non-invasive drug-free
Chiropractors help ease their patient’s pain, enabling them to live the active, pain-free lives they want. Chiropractors treat neck pain, back pain, arthritis, certain types of headaches, injuries and more. They are spine, muscle and nervous system experts in assessing, diagnosing, treating and developing care plans to keep you moving and pain-free.
Spine, Muscles, and Nervous System
Chiropractors focus on your spine, muscle, and nervous system and treat the bones, muscles, soft tissues, and joints that you use every day. The spine, muscle, and nervous system supports your weight, keeps your body stable, protects your organs, and keeps you moving. It also connects directly to other vital systems in your body, which is why medical professionals, researchers, and the wider health community trust the spine care expertise of chiropractors to assess, diagnose, and treat conditions and injuries related to the spine, muscle, and nervous system. For optimal health and quality of life, a chiropractor should be part of everyone’s healthcare team.
Is Chiropractic right for you?
Day-to-day life can put demands on your musculoskeletal system – work, accidents, sports injuries, household chores, even stress can cause painful joint and back problems. Learn about how our experts can help.
From automobile accidents to sports injuries to repetitive stress, chiropractic treatment can help heal the specific injuries to your muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves.
Chronic conditions affecting your muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves can be managed with an individualized chiropractic treatment plan.
MUSCLE STRAIN
Strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon that may present in small or larger tears or stretching of the fibres.
JOINT SPRAIN
Sprain is an injury to a ligament that may present in small or larger tears or stretching of the fibres.
JOINT DYSFUNCTION
Examples: Facet joint irritation, sacroiliac joint dysfunction.
NERVE ENTRAPMENT
Nerve entrapment occurs when too much pressure is applied to a nerve by surrounding tissues, such as bones, cartilage, muscles or tendons.
A thorough process
What to expect at your first chiropractic visit
Planning your first visit
Depending on the injury or reason for which you are seeking chiropractic treatment, initial visits may last from 30 to 60 minutes. Subsequent visits will likely be shorter, but the first visit aims to start building the therapeutic relationship, identifying the cause of the problem and discussing a proposed plan of management. Chiropractors are extensively trained to assess, diagnose, manage and prevent reoccurrence of musculoskeletal conditions while specifically addressing your needs and goals. It’s important that you communicate your values and treatment expectations with your chiropractor.
During your first visit to your chiropractor, they may ask:
- What’s the main issue that brings you here and how is it affecting your life?
- What do you hope to achieve by seeing a chiropractor?
- What major illnesses and surgeries have you had?
- Do you have any chronic conditions?
- What medications are you taking?
- Do other family members have similar medical issues?
- What steps have you taken to manage or improve your condition?
- What’s your diet and exercise like?
- How do you sleep at night?
- What is your work routine, schedule and daily stress like?
Your chiropractor may perform some of the following tests:
- Blood pressure, pulse and breathing checks
- Reflex, strength and sensation tests
- Orthopedic tests
- Analyze your posture
- Analyze your movement, including how you walk, turn, bend or lift things, as well as how your body moves in the affected area
- Hands-on evaluation of how well your spine moves to identify restrictions and areas that are not moving well
Report of finding and treatment
Sometimes, during your first visit to your chiropractor, they may order X-rays or refer you to your family doctor or a nurse practitioner for diagnostic tests, such as lab work or advanced imaging, as part of their assessment process. Using the best available evidence and their clinical expertise your chiropractor will then be able to assess and diagnose issues affecting your body’s movement. Once they have made a diagnosis, they can develop a treatment plan to specifically meet your needs and preferences.
For many conditions, such as low back pain, chiropractic care is the primary method of treatment. For others, such as pain associated with arthritis, diabetes or osteoporosis, an interprofessional approach is advisable. If they suspect you have a condition that’s more appropriate for another health care professional to treat, your chiropractor will make a referral. They will also coordinate with other health care professionals and support your overall treatment with chiropractic care, as needed.
Cost & Coverage
Chiropractic care is covered extensively by third-party payers. These include employee benefit plans, the federal public service, worker’s compensation boards, the automobile insurance industry, extended healthcare benefits, the RCMP, Canadian Forces and Veteran’s Affairs Canada.
Many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have access to private health benefits through their employers, unions or personal plans. Private plan coverage is often accessible without a medical referral, however, some companies have differing requirements. Please check your personal details for coverage amounts, copays and requirements for reimbursement.
We are working with our partners in Government and Insurance to reduce barriers to care, reduce paperwork costs so funds can be used for treatment, and improve direct access to chiropractors without additional referral burdens on our medical system partners.
The NLCA continues to advocate on behalf of all of our people for better coverage for chiropractic care. We know that improving access and affordability to necessary treatment is important to you…and that makes it important to us too.
Those who suffer injury in a motor vehicle accident are entitled to benefits under Protocols established through the Superintendent of Insurance and via Section B of their motor vehicle insurance. To access initial care under these Protocols, no medical referral or preapproval is necessary.
Workers injured in the workplace are eligible for coverage under specific WPNL parameters. Clinics which have contracts with WPNL can provide care within that framework for approved workers. No medical referral is necessary.
Veterans can receive benefits covering chiropractic examinations and treatment for insurable injuries. No medical referral is necessary.
