Chiropractic – Spinal Decompression Toronto

25 Years and Counting

Fri, 04 Mar 2016 17:23:45 +0000

Today is my 25th anniversary in practice. Although I graduated in 1990, I did not practice my first year out. I opened up my practice, Central Chiropractic Group, on March 4, 1991 with my brother and business partner Marshall who is a chiropractic radiologist. At that time we took in an associate to work with, Marshall’s classmate Erica, who had an established practice. Her condition was that she be allowed to bring her receptionist Bibi to work in our office. Erica left after a year. We then took on a new associate, veteran chiro Dr. Robert Bacon. He stayed with us for 19 years and we had some great and memorable times. We have had many chiros, RMTs and x-ray technologists working with us but of note is the late Dr. Ron Gitelman who was an amazing chiropractor, teacher and mentor. I started Welcome Back Spinal Care Centre with my brother and a good friend, Victor Janowski, in order to offer a new name for our spinal decompression therapy practice. In 2011, I decided to ‘leave the nest’. I moved to my current location at Bathurst and Finch and took over Welcome Back as a sole owner. Victor and I are still great friends and Marshall and I are still great brothers. He has subsequently moved to Israel but is still reading x-rays from around the world (visit him at drmarshalldeltoff.com – he’s an amazing radiologist). Today is my 25th anniversary and surprisingly, Bibi is still coming into work.

(Picture with 4 of us: Dr. Marshall Deltoff, Dr. Arnie Deltoff (me), Dr. Erica Lieberman and CHA Bibi Hameed – Central Chiropractic Group – 1991, 2nd pic is Bibi and I today – Welcome Back Spinal Care Centre – March 4, 2016)

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Boost your Relaxation

Sun, 21 Feb 2016 02:49:21 +0000

If you haven’t tried our MindFit brainwave entrainment therapy, there’s no time like the present. MindFit helps to re-establish your brainwave patterns which can get out of sync due to stress and lack of sleep. This creates a state of relaxation in your body and allows your body to be able to handle life’s stresses better. MindFit can be used for a variety of conditions such as poor sleep, general stress and anxiety, chronic pain, smoking cessation and losing weight to name a few.

MindFit is a high-tech meditative process. Meditation has been shown to have a myriad of helpful effects on many health conditions including reducing anxiety, reducing inflammation, lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of heart disease, for example.

Come in for your free demo to see if Mindfit can benefit you (plus it’s covered under your chiropractic private health insurance).

Check out this link on meditation vs. relaxation and this one on mindful meditation.

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Is chiropractic safe for the older patient?

Fri, 17 Apr 2015 02:04:17 +0000

A new report in the well known Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT) just came out in February 2015. This U.S. study is the first of it’s kind to examine the risk of stroke in older patients (aged 66-99) following a chiropractic neck adjustment. The study suggests that:

“[c]hiropractic cervical spine manipulation is unlikely to cause stroke in patients aged 66 to 99 years with neck pain. For patients who saw a chiropractic physician, the adjusted probability of any type of stroke was lower than those who saw a primary care physician at days 1 through 24 after office visit, but higher at days 25 to 30, but these temporal associations are of doubtful clinical significance.”

The study looked at Medicare data on patients between the ages of 66 and 99 who used chiropractic or medical care for neck pain in 2007. The study indicated that, as found from previous studies, vertebrobasilar stroke (VBS) is generally uncommon in the older population. The incidence of VBS was too low to report but was estimated at 9.8 per million with office visits for neck pain which is consistent with other reports. It stated that

“our findings support current best evidence suggesting that manipulation of the cervical spine is unlikely to be a significant cause of stroke in older adults.”

As well the study stated:

“The true probability of stroke is probably unaffected by an office visit to either type of provider.” (chiropractic or medical doctor)

Although evidence points to the fact that a significant cause of stroke from chiropractic neck adjustments is unlikely and no different than that of one visiting a medical doctor for neck pain, it is still important to “recognize symptoms of stroke to provide early detection and when necessary refer patients for appropriate treatment.”

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5 things to consider when choosing a Spinal Decompression Clinic in Toronto

Tue, 07 Apr 2015 23:45:31 +0000

The Antalgic Trak spinal decompression chair

When researching which spinal decompression clinic, or machine, is best for you, there are few things to consider.

1. Experience – It is important to see a practitioner who has experience in utilizing this technology in order to give you the best treatment for your specific condition.

2. Equipment – There are generally 2 main mechanisms of decompression therapy. The winch and pulley mechanism attaches a harness to a rope which is tethered to a motor at the end of your feet. This only allows for pull in one direction – along the length of the body. The other mechanism is direct pull whereby the traction is applied directly to the region being treated, that is the harness is attached directly to the machine. This allows for some machines to be able to bend or twist in order to access different parts of the spine. The Antalgic Trak, for example, uses a screw actuator which allows for a more precise pulling action.

3. Service – See who does the treatment. Is it the doctor? a staff member? a receptionist? Having too many people perform treatment causes a lack of consistency between therapeutic sessions. Also, check if other modalities or therapies are included in your decompression sessions. Check to see if other services such as physiotherapy and massage therapy are available.

4. Affordability – Spinal decompression therapy is not an inexpensive therapy. This is due to the fact that machines are very expensive and there is a lot of time and expertise afforded to this treatment. But if finances are an issue, feel free to discuss this with the clinic. Most clinics offer reduced fees with upfront payment. Fees may vary from clinic to clinic.

5. Location – Generally, a regimen of spinal decompression treatments include approximately 20 sessions. Many people will travel for this unique therapy but general location may be an issue for some. Make sure that you are able to keep your visits and location is not a factor.

At Welcome Back Spinal Care Centre, we will do the utmost to ensure that your spinal decompression therapy is of maximum benefit.

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Chiropractic – Stages of Care

Fri, 04 Jul 2014 15:46:00 +0000

Generally speaking, chiropractic care can be broken up into 3 phases: Relief, Correction and Wellness/Maintenance.

The first stage, relief care, is typically what brings patients into the office in the first place. Treatment is focused at reducing pain and inflammation. In other words, giving you symptomatic relief. This will allow you to be able to carry on your regular activities more easily. Treatment is usually more intensive here in order to get you out of pain as quickly as possible to start you on the road to recovery.

The second stage is the corrective care stage. Treatment frequency is typically reduced and is targeted at re-establishing proper spinal motion and function. Spinal dysfunction often takes years to develop. Similar to having a cavity, the pain does not begin until the problem has well established itself. This stage focuses on strengthening the surrounding musculature and allow tissue to heal more optimally.

Once your feeling good and the main problem has stabilized, people often choose wellness or maintenance care. This involves periodic treatment in order to correct little problems before they become big problems. Similar to regular dental check ups, chiropractic check ups will help keep you feeling good and functioning better.

If you would like to discuss a treatment program or just need a “tune-up”, give us a call at 416-512-2225 – Spinal Decompression Toronto

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Use cold or heat – but be careful.

Mon, 23 Jun 2014 17:16:00 +0000

I’m always asked the question “should I use ice or heat?”. Sometimes the answer is easier than others. Generally speaking, ice should be used immediately and for up to 72 hours of an acute injury. This helps to reduce pain and inflammation. Typically, an injury has acute sharp pain, redness or swelling. Ice can be applied for 10-20 minutes and can be repeated 2 or 3 times with a rest period of the same. Never apply ice directly to the skin but rather use a towel or cloth in between. It is even better to dampen a towel with warm water first and apply the ice over top. This makes it more comfortable to apply the ice and the dampness allow for a deeper penetration of the cold.

On the flip side, heat is more often used for chronic, dull, achy pain and for muscle tension. This allows the body to increase circulation and improve healing. Plus it usually feels very good. Heat can be applied for about 20-30 minutes at a time. Sometimes, a contrast of ice and heat is recommended.

One issue to be very careful about is to check your skin every so often for problems due to the application of ice or heat. One thing that is very important is to not keep a heating pad on too high and don’t fall asleep on one. This can cause swelling and even worse, burning. This is seen on the example below where one of my patients could not feel the pain from the burn (there is a scar from previous surgery). It happens more than you think.

Just be aware of what’s happening and have someone check the area if you are unable. If you are unsure what to use, just give us a call (416) 512-2225 or email me at [email protected]. – Spinal Decompression Toronto

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What are my options for neck and low back pain?

Thu, 19 Jun 2014 23:05:00 +0000

Eighty percent of North American’s will experience back pain (or neck pain) at one time or another. That’s a lot of back pain. But where is the best place to start for treatment?

The choices are divided into two major categories, invasive and non-invasive. Non-invasive therapies encompass the conservative therapies which include, but are not limited to, chiropractic care, physiotherapy and massage whereas invasive therapies include injection, surgery and even acupuncture. Acupuncture is a conservative therapy but, as the needles break the skin barrier, is considered invasive. Although injection and acupuncture are deemed minimally invasive, injections will introduce chemicals into the body that one may not want and have potential side effects. Of course, medication is also an alternative but typically medication will not address the cause of the problem and may also have unwanted side effects.

When I discuss the order to which I believe patients should have therapy, the conservative ones are at the top of the list. I think a trial of conservative therapies are beneficial but if you are finding little to no results after a while, you should consider your next step.

When it comes to neck and back pain, if not already done, consideration should be made for imaging, whether that is x-rays, CT or MRI. Consideration should also be made for a more advanced therapy such as spinal decompression therapy.

If all else fails, injection therapy or surgery should be discussed.

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