Testimonials From Physicians
Dr. Nancy Wardle M.D. Victoria, BC.
I am very impressed with Backfit. I have had chronic low back and neck problems for many years that are now finally being addressed by the team at Backfit. In three months, my sciatic pain levels are so much lower, my flexibility is better and I can sit without discomfort. The clinic is so patient centered; one feels cared for in a professional, efficient, thoughtful and compassionate manner. The Doctors at Backfit have excellent listening and treatment skills, I feel in very good hands.
Dr. James Houston M.D. Victoria, BC.
I have been very pleased with the results and feedback from my patients who have been treated at Backfit. The Doctors and Staff are very professional and caring and spend the time that is essential to help patients understand how their back problem arose, how it is corrected and how to maintain a healthy back for the future. It is this combination of professional treatments, education, core and fitness training, and patients empowered to take their own responsibility in recovery and healing, that is helping my patients with chronic back issues where other treatment programs have failed.
Dr. Dianne Ripley M.D. Victoria, BC.
Backfit is an outstanding facility and a welcome addition to the medical community. The doctors are caring and compassionate, but persistent in encouraging patients to take charge of their spinal health through posture correction and core muscle strength.
Dr. Andrew Kiellerman M.D. Victoria, BC.
Chronic back pain was something I had learned to live with, having degenerative lumbar and cervical disc disease and herniation of lumbar discs L5-S1 and L4-5. But an acute exacerbation with subsequent severe pain that incapacitated me was difficult to tolerate. But thanks to the doctors at Backfit, their program along with their professional group of technicians and administrative staff, I am now pain-free and feel optimistic that I will remain so if I follow his program. I highly recommend Backfit to all my patients and anyone else who would like to get rid of their back and neck pain.
Dr. Larry Mah M.D. Victoria, B.C.
Having myself been a patient at Backfit, I can personally attest to the high quality of care provided. The facilities, support staff and, of course, the Backfit doctors are uniformly thorough, dedicated, and committed to providing excellent care. Their holistic approach to spinal mechanics, posture, and muscular strengthening produces excellent, sustainable, and long lasting results.
Dr. Shannon Doyle D.D.S Victoria, BC.
I would like to thank you for many years of treatment which has allowed completion of my 37th year of Dental practice pain free. I would like to acknowledge your comprehensive treatment approach including hands on, core strengthening, weight loading and decompression. I also appreciate the results achieved by the many patients I have referred to your office for treatment. I have found that patients with TMJ (jaw pain) invariably do not heal well if there isn’t coincidental cervical treatment and I have full confidence in your treatment for this purpose.
Dr. Patrick Stel M.D. Victoria, BC.
Backfit has provided lasting relief from pain and a return to activity for almost every patient that I have sent to them – many of whom I had nothing left to offer, other than pain medications. This has also been true in my wife’s case. She had recurring disabling pain for years, from a herniated lumbar disc – with backfit’s comprehensive treatment approach the pain went away and has stayed away for 3 years now.
Dr. Kevin Oomah, Victoria, BC.
There was a time when I thought that my competitive dream would remain just that—a dream, after my disc injury in 2009. After 20 years of training, countless physiotherapists, medical doctors and chiropractors demanded that I stop training—my glory days were over. You are the only doctor that believed in me, healed me so I could regain my strength, and ultimately compete in a natural world class event. From a moment where I thought I would no longer be able to walk to now…you’ve brought me far! Thank you.
An estimated 23% of individuals worldwide are affected by back pain on a monthly basis. It is the source of significant personal, community and financial trouble, especially when individuals are unable to work because of their pain. Back pain can range from localized pain to radiating pain to gluts, legs and can even cause numbness or tingling in the feet. The problem is that the source of specific symptoms can be very difficult to determine. During our Backfit assessment we employ thorough examination techniques including orthopedic and neurological testing, as well as x-ray analysis, to assess the functionality of your spine. This ensures an accurate diagnosis and sets you up for better prognosis for recovery and maintenance of spinal health in the future.
Although neck pain is less debilitating than back pain, it still has a significant impact on your quality of life. Neck pain often refers pain into the shoulders and arms. A major contributor to neck pain is poor posture leading to misalignment and weakness of musculature holding the neck and head in a good position. Along with the more obvious signs of pain, misalignment can also cause many regulatory functions to become unstable. The neck houses delicate nerve tissue such as the brain stem and nerves that control many critical organs in the body. Therefore, misalignment of the neck can often cause compression of these imperative nerves, which in turn can cause impairment in balance, vision, temperature regulation, digestion, and hormonal regulation. Backfit employs several methods to correct misalignments in the back and neck including alignment therapy and a core program (link) geared towards building structural muscle to support the spine and protect the nervous system to allow for optimal function of muscles and organs.
The sacroiliac joints are the foundational base of the spine composed of the triangular shaped bone (sacrum) at the base of your spine and the pelvic bones. There are many nerves that exit at the level of the SI joints that radiate to the lower extremities. SI joint pain is often confused with hip pain because of their close proximity and because SI pain often radiates to the hips and lower extremities. SI pain can be caused by a range of things including pain in the lower extremities leading to alterations in gait, a difference in leg length or a misalignment higher up in the spine. Through our extensive assessment process our doctors will be able to determine what exactly is causing your symptoms, as well as suggest treatment options.
Do you suffer from radiating pain down your leg (sciatica)? Sciatica is caused by compression of the sciatic nerve that runs down from the low back into the lower extremities. Pain is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong! In this case your body is alerting you to the compression of a large and significant nerve. Compression on the sciatic nerve can be caused by things like disc compression, disc bulge, disc herniation, subluxation or misalignment. An interesting and little known fact is that sciatica can begin as radiating leg pain, and then the leg pain transitions to tingling and then numbness. At this point many people believe that the problem is solved; however, numbness only starts when there is so much compression that the nerve tissue begins to deteriorate. Backfit has had great success in treating sciatica as well as tingling and numbness in extremities.
Pain is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. Back pain is often an indication that a nerve is being compressed and that pressure needs to be alleviated! If this is ignored though, the sensory nerve sending these signals will eventually start to die. When this happens, instead of feeling pain you will start to feel tingling and then eventually you will feel numbness. Many people ignore sensations of tingling and numbness because it is much more easily ignored than pain. However, this is the point when you should be really concerned. Tingling and numbness is a sign that compression of your nerves must be relieved before permanent damage is done. Contact us if you would like to come in for an assessment which includes orthopaedic as well as neurological testing.
Did you know there are three types of nerves that travel between the brain and body? First, there are the sensory nerves that most people are familiar with; the one that causes you to feel things like pain and tingling. But there are two other types of nerves that often get overlooked when talking about back pain. These two nerves are the autonomic and motor nerves that run from the brain and control the organ and muscular systems. For instance, if you have compression on a motor nerve, you could have symptoms ranging from stiffness when you get up in the morning all the way to severe muscle spasms. If the compression is bad enough, the nerve may also begin to die. At this point you may start to experience muscular weakness, for example your back or even leg may “give out” occasionally. During a thorough Backfit assessment, your doctor will perform certain orthopedic as well as neurological tests that will determine whether you have functionally evident compression on the sensory or motor nerves. With successful treatment, it is definitely possible to regain strength and return to optimal health!
Scoliosis is a disorder in which there is an abnormal curve in the spine. The spine has normal curves when looking from the side but should appear straight when looking from the front or back. There are multiple types of scoliosis that are categorized by the cause, as well as the age of onset of the disorder. Scoliosis in children and adolescents is usually caused by a developmental problem, either a development problem in the formation of the spine or because of a developmental problem in another area of the body, such as a discrepancy in leg length. Scoliosis in middle aged and older adults is usually degenerative and can be caused by arthritis, weakening of the soft tissue support of the spine or bone spur formation.
Do you find you just can’t move like you used to? Here at Backfit we promote a combination of alignment and disc therapy in the clinic, as well as home exercises, to work at building healthier, more functional and mobile joints. The spine is supported by small ligaments and muscles. If that soft tissue supporting the spine isn’t malleable, the alignment and disc therapy will not be as effective as if the soft tissue is warm before treatment and you are performing exercises to stretch specific soft tissue on your own at home.
Do you suffer from headaches? Well, you are not alone! Nine out of 10 people suffer from headaches ranging from dull throbbing headaches to debilitating migraines. For some, these headaches are symptoms of an underlying physical disorder; however, 95% of headaches are primary headaches, or headaches not caused by another disorder. The majority of these headaches are caused by muscle tension in the neck and upper back. The best way to treat this is by getting an assessment by a chiropractor in order to ascertain the cause of the tension and then to work with your chiropractor to develop a program geared toward resolving your specific spinal issue.
Whiplash is a common injury after a motor vehicle accident, particularly after being hit from behind. The mechanism of whiplash is that when the accident occurs, the base of the neck gets violently pushed forward while the upper neck and head snaps back. This action causes tearing of the soft tissue supporting the neck as well as damage to the facet joints and the discs in the neck. Although symptoms may not appear immediately, the long term effects of this injury can be severe. If the soft tissue has been permanently damaged, the neck will be chronically unstable and susceptible to further injury. Also, if there is permanent damage to the joints or discs in the neck, there may be impingement on the nerves exiting from the neck. Impingement on these nerves could cause autonomic symptoms such as breathing irregularities or heart burn, or motor symptoms such as muscle tightness or spasms. Here at Backfit we combine disc therapy, alignment therapy and exercises to increase the health of the joints as well as to build up strength in support musculature of the spine and neck (multiple links to disc therapy, alignment and core program).
Posture is one of the key elements that can make or break the health of your spine. The optimal posture of the spine contains three curves (pic). These ensure the ability of the spine to absorb shock and to be functionally strong. If you participate in repetitive actions or sedentary positions such as sitting at a computer desk all day, you run the risk of losing the optimal 3 curve configuration of the spine. If this happens you will lose functional strength and the spine will become much more susceptible to compressive injuries to the discs and nerves. Scoliosis is another factor that can be a great detriment to the prolonged health of the spine. Scoliosis can often cause muscular imbalances that promote an improper alignment of the spine as well as cause permanent bone spur formation and compression of nerves. For more information on how to assess and treat poor posture and scoliosis, check out our page on spinal alignment.
Backfit Assessment
What’s your BackScore?
BackScore Assessment Before we can tell you exactly what is happening with your spine, we need all the information. That’s why we have designed such a thorough exam. We need to know about your Lifestyle:
Activity habits
Nutrition habits
Mental/Emotional habits
We also need to know about your physical state:
Nerve health
Posture
Joint health
Muscular strength and endurance
Disc health
You may also receive Xray’s if required.
BackScore Review We believe in empowering you regarding your spinal health. To us, that means giving you all of the information regarding the health of your spine. When you come back to the clinic for your BackScore review, you will be given a comprehensive report to take home. It is a spinal health report card!
BackScore Solutions Workshop Have you ever wondered how you can ensure your best quality of life well into your 80’s? During the BackScore Solutions workshop you will be given information and concrete tips to keep your spine functioning at its best. For more info contact us.
The $149 initial visit fee includes the complete BackScore exam (BackScore assessment, BackScore review and Backscore Solutions workshop) and x-rays (if recommended).
FAQ
Getting started is simple. Give us a call, set up a time and meet with a Backfit chiropractor. We are good listeners and experienced clinicians. Learn what we can do to help you. Simply
contact us to give us a call or send us an email to find out more.
Research has shown time and time again that Chiropractic care is not only safe, but also effective at relieving pain, correcting spinal misalignments and increasing the health of your nervous system. If you have further concerns please consult our chiropractors.
Your spine is completely unique. Therefore, your chiropractor will be as thorough as possible in determining what exactly is going on, before commencing treatment. Treatment will begin once you have seen your chiropractor and the BackScore review is complete. During this time your doctor will be able to provide you with diagnoses and recommendations for treatment. Once that is done it is up to you to decide what treatment frequency will work. It is important to know exactly what your spinal health status is, before commencing treatment.
We recommend that patients arrive at least 5 minutes early to read new patient documents.
The Backfit team is comprised of experienced Chiropractic Doctors, Kinesiologists, and Exercise Therapists. We’d love for you to
meet our Doctors and
our team.
Disc Therapy
Disc therapy works to mechanically re-hydrate your discs thereby helping to reduce symptoms associated with disc compression. We have helped hundreds of patients reduce and eliminate their back pain through a combination of disc therapy, chiropractic alignments and physio inspired home exercises. We can help you.
Do you suffer from any of the following symptoms?
Sciatica disc-before-after– Pain or stiffness down your leg
Parasthesia –Tingling or numbness down your leg or arm
Radiating pain down your shoulder, arm or hand
Headaches
Have you been diagnosed with any of the following?
Disc Compression
Spinal Stenosis
Disc Herniation
Disc Bulge (protrusion, extrusion)
If you’ve answered YES to any of these, we may have the solution you’ve been looking for.
“At Backfit, each person is treated as an individual and therapy is custom prescribed.”
Once you have had a Backfit assessment and we have determined the cause of your symptoms, we will create a prescription of disc therapy, alignment therapy and home care exercises. Your unique prescription is designed to correct and stabilize your specific spinal condition.
Our Backfit treatment philosophy, built upon research and clinical experience, is that disc-injured patients, particularly in their initial stages of treatment, need a focused disc therapy treatment protocol. While we strongly believe in active rehab, focusing on muscle therapy, stretches, or advanced core exercises too soon can be a mistake. Your Backfit doctor will be able to determine what the best course of treatment is for your spine.
The most common conditions treated by spinal decompression therapy include herniated discs, bulging, compressed or protruding discs, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, spinal arthritis, posterior facet syndrome and sciatica. We have found that disc decompression is most effective when combined with alignment therapy and core exercises. As you can see in the images above, it is possible to heal and restore damaged discs!
Meet with a Backfit doctor to find out if disc therapy can help you.
*Results and effectiveness vary from patient to patient
Spinal Alignment
Do you have poor posture?
Computer work, texting, carrying a backpack or purse on one shoulder or activities that stress one side of the body and not the other (such as golf) could all contribute to developing poor posture. Intentionally or unintentionally repeating these habits can lead to long-term postural changes.
The most common effect of poor posture is muscle pain and stiffness. When you slouch, the body has to work harder to keep you stable and your joints protected. This can cause lasting pain and tightness, particularly in neck and low back musculature.
If you are not sure if you have a misalignment in your spine, an effective way to assess your own posture is to look at yourself in the mirror, or at an old picture. Generally speaking, if one of your shoulders is higher than the other, it is safe to say that you may have a tilt (or lateral bend) in your spine.
How can a tilt in your spine affect your back or neck?
Think of it this way… if one of the wheels in your car is out of balance and you keep driving, that imbalanced wheel will “wear out” faster than it should. This same principle holds true with your body when you are out of alignment. It is well documented in research that an imbalanced spine can lead to premature aging of the spinal joints; bones, discs and nerves. The best way to determine if your spine is properly aligned, or not, is through an x-ray analysis, which we can perform in our office.
The good thing is, spinal misalignments can be corrected! Through chiropractic treatment and a series of exercises that retrain postural reflexes, doctors and staff will help you get back to good posture.
We would appreciate the opportunity to educate you further on the health and function of your spine and nervous system. Give us a call to set up an examination with a Backfit doctor.
*Results and effectiveness varies from patient to patient
