When you think of a chiropractor, the first thing you might think of is someone who treats back pain or makes spinal adjustments. The truth is, a chiropractor deals with many issues, from shoulders and knees, to hips and ankles.
The Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College is one of the world’s premiere institutions for chiropractic education and research. At CMCC, they’re training the next generation of chiropractors who will make a difference in the world.
Dr. Bryan Porter is one of the two supervising clinicians at Oakville’s Bronte Harbour clinic, working alongside Dr. Natalia Lishchyna, and explains the wide range of services chiropractors can offer to their patients.
“Most people think of adjustments when they think of chiropractors, but that’s only one part of what we do,” Porter said. “There would be a thorough assessment; a history and physical exam to determine the diagnosis.
“We would present the patient with our findings and our plan, which would typically include active care, exercises, rehabilitation, and an education about their condition, which would be the primary thing that we may focus on.”
Treatment plans may also include adjustments, which aren’t required, but many people find them helpful. Most people might also think that x-rays are required as part of a chiropractic visit, but CMCC patients don’t need them in many cases.
Other common reasons to see a chiropractor would be for rehabilitation following a motor vehicle or workplace injury, dealing with sports injuries, or to be fitted for orthotics.
As an educational institution, CMCC operates just like a regular chiropractic clinic, where fourth year interns and supervision clinicians assess clients, and develop treatment and recommend follow-up plans to help people live a better life.
“As we’re a student clinic, we do have much more discounted lower cost fees than most standard chiropractic clinics,” Porter said. “People are always very happy with how thorough we are compared to seeing somebody else and they get a very brief medical visit with their doctor, physiotherapist or chiropractor. Most of our appointments are 20 to 30 minutes long after the initial visit.”
Many times, patients they see at CMCC have been dealing with pain for a long time, but they’ve finally decided to take care of themselves and seek treatment. Other patients might have only just started experiencing discomfort that hasn’t dissipated and are looking for answers from a chiropractor.
OHIP does not cover chiropractor services, but many benefit plans offer either maximum coverage or a percentage of the cost to see a chiropractor. No doctor’s referral is necessary to visit a chiropractic clinic, you’re always welcome to visit anyone at anytime.
Porter says they’re typically able to see patients within a day or two when booking an appointment at the CMCC, so the wait time is minimal. They’re also open to patients on evenings and weekends to accommodate requests.
Seeing people get back to doing the things they love—like golfing, running or biking—is what makes it all worthwhile for Porter and his students at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College.
To find out more about CMCC or to receive personalized care from your local CMCC clinic, visit CMCC.ca. The Bronte Harbour Chiropractic Clinic is located at 2290 Lakeshore Road West, Oakville, and can be reached at 905-825-2011.