In general, yes. We perform hundreds of adjustments every month with considerable success in terms of decreasing pain and improving movement. There is also significant research support for manipulation techniques in physiotherapy and chiropractic journals. 

If you have concerns about safety, what’s important is that you share your concern with your chiropractor. Be clear that you want to feel in control of your process throughout each and every session. You want to have an opportunity to confirm that you feel relaxed and comfortable prior to any adjustments. And to be informed of any risks of specific treatments as you go along.

At Lift Clinic this is normal. It helps having longer treatment sessions than conventional chiropractic clinics. We value your input and want you to feel in control at all times.

In terms of language, we don’t like to say we’re cracking your back – we provide skilled hands-on manual therapy. Sometimes this is in the form of thrust techniques, also known as manipulation. For some, hearing or feeling a “crack” can sound intimidating but what you should expect is a carefully executed technique from highly skilled hands, with the purpose to improve range of motion and pain.

As for whether this is suitable for you – this depends on your assessment. Through a combination of movement testing for the head, neck, back and whole body we are able to identify movement faults. With our hands we can feel where speficific joints move well or do not. If we find areas where joints aren’t moving well, your chiropractor may recommend a manipulation . 

Last but not least, we like to point out that manipulation is only one tool in our tool belt. If you only have a hammer, everything looks like a nail. But our chiropractors have a wide range of tools at their disposal, so if you prefer not to have a manipulation that’s ok too.

Yes, absolutely. You may have heard of these types:

Cowboy chiro – quick on  the draw, this chiropractor is known for short sessions, minimal assessment, large waiting rooms and lengthy treatment plans.

Gizmo chiro – specializing in fancy machines that set them apart, you’ll need to keep coming back so that the machines can fix you. Because they’re machines, they must know what’s best.

Modern Vancouver Chiropractor – this chiro bucks the trend, opting for longer treatments, detailed assessments, and uses a wide range of techniques and exercises to help clients achieve lasting solutions rather than form dependencies. 

This really varies depending on the situation. While conventional physio is known to have more of an exercise based approach, you’ll find chiropractors at Lift Clinic are open to working with exercise as well, and quite skilled at it. Conversely our physiotherapists may surprise you with their manual therapy skillsets! If you feel that either one may be able to help you, we suggest you go with your gut and pick one to start. During your initial assessment, ask the clinician if they feel another discipline may be a better fit, or complimentary. 

At Lift we love to work as a team. We strongly value each others’ assessments and input, and take joy in extending our skillset and abilities through our colleagues. 

Chiropractor, hands down! 

Ok seriously though, it depends on the situation and who the two clinicians you’re comparing really are. 

We like to advise people see our chiropractor for very detailed assessments, situations where we expect joint mobility is at fault, and situations where it’s likely that one area is affecting pain and performance at another area. But from an outside point of view, it’s really hard to know this without first being assessed by an expert clinician.

Massage therapists at Lift Clinic are known for treatments that focus on releasing tension in the muscles, and have a scope of practice that spans “relaxation” to problem-solving and detailed full body assessments.

If you’re trying to choose between making your first appointment with a chiropractor or a massage therapist, at Lift Clinic it may not matter too much because if you see one and they feel the other will help you more, you can expect an honest opinion and a collaborative treatment approach.