Chiropractic + Naturopathic Doctor

Program discusses chiropractic before surgery

Maria DiDanieli   

Features Clinical Patient Care

April 20,
Vancouver, B.C. – Empowered Health, a public education initiative by the British
Columbia Chiropractic Association (BCCA) in conjunction with local media
outlets CHEK TV and the Vancouver Sun, has recently sponsored an article and
television program to examine the use of chiropractic prior to resorting to
spine surgery.

April 20, Vancouver, B.C. – Empowered Health, a public education initiative by the British Columbia Chiropractic Association (BCCA) in conjunction with local media outlets CHEK TV and the Vancouver Sun, has recently sponsored an article and television program to examine the use of chiropractic prior to resorting to spine surgery.

Published on April 19, the article in the Vancouver Sun contains an interview with golfer Larry Lecomte. Lecomte is BC’s former Super Seniors Golf Champion. In 1995, while he was working for Titleist, he sustained a back injury while lifting a crate of golf balls. He had injured two discs, leaving him partially paralyzed on the left side of his body. While enduring intense pain during a four-month waiting list for spine surgery, a friend suggested he visit a chiropractor – this brought him to the office of Dr. Don Nixdorf. Lecomte experienced relief from his pain very soon in his treatment and continued to visit Dr. Nixdorf. Within a short while, Lecomte contacted his spine surgeon and asked him to cancel the surgery. Lecomte continues to visit Dr. Nixdorf periodically, and is actively playing golf once again.

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The TV segment – which provided a more in-depth discussion of Lecomte’s injury and discussed exploring the full range of available, non-invasive treatments prior to embarking on more invasive, and costly, solutions – aired on April 19 in Vancouver.

“The example [in this program] is simple enough and occurs in chiropractic clinics in all countries,” notes Dr. Nixdorf, Lecomte’s chiropractor and executive director of the BCCA. “While spine surgery may be necessary at times, the untold number of unnecessary spine surgeries must consider patient outcomes, Medicare costs and informed consent among other topics.”

A video of the Lecomte TV segment can be viewed below. 
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Other Empowered Health program segments can be accessed through the website of the BCCA at www.bcchiro.com/bcca/your-spine-your-health/empowered_health.html


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