Chiropractic Care: Separating Fact from Fiction

Written by: Dr. Evan Steinke, B.Sc. DC

Chiropractic care is a diverse health practice that has been around since the 1890’s. Since its founding it has been under intense scrutiny and the subject of many misconceptions. This can lead to confusion, misinformation, and make new patients unsure of where to begin. So, let’s discuss the big three myths about chiropractic care and the actual research that debunks them.

Myth 1: Chiropractic manipulations are dangerous

There is a common misconception that chiropractic care, particularly the chiropractic
manipulation, is dangerous. Over the years there has been an increasingly large pile of
evidence to state that spinal manipulations are safe and effective. In the case of chronic lower back pain, which is the leading cause of disability globally, the World Health Organization released guidelines in 2023 that recommended treatment with spinal manipulative therapy. Additional research has repeatedly shown that spinal manipulations are safe and do not impose an increased risk of mild or moderate adverse effects (1). In a separate study investigating stroke risk with chiropractic visits compared to primary care, they found there was no evidence of excess risk associated with chiropractic care compared to primary care (2).

World Health Organization Report: https://www.who.int/publications
Alberta Health: https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/

1) Pankrath, Natalie et al. “Adverse Events After Cervical Spinal Manipulation - A
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.” Pain
physician vol. 27,4 (2024): 185-201.
2) Cassidy, J David et al. “Risk of vertebrobasilar stroke and chiropractic care:
results of a population-based case-control and case-crossover study.” Spine vol.
33,4 Suppl (2008): S176-83. doi:10.1097/BRS.0b013e3181644600

Myth 2: Chiropractors are not considered doctors

Most often people are familiar with MD’s or Medical Doctors such as their family physician, however, other doctors have different abbreviations. In the case of chiropractors, their title is Doctor of Chiropractic, and their abbreviation is DC. Most chiropractors begin with a four-year undergraduate degree often with courses including biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy and more. From there they can apply to a chiropractic graduate program which on average is an additional four years of education covering topics from rehabilitation, neurology, and biomechanics to name a few.

Additionally, significant time is spent on the development and training of manual adjustment techniques. From there graduates undergo an additional layer of testing to become certified in their province or state which includes both written and in-person skill examinations. In Alberta, these certification requirements are enforced by the College of Chiropractors of Alberta, which also requires additional training to be performed every year to keep chiropractors current and up to date.

Source: https://www.theccoa.ca

Myth 3: Chiropractors only treat the spine

Chiropractors are perhaps best known for their treatment of the spine and are most often sought out for low back pain. However, chiropractors are trained in all areas of the body and are considered muscle, nerve, and bone specialists. Additionally, manipulations can be provided for more than the spine and can include the hips, knees, wrist, ankle and more. Therefore, if you’re experiencing anything from carpal tunnel syndrome to jaw pain you can ask your chiropractor for advice and treatment!

In conclusion, understanding the facts about chiropractic care can empower you to make informed decisions about your health. If you're seeking professional support, we invite you to experience the expertise of Active Sports Therapy's chiropractors.

At AST our Unified Team is dedicated to providing safe, effective treatment tailored to your individual needs, whether you're dealing with spinal issues or other musculoskeletal concerns.

Don't let myths hold you back—schedule a today and discover how chiropractic care can enhance your well-being!

You can find Dr Evan Steinke at AST Westman Village.

Treating Ankle injuries with Active Release Techniques (ART)

Written By: Active Sports Therapy with Text from Active Release Techniques©

The ankle is such a critical area for athletes as it forms the primary connection between the body and the ground. This area of the body will feel a tremendous amount of force and pressure on a regular basis. Motions such as running, jumping, and direction changing require a considerable amount of strength and flexibility from the ankle and its surrounding muscles.

Because of it’s high-impact use, the ankle is often a site of injury for athletes. Unfortunately, when these foot and ankle injuries occur they will not only hinder performance but can often progress to the point of preventing play altogether.

How Injuries Occur

Over time the muscles of the lower leg can become strained and develop small-scale injury known as micro-trauma.

Initially, this micro-trauma is not painful, but a person may describe it as a mild ache or tightness in the foot, ankle, or lower leg.

Your body responds to tissue injury in a very predictable way – by laying down new tissue to repair the damaged tissue. The scar tissue itself is not a problem – in fact, it is a normal and necessary part of healing. The problem occurs when the ankle is subjected to the same high workload due to the continued, repetitive, high-force athletic movements.

We will then see the same muscles become strained & repaired over and over again. Over time this scar tissue will build up and accumulate into what are called adhesions. As these adhesions form they start to affect the normal health and function of the muscles. They will often lead to pain, tightness, stiffness, restricted joint motion, and diminished blood flow.

ART: Our Approach to Ankle Injuries– A Better Solution

ART stands for Active Release Techniques. It is a new and highly successful hands-on treatment method to address problems in the soft tissues of the body, including the muscles, ligaments, fascia, and nerves. ART treatment is highly successful in dealing with foot and ankle injuries because it is specifically designed to locate and treat scar tissue adhesions that accumulate in the muscles and surrounding soft tissues. Location and treating the soft-tissue adhesions with ART which allows the practitioner to:

1) break up restrictive adhesions,

2) reinstate normal tissue flexibility and movement

3) restore flexibility, balance, and stability to the injured area and to the entire kinetic chain

You can think of an ART treatment as a type of active massage. The practitioner will first shorten the muscle, tendon, or ligament, and then apply a very specific pressure with their hand as they actively stretch and lengthen the tissues. As the tissue lengthens the practitioner is able to assess the texture and tension of the muscle to determine if the tissue is healthy or contains scar tissue that needs further treatment. When scar tissue adhesions are felt the amount and direction of tension can be modified to treat the problematic area. In this sense, each treatment is also an assessment of the health of the area as we are able to feel specifically where the problem is occurring.

An additional benefit of ART is it allows us to further assess and correct problems not only at the site of pain itself but also in other areas of the kinetic chain, which are associated with movement compensations and are often contributing factors to the problem. This ensures that all the soft tissues that have become dysfunctional and are contributing to the specific injury are addressed, even if they have not yet all developed pain.

One of the best things about ART is how fast it can get results. In our experience, the majority of ankle injuries respond very well to ART treatment, especially when combined with the appropriate home stretching and strengthening exercises. Although each case is unique and there are several factors that will determine the length of time required to fully resolve each condition, we usually find a significant improvement can be gained in just 4-6 treatments. These results are the main reason that many elite athletes and professional sports teams have ART practitioners on staff, and why ART is an integral part of the Ironman triathlon series.

To book in with one of our chiropractors for this treatment, please call AST Willow Park at 403-278-1405 Or AST Westman Village at 825-305-5802

Frozen Shoulder Explained

Written By: Dr Evan Steinke, DC

Frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, is characterized by pain and a progressive loss of motion in your shoulder joint. You may have experienced this as beginning with shoulder pain from an unknown cause that made your sleep difficult and became increasingly painful over the coming weeks. Frozen shoulder is caused by inflammation of the shoulder joint resulting in adhesions and stiffening of the surrounding structures. As a result, the shoulder begins to become painful and lose its mobility. This is more commonly seen in people over the age of 40 and is slightly more common among women with both diabetes and thyroid disease being known risk factors.

Frozen shoulder is known to have a particularly long recovery time without treatment of 18-24 months. Due to the long duration of the condition is often divided into three phases.

Phase 1 – Freezing: Pain in the shoulder as it begins to tighten over several months. It may be particularly noticeable at night and progress to being painful at rest.

Phase 2 – Frozen: The structures around the shoulder are now adhered to each other and mobility is limited in most or all directions, however, pain may begin to diminish in this phase. This phase can last for up to a year.

Phase 3 – Thawing: The structures around the shoulder begin to loosen and allow for a gradual return of shoulder mobility over 6+ months.

Your doctor will be able to determine which phase you are in with a physical examination, there is no need for x-rays or other forms of imaging. Management of frozen shoulder depends on the phase you are currently in but will often include a wide range of physical therapy approaches aiming to improve your range of motion and providing relief. These can include the following:

Muscle release techniques: These techniques aim to help ease pain in the surrounding shoulder muscles and reduce muscle tension to allow for improved movement.

Exercises and Stretches: A variety of programs can be performed at home that aim to improve muscle strength, improve flexibility, and provide improved joint stability.

Mobilization: Working with the shoulder joint directly your therapist will help mobilize the joint to improve range of motion.

Activity Modification: Depending on your specific needs your doctor may also make modifications to your daily routines and activities to ease the load and stress on your shoulder joint.

In severe cases that do not respond to conservative care your therapist will be able to evaluate and direct you for a shoulder injection or discuss other options for your particular situation.

If any of these symptoms sound familiar call Active Sports Therapy at 4032781405 to book your shoulder assessment today.