Chiropractic in the News

Toronto chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Taron Carruthers has been bitten by some of her patients. And, no, they weren’t human. Yes, Carruthers is an animal chiropractor. “Most people when I tell them what I do have never heard of it,” she said. “But it’s been around, I want to say, since the ‘80s. It’s just gaining popularity and becoming more of a thing, I guess.”

Having an alignment performed on your car is like getting an adjustment at the chiropractor. The goal is to ensure an optimal physical arrangement of wheels and vital suspension parts. Keeping your back healthy is important, and keeping your car’s alignment heathy is important, too. When your car’s alignment is off, it’ll handle poorly, wear out its tires more quickly, waste fuel needlessly, cost you more money to operate, and be less enjoyable to drive.

The countless hours of training will be rewarded on Patriots’ Day when Laura and Joseph Puopolo make their Boston Marathon debuts … The Puopolos are clearly proud of one another’s running success, with Joseph making a point of how his wife has battled back from a femoral neck stress fracture she suffered last year. Unable to run for several months, Laura worked with Health + Performance running club coach Dr. Sean Delanghe, a Waterloo chiropractor and OCA member, and is back to her old self. Perhaps even faster, said Joseph.

Chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Nekessa Remy has some stretches and simple exercises to stop those sounds of cracking, popping and clicking.

The vast majority of people who go to the emergency department at Grand River Hospital in Kitchener for back pain are sent home. Hospital numbers show over the past three years, about 3,300 people went to emergency with lower back pain and 95 per cent of them were not admitted for care. But Dr. Mark Kubert (chiropractor and OCA member) says it’s not because they aren’t in pain. It’s why he’s working to raise awareness of the low back pain rapid access clinic located at Grand River Hospital’s Freeport campus.

Chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Nekessa Remy shows some easy exercises to effectively reduce cracking joints.

With many workers shifting to a home environment during the COVID-19 pandemic, and public health restrictions limiting access to care, chiropractic care can be a key way to treat certain injuries. Canadian HRReporter spoke with Caroline Brereton, CEO of the Ontario Chiropractic Association (OCA) in Toronto, to hear about how these health-care professionals can become an important part of treatment and benefits.

Working from home has many perks but one pitfall is the lack of joint movement. Chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Maher Obeid shares simple exercises that can alleviate pain.

Diagnosis and treatment were very different 44 years ago when I suffered my first migraine attack. Very little was known about the disease, and really no one knew how to treat it … Let’s start with some things you should do once diagnosed … Consider other non-pharmaceutical treatments, including chiropractors, physical therapists, acupuncture, biofeedback, cognitive behavioral therapy.

Ontario chiropractor and OCA member, Dr. Maher Obeid from the Healing Path Chiropractic and Wellness Centre in Burlington, Ont., (thehealingpath.ca) says it’s crucial to protect your back when doing something this strenuous: “It’s all about the hips, not the lower back when it comes to shovelling out there,” said Dr. Obeid in a recent interview. “Being mindful of having a straight back, bending with your knees and lifting with your legs is key.”

As the doors of gyms remain closed, many are rethinking their workout routines. Chiropractor Dr. Stephen Gray (OCA member) helps you get your fitness fix with several hacks, including using household items.

Chiropractor Dr. Nekessa Remy (OCA member) joins us this morning with five tips to prevent common winter injuries. Dr. Remy says three common injuries that can be sustained in the winter are frozen shoulder, lower back strain, and neck injuries.

Barrie-based Dr. Bob Willson (OCA member) has been helping residents — and world-class athletes -—bend, kneel, reach and run since he opened High St. Chiropractic in 1987. It was a vision realized when he first laid eyes on the old Queen’s Park-area building, after receiving his bachelor of human kinetics (1978) and doctor of chiropractic (1987). He’s also received the Fellowship in Chiropractic Sports Sciences and the Fellowship of the International Chiropractic College.

Dr. Nicole Kosta (OCA member) is a full-time professional hockey player in the PWHPA who also works as a full-time chiropractor, with the steps being taken today, her hope is that it will secure a better future for the next generation of female hockey players.

A local chiropractor, Dr. Dianne McMurray (OCA member) spends her spare time helping girls reach their full potential. For this week’s edition of People of Collingwood we spoke with Dr. McMurray, 32, a local chiropractor and volunteer with the Collingwood chapter of the Girl Guides of Canada.

Chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Stephen Gray gives a lesson in fundamentals when it comes to shovelling and stretches that will help keep your back in-check.

On the women’s side, Toronto’s Dr. Brittany Moran (OCA member) ran an impressive race, smashing her previous personal best of 2:36:23. The full-time chiropractor also ran a very consistent race, averaging 5:52 per mile (about 3:40/km) throughout the entire 42 kilometres. This was Dr. Moran’s second marathon this season after running the Boston Marathon less than two months ago. She was Canada’s top woman in Boston, where she finished in 2:39:29 for 29th place.

Uxbridge Cares is stepping up to care for those in need of a little extra help this holiday season. The group is now collecting donations for its 2021 Holiday Basket drive, with local businesses pitching in to host baskets and collect items for families in need this holiday season. To that end, participating businesses — including The Lemonade Stand, Urban Pantry, Pharmasave, Axis Chiropractic (OCA member), fig kitchen & market, The Bridge Social and Cindy Wood Re/Max Allstars Realty Inc. — host baskets specific to one family, with residents invited to donate items or gift cards.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Huron has once again set up their Adopt a Child Tree, a gift giving campaign for children within the program and children in the community who are in need. Trees have also been put up at A1 Chiropractic in Exeter, OCA member, and The Docks Restaurant and Bar in Bayfield. As well, stocking stuffers are being collected at The Dollar Tree in Exeter.

Shelburne Family Chiropractic & Wellness Centre is gearing up for their fifth Shoes4Shelburne initiative this December, and has announced exciting changes to the yearly shoe collection going forward. Started five years ago by local chiropractor Dr. Richard Magder, OCA member, and Alexandra Georgie from Shelburne Family Chiropractic, Shoes4Shelburne has been an annual initiative focused on providing new and gently used shoes to Shelburne and Dufferin County residents.

Chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Nekessa Remy demonstrates how posture straps, towels, braces and ports tape can be used to help correct your posture.

According to Ontario chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Amy Brown, the best way to avoid the negative health impacts of extended sitting or standing is to alternate between the two positions and to build exercise into your day.

Dr. Will Heidary from Back on Track Chiropractic and Wellness Centre, and OCA member explains how chiropractors can help improve your sleep.

If you find yourself slouching, chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Nekessa Remy joined us with some tips to attain perfect posture. There are plenty of postural devices Remy recommends to help practice good posture. “They give you an idea of how you should be sitting when you are sitting for long periods of time,” said Remy.

Manual practitioners, such as chiropractors, can help you recover and experience less pain. But a big question many people wonder is: Is a chiropractor a doctor? There are many misconceptions about whether or not chiropractic care is even safe. This blog will help you learn about their credentials, safety, and more.

In recognition of World Arthritis Day on October 12, the Ontario Chiropractic Association (OCA) has launched a new ‘Circle It’ arthritis campaign to help raise awareness that as experts in neuromusculoskeletal (nMSK) (spine, muscles, joints, and related nervous system) care, chiropractors are fully trained to treat the pain and functional limitations of arthritis, as well as the management and ongoing care of inflammatory arthritis (IA) and osteoarthritis (OA).

Chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Stephen Gray talks about combating prolonged sitting with stretching and how it could reinvigorate your body and mind.

Bob Cowan welcomes Chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Nekessa Remy to talk about buying the right running shoes for your fall activities.

For those finding it difficult to squeak in time for fitness, commuting actually affords the chance to get some steps in by walking for a few minutes before or after jumping on public transit or getting back in your car. “During the pandemic, a lot of people noticed that their feet have gotten bigger,” says osteopath and orthotic accessory designer Dr. Liza Egbogah. “When they go to put on their dress shoes, they’re finding them way too tight and uncomfortable.” (Dr. Liza Egbogah is also an OCA member).

Chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Stephen Gray joins Global News and The Morning Show with his bike basics to help you stay healthy both on and off the road.

Chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Nekessa Remy joins The Morning Show and demonstrates simple ways to increase mobility and relieve tension in your feet, neck and back muscles.

Commonly prescribed muscle relaxant drugs may offer some temporary relief for low back pain, but could also increase the risk of side effects, a new study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) on July 7, 2021 shows. In the short run, the muscle relaxants might work, but they’re not something to use long term, said Jennifer Lake, an assistant professor at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy at U of T. Instead of popping pills, there are other effective ways to manage and prevent back pain, experts say.

Chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Nekessa Remy demonstrated five exercises to do first thing in the morning that will have you feeling less stiff and more mobile from your neck all the way down to your feet.

Several people got to share the track at St. Mary Catholic Secondary School in Cobourg with Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse on a sunny afternoon. The three-time Olympic medalist visited Cobourg one day before departing to compete in Europe and then off to represent Canada at the Tokyo Olympics. He was joined on the track by OCA member Dr. Alban Merepeza, his sports chiropractor from the Port Hope Health Centre, where he has received treatment for a number of years.

Chiropractor and injury expert Dr. Sapna Sriram, also an OCA member, joins The Morning Show to discuss how your kids can avoid aches, pains and injuries caused by the constant use of tech devices, including strategies to improve posture and the importance of stretching.

If you’re one of the many who’ve recently taken up face yoga, you may already know that some practitioners advise sleeping on your back. Maybe, though, some positions are better than others, depending on who you are. “I recommend a tailored solution, depending on your body and what conditions you may have,” says Toronto chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Eve Choe, a  co-owner of her namesake clinic. “While it’s true that, for the face and anti-aging, it’s best to sleep on the back so that gravity can help us, if you have sleep apnea or you’re pregnant or if you have something else, like neck issues, then sleeping on your side is best.”

Chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Stephen Gray shares tips to save your back while tending to your garden this season and minimize back injuries.

The school year may be coming to an end, but it’s important to think about how all of our work/school spaces are impacting our bodies. While proper ergonomics while sitting and standing are important, it’s crucial we don’t forget the following point – ‘movement is life’. It’s important that we don’t stay in the same position for too long; take stretching breaks, go for multiple quick walks throughout the day, get outside and play.

Dr. Marie-Pier Sauriol has a Bachelor of Kinesiology from the University of Alberta, attended the renown New York Chiropractic College where she received her Doctor of Chiropractic and is a member of the College of Chiropractors of Ontario. (Dr. Sauriol is also an OCA member). 

Ever wonder if there are negatives associated with the growing Peloton and at-home cycling revolution? Chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Sender Deutsch says “there are lots of positives, but the problem with being hooked on indoor cycling is that most of us already sit and stare at a screen way too much throughout the day. Thus, this has led to an increase of patients that are seeing repetitive stress injuries such as neck and low back pain.” To prevent potential injuries associated with indoor cycling, add more variety to your workouts.

Do repetitive movements have your muscles stressed out? Chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Stacy Irvine joins Cityline TV to demonstrate some wrist exercises that can help.

Several dentists and massage therapists have told me that bruxism – grinding and/or clenching teeth – is on the rise. Is it really becoming more common? To find out, I went to chiropractor Dr. Sidney Lisser (also an OCA member), lead clinician at Toronto’s Jaw and Facial Pain Centre. “So, up until this morning, I would have said that there’s definitely an uptick in people talking about it,” said Lisser. “But when I walked in this morning and saw 20 new patient referrals over a three-day weekend, well, it’s clear that more people are seeking treatment. I’m booking new patients in late July.”

Whether you’re training for a specific goal race, trying to continue a run streak or simply running to stay sane, nothing is worse than being sidelined with an injury. From acute issues like mid-run leg cramps to chronic pain like runner’s knee, even the smallest ache or pain can ruin a good run. We spoke with chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Brittany Moran from the Runner’s Academy in Toronto, who gave us advice on how to prevent injuries so you don’t end up missing weeks of training.

Over one year into the pandemic, many people continue to work in makeshift offices. Chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Leah Lawson reminds Breakfast Television Toronto for Movin’ in the Morning! She shares the importance of getting up and moving. She also shares exercises to help alleviate pain and prevent future injury while working from home or cottage.

On May 13, ‘In This Together,’ hosted by the CGMH Foundation Young Professionals Committee,  successfully raised the $22,000 needed to bring an innovative Virtual Pediatric Critical Care Consult Program to the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital Emergency Department. The CGMH Foundation Young Professionals Committee would like to thank local partners including Taylor Wellness & Chiropractic Clinics. Dr. Scott Taylor and Dr. Micheline Cote of Taylor Wellness & Chiropractic are members of the OCA.

Chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Stephen Gray joins Global News and The Morning Show and puts your fitness knowledge to the test with a trivia challenge about effective exercises to relieve daily pain all over your body. Watch the video to learn more!

When surveyed to describe their struggles in the current school year, parents used words like an abyss, a household inferno, and chaos. “Parents themselves are often presenting to the clinic with more aches and pain, especially in the neck and upper back, from the long hours spent at home,” remarked Dr. Carnevale (Dr. John Carnevale is a chiropractor and certified athletic therapist with Align Health Centre in Newmarket, and OCA member).

Is there any chance kids will be back in school before the end of June? That’s the question on every parent’s mind at this point in the pandemic. Thunder Bay chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Leila Coulter, a mother of four who started a petition there that now has more than 2,300 signatures, said keeping all schools shuttered for the remainder of this school year “would be a very short-sighted decision.”

Hamilton’s Ryan Polawski set out on a 100-mile journey running to Toronto and back home to raise money for Teen Challenge, a rehabilitation organization that has helped him and countless other individuals overcome addiction. Fortunately, he had the support of chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Anthony Lombardi from the Hamilton Back Clinic who met up with Polawski along the route to and from Toronto to treat him and work out any kinks.

Amber Gardiner’s patients went above and beyond. The Grimsby chiropractor provided patients with a note letting them know that her office would be holding a spring food drive with donations going to the Village of Hope. In the span of three weeks, Gardiner Family Chiropractic Centre and their patients were able to fill an SUV full of food and other necessities. “It’s really important for us to think of others and support our community,” Gardiner said, who has been practicing in Grimsby for 25 years.

Tim Bolen stayed aligned and safe by going to visit Dr. Ralph Sciullo at Parkdale Chiropractic & Rehab. Dr. Sciullo (also an OCA member) talks about how, because people are staying and working from home more, he’s seeing more patients with neck, lower, and upper back pain. He also discusses how to sit properly behind a desk if you’re working from home.

Stress plus increased screen time plus a lack of movement equals a rise in headache complaints, says chiropractor and acupuncturist Dr. Clara Leung, since a common cause of headaches is muscle tension due to poor posture. (Dr. Clara Leung is also an OCA member).

At OCA people-centred care, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), begins with our Partnership4BetterHealth online patient and family advisory community. Thanks to the World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) for featuring the Partnership in its April 2021 publication.

Working from home has become a pain in more ways than one. Chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Jana-Marie Doni has been practising in Sudbury for 15 years and said she has seen a significant decline in her patients’ posture health over the last year, as well as an increase in their issues with tension.

Working from home without a good workstation is leading to more spinal pain, say experts. Chiropractor Dr. Ashor Sworesho, of Hamilton Chiropractic and Wellness, and OCA member; and Kim Jory, fitness manager at Goodlife Fitness’s Bunting Road location in St. Catharines have some tips on how to work and study safely from home.

Chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Stephen Gray shares tips for gentle workouts to build strength and get you moving.

For much of the past year, many of us have been in a constant rotation between our beds, our makeshift workspaces, and our couches; and some of us are working right from the bed or couch. It may seem cozy in the moment, but it’s doing a number on our bodies, say some experts. “Most people who are working from home are finding any flat surface they can put their computer on and working,” says chiropractor Dr. Ashor Sworesho, of Hamilton Chiropractic and Wellness. “Sometimes it’s their own laps, and the worst is the people who are in bed with their laptop on their chest and working away.”

Dr. Leeann Ng, owner of Be Well Chiropractic Clinic in Bradford has been doing her workouts at home. Dr. Ng has been an active member of the Bradford West Gwillimbury Leisure Centre for years. In order to maintain the level of exertion needed to perform her duties as a chiropractor, Ng must be in top physical shape, she says. Since the lockdowns, she has had to find alternate resources to retain her muscle mass.

Dr. Josh Binstock, OCA member and two-time beach volleyball Olympian (2012, 2016) has been elected to the FIVB Athletes’ Commission. Dr. Binstock was among the five members selected by more than 400 eligible voters from all over the world. “I am incredibly grateful and honoured to be elected for the FIVB Athletes’ Commission and bring Canadian representation to the council,” said Binstock, now a practicing chiropractor in Toronto.

As Canadians continue to work from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, creating a healthy workstation has become imperative. Chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Nekessa Remy, who is based in Mississauga, shares some tips on how you can improve your posture and create a better workspace. Dr. Remy provides advice on how to avoid eye fatigue, neck strain and headaches when working from home.

Chiropractor and OCA member, Dr. Nekessa Remy,  provides advice on buying a pillow to help aching backs and other body parts.

In this rebroadcast episode we talk with chiropractor, strength coach and co-founder of The Runner’s Academy Dr. Kris Sheppard (also an OCA member). We also speak with Olympic marathoner and Mile2Marathon coach Dylan Wykes. These guys offer advice on how to train smart and stay injury-free throughout the darkest days of winter.

Dr. Mark Dickson’s Movember moustache this year was truly epic. Epic enough to win second overall in the 2020 Global Movember Awards, ‘The Epic One’ category. Mark first joined the Movember cause (ca.movember.com) in 2015, raising awareness and funds for men’s health, which includes prostate cancer research, testicular cancer research and suicide prevention. This year he raised $4,000, bringing his six-year total to $13,928.

Chiropractor and OCA Member Dr. Nekkesa Remy joins The Morning Show with simple stretches to combat muscle pain during winter months.

Dr. Kevin Matheson and his wife Lee Anne couldn’t have imagined that they would be marking the 10th anniversary of their Orillia chiropractic practice in the midst of a global pandemic. And yet, there is nothing the couple would rather be doing than helping work out their clients’ tensions at Matheson Chiropractic Clinic during this difficult moment in our collective history. “It’s a blessing to be able to help out at this time,” Matheson told Simcoe.com.

With many employees still working from home due to COVID-19, it’s important to keep your back health in mind while sitting in one place for extended periods of time. Chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Ted Luck has some tips to share with those working remotely, and how it can actually be beneficial. “Personally, I think the current reality of people working from home can provide some excellent benefits especially when it comes to your spine and all the sitting we do now, especially at work,” Dr. Luck said.

Bad posture, back pain and sitting too long are just a few side effects of working from home. With many offices closing because of COVID-19 restrictions, more people are working in settings that are not as ergonomically correct, causing people to suffer from pain. “From spending more time in their home offices versus their regular workplace, they are getting more chronic postural issues,” explained chiropractor and OCA member Jason Price.

OCA member Dr. Kris Sheppard, owner of The Runner’s Academy in Toronto, which specializes in helping runners move well, shows four drills that only add about five minutes to your warm up and make a world of difference in your performance.

Chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Nekessa Remy joined CHCH to talk about at-home workouts and buying the right running shoes online.

Want to ward off the effects of sitting all day? Chiropractor and OCA member Stacy Irvine has the simple stretches that will bring relief to your back!

Dr. Patrick Welsh, a sports specialist chiropractor at High Point Wellness Centre and OCA member shares a few of his back-to-school tips for kids to help improve physical health, and a challenge to make homework and studying easier.

Chiropractor and dance instructor Dr. Stephen Gray talks to us about the importance of keeping children active during or after school and shows us some techniques to help them move. (Dr. Gray is also an OCA member).

Chiropractor Dr. Nekessa Remy, a member of the OCA, joins The Morning Show to share tips on which back to school backpacks to buy in order to avoid muscle aches and make sitting all day comfortable.

Low-back rotation stretch: Sitting on a chair with your feet flat on the floor, twist your upper body so your shoulders rotate to one side. You can use the chair for support, holding on to get a deep muscle stretch. Go only as far as you can comfortably. You will feel the pull from your lower back up to the middle of your back. “You may experience a painless crack from your spine, but that’s normal; it’s just the joints opening up,” says Larry Feldman, a chiropractor and owner of The Performance Health Centre in Toronto (and OCA member). Hold for 20 seconds or six breaths, and return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side.

Article discusses guideline from the American College of Physicians (ACP) and American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) that states opioids should not be a first-line treatment option for non-low back, musculoskeletal injuries. It includes findings from opioid-use review by Dr. John J. Riva, DC, MSc, of McMaster University in Hamilton, an OCA member.

In June, the Orillia girl was diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The journey to finding out what was wrong began in the winter when Sienna was taking swimming lessons. Her grandmother noticed one of Sienna’s shoulders was slightly more elevated than the other. A chiropractor asked Sienna to bend over and touch her toes, and that’s when the curving in her spine became immediately noticeable.

Dr. Leah Lawson, chiropractor at Bayside Wellness in Collingwood and Vitality Health in Barrie, and OCA member, speaks about how improper at-home workstations can cause neck and back pain.

Chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Nekessa Remy shares her tips on how to find the best running shoes online to fit your foot type and shoe size.

CTV News health journalist Pauline Chan speaks with Monica Huci, an operating room nurse at Cambridge Memorial Hospital, and Dr. Amy Brown, Ontario chiropractor and OCA member, on the health-related challenges health care workers are experiencing in the face of COVID-19.

Dr. Maja Edgar, from Edgar Family Chiropractic, discusses how her clinic is adapting to the ‘new normal.’

There’s a growing fitness trend that doesn’t involve lifting heavy things, pumping your limbs at lightning speed or forming even the tiniest bead of sweat. But if you like doing any or all of these things, it could help you do them better. “The reality is that most people hate stretching themselves, but assisted stretching is and feels, completely different,” says Dr. Marco Capizzano, a chiropractor and founder of b-Stretched, a wellness studio with multiple locations in Toronto, and OCA member.

While chiropractors and massage therapists have been given the green light to reopen, it’s not business as usual.

As of June 1, several regulated health professionals in Ontario are now allowed to open their doors again amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Dentists, optometrists, psychologists, dietitians and denturists are just some of the professions on the province’s reopening list as it moves forward with easing restrictions.

To work out in the safest way, get your body ready for movement. It’s not wise to jump right into physical activity without preparing the body first, Dr. Nekessa Remy, a chiropractor and owner of Mississauga, Ont.-based clinic The Chiropractic Office, and OCA member said in an interview with The Morning Show. “Before you work out, think about wanting to get your heart rate up [and] your muscles ready to work out,” she explained.

Caroline Brereton, CEO of the Ontario Chiropractic Association (OCA), discusses steps chiropractors are taking so they can return to practice and keep their patients, staff and colleagues safe.

For many employees working from home for the first time, creating a workspace that is not only productive but comfortable can be a challenge. Dr. Sapna Sriram, a chiropractor based in Toronto and OCA member is already seeing the negative impact of an uncomfortable workspace on the health of her clients.

Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Michael Tibollo, joins Dr. Luigi Nalli, chiropractor and OCA member, to speak about the potential mental health consequences of COVID-19.

CBC journalist Rosemary Barton spoke with Dr. Marissa Verdone, a chiropractor based in Hamilton and sole proprietor, who recently applied for the CERB. Dr. Verdone shared her experiences with the application process and how COVID-19 has affected her professionally.

“Michael Garron Hospital put out a call,” says Dr. Emily Howell, a chiropractor and owner of Ashbridges Health Centre, and OCA member. The hospital’s PPE drive is asking people who can sew to make 1,000 masks a week. “When it came from the hospital, obviously I knew we’re in trouble.”

But at what stage should someone introduce double runs and why? Dr. Brittany Moran is a coach, chiropractor, OCA member, and 2:36 marathoner who doesn’t double. She says that she’s usually able to fit her mileage in in one go, so she prefers to get her run done all at once.

Sudbury chiropractor and OCA member Dr. Sherrie Guillet has been treating spines in the City of Greater Sudbury for 15 years now and some of her best clients don’t exactly walk on two feet. The Sudbury practitioner is one of only a handful in the country who has the special certification.

Will it hurt? Is it safe? And can it really help things like colic and ADHD? Here’s what you need to know before you take your baby or kid to a chiropractor.

People with chronic back and neck pain who receive chiropractic care may be less likely to use opioid painkillers, a research review suggests. Researchers examined data from six previously-published smaller studies with a total of more than 62,000 participants with spinal pain. Across all of the studies, 11% to 51% of the patients used chiropractic care. People who saw a chiropractor were 64% less likely to use opioids than people who didn’t, researchers report in the journal Pain Medicine.

A new program will give people on social assistance in Waterloo Region chiropractic care and guidance to alleviate chronic pain and help them return to work. The Health2Work program launched by the Region of Waterloo, in partnership with the Ontario Chiropractic Association and Langs Community Health Centre in Cambridge, will provide people who are on Ontario Works and nondisabled family members on Ontario Disability Support Program access to chiropractic care, funded by the province.

Cambridge’s Langs Community Health Centre is teaming up with the Region of Waterloo and the Ontario Chiropractic Association to launch a Health2Work program offering Ontario Works clients experiencing pain access to funded chiropractic care to help them return to work.

Let’s say that one day, picking up your newspaper, you tweak your back, or wake up with a sore neck. You should call a chiropractor. If you are looking for a cure for attention deficit disorder, asthma or lupus, you should not. There is no chiropractic treatment that will reverse these conditions. This may all seem painfully obvious. But it appears that confusion still exists regarding what a chiropractor can and cannot do.

Dr. Dwight Chapin, B.Sc., D.C., is the on-site chiropractor for The Globe and Mail and the Ontario Chiropractic Association’s 2018 Chiropractor of the Year.

Meanwhile, Mandelker was referred by his family doctor to a Toronto-based chiropractor, Dr. Joel Weisberg, who started him on a “boot camp” regimen for lumbar spinal stenosis. It included cycling on an upright stationary bike to get blood flowing to the area alongside stretching and strengthening exercises. There were also two sessions a week in which Dr. Weisberg gave him manual therapy, with deep stretches and adjustments.

“When opioids came out, it was kind of, ‘the sky’s the limit’ for dosages,” says Luba Shepertycky, a primary-care pharmacist at the Belleville and Quinte West Community Health Centre, who works closely with chiropractor Dr. Bruce Flynn and other professionals from the Belleville Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic. “But in time the medical establishment found that it was not good.”

Fraser, 61, was diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA) first, through X-rays ordered by their family doctor. Kellar went through the same process himself a year ago. As a result, his chiropractor, Dr. Anjelica Mazzella at Back 2 Health Rehabilitation Centre in Sudbury (and OCA member), referred him to Good Life with osteoArthritis in Denmark (GLA:D) Canada, a program she teaches locally that was first developed in Denmark. After reading the course information, Fraser also decided to join the program.

Witnessing firsthand the psychological toll of chronic pain during his decades of experience as both a chiropractor and in counselling psychology, Dr. Wayne Coghlan, who practices in Vaughan, Ont., recognizes the importance of connecting the dots between physical and emotional conditions. An important component of chiropractic care involves providing patients with self-management education and coping strategies, including goal setting and prescribing therapeutic exercises to help manage muscle, bone, tendon, ligament and joint conditions.

Seven years ago, a knee injury started a domino effect in Leroy Gallagher’s body that would leave him off work for years. “There is an incredible cost associated with these injuries,” explains Dr. Amy Brown, a chiropractor in Cambridge, and OCA member. “It’s not just the cost to the patient, which can be significant, but it’s the cost of maintaining people in the health care system and the cost to employers. It’s a cascade effect.”

When Sharon Pike was involved in a car accident a few years ago, she needed a chiropractor — and discovered that reaching one was easier than she thought. “I started going to see Dr. Christopher Morgan at TAIBU Community Health Centre in 2016,” says Pike, a Toronto medical technician who sustained whiplash and other injuries in the collision.

According to the Canadian Chiropractic Association (CCA) 2017 report, All Pain, No Gain: Shining a Light on Canada’s Back Pain and Opioid Crisis, almost 90 per cent of Canadians have experienced muscle and/or joint pain in the last year, the most common being back pain and headache.

When Chris Drake, 39, first started having issues with his back in his late twenties, it sidelined his much-loved golf habit. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of nine, Drake, an entrepreneur, had played golf competitively and continued to play multiple times a week, often with business clients. Although he was in good shape and controlled his diabetes fairly well, his back pain continued off and on. His endocrinologist suggested seeing a chiropractor, and a neighbour recommended Dr. Alex Pessoa, a sports-focused chiropractor who runs Peak Performance Health Centre in Cambridge, Ont.

Chiropractic treatment has seen significant growth in Ontario as more patients seek choice in their health care. When Caroline Brereton became the CEO of the Ontario Chiropractic Association (OCA) in June, she took the helm of an organization representing the professional interests of more than 3,500 chiropractors in this province. Here, Brereton discusses the OCA’s role in advancing comprehensive health care through chiropractic in Ontario.

The Board of Directors of the Ontario Chiropractic Association (OCA) is pleased to welcome Caroline Brereton as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) effective June 4, 2018.

With so much snow falling, chiropractors are already seeing an uptick in the number of people coming in with snow-related injuries. The most common injuries come from shovelling snow and slipping on the ice, according to Dr. Joe Foglia, a chiropractor at Chiroworks in Lakeshore.

It’s fresh, beautiful snow for some, but for others it’s a pain. Since it can be a real pain in your back, we get a snow shovelling demonstration from the founder of Back Clinics of Canada.

The report suggests doctors recommend alternative therapies such as psychological treatments, physio and occupational therapy and chiropractic care.

The team from the Belleville Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic in October won one of seven Bright Lights awards. Ontario’s Deputy Health Minister, Dr. Bob Bell, presented it. The awards honour projects which have improved primary care through partnerships and making the most of their resources.

As back-to-school season kicks off, the Ontario Chiropractic Association is urging students to put less pressure on their necks and backs to help avoid ‘text neck.’ The association warns that the pressure on your neck from spending hours each day staring at a smartphone, tablet or screen can add up and lead to some serious pain including neck strain, headaches, and pain in the shoulders, arms and hands.

It might happen during a pick-up game of basketball, your weekly slo-pitch game or while out on the golf course — sports injuries are common in the summer, particularly for people who go hard and fast as soon as they can. But Kitchener chiropractor Craig Bauman says most injuries like knee strains, low back strains and tennis elbow are avoidable.

The increased use of opioids is being driven by both their use as a first-line treatment for chronic pain, commonly mechanical back pain, and the lack of funded health services for non-pharmacological, conservative approaches, according to a study published earlier this year in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Successful treatment of back pain is complicated and often requires a collaborative, clinical approach. Care models that have chiropractors and physiotherapists collaborating with family doctors are leading the way.

Dwight Chapin, B.Sc(H)., D.C., is the clinic director of High Point Wellness Centre in Mississauga, team chiropractor for the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts and on-site clinician for employees of The Globe and Mail. Follow him on Twitter @HighPtWellness.

As an avid gardener, Dr. Amy Brown, a chiropractor with Coronation Chiropractic & Massage in Cambridge, Ont. and OCA member knows firsthand the havoc gardening and other types of yard work can wreak on the body. She explains that the first step in preventing pain is to start with the right equipment

Dr. Melissa Baird from the Ontario Chiropractic Association provides some tips to avoid common back and neck pains while gardening.

Weekend gardening warriors need to be aware of the toll tending flower beds of top dressing lawns can have on the body. The Ontario Chiropractic Association said the most common source of neck and back pain or injury happening during the warmer months are due to yard work. Statistics Canada reports that more than 50% of Canadians are in the gardens or yards up to six times a month.

Back pains are common complaint for pregnant women, but there are ways to prevent it without the use of medications. (Clip features chiropractor Dr. Aliya Visram, OCA member).

Getting stiffness and pain in your neck? You could be suffering from a classic example of “text neck,” according to one Windsor chiropractor. Dr. Dean Tapak, chiropractor at Performance Health on Dougall Avenue, describes text neck as pain and damage sustained from looking down at your cellphone, tablet, or other wireless devices too frequently and for too long.

The Ontario Chiropractic Association is cautioning consumers to reduce pressure on their neck and spine by limiting time for texting, networking on social media or playing games on cell phones as it can cause ‘text neck.’

Studies have shown that looking down at a phone with the head low to the chest can put a load of 27 kilograms on the neck and spine. “This posture–this prolonged neck flexion–it’s not a natural position,” says Dwight Chapin, chiropractor and clinic director of High Point Wellness Centre in Mississauga, Ontario. “It casts the mechanical position of the spine in a very vulnerable position.

Chiropractors in Windsor-Essex are sounding the alarm over a condition called text neck, which comes after people repeatedly turn their heads down to look at their cellphones. Just the pressure from that action alone could put nearly 30 kilograms of pressure on a person’s spine.

Mobile phone and handheld device-related injuries are on the rise as people spend more and more time with their heads buried into their personal devices texting, tweeting, e-mailing and surfing the Internet. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information in the United States, the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) of hand, wrist, forearm, arm and neck has been increasing all over the world because of the prolonged, forceful, low-amplitude, repetitive use of our hand-held devices.

Dr. Dwight Chapin, B.Sc(H)., D.C., is the clinic director of High Point Wellness Centre in Mississauga, team chiropractor for the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts and on-site clinician for employees of The Globe and Mail. Follow him on Twitter @HighPtWellness.

Most importantly, however, is to seek help if you do strain your body or feel unhealthy pains. Addressing them as soon as you can will make a world of difference when it comes to recovery. A healthcare expert, like a chiropractor, can help you manage your pain and get you back on track.

“I don’t think that people realize that gardening is a form of physical activity,” says Dr. Katherine Tibor, a chiropractor with a practice called Balanced Healthcare in Toronto.

Flip flops are a summertime wardrobe staple but should you be wearing them while you’re on your feet all day? “They can have such fun designs on them and it’s a quick kind of footwear…because it’s so enticing, people don’t look at the injury you can get from them,” Dr. Katherine Tibor, a Toronto-based chiropractor and Ontario Chiropractic Association spokeswoman, told Global News.

Are the aches and pains of spring gardening work giving you a pain in the neck, literally? We check with an expert about how to avoid blowing out your back while playing in the begonias. (Clip features Dr. Krista Revenberg and OCA member)

According to the Ontario Chiropractic Association, a heavy bag carried on one shoulder forces the muscle and spine to compensate for the uneven weight, and places unnecessary strain on the body.  Here’s what happens to us.

But, as I am not a doctor or health care professional or have any professional fitness background, why should you take my word for it on how to properly perform an exercise that is intended to reduce injury and strain? So I partnered up with the Ontario Chiropractic Association who have thoroughly vetted this video and the exercises I’m doing (chiropractors, not just for your back!). They are awesome good sports to be associating with me and my cat.

Low back pain is a major health issue in Ontario.  It affects 85 per cent of the working population at some point in their life and is second only to the common cold as a cause of lost work time. This is why the Ontario Chiropractic Association (OCA) welcomed today’s announcement from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC), a series of Primary Care Low Back Pain (PCLBP) Pilot projects across the province.

New research from the Ontario Chiropractic Association (OCA) conducted by Environics Research Group shows the vast majority (93 per cent) of family physicians frequently treat patients with low back pain and more than half (55 per cent) admit they find it challenging to treat these patients on their own. Three‐quarters (75 per cent) say they think their patients suffering from low back pain could benefit from treatment options offered by other health care professionals.