Commercial Drive – East Vancouver Chiropractor; Dr. Dominic Chan DC – “Who’s the ‘Typical’ Chiropractic Patient?”

When I look at my practice, it seems to me that I can identify a ‘typical’ Chiropractic patient. Now of course it wouldn’t be fair to generalize but I do believe there is a pattern. Following up on this, it seems that I’m not the only one. Stumbling across some research, it seems that others have also asked this very question and this is some of the tid-bits they came up with.

The ‘Typical’ Chiropractic patient is;

- Female
- Between the ages of 30-49
- Well educated, with chances being good of a post-secondary education.
- Often has researched her health-care options
- Top three health related searches are for;
a) Disease and Conditions (60%)
b) Medical Treatments and procedures (47%)
c) Vitamins, minerals and supplements (44%)

Now adding to that, I’d like to share some personal insights on the general trends I see in my practice.

Most of my patients are in seek of pain/symptom relief (Over 90%). I do have some patients that see me without any complaints. But they realize the benefits of Chiropractic and are looking to maintain their health and vitality. (A few of these patients have described it to me like getting a ‘tune-up’ for their bodies)

I would estimate that about 70% of my patients are at least mildly active. Meaning they do get out to participate in activities like walking, biking and regular exercise. This last trend is very important to me because I prescribe stretches and exercise for 100% of my patients!

I like to use this analogy a lot because it’s so simple and implicit that there’s little ambiguity here. I often ask my patients if they brush their teeth? Almost everyone says yes, many saying twice a day. Then I proceed to ask them why? The natural response is, “Well, it’s good for me and it prevents cavities and other problems from occurring”. Exactly correct!!

However consider this, you could conceivably go for days without eating and using your teeth. But, you could not go for days without using your muscles, joints and spine. So, the question is, “Why do most people take better care of their teeth, than they do their bodies?”

Encouraging a healthy lifestyle for all my patients is very important to me. Luckily for me, most of my patients understand the connection between healthy habits and a healthy body. This is paramount to me because most of my patients will not receive this kind of lifestyle advice from any of their health-care providers on a regular basis.

If you have questions regarding how Chiropractic could help you, CONTACT YOUR COMMERCIAL DRIVE – EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC HERE!!!

Commercial Drive – East Vancouver Chiropractor; Dr. Dominic Chan DC – Setting and Achieving Health Goals

Here are some simple steps for successful goal setting;

1) Decide what it is you want to accomplish – Try to be specific and even have a picture in your mind of what it is you wish to achieve.

2) Figure out the “Whys” – Think about the reasons you wish to accomplish this goals. This can help you to succeed if you have the proper motivation.

3) Break your goals into “bite-sized” chunks – Often times, you can break up a goal into smaller goals. This will not only make it easier to reach you major goal but can help to track your progress!

4) Think about any obstacles - It’s very important to be realistic with your goals. Often times, you will encounter obstacles on you path to achieving your goals. However, if you have given it some thoughts beforehand, they’ll be easier to handle when and if they actually come up.

5) Write it down! – Any goals, including health goals should be written down. Something magical happens when you commit something to paper. Write down a goal and your chances of actually following through increases!

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Commercial Drive – East Vancouver Chiropractor; Dr. Dominic Chan DC – “Osteoporosis”

Today I’d like to discuss a topic that is important to a lot of patients out there, particularly if you’re female; Osteoporosis.

What is Osteoporosis exactly? Osteoporosis is a bone disease where by bone mass and tissue deteriorates over time. In effect, the bones become “less dense”. A very simple way to think of it would be like imagining Swiss cheese. Now everybody knows Swiss cheese is known for having characteristic “holes” throughout. Now just imagine the Swiss cheese developing more of these holes over time. More holes means more empty space and thus, less cheese. Now this is a crude example but I think you get the picture.

Now a common misconception is that Osteoporosis is a problem unique to females, but not so. Did you know that 1 in 8 men over the age of 50 will also develop Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis, is known as a “silent thief” because as the bones deteriorate, the patient often notices no symptoms at all. However, Osteoporosis is a real problem because with weaker bones, a person may be subject to disfigurement, lowered self esteem, loss of mobility and an increased chance of severe injury.

For example, as one ages, co-ordination and balance often suffers. This is a major reason why falls are more common in the elderly. Now if a person with Osteoporosis also suffers a fall, the chance of a fracture goes way up. Did you know that 80% of hip fractures are Osteoporosis related? Once an elderly person suffers a hip fracture, the chances of complications and maybe even death also become a very real possibility.

So what can you do to prevent Osteoporosis? firstly, you might want to get a bone scan or measure your bone density. It’s good to know what you’re starting with right. Next, there are simple things like the appropriate exercise, nutrition and even supplements that can help to prevent osteoporosis. It’s a good idea to have a talk with your doctor/ Chiropractor to find out the appropriate actions for you.

If you have questions or comments, feel free to visit YOUR COMMERCIAL DRIVE – EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR HERE!

Commercial Drive – East Vancouver Chiropractor; Dr. Dominic Chan DC – “How Chiropractic Works (In Everyday Terms)”

This is a very important question and one that many people have of Chiropractic, especially those that have never been to one. So how does Chiropractic work?

I’ve heard people and even patients say to me, “Chiropractors ‘crack’ bones, re-align your joints and then you feel better”. Well, although that’s not entirely wrong, it’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

What’s missing in this description is the understanding that your nervous system plays an even bigger role. Let’s put it this way. Most people will seek the help of a Chiropractor when they feel pain or discomfort. Ever stop to think what exactly is going on here? Well, pain is your body’s way of telling you that, ‘something’s wrong’ and you need to address it. “Pain” is how your brain interprets the signals it gets from the rest of your nervous system. Like cars travelling on a highway, your nervous system is how your brain and the rest of the body communicates with each other.

Now most people have experienced a traffic jam before. Cars and trucks just stuck and going nowhere. But a few miles ahead is a three car pile-up. This small accident can have a significant effect on traffic for miles. This accident can even stall traffic going the other way!

Well imagine if something similar occurred with your nervous system. The signals traveling along your nerves like cars on a highway can become ‘stalled’ or interrupted. Now a chain reaction occurs resulting in your body feeling “PAIN!!”.

Now how Chiropractic works simply is to help to restore function! Chiropractic works to keep your nervous system working well and making sure there is no irritation or ‘roadblocks’ along this information highway. Chiropractic care can help to reduce inflammation in irritated tissue thereby restoring normal function and reducing pain.

This can be done without the use of drugs, which often just temporarily mask the symptoms. It’s like tricking your brain into thinking there’s no problem at all.

Hopefully this explanation helps to get people thinking differently about pain. More importantly, I hope it helps you to understand how Chiropractic works!

If you have questions or comments, get in touch with your COMMERCIAL DRIVE – EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR HERE!!

Commercial Drive – East Vancouver Chiropractor: Dr. Dominic Chan DC – “Chiropractic Is Cost-Effective In Treating Chronic Back Pain, Study”

This study from the United States wanted to compare the cost effectiveness of Chiropractic care compared to standard medical interventions for people suffering from back pain.

A little background first; in the U.S. alone, “back-pain” costs the American economy an estimated $48 billion a year. A staggering amount and one that underscores the prevalance of this problem. It is also estimated that at any given time, 80% of the population will be suffering from back pain.

Now back to the study. The researcher followed 2780 patients with mechanical low back pain who referred themselves to either Doctors of Chiropractic or General Practitioners. The cost of treatment and also the patient’s satisfaction of care were monitored at 3 and 12 months after their initial visits.

The study found that initially, Chiropractic care cost more, however when additional costs involving medical care was factored in such as; advanced imaging, physical therapy, and specialists, Chiropractic care quickly became more cost-effective.
More importantly, when asked about their satisfaction of care, the respondents rated Chiropractic care more favorably than those who opted for standard medical care.

Important to note was that both choices for low back pain treatment involved physical activity and exercise, however it appears that Chiropractic patients fared better in the long term (ie. at 12 months) than patients who saw a General Practitioner. All things being considered, this study strongly suggests that Chiropractic is not only a viable treatment option for patients suffering from low back pain, but for a medical system as a whole, a cost-effective one as well!

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Commercial Drive – East Vancouver Chiropractor; Dr. Dominic Chan DC: Sitting Can be Hazardous to Your Health!

Do I have your attention now? That’s right, researchers have found a link between the amount of time you spend sitting in your day and your mortality rate.

Researchers asked 17,000 people, “How much do you spend sitting in your typical day?”. They then followed the respondents over the next 12 years and compared their mortality rates. What they found was truly astounding. They discovered that those people who spent half of their day sitting, had a significantly increased risk of dying from ANY cause!! They also found that those respondents who sat the most during their day, had a 54% increased risk of dying in the 12 years following compared to the people who sat the least.

But here is the sobering component. The results were independent of whether you were old or young, smoker or non-smoker or even if you were over-weight or not. Meaning the risk of sitting too much can not be completely removed by your activity level.

So what are some things you can do right now to lower your risk?

– Start moving around more. Take periodic breaks from your computer and walk around. The study even suggests that spending some time standing at work can even be helpful. ie. standing while you’re on the phone.

– Look for ways you can be more active at work. Examples include, taking the stairs or even parking your car further away from the entrance so you get just a bit more exercise each day.

– Looking for alternative ways to commute. ie taking public transit to work or biking.

For more information, visit the website for your COMMERCIAL DRIVE CHIROPRACTOR IN EAST VANCOUVER