Where is the Clinic?

The Clinic is located at:

187 Church Road
Doncaster, Victoria, 3108
Phone: 03 9848 2111

The Clinic is located on the north west corner and there is plenty of parking at the front of the building. The clinic is entered from within the protected front veranda through the door facing west. The Clinic has a small reception, waiting room and treatment room. Back to Top >>>

Clinic Notices

I hope you like this new website. The intention is to provide information so you may learn a little about the Clinic and some of the conditions that Chiropractors treat. Back to Top >>>

Who is the Chiropractor?

Dr. Russell Banks is the Chiropractor treating at the Clinic in Doncaster. Dr. Banks graduated from PIT (now RMIT) in Melbourne in 1987. He worked in Abbotsford, Glen Waverley, Brunswick and Singapore while training to become a Chiropractor. Since, he has worked in Kew, Greensborough and also started the practice in Doncaster. Back to Top >>>

Dr. Banks began clinical supervision just after graduation in 1987 and continued this until 1992 when he took over the position of Head of Clinics within the undergraduate program in Melbourne. He left RMIT for two years, to build his private practice. Again in 1995 Dr. Banks resumed the position of Coordinator of Chiropractic Clinical Education at RMIT and has continued this position up until this time. In 2010 Dr. Banks finished at RMIT to learn new things and completed a course in Health Administration.

Dr. Banks prides himself as being a very caring practitioner, one who does not rush his patients through and provides them with the best of care. Dr. Banks has an interest in degenerative and neurological conditions. Dr. Banks has completed a fellowship in Chiropractic Science, which intended to create Chiropractors with skills to perform medicolegal work. Dr. Banks was recently awarded a fellowship in the Australasian College of Chiropractors by the College due to his ongoing work to add value to the profession and contributions to published works. Back to Top >>>

Treatment offered and time taken

The Chiropractor usually completes a thorough history and examination of the presenting complaints and general screening of body systems, to ensure that the patient's general health status. On completion x-rays may be required but will be taken at a Medical Radiological Clinc. Dr. Banks usually will organise x-rays to be taken if signs suggest a condition that may affect the treatment provided or if the response to treatment doesn't match what is expected.

The treatment usually provided consists of specific massage techniques to release myofascial trigger points and relax hypertonic muscles. Following this the spine and extremities will often be adjusted using a variety of manual techniques (joint cracking) or more gentle techniques including Activator. Dr. Banks is very conscientious of making the adjustment as light but effective as possible.

The new patient consultation usually takes about 30 - 45 minutes and return patient visits approximately 15 - 30 minutes. This does vary depending on the complexity of the problem and in many cases the age of the patient. Back to Top >>>

Conditions treated at the Clinic

The Chiropractic Clinic treats most spine and extremity joint and muscle conditions. This includes joint and muscle pain, injuries and degeneration. These muscle and joint conditions will often contribute or cause other problems such as headaches, sinus problems, breathing difficulties, abdominal pain and bloating, groin pain and even some problems with vision. Dr. Banks prides himself as being realistic but optimistic in relation to the treatment of these conditions. Some information about these conditions are described below. Dr. Banks has included some information that will allow you to identify the condition that you suffer from and see what the approach is to treating these problems on most occasions.

For information about the following conditions, please click:

• Headaches
  
• Neck pain
  
• Radiating arm pain
  
• Mid back pain and chest pain
  
• Lower back pain
  
• Radiating leg pain
  
• Shoulder pain
  
• Knee and leg pain
  
• Joint sprains
  
• Chiropractic subluxations
  
• Spinal disc lesions
  

Headaches

There are many reasons for headaches. In a Chiropractor's office, most of the diagnoses fall under four categories;

1. Migraine
   
2. Tension headaches
   
3. Chiropractic subluxations
   
4. Vascular causes

Occasionally tumors can be responsible. In addition infections, hemorrhage of blood and perhaps meningitis can be responsible but these patients usually seek emergency medical care. Headaches due to toxicity due to substances such as alcohol also do not often present. They sleep it off.

Migrainous headaches tend to be associated with certain triggers including;

1. chocolate
   
2. heat or stress
   
3. diseases such as tumors
   
4. Chiropractic subluxations

The patient often experiences visual problems such as photophobia (aversion to light) and sometimes abdominal symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. Chiropractors often treat patients with migraines and it appears to be most successful when treatment is initiated in the early stages or as a prevention of the headache if Chiropractic subluxations are the cause. Back to Conditions List >>> or Back to Top >>>

Neck pain

Neck pain may be caused by many conditions of the cervical spine;

1. Joint sprains
   
2. Muscular injuries and muscle spasm or knots
   
3. Cervical degeneration
   
4. Spinal disc lesions
   
5. Chiropractic subluxations

Of these conditions joint sprains, Chiropractic subluxations and degeneration, all with related muscle spasm are the most common. The joint sprains often have a very sudden onset, with sharp, catching pain that is exquisitely painful. The pain is usually associated with restricted movement due to sharp pain and often an inability to keep the neck straight. These problems respond beautifully to Chiropractic treatment and pain often goes in 2-3 days.

The Chiropractic subluxations can cause extended fluctuating pain or sharp pain of a short duration. The subluxations can be removed fairly quickly and these problems can resolve quickly depending on the cause of the joint stiffness. Chiropractors have treated these problems for more than a hundred years and have built their reputation on treating these problems effectively.

Degeneration of the cervical spine is common in people greater than 45 and can sometimes cause an ongoing dull aching pain with periods where the pain is aggravated, usually due to minor trauma. The degeneration in the neck can be pain-free and result in painless stiffness. Treatment of this problem needs more gentle treatment often and the expectations of a patient with this type of problem needs to be much more moderate. Treatment will often result in gradual improvement.

The last problem that is worth mentioning in the neck is a Torticollis, where the muscles of the neck go into spasm and cause tremendous pain and locking. This is often confused with the neck sprain spoken of above and there is marked muscular activity in both cases. Heat, gentle stretching can be helpful but surgery is sometimes required. Back to Conditions List >>> or Back to Top >>>

Radiating arm pain

Radiating arm pain is where the pain appears to be felt to arise from either the neck or shoulder and run down into the arm and often to the fingers. The radiating arm pain can be caused by three major causes;

1. Cervical degeneration
   
2. Spinal disc lesions
   
3. Thoracic outlet syndromes

Cervical spine degeneration and nerve compression as the nerve arises from the spine, a spinal disc lesion and a thoracic outlet syndrome. The nerves when they arise from the spine and are compressed in the foramen as they are emerge tend to cause a problem name 'Cervical Radiculopathy'. This is usually in people greater than 45 years of age. They usually experience relentless toothache type of pain that is persistent and often does not give them any rest. The pain is aggravated by looking up and sitting in the car. The pain is often accompanied by some persistent tingling in the hand or forearm. Treatment of this condition needs to be careful with many different approaches that can be tried, including manipulation, cervical traction and a cervical collar.

Cervical disc conditions are a small group of the Cervical radiculopathies and the only difference is that the pain and cause of nerve compression is largely due to the disc in the neck. The cervical disc tends to cause a more intense local neck pain than does the cervical radiculopathy without a major disc lesion. Often the pain can be aggravated by bending the head forward. Treatment of this condition can be difficult and sometimes a response takes awhile (many months) but successful outcomes do occur and it is often more attractive than the option of surgery. Treatment often involves mobilisation, cervical traction and careful manipulation.

Thoracic outlet syndromes, including;

1. Scalenus anticus syndrome
   
2. Costoclavicular syndrome
   
3. Cervical ribs
   
4. Pectoralis minor syndrome

All these syndromes have been identified as causing compression of the nerves as they travel down through the shoulder toward the hands. For example the Scalenus anticus muscles are at the side of the neck and nerves pass nearby or through these muscles. If this muscle is very tight, they can compress the nerves and cause fluctuating and transient tingling of the hands. This tingling or numbness often occurs in the morning on waking and is relieved by moving the arms around. There is often a murky overlap of these thoracic outlet conditions and they can be treated effectively. There is often a relationship to the neck degeneration spoken of earlier. Back to Conditions List >>> or Back to Top >>>

Mid back pain and Chest pain

Mid back pain may be caused by many conditions of the thoracic spine;

1. Joint sprains
   
2. Chiropractic subluxations
   
3. Thoracic degeneration
   
4. Spinal disc lesions
   
5. Intercostal myospasm

Of these conditions joint sprains, Chiropractic subluxations and degeneration, all with related muscle spasm are the most common. The joint sprains often have a very sudden onset, with sharp, catching pain that is exquisitely painful. The pain is usually associated with restricted movement and breathing due to sharp pain. There are a huge number of joints in the mid back, both between the vertebra in the spine and the joints between the ribs and the spine. The joints between the vertebra tend to be aggravated by bending backward and bending the head forward. The joints between the ribs and the spine are aggravated usually from twisting and breathing deeply.These problems respond beautifully to Chiropractic treatment and pain often goes in 2-3 days.

The Chiropractic subluxations can cause extended fluctuating pain or sharp pain of a short duration. The subluxations can be removed fairly quickly and these problems can resolve quickly depending on the cause of the joint stiffness.

Degeneration of the thoracic spine is common in people greater than 45 and can sometimes cause an ongoing dull aching pain with periods where the pain is aggravated, usually due to minor trauma. The degeneration in the mid back can be pain-free and result in painless stiffness. Treatment of this problem needs more gentle treatment often and the expectations of a patient with this type of problem needs to be much more moderate. Treatment will often result in gradual improvement.

Intercostal muscle spasm tend to occur with many problems within the mid back and also conditions of the ribs, shoulder and organs within the abdomen and chest. The pain is often aggravated by tiredness or a lack of good sleep. Treatment is effective using manipulation of the spine, massage and heat to the area of pain. Often the pain is sharp and catches. Back to Conditions List >>> or Back to Top >>>

Lower back pain

Lower back pain may be caused by many conditions of the lumbar spine;

1. Joint sprains
   
2. Chiropractic subluxations
   
3. Lumbar spine degeneration
   
4. Spinal disc lesions
   
5. Intercostal myospasm

Joint sprains, Muscular injuries and muscle spasm or knots, Chiropractic subluxations, Degeneration of the spine and Spinal disc lesions. Of these conditions joint sprains, Chiropractic subluxations and degeneration, all with related muscle spasm are the most common. The joint sprains often have a very sudden onset, with sharp, catching pain that is exquisitely painful. The pain is usually associated with restricted movement due to sharp pain and often an inability to stand straight and get up easily after sitting down or lying in bed for a period of time. These problems respond beautifully to Chiropractic treatment and pain often goes in 2-3 days. It is likely that the healing time will be approximately 6-8 weeks depending on the severity.

The Chiropractic subluxations can cause extended fluctuating pain or sharp pain of a short duration. The subluxations can be removed fairly quickly and these problems can resolve quickly depending on the cause of the joint stiffness. Chiropractors have treated these problems for more than a hundred years and have built their reputation on treating these problems effectively.

Degeneration of the lumbar spine is common in people greater than 45 and can sometimes cause an ongoing dull aching pain with periods where the pain is aggravated, usually due to minor trauma. The degeneration in the lower back can be pain-free and result in painless stiffness. Treatment of this problem needs more gentle treatment often and the expectations of a patient with this type of problem needs to be much more moderate. Treatment will often result in gradual improvement. Disc lesions are a part of this process and can cause tremendous pain even in younger people. Back to Conditions List >>> or Back to Top >>>

Radiating leg pain

Radiating leg pain is where the pain appears to be felt to arise from either the lower back or buttock and runs down into the leg and often to the toes. The radiating leg pain can be caused by three major causes;

1. Lumbar degeneration causing nerve compression as nerves leave the spine
   
2. Spinal disc lesions
   
3. Piriformis syndrome

The nerves when they arise from the spine and are compressed in the foramen as they are emerge tend to cause a problem name 'Lumbar Radiculopathy'. This is usually in people greater than 45 years of age. They usually experience relentless toothache type of pain that is persistent and often does not give them any rest. The pain is aggravated by sitting and when severe even walking. The pain is often accompanied by some persistent tingling in the leg or foot. Treatment of this condition needs to be careful with many different approaches that can be tried, including manipulation, lumbar traction and exercises to re-establish normal spine circulation.

Lumbar disc conditions are a small group of the Lumbar radiculopathies and the only difference is that the pain and cause of nerve compression is largely due to the disc in the lower back. The lumbar disc tends to cause an intense low back pain and sometimes it produces no radiating leg pain at all, instead causing substantial local pain. The pain is often aggravated by bending, coughing and straining. Treatment of this condition can be difficult and sometimes a response takes awhile (many months) but successful outcomes do occur, with reduction of the inflammation, and it is often more attractive than the option of surgery. Treatment often involves careful manipulation, soft tissue techniques and exercises.

A piriformis syndrome is where the sciatic nerve penetrates through or close to the piriformis muscle in the buttock. If the piriformis is very tight, it can compress the nerve and cause leg pain. The treatment for this involves massage, manipulation of the lower back and stretching. The results are often good. Back to Conditions List >>> or Back to Top >>>

Shoulder pain

Shoulder pains can be grouped into 5 major types;

1. Muscle spasm or knots, muscle or tendon tears, ruptures or tendonitis
   
2. Shoulder joint degeneration or osteoarthritis
   
3. Chiropractic subluxations
   
4. Joint sprains
   
5. Bone fractures or injury

The muscle spasm or knots occur frequently within the shoulder and often last for years. Sometimes people who experience an injury to the shoulder several years before will continue to have some pain from these ongoing muscular conditions. They respond well to specific massage techniques but sometimes the difficulty arises because there are so many different muscles that can be involved, in finding them all.

Muscle and tendon ruptures are common and commonly diagnosed, including injuries to the rotator cuff. These conditions can respond well at times and can be very difficult to treat successfully at other times. You do not know however unless you try.

Osteoarthritis in the shoulder joint is commonly diagnosed as well. Patients with x-ray changes in the shoulder or acromioclavicular joint, a little grinding or crackling and shoulder pain are quickly diagnosed as having osteoarthritis. However, not all of these patients have pain from the osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis can be pain-free and it may be other more treatable problems that the patient has. Sometimes the patient will respond to some mobilisation and exercises.

Chiropractic subluxations can occur in any joint in the body. The shoulder is no exception. The shoulder joint can develop stiffness due to the osteoarthritis, problems with the fibrocartilage lip of the shoulder and supporting structures. These problems can respond remarkably well to Chiropractic treatment.

Finally, trauma to the shoulder including fractures of bone, where ligaments or tendons pull a hunk of bone off where it is attached and ligament tears. Some of these problems require sustantial trauma and others may be due to a fall on an outstretched hand. A fractured collar bone is a very common presentation. Chiropractors may have a roll in the rehabilitation of these injuries. Back to Conditions List >>> or Back to Top >>>

Knee and leg pain

Knee and leg pains can be grouped into 5 major types;

1. Muscle or tendon tears, ruptures or tendonitis
   
2. Knee degeneration or osteoarthritis
   
3. Chiropractic subluxations
   
4. Joint sprains and bone fractures
   
5. Bursitis

Muscle and tendon ruptures are common and commonly diagnosed, including injuries to the quadriceps. Another problem that is often identified in and around the knee is a patellar tracking dysfunction, where an imbalance of muscle strength in the knee causes the knee cap to slide unevenly over the bottom of the femur and pain deep within the knee results. This condition can be managed successfully.

Osteoarthritis in the knee joint is commonly diagnosed as well. Patients with x-ray changes in the joint, a little grinding or crackling and pain are quickly diagnosed as having osteoarthritis. However, Osteoarthritis can be pain-free and it may be other more treatable problems that the patient has. Sometimes the patient will respond to some mobilisation and exercises.

Chiropractic subluxations can occur in any joint in the body. The knee is no exception. The knee joint can develop stiffness due to the osteoarthritis, problems with the knee cartilages and supporting structures. These problems can respond remarkably well to Chiropractic treatment.

Trauma to the knee including fractures of bone, meniscal injuries, ligament tears and bursitis. Some of these problems require sustantial trauma and others may be due to an awkward step or even running. A fractured knee cap can cause life-long problems. Chiropractors may have a roll in the rehabilitation of these injuries. Chiropractic treatment lends itself to treatment of meniscal problems in the knee, with mobilisation, manipulation and exercises normally helpful.

The last condition of the knee that occurs at times is a bursitis. A bursitis is often due to undue forces on a bursa from kneeling on hard surfaces or perhaps a lot of activity. These problems often respond poorly to treatment and when they do respond, do so slowly. Back to Conditions List >>> or Back to Top >>>

Joint sprains

A joint sprain is the most common condition patient presenting to Chiropractors present with in practice. The pain is commonly sharp, jabbing or nerve like in nature. The pain starts rapidly but sometimes due to little or no trauma. The ligaments in the body tend to fail when it is required to move when it is not ready or warmed up. So frequently sprains will occur on getting up out of bed or out of a lounge chair or perhaps when the body is fatigued. Of course, ligament sprains can occur due to substantial trauma such as bending to pick up a plant pot or vacuuming.

The condition will resolve often without treatment but Chiropractic treatment has been found to be the most effective treatment shortly after injury when compared with all other treatment types. The reason for Chiropractic treatment to be effective is the ability for Chiropractors to decrease stress on the injured tissues. Chiropractors who use manipulation, soft tissue massage, ice / heat and stretching principally allow the patient to get rid of their pain more quickly than any other treatment approach. Back to Conditions List >>> or Back to Top >>>

Chiropractic subluxations

A Chiropractic subluxation is a term proposed about 100 years ago. It is now recognised that it is identified by joints that have movement disorders (usually stiffness), sometimes a loss of normal position (out of place), effects on the nervous system and consequential muscle and joint tenderness and possibly visceral dysfunctions due to somatovisceral reflexes (as an example, severe pain can cause paleness of the face due to autonomic reflex activity). What Chiropractors do usually is look for signs of joint dysfunction and signs of nervous activity that tends to confirm the presence of the subluxation, muscle over-activity and muscle stregths.

The treatment of a Chiropractic subluxation depends on its cause. If the cause is due to minor intrinsic joint problems, the effects of manipulation can be extraordinary. If the cause is muscular over-activity or weakness, manipulation and exercises can provide very effective results. If however the subluxation is due to degenerative joint changes, the success of treatment is dependant on the severity of the joint wear and tear and progress is often much more gradual. Back to Conditions List >>> or Back to Top >>>

Spinal disc lestions

The discs within the spine wear out as the joints in the spine wear out. If a person develops stiffness of the joints in the spine, it will place more strain on the spinal discs and eventually they can develop tears in the outside fibres. The centre of the disc is of a softer material and, especially when you are young, can be forced out through the tears in the outside layers and produce a protrusion of the disc. This disc material will never be relocated. The body has some ability to take the water out of this protruded material and the prolapse can shrink with time. Chiropractors can provide symptomatic relief and assistance during this period but expectations need to be reasonable considering the extent of the problem.

Many people have small protrusions in their spines from previous injuries and many of these disc lesions may cause pain initially and then resolve by dehydrating or they may only involve the bulging of the disc rather than an actual prolapse. These patients often have no pain for many years. Then, often due to a small sprain of the joints in the spine and less room to move because of the disc bulge and degeneration of the spine, the swelling that is caused by the ligament tear irritates and applies pressure to the nerves in the cervical and lumbar spines. The result is an acute and often persistent episode of radiating arm or leg pain. Chiropractors are successful treating these patients due to their ability to decrease the inflammation in the spine and slowly decrease the pressure on the nerves. It does take time and it is not always successful. Back to Conditions List >>> or Back to Top >>>

Costs of services offered

There are two groups of patients charged at different rates at the Clinic, patients who are on a disability pension, unemployed, students or disadvantaged people and everyone else. Back to Top >>>

Opening hours of the Clinic

Other services offered at the Clinic

The Clinic has Bankcard, Mastercard, Visa card and Eftpos facilities. The Clinic has the healthpoint system that will enable patients to claim from their private health insurers electronically at the clinic. Back to Top >>>

How to make appointments at the Clinic

Please contact the Clinic on 61 3) 9848 2111. Dr. Banks will be able to answer your call on all occasions unless Dr. Banks is in a meeting, busy with a patient, attending a lecture or out with his family.

In addition, you could email Dr. Banks to ask a question by clicking the following link; enquiries@chirocare.com.au but please be patient for a response. Back to Top >>>