10 signs that you should see a chiropractor:

1. Chronic pain in your joints, muscles or head that has not improved with traditional medical treatments.

2. Your job requires you to sit for long periods of time or to perform repetitive physical tasks.

3. An injury to a muscle, joint or your spine has not healed with initial medical treatment, medications or physical therapy.

4. Sharp pain shoots from your hip down your leg.

5. Pain, achiness, a burning sensation or stiffness comes and goes in parts of your body, with no explainable cause.

6. You want to address joint or muscle pain without drugs or surgery.

7. The soles of your shoes consistently wear differently. For instance, the outer heel of shoes for your right foot wears down more quickly.

8. The hem of your skirts or pants hangs unevenly.

9. Your head is positioned forward rather than directly over your shoulders.

10. One of your shoulders is lower than the other.

How to choose a chiropractor:

When selecting a chiropractor, take time to find one who:

• Is recommended by your physician, other health care professionals or friends.

• Is licensed to practice chiropractic.

• Has experience treating your specific condition or symptoms.

• Is willing to work with your other physician(s) as part of your medical team.

• Uses diagnostic tools such as x-rays, ultrasound and paraspinal digital infrared imaging.

• Offers holistic, preventive care and counsel.

• Will provide an initial consultation free-of-charge.

• Does not claim that chiropractic treatment will cure an alphabet soup of medical conditions.

You also can get names of chiropractors in your area from the Canadian Chiropractic Association (CCA) web site at www.CcaChiro.org or by calling, toll-free, 1-877-222-9303. You can also contact your province's chiropractic association. Provincial contact information is posted on the CCA web site (http://www.chiropracticcanada.ca/en-us/AboutUs/ChiropracticInCanada/LicensingRegulations/ProvincialLicensingOffices.aspx)

You should not have chiropractic adjustment if you have:

• a fracture

• cancer of the bone or bone marrow

• severe spinal osteoporosis

• tuberculosis of the spine

• a disease of the spinal cord

• severe arthritis

• an infection in your bone or joint

• acute gout

• compression of your spinal cord or cauda equina (nerve roots at the end of your spine)

• uncontrolled diabetic neuropathy

• a bleeding disorder

• pain down your leg or arm with increasing weakness, difficulty walking and bowel or bladder control problems

Prior to treatment, your chiropractor will take a detailed medical history. It is important to give thorough answers, even if you are not sure a health condition has any bearing on your chiropractic therapy. This will enable your chiropractor to rule out treatments that are not appropriate for you.

Conditions commonly treated by chiropractors:

headaches - throbbing, dull or sharp pain, pain that persists, auras (sensations such as light or warmth that often precede migraines), restricted neck motion, light sensitivity

herniated disc - symptoms differ per the location of the affected disc but may include lower back pain, pain in one leg, numbness in the back, chest arm or leg, muscle spasms

joint pain - pain, stiffness, sensation of warmth, swelling, tenderness

pinched nerve - sharp pain, numbness, tingling sensation, muscle weakness

sciatica - sharp pain that travels from your buttocks to your leg

fibromyalgia - widespread pain lasting longer than three months, fatigue in muscles and tendons, a number of tender spots on the body, morning stiffness, short-term memory loss, headache, insomnia

scoliosis - spine curves to one side, difference in height of shoulders or hip, head not centered over torso, teens and adults may have pain

carpal tunnel syndrome - tingling, burning sensation, pain or numbness in fingers, palm of the hand, wrist or forearm, finger stiffness in the morning, weak grasp

Techniques and tools of the chiropractic trade:

Chiropractors use more than 55 different procedures and methods. You may experience one or more of the following:

Chiropractic adjustments restore motion to joints, reducing pain and enabling the injured tissue to heal.

The Activator Technique involves use of a small device to apply pressure or gentle force to misaligned vertebrae.

Myofascial treatments use massage or pressure to relieve pain from knotted muscle fibers called trigger points.

Flexion-Distraction treatments use a motorized table to gently stretch and relieve pressure on your spine while your chiropractor focuses on problem areas.

Applied Kinesiology helps balance tense or loose muscles that pull a bone out of alignment. A combination of massage and manipulation is typical of this technique.

Logan Basic Technique uses sustained, gentle pressure at the sacrum, located at the base of the spine, to correct the spine.

Cox Flexion Distraction relieves lower back pain through stretching or traction of the spine.