Conditions Treated

Back pain is the number one cause of disability in the United States. Nearly 80 % of the population will experience back pain in their lifetime, whether it is in the upper, middle, or lower back. At this moment nearly 32 million Americans are also experiencing back pain. Typical causes include misalignment, injury, or other spinal causes. It is truly vital to know how to prevent back pain through a healthy diet and weight, remaining active or avoiding prolonged inactivity, and getting adjusted.

Neck pain is not normal but is common. Neck pain stems from many factors such as posture, muscle spasms, and trauma. Neck pain may also cause radicular symptoms of tingling and numbness in the upper extremities. Restrictions and muscle tightness in the cervical spine may cause headaches. It is important to keep your neck in vital health through chiropractic.

Subluxation throughout the spine is a common cause of back pain. These areas are restrictions in the spine not allowing each motion segment to freely move. When one area is more restricted than the area above or below that segment, it is taking on the excess motion. As a result, this can speed up degeneration in that area. Making sure each segment throughout the spine is moving optimally will keep your spine healthy.

A common cause of back pain might be a disc bulge or herniation. However, not all herniations or disc bulges actually cause pain! 37% of Americans have disc bulges or herniations on MRI studies without having pain. Those that do have pain due to a disc bulge or herniation are due to the pressure implicit on the nerve root. Pain is often described as stabbing and shooting pain in extremities and might be associated with muscle weakness. The disc is laid between each set of vertebrae for shock absorption, inside the disc is the nucleus pulposus, a jelly material that can escape due wear and tear. Naturally, the disc wants to reabsorb this material, but it takes time. Chiropractic care has been shown to prevent the disc bulge or herniation from advancing to more permanent stages, as well as decrease pain, and decrease healing time.

Strains and sprains can occur due to increased load, force, or overuse on the body. Ligament injuries happen when a particular ligament is taken beyond its stretching capacity causing it to tear. Chiropractic can help the body heal these types of injuries as long as they are not full-thickness tears. Chiropractic care is a great first option to try and is far less invasive than surgery!

Scoliosis is the lateral curvature of the spine and usually begins in adolescence and gradually progresses if not properly treated. During the early stages of scoliosis, adjustments and correctional exercises are given to prevent further increase in curvature. The next stage of increased curvature over 20 degrees would result in bracing. This stage is very important to catch early. Lastly, surgery is suggested for patients with a curve over 40 degrees to restrict further lateral curvature from forming. Life-long scoliosis may increase back pain and therefore chiropractic care is a great option to decrease pain and stay physically active. Scoliosis later in life may be due to musculature imbalance that can be improved through exercise and adjustments.

Whiplash is a common cause of neck pain, often resulting from a motor vehicle accident or other form of trauma. Whiplash results from a forceful sudden movement of the head and neck, with a “rebound” in the opposite direction. Muscles commonly react to this impact and quick change of direction by contracting and causing muscle, ligament, disc, joint, and nerve root damage and fatigue.

Sciatica is lower back pain that travels down the back of the buttock and down the leg. This is due to compression on the sciatic nerve in the lower back that exits through various levels of the lumbar spine. Compression of the nerve can be caused by disc herniations, spinal stenosis, or even due to ligamental issues. The good news is that Sciatica can be treated with Chiropractic care!

Children often fall and get up as if nothing happened. However, children are rapidly growing and physical injuries and changes can cause stress on the body not allowing the child to optimally grow.

Newborn babies also can also benefit from chiropractic! Ask any mother, birth is traumatic not only for the mother but also for the baby. The baby grew in the mother’s belly for 9 plus months in a small confined space where they are curled up into a ball. Then during labor pushed and/or pulled out of the uterus. This can cause issues to the baby’s spine, muscles, and nervous system. Getting a baby checked after birth can help the baby stay on track for hitting milestones.

During pregnancy, the body is rapidly changing its size due to hormones released in the body. Throughout pregnancy, lower back pain is very common. A rapid increase in weight changes one’s center of gravity causing postural changes to the pelvis and therefore increases the load on the lower back. A hormone called relaxin also increases throughout pregnancy, allowing the body to open up more space for the growing baby. Relaxin can cause certain joints to be more relaxed and loose which causes a disruption in the natural position of the pelvis and lower back leading to yet another reason for lower back pain in pregnancy. Prenatal chiropractic prevents or decreases common pregnancy pains. It also allows the mother and baby’s body to align for a smooth and safe birth.

Wellness care is seeing a chiropractor regularly without being in pain. You go see your dentist twice a year to prevent cavities right? Well wellness care is similar, seeing a chiropractor before being in pain or having an issue can prevent issues in the future. How often to see a chiropractor for wellness care depends on a multitude of different factors such as age, health status, previous injuries, physical fitness levels, and goals. Wellness care is affordable compared to treating an illness. Think about it: if we focused on keeping our bodies healthy, it would be less effort and significantly decrease the burden of cost on families rather than playing catch up to treat illnesses that could be prevented or caught early.

Chiropractors are often known for how they can help the spine. However, Chiropractors have extended education on all bones, muscles, ligaments, and joints of the body. With a thorough examination, many extremity conditions can be diagnosed and treated through chiropractic care. Some people ask: why try to naturally heal extremity conditions instead of getting surgery right away? This is a very valid question and ultimately it is up to you to decide what is right for your own body. However, many people do not realize that once they go under the knife, their normal range of motion, strength, and endurance ultimately changes. For a lot of people after they have surgery, they are never as strong as before the injury. Surgeries do not work for everyone and in my experience with friends and family, I have seen some surgeries that made them more worse off than before. Take a moment and think about how complex the human body is… In 9 short months, one cell turns into a fully human baby. Our bodies were made to adapt to our surroundings and the stress added to them. Our bodies also were made to inherently heal ourselves, that’s why when you get a cut a scab begins to form. It does take time for our bodies to process more severe injuries, but many injuries can be healed through more holistic approaches that aid the body in repairing itself.

Carpal Tunnel is a condition in the arm, wrist, and hand where the median nerve is compressed. This causes pain, weakness, tingling, and numbness. Symptoms may be worse at night due to sleeping posture with the wrist bent. Leaving this condition untreated may cause chronic pain or surgery in the future. The great news is chiropractic treatment can help this condition through exercises, stretches, and massage.

Shoulder pain is a very common condition in the United States and affects close to half the population. Patients often feel pain, limited range of motion, and inability to perform all activities of daily living (ADLs).

Knee pain is very common due to wear and tear or trauma. Depending on the severity of the condition many knee conditions can be healed with chiropractic care. Strengthening muscles and increasing range of motion to support the weaker structures in the knee.

Many people consider lower back pain and glute pain to be true hip pain. However, the hip is actually one joint consisting of the head of the femur and the acetabulum ( a shallow socket). This joint is one of the strongest in the human body. It manages the center of mass into two halves and carries the weight from the upper body. With increased age, this joint is very susceptible to fractures, especially in post-menopausal women. Keeping this joint stable, strong, and healthy is key to decreasing the chances of falls and fractures.

Vertigo is a condition where you feel dizzy from turning your head. Vertigo may cause dizziness, falls, nausea, and ringing in the ears. The cause of vertigo is due to an imbalance of crystals in the inner ear. There are maneuvers that chiropractors can use to reduce vertigo symptoms.

Headaches and migraines can often be debilitating due to the pain they cause. Some people unfortunately cannot find what relieves them once they start. However, many people get relief from chiropractic care due to reducing cervical spine restrictions and targeting tight muscles in the neck.

The Temporal Mandibular Joint is the joint that aligns the jaw to the skull. This joint can cause pain, clicking, and reduced motion when not aligned properly. Chiropractors can help mobilize this joint to allow it to align properly. Home exercises and massage can significantly help reduce pain in this joint and reduce other symptoms.