The North American Spine Institute offers a wide variety of chiropractic and related services including: spinal manipulation, extremity mobilization, cervical spine traction, physiotherapy modalities (ultrasound, interferential stimulation, TENS stimulation, Cryotherapy, Thermotherapy), soft tissue myofascial release techniques (massage therapy), neuromuscular re-education, posture rebalancing, and rehabilitation stretch/exercise instruction to maximize healing potential and optimize health while minimizing the chance of re-exacerbation or reoccurrence of pain

Our chiropractors are board certified in the United States and Canada.  They possess an extensive array of post graduate and clinical training in whiplash, chronic pain, orthopedics, rehabilitation, massage therapy, and acupuncture to better treat your individual needs on a case by case bases.   Our doctors’ education and multidisciplinary approach to care can / has shown clinically to result in decreased treatment duration and decreased re-occurrences of pain and disability in whiplash and chronic pain patients (results will vary as each injury and person is unique)

Chiropractic is a health care professional whose purpose is to diagnose and treat mechanical disorders of the spine and musculoskeletal system with the intention of affecting the nervous system and improving Health. It is based on the premise that a spinal joint dysfunction can interfere with the nervous system and result in many different conditions of diminished health. 

Treatments:

1. Spinal Manipulation
2. Extremity Manipulation
3. Sacrooccipital Technique (SOT)
4. Drop Table Technique
5. Flexion Distraction
6. Cervical Mechanical Traction
7. Activator
8. Posture Analysis / Education / Treatment
9. Ergonomic Analysis / Education / Treatment
10. Orthotics
11. Nerve Mobilization

Physical Therapy helps to develop, maintain and restore maximum movement and functional ability after an injury. This includes providing services where movement and function are reduced due to aging, injury, disease or other factors.  Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and movement within the scope of prevention and treatment.  

Treatments

1. Ultrasound
2. Electrical Stimulation (IFC/TENS/EMS)
3. Cryotherapy
4. Thermotherapy
5. Paraffin Wax
6. Therapeutic Activities
7. Therapeutic Exercises
8. Neuromuscular Rehabilitation
9. Proprioceptive Re-Education/Training

Acupuncture is a technique of inserting and manipulating fine filiform needles into specific points on the body to relieve pain or for therapeutic purposes.  According to traditional Chinese medical theory, acupuncture points are situated on meridians along which qi, the vital energy, flows. 

Treatments

1. Needle Acupuncture
2. Acupressure
3. Electrical Acupuncture

Massage therapy is the treatment and practice of manipulation of the soft tissues of the body that have become tense or in spasm.  Massage involves acting and manipulating the patient's body with pressure to remove spasm, adhesions, scar tissue and contractures. Target tissues usually includes muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other connective tissue.

Treatments:

1. Nimmo Receptor Tonus Technique
2. Muscle Release Techniques
3. Pressure Point Therapy
4. Ischemic Release Therapy

Treatment for individuals with whiplash will vary depending on risk factors, occupant kinematics during the crash (how your body moved), crash vector (where your car was hit), and your personal medical history. One definitive in the treatment process though, is that you should receive a multidisciplinary approach to care. This means that you should receive some form of pain management - medication, acupuncture, modalities (electrical stimulation, ultrasound, heat/ice), therapeutic exercises, therapeutic activities, and chiropractic care.

Whiplash injures a number of different structures in your body in a variety of different areas. If you are not receiving care that helps improve joint motion (chiropractic), muscular strength (physiotherapy), and pain management (modalities, massage, acupuncture) you are only taking care of part of the problem.

This in my experience will result in delay recovery and a high possibly of re-exacerbation of pain and dysfunction after release/discharge from care. Your body is not injured in one way; you should not be treated in one way. This is why I have developed the WITP Program.

The WITP program was designed in order to help provide whiplash injury specific treatment and to help reduce overall pain symptoms and improve potential outcome after suffering injuries as the direct result of a motor vehicle accident.  Unfortunately in today’s healthcare schools and universities, whiplash specific injury and treatment protocols are not taught in depth regardless of the profession, medical, chiropractic, physiotherapy, etc.  This is due to the relative “newness” of the condition as it has only hit epidemic standards in the late 1990’s due to inductions of mandatory safety and crash test laws.  For this reason, many providers may treat this injury condition as a typical “sprain/strain,” however, it is not.  This along with the exclusion of treatment to vitally important musculature can result in delayed overall recovery and prolongation of care in many cases. 
 
The benefits of this program come through our doctor’s experience, education, training and expertise.  Currently, our doctors have taken almost all the major post graduate courses offered in North America regarding whiplash including hundreds of academic training hours and treated thousands of patients.  Additionally, NASI doctors have participated and studied Live Full Scale Human Volunteer Crash Testing which provides them with a better appreciation of the injuries YOU sustained and how the mechanics of that injury affect specific muscle groups.  Lastly, our doctors are the only doctor in North America currently endorsed to teach healthcare providers about whiplash injury and treatment by both the medical and chiropractic community. 

USA Patients: 

If you have suffered a whiplash injury and have only received minimal results after 4-6 weeks of treatment please call us today.  We may be able to provide suggestions to help improve your treatment or provide you with a referral to a healthcare provider in your area with whiplash specific training.  In special cases, appointments are available but there is a waiting list for treatment.

Canadian Patients:

If you have suffered a whiplash injury and are unsure about the type of treatment you are receiving or the overall benefit please call for a telephone consultation.  As Canadians, your insurance companies allow for Independent Medical Examinations in most cases at NO cost to you.  This examination can help to provide you with a better understanding of your injury, a better understanding of you overall outcome with therapy and an improved idea of the type of injury you sustained. 

If you have questions about the care you are receiving contact us or get a second opinion from your doctor. - North American Spine Institute: http://www.nasi-med.com or NASI.Med@gmail.com.

For treatment please call today.  Appointments fill up quickly.

Chronic Pain Management is the process of providing medical care that alleviates or reduces pain. Pain management is an extremely important part of health care, as patients forced to remain in severe pain often become agitated and/or depressed and have poorer treatment outcomes. “In order for a structure to cause pain, it must have a nerve supply, be susceptible to injury, and stimulation of the structure should cause pain. The concept behind most interventional procedures for treating pain is that there is a specific structure in the body with nerves of sensation that is generating the pain. Pain management has a role in identifying the precise source of the problem and isolating the optimal treatment.” – MedicineNet.com: http://www.medicinenet.com

Pain management can come in the form of medical care (medication, injections, surgery) or alternative care (chiropractic, acupuncture, massage therapy, physiotherapy). In my opinion, it is almost always better to try alternative care first, and if that does not help then look into medical care. For this reason the NASI offers the CPRP program.

The CPRP Program was designed to provide cost effective, efficient and timely intervention and services for those suffering from chronic pain.  Effective pain management begins with a comprehensive assessment. The assessment must be comprised of a thorough evaluation of the triphasic model of pain management, treating not only the physical but the psychological side of pain.  This assessment allows the health care provider to characterize the pain, clarify its impact on your health and well being, and evaluate other related/non-related side effects/ problems resulting from the pain you are currently experiencing. The assessment determines whether additional evaluations with different medical specialist are warranted or if treatment can begin using a multidisciplinary approach to care to help alleviate your current symptoms.

Because pain is subjective, only the patient can describe it adequately.  For this reason we use a variety of outcome studies which have been shown through peer-reviewed scientific literature to accurately depict the type and amount of pain that you are currently experiencing and which helps to monitor your progress in pain improvement as you navigate through the 12 week program.  The assessment also requires a physical examination, orthopedic examination, neurological examination, soft tissue examination and a review of your previous medical and social history.

Our Chronic Pain Program uses a Multidisciplinary Approach to Care allowing us to appropriately treat all phases of Chronic Pain.  Chronic Pain is defined by the Biopsychosocial pain Model which encompasses the biological, psychological and social aspects of pain.  Our program is designed to include treatment therapies for all three of these biopsychosocial factors using alternative therapies.

If you are unsure about what type of care you should receive contact you doctor or call us today. - North American Spine Institute: http://www.nasi-med.com

For treatment please call today.  Appointments fill up quickly.

Stress is a silent epidemic affecting millions of North American’s each year.  Stress has been shown to come from all life events, both the good events and the bad events.  How a person deals with the stress and manages this stress is the key to better health. 

When an event occurs (good/bad) our body produces a stress response (fight/flight).  Our goal for this program is to help you understand and be aware of this stress response and how it can negatively affect your body/health as well as providing stress reduction techniques to help you cope and combat these stress reaction when they occur.   To understand what life events are causing you stress and then use specific stress reduction techniques to help cope with these stress reaction will be the key to a healthier happier life.

Dr. Mazzarella has designed a specific stress reduction therapy program that utilizes exercise, nutrition, and other stress reduction techniques to help reduce overall stress.  This program consists of a consultation in which Dr. Mazzarella which is designed to help you to determine what life events are causing stress and then provide exercise instruction, nutrition/supplement recommendations and other stress reducing techniques so that you can help reduce/manage your overall life stress more efficiently and effectively. 

For those with higher levels of stress that may require therapy and/or treatment above and beyond this program, referrals to psychologists, specialists and alternative therapy providers will be available.

The benefits of this program come through Dr. Mazzarella’s experience, education, training and your willingness to participate.  Dr. Mazzarella has taken numerous post graduate courses in stress management and related topics including post graduate training through Harvard Medical School and has a Fellowship with the American Institute of Stress. 

For more information about this program please contact the North American Spine Institute (see contact page).