1. What to Chiropractors Do?
2. How do you find my problems?
3. What treatment do you do/what techniques do you use?
4. What qualifications do Chiropractors have?
5. Is chiropractic care safe?
6. Are there any risks?
7. What results should I expect?
8. How many treatments will I need?
9. I'm not in any pain, should I get my spine checked?
10. Do adjustments hurt?
11. Am I too old for chiropractic care?
12. What if I have arthritis can you still help?
13. Can you help if I have osteoporosis and my bones are weak?
14. How do I know who to see?
15. I heard once you start seeing a chiropractor, you have to keep going forever, is that true?
16. Ask a question of a Chiropractor

What do Chiropractors Do?

Chiropractors help people. We work with the spine, muscles and nerves to relieve your pain, resolve your problems and improve your health. We are mainly interested in the spine for two reasons, firstly if the spine works well it doesn't wear out early, and secondly, every message that goes to your body has to pass through your spine first. If your spine isn't working well, messages to and from your brain can be interrupted causing pain and other problems therefore decreasing your health.back to top

How do you find my problems?

At Chiropractic Works we pride ourselves on being very thorough and getting to the cause of your problems. To do this we have a number of steps:

1. First we take a detailed history, by asking you a series of questions
2. We perform a thorough spinal examination which involves
   1. The use of a temperature device which detects inflammation in your spine
   2. Thoroughly palpatation (feeling) your spine to determine where things aren't moving properly
   3. Performing orthopaedic and neurological tests if indicated
   4. Performing special tests which show us your flexibility and balance
   5. Taking x-rays of all or part of your spine using a state of the art digital x-ray machine giving us instant images

What treatment do you do/what techniques do you use?

Each patients treatment is tailored to their body, making things as comfortable and enjoyable as possible while achieving results.

Treatment consist of spinal adjustments to improve spinal function. Adjustments are a gentle force 'thrust' into the spine which is referred to by some people as a manipulation. At Chiropractic Works we use the Gonstead technique which is a very safe, specific, manual adjusting technique that achieves excellent results. This technique involves significant additional specialised training and we are the only clinic North of Brisbane to specialise in the Gonstead technique.

Often there is a noise made with an adjustment which is just the release of gas when a joint is stretched similar to the noise made by firmly pressing your hands together and quickly releasing them, or opening a cork from a bottle.

Other treatments including stretching, muscle release work, postural advice and exercise prescription.back to top

What qualifications do Chiropractors have?

Each Chiropractic Works chiropractor has completed a minimum of 5 years full time university study and has a minimum of 2 university degrees.

Each Chiropractic Works chiropractor has completed further specialised technique training. We are registered and regulated by the QLD Department of Health.

To stay up to date with the latest information each Chiropractic Works chiropractor attends continuing education seminars.back to top

Is chiropractic care safe?

Yes, chiropractic care is extremely safe. Research has shown Chiropractic care to be 246 times safer than anti-inflammatory drugs and safer and more cost effective than many other forms of treatment.

Are there any risks?

With any health care procedure there are risks. Chance of risks are extremely small and our well trained chiropractors will perform a thorough examination to ensure risks are further minimised.

Your Chiropractor will discuss any risks that apply to you before you are adjusted.

To put things into perspective, if you drive your car to see your Chiropractor, then you have a greater chance of being injured in a car accident than from your Chiropractic Care (Lauretti W. JACA 36(9); 42-47, 1999) .back to top

What results should I expect?

You should expect great results. We don't accept patients for care if we don't think we can help.

Response time varies from person to person and can depend on how bad the problem is, how long the problem has been there, your age, previous health status, and several other factors.

Occasionally people may feel minor discomfort before improvement occurs as restricted joints start to move again, causing muscle and ligament changes.back to top  This is usually mild.

How many treatments will I need?

Again this varies to person to person, some people needing just a few and others needing more. Initially you will be adjusted more frequently until you start to function better. As your spine gets stronger, your appointments will be spaced further apart and we will start to shift the emphasis more on self care by you. 

Once feeling better most people choose to continue their Chiropractic care to help them continue to feel good and function at their best.back to top

 I'm not in any pain, should I get my spine checked?

Yes, pain is usually the last thing to come on and the first thing to go away. Often problems can simmer away under the radar until lots of damage has occurred and by the time you get the pain, the problem is serious and will take a long time to be helped.back to top

Do adjustments hurt?

No, in-fact the majority of people find their adjustments comfortable and enjoy getting adjusted, often feeling instant relief.

If you are in a lot of pain, you may experience some mild discomfort, but it will be much less than what you are already going through.back to top  As restricted joints start to move again stretching muscles and ligaments that have become shortened over time.

Am I too old for chiropractic care?

No, age has nothing to do with whether you can be helped by a chiropractor. We have patients in their late eighties who enjoy the benefits of chiropractic care including better posture, more mobility, better balance, and less aches and pains from arthritis.back to top

What if I have arthritis, can you still help?

Yes, we help many people with arthritis everyday. Arthritis occurs because things aren't working well. People often think that arthritis occurs with age, but this is not true, we just see more arthritis in older people, because the spinal joints have been working badly for longer. Sometimes we see a 70 year old with a healthier spine that a 50 year old, so therefore it isn't all about age.

By improving function, you can stop or slow down the arthritic process and relieve the associated pain.back to top

Can you help if I have osteoporosis and my bones are weak?

Yes, we can identify at risk areas of your spine and look after them gently.  Spinal x-rays are often used to assess for osteoporosis.  Our Chiropractors can provide important lifestyle, dietary and exercise advice to help strengthen your bones & minimise the effects of osteoporosis.back to top

How do I know who to see?

Is Chiropractic, Physiotherapy, Osteopathy, or Massage more appropriate for me? We all have the same goal and that is to get you well. But it is the way we go about helping you that is different.

At Chiropractic Works we specialise in helping your immediate symptoms and actually getting rid of the underlying cause to decrease the chance of your symptoms coming back. For example, if you had knee pain we would be treating your knee, but we also know that 95% of knee problems without direct trauma to the knee come from a pelvic or foot problem. Now if we only treated your knee, we wouldn't really be helping you would we? At Chiropractic Works we take a holistic approach and look at the site of your symptoms but also the reason those symptoms are occuring.back to top

I heard once you start seeing a chiropractor, you have to keep going forever, is that true?

That's not true!  Nothing our Chiropractors will do to you will make you have to continue to see us.  What we will do is get you working better which will get you feeling better.  If you want to continue to feel better, it is a good idea to continue to get your spine checked as the benefits will wear off just like you need to continue to get your car serviced because you drive it.back to top