Our Doctors

Dr Ian Culbert“My mom took me to her chiropractor when I was just 5 years old. I had no idea what he was going to do. I was scared!” admits Dr. Ian Culbert. “I had almost fallen off the swing at home and, in the process of trying to hang on, had ‘jerked’ my neck out of place. Prior to my visit to the chiropractor I couldn’t turn my neck to one side for three days. My Mom made me an appointment to go see Dr. Stuart Rhem, who was her chiropractor, and I had my first chiropractic adjustment.”

At five, Dr. Rhem seemed like a man of few words. “In fact, I don’t remember him saying anything to me at all.”, said Dr. Culbert. “I do remember that he turned my neck to the left, then to the right, and both times it made a loud ‘click’. Although it scared me, when I got up from the table, I could once again turn my neck! The pain was almost completely gone.”

Dr. Ian continued to see a chiropractor on several occasions growing up. “Having a back-yard pool, playing hockey and typical “silly’ kid-stuff made it necessary to get re-aligned several times growing up. Over the years these activities have been physically hard on my neck.”

These days a chiropractic patient will get a better description as to what is wrong and why. “It’s not like it used to be,” he adds. “We have more diagnostic tools, such as digital motion exams, nerve scans, and x-rays to pin-point the cause of the problem.”

Starting his university education, Dr. Ian first thought he might like be a physical education teacher. “I played every sport offered in school when growing up.”, he said. Then, in his second year of universtity, a check from behind during a hockey game caused an injury to his lower neck. “I can still remember getting up in the morning after the hockey game and being unable to move my neck. I knew I had experienced this inability to move before and that a chiropractor could fix it.”

Dr. Ian, once again, consulted a chiropractor, who treated the problem successfully.

This really sparked the idea of choosing chiropractic as a career. When he thought about it, becoming a doctor of chiropractic meant he would be able to help people who are in pain. “Helping people by using only your hands and providing relief without prescribing drugs. I had received that sort of help multiple times growing up.”

Dr. Ian obtained his undergraduate degree in kinesiology at the University of Western Ontario. He graduated with distinction in 1998. There he began his studies in anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, and athletic injuries. “My athletic injuries course was excellent… I still use much of that information today.”

He completed his doctor of chiropractic education at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) in Toronto. During his four years at CMCC his courses included biochemistry, a major emphasis on anatomy and human physiology, x-ray, diagnosis and several chiropractic adjusting techniques.

Graduating in 2002 with the Clinical Radiology Award for excellence in x-ray reading. “At one point, I considered doing another three years of schooling to become a chiropractic radiologist. This is someone who primarily reads the x-rays of other chiropractors.’ Thinking he’d miss the patient interactions he decided against it. “I decided I didn’t want my patients to be black and white x-rays… I wanted to interact with the patients.”

Following his graduation, Dr. Ian moved to the South Shore in June of 2002. He took over the Associate Chiropractic Centre from Dr. Ian Mosher, who had taken over the practice of Dr. Robert Anctil in 1997. And he comments, “I still have the pleasure of seeing many patients who saw Dr. Anctil in the 1970’s.”

“I explain things in great detail to my patients, but at a level that everyone can understand. When you understand what chiropractic is all about, it’s really very simple,” smiles Dr. Ian. “I still remember the apprehension I had when, as a child, I went to the chiropractor for my first visit. So I make it a point to explain everything in advance, answer questions and sometimes “over-communicate”. We have found that the patients appreciate that.”

“I spend a great deal of time to find out exactly what is wrong. When they are needed we take x-rays, on site. People are often surprised that we do x-rays here and often don’t realize that chiropractors are trained, and able, to take x-rays,” he says. Often our patients like the convenience of not having to go to another location to get x-rays. Dr. Ian adds, “They also think it’s neat that we actually show them the results, and don’t just talk about them. A picture is worth a thousand words.”

After a busy week or two treating lots of patients, Dr. Ian will get headaches and sore shoulders. He knows that this means he is starting to seize up and lose mobility. A visit to his chiropractor will get him a much needed tune-up as well and he still prefers to get adjusted twice a month to keep in optimum health. He also finds a lot of personal benefit with massage therapy and recommends it often to patients that he thinks it would also benefit.

Dr. Ian is married to his high-school sweetheart, Patty. They have three beautiful children: Adam, Nathan and Chelsea. Both boys love to swim, play hockey, toboggan in the winter and ride bikes in the summer. Chelsea just can’t get enough of the outdoors. Dr. Ian also tries to get to the YMCA three times per week to stay strong and fit, although he does admit, that even he himself doesn’t get there as often as he would like.

“So for now, thanks for visiting our website. I hope it can be a source of hope and healing. If you have any questions, please call my office. We would be happy to be of service.