Modern Chiropractic

Dr. Joseph Greenwood going through exercises for neck pain
Dr. Nicole Thornicroft adjusting a patient
Dr. Joseph Greenwood working as a modern based Chiropractor

Typically when people think of Chiropractors, they think of having their back and neck Adjusted (Spinal Manipulation) which may produce that “cracking” noise.  And traditionally that’s what Chiropractors did.  More recently though, Chiropractor’s are being taught to treat using an evidenced-based or research-based approached to care.   This approach combines condition specific therapies, and research backed approaches to conditions of every joint in the body, not just the spine.  Some Chiropractors still treat using a more traditional way, some treat a more evidenced based way, and a lot of Chiropractors treat somewhere in the middle.  This is why from one person to the next, there may be a big difference in the assessment and treatment two people may receive, and why there may be a big difference if you went and saw different Chiropractors.  We treat this way, because no two people are alike, and no two peoples’ injury or condition is the same.  And depending on other factors such as 1) stage of healing, 2) severity of injury 3) structures involved 4) beliefs of the injuries 5) co-morbidities or other conditions etc, treatments will differ due to all these reasons. 

     Here at Pro Function in London Ontario, our Chiropractors are evidenced based Chiropractors that combine many different therapies, (not just spinal adjustments) and therapies SPECIFIC to you!.  Educating, listening to you, and combining appropriate therapies takes time, that’s why at every appointment you have at Pro Function your Chiropractor will spend approximately 30 minutes with you, one-on-one, treating you, equipping you with tools for you to use (namely rehabilitation exercises and mobility work) that you can do at home to aid in your recovery and return to function.  At Pro Function our goal is not to make you dependent on our care with routine and repeat appointments; our goal is to help you live the independent, active lifestyle you want and to achieve your goals.

 Our Chiropractor’s here at Pro Function are certified in many different therapies, and use a specific combination of therapies depending on what your condition or injury is (and we treat any area of the body, not just your spine).  First thing we have to figure out, is what is the CAUSE of your injury or pain.  Low back pain for instance, tells us you have low back pain, but not much else.  This is why we would ask a lot of questions about how you injured your back? how long ago? what it feels like? where the pain is? and many other questions.  Low back pain can be caused by many different things, such as a ligament sprain, muscle strain, disc injury, joint irritation, muscle imbalance, muscle weakness, motor control issues, etc.  Well, if we treated all of these different conditions and structures with the same therapy, every-time, our results may not be as good as we would want, plus the human body is much more complicated than that!  Treating a ligament sprain as apposed to a joint irritation, may look like completely different treatments and also require very different therapies.  Also treating an acute “low back issue” and a chronic “low back issue” would look very different as well.  We know this from research.  We have spent many hours taking courses and learning from the giants in the fields of Physical Therapy, Chiropractic, Strength Coaches, Movement Specialists, Rehabilitation Professionals, PHD doctors and researchers etc, to gain as much knowledge as we can.  Again if we only have one treatment to apply to the very complicated human body, and all the different injuries we could sustain, our results may be limited.  We like the quote from one of these courses “if you only have a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”

Check out and click on the therapies below for more information.

In general No!.  Not unless we think there is a specific need to (ie, a fracture, tumour, radiculopathy) and we may also consult with your MD, and other medical professionals if need be, to get other testing done if we think there is a need.  We do not do initial or routine spinal X-rays or base our treatments on x-rays alone.  This is not part of our approach.

We know from research that Spinal Manipulation can help create more movement in restricted joints.  But this technique is just one way in which we can get joints to move better.  So typically no, we will not adjust your neck, unless you specifically have a neck issue, we specifically have a reason to adjust it, your comfortable with it and we have had a discussion about it.  WE DO NOT routinely adjusts necks for “maintenance” care.

     We know from research that Spinal Adjustments (spinal manipulations) can help do a few things treatment wise.  We also know from research, that many other therapies we use are also good for certain conditions and injuries.  Depending on your injury or condition, we may choose to use other therapies which may be of more of a benefit to you in the short and/or long run, depending on your condition.  We know for chronic low back pain, exercise is very important, and passive therapies aren’t highly recommended.  This is why we may choose to set you up with specific exercises to help you get rid of the pain long term, not just treat you for short periods of relief over and over again.

Your first visit to Pro Function consists of a full health history of your complaint, background medical conditions and your overall goals with either Dr. Joseph Greenwood, Dr. Nicole Thornicroft, or Dr. Jordan Kersten.  Following will be a full physical assessment using orthopaedic, neurological, and functional movement assessments to determine the root cause of your condition or injury and then prescribe an evidence based treatment plan that is specifically tailored to you.  This takes time, and we spend usually approximately an hour to so this.  A combination of therapies may be used and almost always exercises will be given to help you recover from your injury..  Click on the icons below to see more about each therapy.

Have some questions? feel free to contact us, or call us to set up a free consultation for you to ask any questions you might have!

                           Some of the Techniques, Systems and Approaches our Chiropractors are Certified In
Brooke Edwardson

MClSc (AHCP-SEM), MPT, BScPT, Sport Cert.  

Physiotherapist London Ontario
Orthopaedic Physiotherapy
Sports Injuries Physiotherapy
Post Surgical Rehab
Sports Team On-Field Medicine

Choose Brooke for:
• Soccer, Volleyball, Basketball and Running Injuries
• Industrial / Physically Demanding Jobs + Injuries
• Spinal, Hip and Knee Injuries
• Pre- and Post- Surgical Cases (eg. ACL Recovery after Surgery)
• Strength and Conditioning
• Sports Team Medical Coverage; Tournaments, Travel, Seasonal

Brooke Edwardson

MClSc (AHCP-SEM), MPT, BScPT, Sport Cert.  

Physiotherapist London Ontario
Orthopaedic Physiotherapy
Sports Injuries Physiotherapy
Post Surgical Rehab
Sports Team On-Field Medicine

Choose Brooke for:
• Soccer, Volleyball, Basketball and Running Injuries
• Industrial / Physically Demanding Jobs + Injuries
• Spinal, Hip and Knee Injuries
• Pre- and Post- Surgical Cases (eg. ACL Recovery after Surgery)
• Strength and Conditioning
• Sports Team Medical Coverage; Tournaments, Travel, Seasonal

If you’re an athlete, at any level, you’ll want to meet Brooke.  Brooke Edwardson’s resume and skillset with athletes is extensive, and recently she added to her resume with a Masters in Advanced Health Care Practice in Sports and Exercise Medicine (AHCP-SEM) from Western University.   While in the program,  Brooke focused on all aspects of delivering comprehensive sports medical coverage for a wide variety of venues.  Additionally, she completed research on ACL-related injuries based on playing surface types in collaboration with several sports medicine and surgical physicians.  Brooke says the experience gave her one-of-a-kind insight into the risks, prevention strategies, and  keys to post-ACL surgical rehabilitation at the highest of levels. 

Having originally graduated with a Masters of Physiotherapy from Western, Brooke has quickly developed into one fo London’s brightest and most dynamic sports physiotherapists. Brooke sees patients both on and off the field and when in clinic, she chooses to treat at Pro Function’s sports injury clinic due to the fact that the facility has 40,000 sq ft of turf and two weight-training areas which allows her to really challenge her patients as they return to activity/sport. 

Professionally, Brooke has worked in various formats with Skate Canada, the Toronto Rock, at both the Canada Games and the Ontario Summer Games, with the Toronto Triathlon, St George Rugby, Great Lake Canadians (GLC) Baseball, and right here in London as the lead physiotherapist with FC London. Additionally, Brooke works as a consultant for GM Canada and feels the physicality and endurance required with line-side work mimics many of the soft tissue injuries commonly associated with the training errors seen in athletes. 

Outside of the clinic, Brooke loves finding creative ways to stay active and is up for the challenge of trying out a new sport or skill.  She enjoys running, rock climbing, hiking, water sports, and of course soccer!  She also loves to travel and spend time with family and friends.