pain, sciatica, weaknesses and circulation problems of the legs. 

The abnormal weight bearing of the spine can lead to arthritis of the joints and damage to the discs.

Chiropractors are expert at analyzing posture and spinal problems. They are trained to search for the problems that exist underneath poor posture.

Analyzing posture from the front, the Chiropractor looks for changes in stance ie. outward turning of the feet, alignment of the knees, leveling of the hips and pelvis, height differences of the shoulders, tilting of the head and neck. 

The side posture is analyzed, by the forward or backward tilting of the pelvis, forward head position and changes in the spinal curvatures. Deviations from normal alignment are an indication of changes in the spine. 

The gait or walking cycle is observed, as it is an important indicator of foot alignment and weight distribution, ultimately affecting spinal posture.

Changes in posture lead to distortions in spinal alignment and therefore vertebral misalignment (subluxation). This misalignment of the vertebrae affects the spinal joints and discs, causing changes in nerve function and therefore irritation of the spinal musculature and organs the nerve supplies. 

The long-term effect of this misalignment (chronic subluxation) can lead to spinal disc and joint arthritis, irritation of multiple organs and glands of the body leading to chronic ill health and poor musculoskeletal function.

How are these deviations in the spine corrected and how can the long-term effects of this misalignments be reduced? 

Utilizing a combination of "Chiropractic adjustments" to restore the natural movement of the skeletal system and "neuromuscular rehabilitation" to retrain the muscular and nervous systems to maintain the corrected posture, the amount of stress on the body and the risk of injury is reduced.

Dr Vivienne Brimelow 
Chiropractor, Neuromuscular and Occupational Rehabilitation Specialist