Chiropractic Services
Back Pain
New guidelines on how to treat back pain were published recently by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. They include the recommendation to use chiropractic as one of several options. This should not surprise many people.
Question: Who should I see about my back pain, a chiropractor or an orthopedist?
Answer: People often ask if they can or should be seen by a chiropractor for the treatment of back pain. There have been a number of studies that show chiropractic to be an effective treatment for back pain. However, not all causes of back pain should or can be treated by a chiropractor. There are some conditions that should be identified and treated by an Orthopedist rather than a chiropractor. Chiropractors are trained in evaluating patients and determining when a referral is needed.
When should I be seen by a medical doctor?
Answer: As noted in the above reply most cases of back pain can be effectively treated by a chiropractor. Chiropractors have been shown to be most effective at treating acute back pain. However, there are some conditions, potentially serious problems, which must be considered before initiating any treatment. Most of these conditions can be screened with a thorough history and physical examination by a chiropractor.
Symptoms that raise concern include: constant unrelenting pain that radiates down a leg over many weeks, worse during the night, aggravated by sitting, coughing, sneezing or straining at a bowel movement.
Neck Pain
Even though most of us will experience neck pain, we won't all feel it in the same way. Sometimes, it's just on one side of your neck; sometimes, pain shoots down your arms. A problem in your neck may even cause terrible headaches or dizziness. Symptoms may be gone in a few days, or you may have long-term pain that limits what you can do every day.
Experiencing neck pain, at some point in our lives is inevitable and is a very common complaint presented to Chiropractors. Everyone's pain will be different and won't be felt in the same way. The most common complaint is on one side of your neck; often associated with turning the head and usually people just think they have a stiff neck. When the condition is more severe it can be associated with pain shooting down an arm. A neck problem can be present without any neck pain, such as headaches, which are commonly caused by a misalignment, or subluxation, of the neck vertebrae and affecting the nerves that go into the head causing head pain or dizziness. Symptoms may be gone in a few days, or may linger and cause long-term pain that limits what you can do every day.
Arm & Leg Pain
There can be many causes for a person having leg or arm pain, from soreness by overusing a muscle that is usually quickly resolved with rest, to the most severe the result of a herniated disc. Time is usually the best indicator of the need for seeing someone as most muscle fatigue situations quickly resolve over a few days. A trauma can be the source of the problem, which can lead to a more serious condition and need for treatment. Sometimes it can be the result of a long-standing condition that goes untreated and suddenly flairs up with no warning.
The spinal vertebrae allow for the proper amount of space for the nerves from the spinal cord to be sent out to the arms and legs. If these vertebrae become misaligned or the discs between the vertebrae lose their thickness and get smaller then the spacing for the exiting nerves can be compromised and compressed. When this happens it can cause not only pain, but weakness atrophy, numbness, tingling, burning and other sensations that tend to last until the pressure on the nerve is removed. The pain can be over a small area close to the spine, but usually radiates down the arm or leg and when severe can reach the fingers or toes. Obviously this requires immediate attention and one should not wait expecting this condition to resolve on its own.
I am trained to evaluate people for the various conditions and will discuss with you the possibilities of treatment as well as a referral, if needed.
Migraine and Headaches
To date, many different triggers for migraine headaches have been identified. Listed below are some of the causes of migraines and other types of headaches that I have had in my practice that seem to often be overlooked by conventional medical doctors. These factors include mineral imbalances, muscle tension caused by work or sitting, shoulder and neck imbalances, food allergy or intolerance, postural imbalance, work station or ergonomic problems, poor reading or work habits, or sitting incorrectly.
These triggers cause the spinal vertebrae to misalign creating pain. The pain can be reduced through chiropractic adjusting but recurring symptoms will continue until the underlying condition is corrected.
Once these triggers have been identified and addressed the correction of the spinal misalignments will last longer and pain will be relieved.