OUR APPROACH TO CARE
Chiropractic care focuses on assessment and management of musculoskeletal problems. What is suitable depends on your symptoms, health, preferences and goals.
Your reason for seeking care is the starting point.
A clinical assessment considers the problem you describe, your health history, relevant movement and physical findings. It helps determine whether chiropractic care is appropriate or whether another investigation or referral is needed.
Where suitable, a plan may include hands-on care, exercise, activity advice and practical education. The aim is to support function and self-management, with progress reviewed over time.
For chronic primary low back pain, international guidance includes education, exercise and selected hands-on therapies as parts of individualised care. It does not recommend one treatment for everyone.
Sources and the limits of the evidenceMOVEMENT · POSTURE · EVERYDAY FUNCTION
Dr Shahar’s mechanical approach considers how your joints move, how your muscles support you and how everyday tasks load your body.
Posture and movement influence how forces act on bones, joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons. Care brings these relationships into practical goals: moving more comfortably, managing demanding tasks and building the capacity to stay active.
When suitable, mobilisation, manipulation or soft-tissue care may help ease pain and restricted movement. For low back pain, average benefits from manipulation are generally modest; hands-on care is considered within a plan that includes exercise and advice.
We consider your posture, support, reach and time spent in a task. Bringing a load closer, adjusting a workstation or varying positions can change the demands on your body. The aim is comfortable, adaptable movement.
Tailored exercise develops strength, endurance and movement control. We review progress against activities that matter to you—turning your head, walking, reaching or returning to work—and adjust the plan as needed.
Bone, cartilage and spinal discs are living tissues that respond to load. Excessive or poorly tolerated loading can contribute to injury and degenerative change. Research on osteoarthritis links abnormal loading with inflammatory processes, cartilage breakdown and remodelling of the bone beneath the joint. Appropriate loading also helps maintain healthy tissues.
Pain can change how muscles work and how we move, shifting demands between areas of the body. These adaptations may be helpful initially, but persistent changes can alter loading and limit movement. That is why an assessment looks beyond the painful area. Further damage is not inevitable; age, genetics, injury and other health factors also influence the picture.
Dr Shahar’s long-term aim is to help you manage avoidable strain and maintain useful movement and capacity as you age. Improvements in comfort and function are valuable, but they do not show whether structural degeneration has slowed. That long-term effect of chiropractic or posture correction has not been established.
The spine supports movement and protects the spinal cord. Nerves leave it through openings between the vertebrae. Disc problems or narrowing can sometimes compress nerve roots or the cord, causing pain, tingling, numbness, weakness or changes in coordination.
These findings need specific assessment. Posture alone cannot show whether nerves are compressed. Suspected spinal cord compression needs medical assessment, and spinal manipulation is not appropriate for that condition. Improving posture is not established as a treatment for internal-organ dysfunction.
Teaching you how to use your body with more understanding is central to Dr Shahar’s approach. The plan connects suitable treatment with practical skills you can use between appointments.
Dr Shahar’s part: assess the problem, explain the findings, provide suitable care and teach movement, posture and load-management strategies.
Your part: practise manageable changes, build capacity through agreed exercises and tell us what helps or remains difficult.
Together: set meaningful goals and review pain, movement and daily function. The aim is greater comfort, confidence and independence, with the plan adjusted to your response.
REASONS PEOPLE SEEK AN ASSESSMENT
These are reasons to discuss an assessment, not a promise that chiropractic treatment will be appropriate for every cause or condition.
Discuss a new episode, persistent discomfort or pain that is interfering with movement and daily life. The assessment considers symptoms, function and relevant health factors.
If you have pain travelling into a leg, often called sciatica, mention any associated tingling, numbness or weakness so the need for further assessment can be considered.
Describe stiffness or discomfort around the middle of your back and shoulder blades, and whether reaching, turning or prolonged work brings it on. An assessment considers movement, your history and whether another source of pain needs investigation.
For a suitable musculoskeletal problem, care may combine movement exercises, selected hands-on techniques and changes to sustained tasks. The aim is more comfortable turning and reaching, with strength and endurance to support daily activity.
Tell us about recent injury, new symptoms or changes in your health. Mid-back discomfort is not automatically a posture problem.
Neck discomfort may affect turning your head, work, sleep or exercise. Describe when it began, whether an injury was involved, and which movements or activities are difficult.
Sudden painful restriction, sometimes described as torticollis, and symptoms after a whiplash injury require individual assessment rather than an assumed treatment plan.
Neck pain guideHeadaches have different causes. A discussion can help determine whether assessment of the neck and surrounding muscles is relevant, or whether medical review is the appropriate next step.
When assessment identifies a headache arising from the neck, suitable manual therapy and neck or shoulder exercises may help. For some tension-type headaches, exercise, education and a combination of care options may also be considered. We review headache frequency, daily impact and relevant neck movement.
Posture and task advice can address sustained neck demands when these are relevant. Migraine is a distinct neurological condition and needs its own management; neck care is not a substitute for that treatment.
Bring questions about sitting, standing, reaching, work or an uncomfortable daily task. Posture is considered alongside movement, strength, activity, rest and your health history.
We connect posture advice with joint movement, muscle capacity and practical changes to daily tasks. The aim is to help you move with more comfort and confidence. Appearance alone cannot diagnose the cause of pain, and there is no single position to hold all day.
Posture assessment guideExplain which movements are difficult — reaching a shelf, carrying a bag or using your arm at work. Mention any tingling, weakness or injury, as these can change what needs to be assessed.
Shoulder & arm pain guideWalking, stairs and getting up from a chair can be useful starting points for describing your concern.
Shoulder, arm, hip, knee or other limb symptoms can have several causes. Describe the tasks you find difficult and any known diagnosis, including osteoarthritis.
Hip & knee guideAssessment considers your movement and function; it is not a claim to reverse arthritic or degenerative changes. Symptoms labelled as thoracic outlet syndrome also require careful assessment and may need medical or specialist input.
Talk about a whiplash injury, another injury, a change in activity or demands that repeatedly bring on symptoms. The discussion can include your workload, recovery and goals for returning to activity.
Hands-on treatment, when appropriate, is one possible part of care. Exercise, activity changes, self-management and referral may also be relevant.
MAKING AN INFORMED CHOICE
Before treatment, discuss the expected benefits, possible risks, alternatives and what progress would look like for you.
Depending on the assessment and your preferences, manual care may include mobilisation, manipulation or work with soft tissues. Ask Dr Shahar which options are being recommended and why.
All treatment options have potential risks and different people respond differently. Temporary soreness can occur after manual treatment; some techniques carry less common but potentially serious risks. Your health history, preferences and the particular technique matter to the discussion.
Tell Dr Shahar about your medicines, other practitioners and existing care. Referral or communication with other health professionals can be considered where appropriate and with your consent.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Start with an examination, a conversation and a clearer understanding of your options.
