Chiropractic Care
A focus, backed by 25 years of experience, on whole body health that starts with the spine and neck, but is not limited to them.
Complete Well-Being
Best-practice programs for diet, exercise, and lifestyle to compliment Chiropractic care, from the experts at ABC Weight Loss.
Foot Leveler Orthotics
Custom-fit orthotics that work with your foot's natural movement to support and stablize the whole body.
A Neurological Approach
Training and methodologies rooted in Dr. Fred Carrick's philosophy of Functional Neurology.
The best approach is from the patient's perspective. Expect us to work with you to find the best catered approach that suits you.
When asked to detail the experience, here is what Dr. Bickert had to say:
"First a patient fills out a detailed history form based on their spinal health, the level of pain they are experiencing, and where it’s located. This form also inquires about the person’s history of illness and surgery as well as their family’s health history. When a patient comes in, they get a full examination. We check their entire spine, we take their vitals, blood pressure, and temperature.
Chiropractic is about more than just a specific back pain.
Dr. Bickert remarks:
"Lower back pain is a common problem. It could be an acute pain from a recent injury or a long-term issue that people have ignored for years and ends up spreading pain down the legs. The farther down the pain goes, the more serious it is. Patients are advised not to wait for the pain to move below the knee. Pain down the back of the leg is sciatica. Don’t assume nothing can be done about this. I work with many medical doctors who are happy to refer patients to us so they can get relief from this chronic pain.
Knee problems are another common issue, typically associated with lower back pain. It can result from improper placement of the load on the foot. Amazingly, elbow pain can often be a result of lower back issues. A lot of people have radial nerve problems in the back of the hands and this would be a classic example of having carpal tunnel syndrome treated but the problem is really radial nerve distribution.
I tell patients that before they go to surgery, try a more conservative approach. All sorts of pain and dysfunction, as well as inflammation and movement issues, can be caused by interference in the spinal nerves. When a bone loses its position and pinches on a nerve incorrectly, causing lack of mobility or even digestive problems, it can affect the entire nervous system. This is called a subluxation. The body is trying to keep the area in pain from moving but this results in muscle spasms and inflammation. We find the areas of the spine that are subluxated and allow the body to move correctly."
Experience and expertise.
Though very humble about it, Dr. Bickert's experience and expertise comes from having been a chiropractor for decades, and lends itself directly to his effectiveness. He states:
"Our office has physiotherapists, massage therapists and two chiropractors who each have over 30 years of experience. So you’re in very good hands. This full-service spectrum allows each department to have their own areas of focus so that we can work together, helping the patient even more. For example, our massage therapists will know exactly where to emphasize the patient’s treatments.
I’ve been a practicing chiropractor for over 35 years. I was trained in the United States in Marietta, Georgia at Life University. The training there was focused on techniques. My suggestion is if you’re not getting results from one chiropractor, don’t give up on chiropractors in general. Try someone different. With my experience and training, you might have a transformative moment.
I put emphasis in functional neurology in my work with patients, based upon the philosophy taught by Dr. Fred Carrick from the Carrick Institute. He has trained a lot of functional neurologists around the world and I use much of his teaching. In Canada, we don’t have a specialty called functional neurology in chiropractors, so we don’t list that like one might see in the United States. But much of my training comes from Dr. Carrick personally."
A prognosis that fits you, then adaptation and adjustment as we monitor results.
There is a difference between regular check-ups and treatment that focuses on a specific condition. Regular check-ups are important to maintain and prevent problems. Targeted treatments follow a plan. Dr. Bickert explains:
"First of all, it’s important to know that there is no pre-payment of fees expected with our care at Saddletowne Chiropractic. Patients come and we assess what the best outcomes will be in terms of their care. On the second treatment, we’ll usually have a report of findings and explain to the patient what is happening to their spine and why it's affecting other areas of the spine or body.
It is our job to determine how we can help. Don't assume nothing can be done!
Commenting from experience, Dr. Bickert has seen that there is a stigma or worry about the word 'arthritis' that seems to cause people to think they cannot receive treatment or relief. He remarks:
"Patients who have arthritis or more chronic problems can take longer in treatment. In some cases, such as those with rheumatoid arthritis, the ligaments get loose and so the joints are unstable. There can be problems with the knees or hips and these patients need a lot of good care. We give them the respect and knowledge to inform them that these joints are unstable and have to be treated specifically. These are not hopeless cases.
As soon as people hear the word arthritis, they think nothing can be done about it. Arthritis simply means inflammation of the joint. Any time you have an injury or sprain, you can have arthritis. So don’t assume immediately that just because you’re experiencing osteoarthritis, that nothing can be done about it. True, there are a lot of debilitating forms of arthritis and some don’t resolve but our job is to find out what we can do to help. We work with radiologists and take X-rays and can even use blood work to get answers. Just come in and let us find out what’s going on."