Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Welcome to our FAQ page. Below are answers to the most common questions patients have. If you do not see something you are looking for, please contact us, and we will do our best to either answer your question or source the information you are looking for.
Chiropractic FAQ
Yes. Chiropractors are one of five designated health care professionals able to use the title of ‘Doctor’, enabling them to diagnose musculoskeletal conditions, as well as treat and manage them. As primary contact health care professionals, patients do not require referrals to receive chiropractic care.
Chiropractors use a drug-free, holistic approach to address problems with the muscles, joints, ligaments, tendons, and nerves of the body. They consider symptoms and the root causes of a problem when developing treatment plans and providing care. In addition to treating patients with acute injuries and helping them regain their regular function and returning to the activities they love, chiropractors provide wellness or maintenance care, to help prevent future injury.
At Alliance Chiropractic, we offer a variety of treatment methods including manual adjustments, laser therapy, electrical muscle stimulation, and interferential current. We also offer custom foot orthotics and specialize in sports injury care, as part of our chiropractic services.
Chiropractic care aims to improve joint and nerve function, , relieve pain, and reduce muscle spasm. The most common conditions we treat include neck pain, back pain, headaches, sciatica, sprains/strains, and work and athletic injuries.
Yes. Chiropractic care is considered safe and has an excellent safety record. It is a conservative approach to health that includes manual therapy and avoids drugs or invasive procedures. Chiropractic care is much safer than surgery, muscle relaxants, or even common aspirin. At Alliance Chiropractic & Wellness Clinic, our chiropractors are well-trained to determine if your problem will respond to chiropractic care or if you require referral to another health care provider.
Chiropractic care and physiotherapy are both primary contact care providers, meaning a physician referral is not necessary. Both provide manual therapy to help patients improve their health and well being. However, there are differences in their philosophies, approaches, treatment methods, and education levels.
Yes, chiropractors can provide exercises to help improve and maintain mobility, and strengthen any weaknesses in the soft tissues to prevent a relapse in symptoms. Along with adjustments, exercises may be provided to support patients’ overall treatment plans and help them achieve optimal health and well-being.
We have also added Kinesiology Services to the clinic. Our kinesiologists can provide additional details on exercise programs suited to a wide variety of needs and requirements for our patients. Contact us for more information.
Kinesiologists are health care professionals specializing in all aspects of human movement such as biomechanics and function. They work closely with chiropractors and other health care providers to develop personalized exercise and rehabilitation programs to support:
- Injury recovery
- Injury prevention
- Restoring functional movement
- Improving overall well-being
Looking for a kinesiologist in Hamilton? Contact Alliance Chiropractic or learn more here.
Yes. Many problems experienced as adults start as children. Birth trauma (from breach positioning, vacuum or forceps extraction), falls, sports injuries, scoliosis, etc. can cause abnormal function in joints and soft tissues. These problems may not initially cause symptoms such as discomfort, pain, or immobility, but over time, they place more wear and tear on a body, and create weak points that are more prone to injury and symptoms.
As a child grows, these relatively non-symptomatic weak points can become bigger issues and cause significant problems. Periodic chiropractic check-ups can detect and help prevent these potential problem areas from becoming bigger concerns.
It depends. Most patients see a chiropractor to help them with an acute or immediate injury or symptom. However, once they feel better, many choose to continue with wellness or maintenance care to get checked and adjusted regularly. Ongoing checkups ensure prevention of a previous condition and help maintain optimal levels of health.
Regular spinal checkups are part of a healthy lifestyle where prevention of illness and disease is the priority. Whether your goal is to relieve symptoms (acute chiropractic care) or to maintain optimum health by preventing a recurrent condition or simply receiving regular check ups (wellness or maintenance care), the team at Alliance Chiropractic can help.
Patients are responsible for payment on the day a service is delivered. We provide a receipt and you submit it to your insurance provider for reimbursement.
General Clinic FAQ
Located on Golf Links Rd., we are in the three storey office building, beside the Shell gas station. The closest intersection is Legend Court and Golf Links Road. Access the clinic by driving to the parking lot at the rear of the building (facing Costco and Home Depot). Parking is free and the building is wheelchair accessible.
Our complete address is:
101-911 Golf Links Rd., Ancaster ON L9K 1H9
Directions can be found here:
Please call 905-648-0661 to book an appointment with any of the health care providers at the clinic. Looking for a chiropractor, massage therapist, naturopath, kinesiologist, or acupuncturist in Hamilton? Contact us and we will help you reach your health care goals.
Note that our staff need to speak to you directly to determine the nature of your appointment and to book the appropriate time slot.
Yes, there is free parking available at the office. The closest parking for patients is available at the back of the building by the clinic entrance.
Please call 905-648-0661 to book an appointment with any of the health care providers at the clinic. Our team of chiropractors, massage therapists, naturopaths, and office administrative staff look forward to helping you reach your health care goals.
The length of time for an appointment depends on the nature of the service being provided. Our clinic offers a wide range of services, and we will need to speak to you directly to confirm details and book the appropriate length of time for your appointment.
Please call the office directly at 905-648-0061 to make, cancel, or reschedule an appointment. You may need to leave a message if we are with other patients but we will return your call as soon as we can.
Our general clinic email addresses are not checked daily and are intended for general clinic inquiries and information. Please call the office to book, cancel, or reschedule your appointments.
Evening appointments for chiropractic care are offered Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. This includes laser therapy, electrical therapies (electrical muscle stimulation and interferential current), custom foot orthotics, and sports injury care.
Emergency weekend chiropractic care is available, and patients should call the office (905-648-0661) to confirm the doctor’s availability and leave a message if required.
Evening appointments for massage therapy are offered Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Evening appointments for naturopathic medicine and acupuncture are available on Monday and Thursday. Patients should call the office to confirm availability and make appointments.
Yes. All of our practitioners/health care providers are licensed under their respective colleges. This includes those providing chiropractic care, laser therapy, electrical therapies (electrical muscle stimulation and interferential current), sports injury care, custom foot orthotics, massage therapy, naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, and kinesiology services.
Yes. Chiropractic care is very effective for treating motor vehicle accident (MVA) injuries. Many people experience symptoms such as neck pain, numbness and tingling, headaches, dizziness, and back pain following a MVA, often related to conditions and injuries such as whiplash, rotator cuff tears, sprains and strains, and vertigo. All of these respond very well to chiropractic care.
Patients also have access to massage therapy within the clinic, if required.
Fees for motor vehicle injury treatment are covered by auto insurance, extended health insurance, or a combination of both.
Yes. The workplace safety and insurance board (WSIB) is billed directly for treatment that has been approved.
Fees vary depending on the service rendered. For a complete list, access our fee schedule.
Chiropractic care including laser therapy, electrical therapy, sports injury care, and custom foot orthotics – cash, debit, visa, or mastercard.
Massage therapy – cash, cheque, or e-transfer.
Naturopathic medicine and acupuncture – cash, cheque, debit, or e-transfer.
Kinesiology services – cash, debit, visa, or mastercard.
Payment is required at each visit. Pre-paid packages are available for patients receiving chiropractic care. Please speak to our front desk for additional information.
Other Services FAQ
The following services are available at Alliance Chiropractic & Wellness Clinic:
Yes. We build custom foot orthotics to meet your specific needs. Whether you require biomechanical correction for day to day activities, work, or sports, we can recommend and build a custom orthotic. All foot orthotics are custom built by a chiropodist.
No. Referrals are not needed for appointments with any of our practitioners. Depending on your insurer or extended health coverage, some plans may require referrals from a chiropractor or medical doctor for the services to be covered.
Chiropractic care (including laser therapy electrical therapy, and sports injury care), massage therapy, naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, kinesiology services, and custom foot orthotics are covered under most extended employee health benefit plans. However each company’s plan is unique, so please review your extended benefits coverage.
We have extensive experience working with athletes of all ages and levels of competition. Chiropractors are often the primary care provider for treating sport specific injuries and we regularly treat patients with sprains and strains, golfer’s elbow, tennis elbow, rotator cuff injuries, runners’ knee (ilio-tibial band syndrome), patellar tendinitis, partial ACL tears, and Osgood Schlatters disease. To learn more about the types of injuries and services available for athletes, please refer to our Sports Injury resource.
Yes. Our staff has worked with many elite teams and athletes to design sport specific training and conditioning programs for warm up/cool down, performance improvement, and injury prevention. Contact us if you or your team is looking for expertise to develop, recommend, and assist with sport specific programming.
Are you a recreational athlete? Participating in sports and activities for pleasure and fitness? We can help you remain injury free so you can continue to participate fully in the activities you love and enjoy.
Our staff has worked with athletes representing many sports clubs and organizations: Ancaster Legacy Football Club, Ancaster Tennis Club, Blessed Sacrament Basketball, Hamilton Cardinals Baseball Club, Hamilton Hornets Rugby Club, Halton Hurricanes Volleyball Club, KW Predators Volleyball Club, Martial Arts Fighting Academy, Mountain Athletic Club, Mountain Volleyball Club, Peel Selects Volleyball Club, Transway Basketball.
LASER is an acronym for ‘Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation’. Available to patients receiving chiropractic care, cold laser therapy (also referred to as ‘laser therapy’), works by injecting billions of light photons deep into the body’s tissue structures. These structures then absorb the light energy, resulting in a conversion from light to chemical energy. The body’s tissues use this chemical energy to accelerate the healing process and reduce pain. The light from the laser also helps with healing by increasing microcirculation which promotes oxygen and nutrient flow. The duration and frequency of laser treatment varies, depending on the condition being treated and managed.
Cold laser therapy (also referred to as ‘laser therapy’) is used to treat and manage a range of medical conditions and injuries such carpal tunnel syndrome; sciatica; runner’s knee (patello-femoral syndrome); jumper’s knee (patella-tendinitis); heel pain (plantar fasciitis); sprains; strains; back pain; and neck pain.
Read more about laser therapy at Alliance Chiropractic.
Electrical therapy is based on the concept that electrical current wavelengths, frequencies, amplitudes, and voltages can be used to produce different physiological effects in the body. These positive effects include:
- Relax muscle spasms
- Prevent or slow muscle atrophy (muscle wasting from disuse)
- Increase local blood circulation
- Maintain or increase range of motion
- Reduce swelling (edema)
- Re-educate muscles (teach an injured muscle to contract properly)
- Relieve pain
There are different types of electrical therapy modalities including:
- Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS);
- Interferential Current (IFC);
- Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS);
- Microcurrent
At Alliance Chiropractic & Wellness Clinic, we use both EMS and IFC as needed. Conditions that respond well to electrical therapy include whiplash, muscle tension/sprains/strains, pinched nerves, rotator cuff injuries, tendonitis, tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, arthritis, joint pain, sciatica, piriformis syndrome, and Achilles tendonitis.
Find more information about electrical therapy here or contact us.