When you’re in pain, unable to work well or enjoy your life, nothing else matters but getting well.

During my thorough evaluation, I look for what issues in the spine could be problematic, creating dysfunction in the neuromusculoskeletal system. I enjoy offering hope and aid to patients with acute issues, marveling with you at what the body is capable of healing when the nervous system is clear.  

You may wonder why I offer a wellness approach to care rather than a quick, get-out-of-pain plan. 

I have great respect for how intricate and complex the brain, spine, and peripheral nerves are, working around the clock to keep you living, moving, and functioning. Let’s discuss how chiropractic can work WITH your body and how this is important for a lifetime of wellness versus just during a crisis.

What Is Wellness Care?

When you’re in a lot of pain or have chronic issues, chiropractic can be a great choice to help you bring some relief. But when the pain goes away, that doesn’t mean that the issue is completely resolved. 

The body has pain receptors called nociceptors. These send signals to your nervous system about heat, cold, and damage to your body. But just because something doesn’t hurt doesn’t mean that it’s working correctly. The body will start to adapt to the pain and work around the problem to keep homeostasis. This means that just because these receptors may not be firing, it doesn’t mean that the problem hasn’t gone away. 

The body has the innate ability to heal itself and is constantly looking for ways to maintain balance. When it has to compensate for dysfunction, it will focus on other areas to keep systems functioning. 

When we focus solely on pain, a flare-up down the road is almost certain to happen again. By focusing on consistent, long-term, wellness care we work with the body to assist its ability to heal so that the underlying problem is cared for.

Our patient, Victoria, described it perfectly in a review of us: “Dr. Gelber’s approach is not to just deal with your current issue; rather, he takes a holistic approach and assesses your overall health history to understand the connections and root causes of what brought you to him. This attention to detail ensures that your journey together on improving your health through spinal adjustments is one that provides long term success.

“Working with Dr. Gelber has been transformational in my spine health. Over the past seven months, I have seen significant improvements in my posture and pain management.”

Benefits of X-Rays and Modalities  

Here at Annex Family Chiropractic, I use a variety of tools to diagnose and care for you. For adults (with the exception of pregnant women), I use X-rays to identify any underlying issues within your spine. This is a safe and effective way to check for a variety of conditions such as hyperlordosis, osteoarthritis, and degeneration. 

Another tool I employ is thermography, scanning your spine with a device that picks up on the heat readings emitted from your spine. According to a study in 2021, “IRT (infrared thermography) has been described to be effective in orthopaedic conditions with specific heat signatures and this can assess the trend of the ongoing inflammatory process as well as response to a particular treatment” (Kumar et. al)

I also use a scan to measure Heart Rate Variability. This allows us to see readings on an INSiGHT HRV graph so we can see how quickly your heart rate adapts to stressors, giving us insight into your nervous system. Our patients found this approach in their care to be transformative as I’m able to give very specific adjustments.

A 360° Approach To A Treatment Plan 

Making sure that your whole body is healthy is the ultimate goal of chiropractic. The entire system benefits by ensuring that your nervous system can communicate with the rest of your body. 

I have found that a complete 360° approach to patient care plans is the most beneficial for short-term pain and long-term care. As Victoria said, “He provides knowledge videos, at-home exercises and tools that empower you as a patient. I wholeheartedly recommend Annex Family Chiropractic to anyone who is seeking a unique and personalized approach to chiropractic care. Dr Gelber and his team have changed my life for the better.”

By using a variety of technology and techniques for quality adjustments, you can rest easy that you’re receiving high-quality care for a lifetime, not just through ann episode of acute pain.

 

Interested in learning more? Check out, “Solving the Mystery: A Runner with Low Back and Hip Pain

Ready to have your nervous system function checked? Call 416-967-4466 for an appointment at our midtown Toronto office, or schedule online here: https://bookedin.com/book/annex-family-chiropractic 

References:

 

  • Kumar, P., Gaurav, A., Rajnish, R. K., Sharma, S., Kumar, V., Aggarwal, S., & Patel, S. (2021). Applications of thermal imaging with infrared thermography in Orthopaedics. Journal of clinical orthopaedics and trauma, 24, 101722. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcot.2021.101722