Chiropractor Victoria BC

And here’s how it all began…

Used by ancient Chinese, Indian, Roman and Egyptian cultures, forms of Chiropractic have been around for thousands of years. Hippocrates, the father of medicine once wrote “Look well to the spine, for many diseases have their origin in dislocations of the vertebral column.” Even with such a long history, Chiropractic wasn’t introduced into Canada until the early 1900s.

In Canada, Chiropractic initially was introduced by Daniel Palmer of Davenport, Iowa, a long time student of anatomy and physiology. Like many physicians of the time, Palmer was practicing prior to licensing laws and the establishment of medical education requirements.

In the course of his studies, Palmer offered healing therapy to a building janitor by adjusting a misaligned vertebrae and thereby restoring the man’s hearing.

Palmer began treating others with Chiropractic and his reputation grew. Many people experienced the healing of physical ailments after they received these Chiropractic adjustments.

Although many medical doctors lacked formal education at that time, Palmer’s techniques were espoused as dangerous and as a result, a backlash toward Chiropractic was created. This distrust continued for more than 100 years.

Doctors of Chiropractic are trained at Chiropractic colleges with similar educational requirements as medical schools and are now accepted as primary health care professionals; giving special attention to the structural, spinal, musculoskeletal, and neurological relationships.

An increasing number of primary care physicians are referring patients to Chiropractors and many insurance companies offer reimbursement for Chiropractic services. Chiropractic is now considered one of the most widely used forms of health care with more than 22 million people annually seeking treatment.

Consumers are finding that Chiropractors are an effective “fence at the top of the hill”, rather than the “ambulance at the bottom.” As health care costs rise and many conventional medicines offer impersonal care, people want positive alternatives to conventional medicine like the care Chiropractors provide.

Graston Tool

Q: What is the Graston Tool?

A: The Graston Tool incorporates a patented form of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization that enables clinicians to effectively detect and treat scar tissue and restrictions that affect normal functions.

The Tool:

• Separates and breaks down collagen cross-links, and splays and stretches connective tissue and muscle fibers
• Increases skin temperature
• Facilitates reflex changes in the chronic muscle holding pattern
• Alters spinal reflex activity
• Increases the rate and amount of blood flow to and from the area
• Increases cellular activity in the region, including fibroblasts and mast cells
• Increases histamine response secondary to mast cell activity

Q: Why is scar tissue a problem?

A: Scar tissue limits range of motion, and in many instances causes pain, which prevents the patient from functioning as he or she did before the injury.

Q: How is scar tissue different from other tissue?

A: When viewed under a microscope, normal tissue can take a couple of different fashions: dense regular elongated fibers running in the same direction, such as tendons and ligaments; or dense irregular and loose with fibers running in multiple direction. In either instance, when tissue is damaged it will heal in a haphazard pattern-or-scarring, that results in a restricted range of motion.

Q: How are the instruments used?

A: The Graston Tool Instruments are used to enhance Dr. Gustavson’s ability to detect adhesions, scar tissue or restrictions in the affected areas. Dr. Gustavson uses the stainless steel instruments to comb over and “catch” on fibrotic tissue that immediately identifies the areas of restriction. Once the tissue has been identified, the instruments are used to break up the scar tissue so the body can absorb it.

Q: Is the treatment painful?

A: It is common to experience minor discomfort during the procedure and some bruising afterwards. This is a normal response and part of the healing process.

Q: What is the frequency of treatment?

A: Patients usually receive two treatments per week over 4-5 weeks. Most patients have a positive response by the 3rd to 4th treatment.

Dr. Gustavson is a certified member of the Graston Network.

The benefit is an accurate record of your spine, which far outweighs the minimal risk.

• Visualize the location of spinal problems
• Reveal pathologies and degeneration
• Show a history of your spinal stresses
• Confirm other examination findings
• Make your adjustments more precise
• Record structural and functional progress.

Nearly 38 years of research, experience, and technology have contributed to the development and evolution of the Cox technique. During a treatment, the patient lies prone while the chiropractor concentrates on one vertebral motion segment at a time.

Cox^®Technic creates a “push, pull, pumping” effect on the intervertebral disc space and allows the following benefits.

1) Increases the intervertebral disc height to remove tension on the anular fibers and the spinal nerve by making more room and improving circulation;

2) Drops pressure within the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc;

3) Increases the area of the intervertebral foramen up to 28%;

4) Restores vertebral joints to their physiological relationships of motion (realigns your spine).

Impulse Adjusting Instrument^®
This patented and FDA registered device was specifically created to deliver gentle and precise chiropractic adjustments to the joints of the spine and extremities to relieve pain and restore function.

Extreme Speed: Impulse^® is twice as fast as other adjusting instruments and 100x faster than manual chiropractic adjustments.

Controlled Force: Impulse^® has three different force settings for different parts of the body and to treat patients of all ages.

Frequency Tuned Waveform®: Impulse is specifically tuned to the natural frequency of the body that joints, muscles and nerves respond to optimizing results for patients.

Hands-Free Ultrasound & Muscle Stimulator

The term ultrasound refers to acoustic vibrations above those frequencies that are not available to the human ear, those which penetrate into the deeper layers of the tissue. These effects may be summarized as follows;

1. micro massage
2. analgesic
3. a breakdown of scar tissue
4. increased oxidation
5. microdestruction of tissue deposits

BIOFREEZE® is a product that can be lightly massaged into all sides of sore muscles. For joint pain, it can be applied to fully coat the area. When flexibility is decreased due to injury or arthritis, it can be massaged in and around the joint. BIOFREEZE® is particularly effective in lessening arthritis pain.

BIOFREEZE® can be used up to 4 times per day. When using tape, wraps or supports, be sure all materials are breathable. Never use nonporous materials when treating painful areas.

Click here to read all about BIOFREEZE® from their website.

Using the science of Kinesiology, the idea of treating the muscles in order to activate the body’s own healing process stirred the concept of Kinesio tape. Using an elastic tape, it was discovered that muscles and other tissues could be helped by outside assistance. Kinesio Taping is based on a philosophy that aims to give free range of motion in order to allow the body’s muscular system to heal itself bio-mechanically.

Kinesio tape is applied over muscles to reduce pain and inflammation, relax overused tired muscles and to support muscles in movement on a 24 hr/day basis. It is non-restrictive type of taping which allows for full range of motion.

Qualities of Kinesiotape:

• 100% hypoallergenic cotton
• Same thickness of the skin
• 130-140% elasticity (which does not allow the muscles to overstretch)
• Stays on for multiple days (waterproof)
• Latex Free

Uses of Kinesiotape:

• Headaches
• Foot problems
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Knee Conditions
• Shoulder conditions
• Hamstring
• Groin Injury
• Rotator cuff injury
• Whiplash
• Tennis elbow
• Plantar Fasciitis
• Patella Tracking
• Ankle Sprains
• Method for Support
• Pre and Post Surgical Edema
• Muscular facilitation in pediatric patients
• Muscle inhibition in pediatric patients
• Lower back strain/pain (subluxations, herniated disc)
• Athletic Preventative Injury

Muscles constantly extend and contract within a normal range however, when muscles over-extend and over-contract muscles cannot recover and become inflamed. When a muscle is inflamed, swollen or stiff due to fatigue, the space between the skin and muscle is compressed, resulting in constriction to the flow of lymphatic fluid. This compression also applies pressure to the pain receptors beneath the skin, which in turn communicates, “discomfort signals” to the brain and the person experiences PAIN. This type of pain is known as myalgia, or muscular pain.

Kinesio Tape is applied over the affected area with the muscles in a stretched position. Kinesio Tape is applied from one end of the muscle to the other with varying amounts of stretch to the tape. The tape is applied from the muscle origin to the insertion for muscle support / facilitation. For Rehabilitation / Muscular inhibition Kinesio Tape is applied from muscle insertion to the origin.
It may look like conventional athletic tape, but Kinesio Tape is fundamentally different.

Kinesiotape

• Allows for full range of movement
• No pressure on surrounding area
• Lymphatic flow uninhibited
• Remains on for a few days

Athletic Tape

• Restricts movements
• Significant pressure of taped area
• Obstruction of bodily fluid flow
• Applied before activity
• Removal after activity

TENS – transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation

A procedure where an electrical current is passed across the skin. TENS is intended for the symptomatic relief of a large number of painful syndromes.