Dr. James Bortolotto, DC
"Chiropractic Rehabilitation and Sports Specialist"
Dr. James Bortolotto is one of two Chiropractic Rehabilitation Specialists registered by the CCA located in Edmonton. I have 13 years experience working on site at the WCB rehab center in Edmonton, four years experience working in a multi-disciplinary chronic pain clinic. Past President ( 1990-92 ) of the College of Chiropractors of Alberta.
Practice Details
Dr. James D Bortolotto
11737 83rd St.
Edmonton, AB
T5B 2Z1
English
Chiropractic Education
1979
Social Media
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Areas of Focus
Back Pain
Back pain is a symptom rather than a condition but it is an issue that most Canadians will suffer with at some point in their lives. There are many possible causes for back pain and for this reason it is best to have thorough assessment with your chiropractor in order to arrive at the correct diagnosis. While one person’s back pain may be caused by poor posture, another person’s may be caused by a muscle spasm or a herniated disc. Back pain is a condition which chiropractors treat very frequently and effectively.
Disc Herniation
The spine is a large and complex series of joints. Between each pair of vertebrae sits a soft but firm cushion called the intervertebral disc. This disc cushions impact between the vertebrae and protects them from damage. The most common symptom of disc herniation is pain which travels down the path of the spinal nerve which is impinged. For example, when the L5-S1 disc herniates pain is often felt down the sciatic nerve distribution of the buttock, thigh, leg and/or the foot.
Migraine & Tension Headaches
While migraines and tension headaches have some similarities, they each have unique symptoms. A tension headache is usually experienced as a chronic, even daily, nagging headache, while a migraine typically lasts for a day or two and then is gone for weeks or months. Tension headaches are a lower intensity pain that may rarely go away. They become a part of the sufferer’s life and are often misdiagnosed. Migraine headaches are typically shorter bursts of intense pain which may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting and light sensitivity.
Nerve Entrapment (Pinched Nerve)
Nerve entrapment is a phenomenon which can underlie many otherwise unexplained painful conditions. Entrapment can be caused by many factors including sports injuries, improper footwear, poor ergonomics and muscle hypertonicity. Sciatica, frozen shoulder, complex regional pain syndrome and a herniated disc are all conditions which can involve nerve entrapment. Luckily once the impingement is resolved the painful condition usually improves rapidly and completely.
Rotator Cuff Injuries
The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles which surround, stabilize and help to move the shoulder through its range of motion. The shoulder is a unique joint in that it has a very large range of motion and, while most joints are stabilized heavily by ligaments, it is mostly stabilized by muscle. Because of the extreme range of motion of the shoulder, the rotator cuff muscles are fairly prone to tearing injuries. Muscle tears are challenging for the body to recover from but full recovery is possible with proper treatment.
Sprains and Strains
While sprains and strains are both acute injuries with similar symptoms, they actually involve different bodily structures. A “strain” is a condition where a muscle or tendon is stretched or torn, while a “sprain” happens when a ligament is stretched or torn. Both sprains and sprains can lead to pain and poor mobility of the affected area. A strain may lead to even more limited movement, while a sprain is more likely to lead to bruising and swelling.
TMJ Syndrome
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the joint between the jaw bone and the temporal bone of the skull. The TMJ is an important joint for biting, chewing and speaking, however, these activities can be uncomfortable or painful in the case of TMJ syndrome. TMJ syndrome can be caused by chronic grinding or clenching of the teeth, osteoarthritic degeneration of the joint or even rheumatoid arthritis, to name a few. TMJ syndrome usually results in pain when the joint is most active (clenching or chewing) and the pain diminishes when the joint is relaxed.
Whiplash
Whiplash is an injury to the neck which is most commonly caused by rapid and forceful jerking of the neck, much like the motion of a whip when it is snapped. Car accidents, falls and jarring sports injuries are common causes of whiplash. People with whiplash may experience neck stiffness, pain and a limited range of motion of the neck. Pain can also occur beyond the neck, with headaches being another common symptom of whiplash.
Services Offered
- Activator
- The activator is a small, spring-loaded device which your chiropractor may use to assist him/her in performing adjustments. The activator helps your chiropractor to perform very specific adjustments with minimal force. While not all chiropractors use an activator device, it is one of the most used tools for assisting effective adjustment in the chiropractic profession.
- Ergonomics
- Ergonomics is the science of fitting a job or task to the individual rather than expecting the individual to conform to whatever the task may demand. In an office setting this can be seen as adjusting the heights and angles of chairs, electronic devices and other reading and writing materials. Healthy ergonomics goes a long way to prevent work-related repetitive stress injuries and ideally would be applied to workplaces in every field to optimize injury prevention.
- Joint Mobilization
- Joint mobilization is a manual therapy which involves creating passive movement in a specific joint without the patient’s assistance. Your chiropractor may isolate your affected joint and move it through a specific range of motion in order to loosen any restrictions on it and to increase blood flow to the joint. These movements are typically gentle but can have a profound effect on the joint.
- Kinesiology taping
- Kinesiology taping is a rehabilitative treatment technique which involves the application of a supportive but flexible tape in order to stimulate the somatosensory system and encourage healing. Kinesiology taping acts to lift the skin and create space for the muscle, fascia, ligaments and tendons to receive the circulation which they require to repair and heal.
- Manual Adjustment/Manipulation
- Chiropractors perform joint adjustments, also known as manipulations, in order to realign vertebrae and most other bones in the body. Chiropractors are experts in assessing and treating musculoskeletal conditions and the adjustment is one of their main tools for accurately correcting bony or joint misalignment. A chiropractic adjustment consists of a high velocity, low amplitude thrust which gently corrects the misalignment of the joint.
- Nutritional Counselling
- Proper nutrition is an essential component of complete health and for this reason your chiropractor may ask you to modify aspects of your diet. If your chiropractor concludes that your diet is not in balance they may make recommendations regarding avoiding certain foods and eating more of other specific foods in order to optimize your nutrition.
- Nutritional Supplements
- Based on their assessment of your overall health, your chiropractor may determine that you could be helped by taking a specific nutritional supplement. This supplement may be a vitamin, mineral, medical food, herb or even a combination of these ingredients. Your chiropractor will want to know which medications you are taking in order to avoid any possible interactions.
- Orthotics
- Orthotics is a discipline of medicine which focuses on designing and prescribing a medical device which is used to improve a person’s posture and movement. The most common form of orthotics used by chiropractors is in the form of custom shoe inserts (or custom shoes) which are designed based on patient’s individual bio-mechanics. These orthotics help to correct gait imbalances and improve overall body ergonomics.