Barrhaven Chiropractic Health Centre

At the Barrhaven Chiropractic Health Centre, we raise the bar when it comes to your health, offering the following services and products:

Chiropractic Care
Registered Massage Therapy
Adjustments
Active Release Technique (ART)
Naturopathic Medicine
Acupuncture
Orthotics
Activator
Nutritional Counseling
Therapeutic Modalities
Rehabilitation Programs
Products

What is Chiropractic?

The word “Chiropractic” comes from ancient Greek and means, “done by hand.”

Chiropractic is one of the largest primary health care professions in Canada with approximately 4.5 million Canadians visiting a chiropractor each year.  Doctors of chiropractic are health professionals concerned with the diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and prevention of muscle and joint injuries.  Chiropractors are specialists in manual adjustment of the vertebrae of the spine and other joints.  Adjustments help relieve pain and restore normal functioning to the spine, joints and supporting structures of the body.

Chiropractors are also trained to prescribe therapeutic exercise, nutritional counseling, and recommend rehabilitation and injury prevention strategies.

What is an adjustment?

An adjustment is a highly skilled and precise movement usually applied by hand to a joint of the body. Adjustment loosens the joint to restore proper movement and optimize function. When a joint is adjusted, a gas bubble escapes causing the popping noise you may have heard about.

When should I see a chiropractor?

Eight out of ten Canadians will experience back pain at some point in their life, For many people, the pain can keep them away from work, school or even their day-to-day activities. If pain causes interruptions and restrictions in the activities of your daily life then you should consult a chiropractor.

What kind of education does a Chiropractor have?

A Doctor of Chiropractic has spent four years at an accredited chiropractic institution after they have completed a minimum of 3 years in a university undergraduate program.  Chiropractic students receive more than 4,200 hours of specialized clinical training, and are one of only five classes of health care professionals in Ontario that are able to use the title Doctor, with its accompanying rights and obligations.

Why do people without pain, elect to see a chiropractor?

When a patient elects to pursue regular chiropractic care it is defined as Maintenance Care.  Maintenance Care focuses on maintaining good mobility and joint function of the spine to help in the prevention of back pain and to promote spinal health.

Your spine houses your spinal cord.  Your spinal cord is a bundle of wires containing millions of nerves.  These nerves send messages to and from your brain to virtually every cell in your body, responsible for your breathing, digestion, heart beat, etc.  If the bones of your spine move incorrectly, move out of position or get “stuck” the nerves can become irritated causing the signal from the nerve to become interrupted; like a short circuit.

Maintenance Care aims to keep spinal segments from getting “stuck,” preventing nerve irritation and promoting overall better health.

Registered Massage Therapy

Massage Therapy is a hands-on technique used to assess and treat the soft tissues of the body.  As an accepted part of many physical rehabilitation programs, massage therapy can be beneficial for relaxation and stress reduction, decreasing pain and inflammation, improving mobility and increasing circulation of blood and lymph.   

What are the reasons to see a Massage Therapist?

There are many reasons to see a massage therapist; low back and neck pain, postural strains, headaches, arthritis, pregnancy, depression, stress and fatigue are just a few.

Are your massage therapist registered?

Yes!  They have a registration number which is included on your receipt that you submit to your insurance company, if you have extended health care.

How long does a massage last?

We offer 30 min, 45 min, 60 min and 90 min massage appointments. 

If I am pregnant, can I still have a massage?

Yes, with some pregnancies, some women suffer from lower back pain, neck pain or sciatica. Massage can help relax the muscles that support the spine.

Fees

30 min treatment: $47.61 + GST = $50.00
45 min treatment: $57.14 + GST = $60.00 
60 min treatment: $71.43 + GST = $75.00
90 min treatment: $104.76 + GST = $110.00 

Active Release Technique

What is Active Release Technique (ART®)?

Active Release Technique is a hands-on treatment used for treating soft-tissue (i.e. muscle, tendon, fascia, nerves).  A certified ART® practitioner utilizes a thorough history, physical and biomechanical exam to properly diagnose the soft-tissue injury.  These injuries are often a result of repetitive strain, cumulative trauma, adhesions, tissue hypoxia and joint dysfunction.

How does one develop a soft-tissue injury?

In order for a muscle, ligament and/or nerve to function it must be supplied oxygen, via the blood (circulatory system). Repetitive work tasks, poor posture and endurance sports can all cause a tissue to remain in a tightened or stressed position for a prolonged period of time.  As a result the blood supply to that tissue becomes compromised, decreasing oxygen to the area resulting in “tissue hypoxia.” Tissue hypoxia results in the body replacing the tissue, with tissue that does not require as much oxygen to function; known as “Scar tissue.”  Scar tissue causes poor muscle contraction, decrease range of motion, tissue friction and nerve irritation.

How does ART® work?

ART® practitioner’s locate the scar tissue structures and use their thumbs or fingers to place tension on the muscle while the patient actively moves that body part to stretch the muscle and break up the scar tissue.  Ideally, your practitioner will add some rehabilitation exercises to help promote the new tissue from developing properly.

Naturopathic Medicine

What is naturopathic medicine?

Naturopathic medicine is a distinct system of primary care that addresses the root cause of illness or disease and promotes health and healing using natural therapies. Treatment modalities may include clinical nutrition, botanical (herbal) medicine, homeopathic medicine, physical treatments, acupuncture and Asian medicine and lifestyle counseling.

The primary goal of naturopathic treatment is to address the cause of the illness rather than simply treating or suppressing symptoms. While naturopathic care helps to alleviate specific symptoms, ND’s are primarily concerned with addressing the root cause of an illness: the focus is more on the why of a disease than the what.

What is a naturopathic doctor?

Naturopathic doctors are highly educated primary care providers who integrate standard medical diagnostics with a broad range of natural therapies.

What can I expect from my first visit to a naturopathic doctor?

Your first visit with Dr. Proulx, will be 1.5 hours in length. A very extensive patient history eliciting information about your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health is taken and a complaint-oriented physical exam performed. Included in your first visit is a screening blood test and urinalysis.  Further specialized lab testing may be requested.

With your input, Dr. Andréa will propose a personalized treatment plan to help you achieve your health goals.

What types of services does a Naturopathic Doctor provide?

Dr. Proulx offers a variety of services and techniques to treat her patients, which include;

1. Clinical Nutrition
Clinical Nutrition and the therapeutic use of foods is a cornerstone of naturopathic medicine. Food intolerances, deficiencies, dietary imbalances or nutritional excesses have been associated with many medical conditions. With appropriate dietary modification and nutritional supplements health concerns can be treated with fewer complications and side effects.

2. Diagnostic Test and Labs
• ND’s are trained to perform and interpret laboratory results.  Diagnostic tests are performed either in office or the patient is sent to a local registered lab. Blood, hormone, saliva, hair/mineral analysis and food sensitivity tests are available

3. Botanical Medicine
• For thousands of years, plant substances from around the world have been used for their healing effects and nutritional value.  Many pharmaceutical drugs originally came from plant compounds. Herbal medicine is an integral part of stimulating the body's own healing ability. These plants and plant substances are highly effective and safe in the right dosage and when used correctly with other herbs and treatments.

4. Lifestyle Counseling
• Physical, emotional, nutritional and environmental factors all affect health. Addressing all aspects of a person's life, identifying and addressing the impact that stress and life events have on a patient's health is an important aspect of the complete naturopathic treatment.

5. Homeopathy
• This powerful system of medicine is more than 200 years old.  Homeopathic remedies are made from specific dilutions of plant, animal and mineral substances.  The minute dose of the homeopathic remedy elicits a response from the body to tend to the symptoms or problem at hand.

Fees

Initial Visit: (90min) = $160 + GST
Subsequent Visit: (30-60min) = $70-140 + GST

Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine

• Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a complete medical system that has tools for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease.

Based on the philosophy of balancing Qi (chi) between the Yin and Yang natures of a person, TCM can be used to treat a wide variety of physical, mental and emotional concerns.

• Acupuncture is the use of sterile needles to manipulate the Qi or to create a local response in the tissue.  ND’s are trained in two systems of needle location selection; the TCM system and the ‘medical acupuncture’ system based on local anatomy.

• Acupuncture treatments are used in a wide variety of conditions from sports injuries to female hormone issues & fertility to pain management.  It is very effective in treating musculoskeletal concerns such as low back pain, sprains & strains and to speed the recovery from injury.

Fees

Acupuncture Treatment (30min) = $60 + GST

Rehabilitation programs

Rehabilitation programs are prescribed exercises aimed at reducing pain and restoring strength, flexibility, endurance and physical abilities affected by an injury.  Patients are instructed to perform specific exercises tailored to their condition, which they can easily perform at home or at their office.  Doctor prescribed exercises ensure that the exercises do not aggravate symptoms, which can often occur when exercises are given by someone who does not understand your condition.  

Therapeutic Modalities

Interferential Current and Ultrasound are types of therapeutic modalities used at our clinic as an adjunct to treatment to help reduce pain, decrease inflammation, promote healing and restore function.

Orthotics

The American Podiatric Medical Association says that the average person takes 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day, which can be a lot of walking for an individual with poor-fitting shoes or painful feet. It is important to realize that your feet have a direct impact on your body and support you with every step.  Research has shown that even the smallest abnormality in foot function can have a large impact on the joints in our body, and may be the cause of foot, ankle, knee, hip and back pain.

Orthotics are inserts that comfortably fit into shoes.  A foam cast, plaster cast or computerized scan is used to take an imprint of your foot to ensure that the orthotic is specifically designed for you. The custom made orthotics provide support, improve the functioning of your feet and can relieve pain.

Health care practitioners may prescribe orthotics to patients for:

• Pes plantus (flat feet)
• Pes Cavus (high arch)
• Plantar Fasciitis
• Bunyions,Calluses and Corns from poorly fit shoes
• Ankle conditions
• Knee conditions
• Hip conditions
• Low back conditions
• Diabetic feet
• Sports performance

We have been prescribing custom orthotics for the better part of 32 years, using the same company with proven craftsmanship. We have seen the benefits and impact orthotics can have, for all age groups.

Activator

The activator method has grown to be the most widely used “low force” technique in chiropractic.  Activator technique utilizes a small spring-loaded adjusting instrument to deliver a focused corrective impulse to the desired spinal segment to help restore proper motion.  This technique is commonly used in patients who prefer a low-force correction without the traditional “hands-on” thrust.

Nutritional Counseling

Proper nutrition and supplementation have long been emphasized as a fundamental component to optimal health. The food we intake allows our body to function and perform our daily duties. However, certain foods can also have an affect on specific health conditions, exacerbating symptoms. Conversely, certain foods and supplements can also be beneficial in managing different conditions and/or symptoms.

Digital X-Ray Facility

On- site x-ray facility allows for convenient access for patients who may require an x-ray for further evaluation of their present condition.

Products Available

Chiroflow Pillow       

A water based pillow, designed to provide neck and head support while responding to changing sleep positions.  Clinically shown to reduce neck pain and improve quality of sleep. Get more information on the Chiroflow Pillow at www.chiroflow.com.

Biofreeze Products

A unique, effective pain reliever formulated to provide a variety of benefits for therapy, pain relief, exercise/training and overall comfort. To see the full line of Biofreeze products visit www.biofreeze.com.

Elastic Sacro Braces

Traction Kits

Glucosamine Joint Formula

Contains a purified and stable grade of glucosamine sulfate, along with three natural herbs that support joint health and block key steps associated with the inflammatory process. www.adeeva.com

Zeel Compositum

Zeel Compositum is made of an optimal combination of natural ingredients intended to relieve pain associated with arthritic conditions and improve joint mobility. www.heel.ca

 

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