Commonly Treated Conditions
Neck Pain
In our modern day society, neck pain and/or neck stiffness is something that many of us deal with on a daily basis. There are many causes of neck pain; however some of the most common are poor posture, sleeping on your stomach, tightness in the upper back, whiplash, exercises done incorrectly, and sitting for a majority of the day. Thankfully, all of these causes have one thing in common- they can be treated!
Chiropractic treatment for neck pain or stiffness may consist of gentle manual adjustments, muscle mobilization, and rehab techniques to prevent the problem from continuing to occur. By addressing the root causes of the problem- most likely a combination of spinal misalignment and muscular tension or tightness- chiropractors are ideal for helping you recover from neck discomfort. Depending on the severity of your neck pain, it may take one adjustment or multiple to fully improve, but the more involved you are with your treatment, the better and more quickly your symptoms will respond.
Low Back Pain
Did you know that at some point in their lives, close to 80% of people will suffer from one or more episodes of low back pain? Low back pain can be aggravating at best, and debilitating at worst. Those who suffer from low back often miss work, miss out on family activities, and unfortunately may miss out on the best possible quality of life.
Most often, low back pain can be caused by what is referred to as “recurring micro-trauma”, meaning the same small, and sometimes unacknowledged, incorrect movement patterns throughout the day. Examples of this are lifting incorrectly over and over, poor sleeping posture, and sitting for extended periods time. Low back injury may also occur via one major incident- such as trying to lift or pull something heavy and suddenly feeling your back “go out”. Either of these types of injuries can be very damaging to the spine, especially when left untreated. Fortunately, chiropractic care has been shown to be very successful in regard to treating low back pain and preventing it from recurring.
Chiropractors have many tools available when it comes to treating low back pain, with the most common being the chiropractic adjustment. When performed correctly, an adjustment can re-align the spine and decrease pressure off of the spinal nerves (which is how we sense pain). By also addressing the tight and tense muscles of the lower back, pain and stiffness can be reduced. The doctor may also recommend ice or heat, RockTape, and stretches and/or exercises.
Headaches/Migraines
Headaches and migraines can have several causes. They may be triggered by a certain smell or food, bright lights, dehydration, hormonal changes, or head injury or trauma to list just a few. More often than not, however, a headache can be triggered by one of the top neck bones, or vertebra, being out of alignment. When a vertebra is out of alignment, it will put pressure on the delicate nerves that are found right next to the spine. The nerves from the top several vertebra travel to the head, and when these are “pinched” it is common to experience head pain, or a headache. As luck would have it, this is where chiropractic comes in handy.
A chiropractor is specifically trained to find and treat misalignment. If a vertebra is found to be out of alignment, a chiropractic adjustment is performed to re-align and straighten out the spine, thus removing pressure off of a “pinched nerve”. When the pressure is taken off of a nerve, immediate pain relief can frequently be experienced. By also addressing any surrounding tight muscles, especially those located at the base of the skull, patients will often notice their symptoms reduce. If you have not tried chiropractic care for headaches or migraine relief, it may be time to do so.
Rib Pain
Your ribcage is an interesting and complex structure which surrounds some very important objects inside your body (heart and lungs). You have 12 pairs of ribs that are attached in the front to your breastbone, and in the back to your spine. Quick twisting movements or a direct injury to the ribcage are frequent reasons that a rib will come out of position. When one or more ribs come out of position, you may feel pain or discomfort near the spine, near the breastbone, or even on the side of your body. This pain can range from slight discomfort with certain movements to intense pain with taking a deep breath in.
Because each rib actually attaches to the spine, having a chiropractor examine the spine and surrounding muscles is very important if you think you may have a rib out of place, as well as to rule out possible fracture. If joint dysfunction is the reason for your pain, a chiropractic adjustment using either hands-on therapy or the use of a handheld instrument can help to put the rib back into position, often giving immediate pain relief. Applying RockTape to the painful area may also help to decrease inflammation and aid with normal range of motion.
It is not uncommon for women to experience rib pain during pregnancy, and as the baby continues to grow, this usually worsens. Having regular chiropractic treatment to assess for rib dysfunction can help to prevent pain from occurring and help to alleviate pain when it arises. Often runners and those doing intense physical cardio-type training will also experience rib discomfort, and regular chiropractic care allows for them to continue working out pain-free.
Sciatica
Sharp or shooting pain which travels down the back of the leg, sometimes all the way to the foot, is usually described as sciatica or sciatic nerve pain. Although most people would consider this very severe in nature and seek medical attention, it is surprising how often these symptoms can go untreated. As with most conditions, the longer you ignore them, the harder they are to treat. For this reason, it is in your best interest to have your symptoms checked by a professional when you first notice them.
Sciatic pain may be traced back to several causes, and it is important to differentiate where it is coming from in order to know how to treat it. Your chiropractor should perform a thorough examination to determine what exactly the cause of your pain is. Depending on where the problem lies, a chiropractor may perform a chiropractic adjustment, administer manual muscle work, assist with rehab techniques, or a combination of these treatments. Oftentimes stretches will be prescribed for the patient to work on outside of their office visit, in order to help decrease muscle tightness in the lower back and buttocks. Sciatic pain may respond to treatment fairly quickly, or may take several treatments to fully dissipate.
Running Injuries
Runners, whether they are recreational participants or elite athletes, are prone to injury. As many as 8/10 runners have experienced, or will experience, a running injury at some time during their training. Some of the most common injuries are ankle sprains, knee pain, hip and hip flexor pain, hamstring strains, and lower back pain. Running is a complex movement which involves multiple joints and muscles, all of which are susceptible to injury. That being said, running is a great cardiovascular exercise, and there are ways to minimize the chance of hurting yourself. Things such as proper footwear and a proper training schedule can help to prevent overuse injuries and decrease your chance damage to the body.
If you are currently experiencing any of the above symptoms due to running, have no fear, chiropractic may be just what you need to help recover. Just as the joints of the spine can become misaligned, so can any other joint in the body- and re-aligning joints is exactly what a chiropractor is trained to do. Ankle sprains respond particularly well to a combination of gentle chiropractic manipulation (adjustment) and RockTape to alleviate pain, restore mobility, and decrease inflammation. If you have experienced a running injury, or are interested in preventative strategies, a chiropractic evaluation will determine if chiropractic care is right for you.
Muscular Aches/Pain
The average American sits for about EIGHT hours a day. Yes, you read that right. About 1/3 of a typical person’s day is spent seated. After being seated for just 15 minutes, a person’s posture begins to slouch. The upper back and shoulders fall forward, the lower back begins to flatten, and the hips become tightened. Sitting in this position all day begins to enforce some really distressing muscular patterns and will eventually lead to pain, stiffness, and possibly even degenerative changes to the spine.
Chiropractic care works well to not only decrease pain and discomfort that you may currently be experiencing, but with the correct guidance on proper rehab techniques, can actually help to prevent you from further episodes of pain. At MCW, we not only focus on adjustments of the spine to increase mobility and decrease stiffness, but work to release muscle tension and adhesions, and to re-train muscles which have become weakened or de-conditioned. By addressing all of these components, you are setting yourself up for better long-term outcomes.
