| Frequently Asked Questions
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Chiropractic FAQ
Conditions Helped With Chiropractic
Ankle Pain
Arm Pain
Arthritis
Automobile Accident
Back Pain
Back Spasms
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Disc Problems (slipped disc, herniated disc, bulging disc)
DJD/ Degenerative Joint Disease
Hand Pain
Headache
Knee Pain
Leg Pain
Neck Pain
Sciatica
Sports Injuries/Performance
Stress
Whiplash
Worker Comp Injuries
Wrist Problems
Ankle Pain
The ankle joint is made up of ligaments, tendons, nerves, and a disc to cushion motion. Distortions of motion of the ankle can strain the ligaments and muscles creating a pain and ultimate degeneration.
Chiropractic can restore and balance normal motion and relieve mechanical joint stress.
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Arm Pain
Neck problems are a common cause of pain radiating to the upper extremity (arm, wrist, and hand). The nerves which control the upper extremities begin in the neck.
Structural distortions in the neck caused by chronic poor posture or prior trauma can cause a spinal distortion in the neck and compress the nerves traveling to the hand. Hand and wrist pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness of grip can result.
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Arthritis
Osteoarthritis/ DJD (degenerative joint disease) is a mechanical irritation of the joint, usually due to unbalanced motion. The joint responds to the unbalanced and stressed motion with formation of bone spurs on the edges of the bone.
Maintaining proper motion through a joint can reduce this mechanical damage.
Osteoarthritis is different than rheumatoid arthritis, which is an inflammatory autoimmune disease that attacks the synovium of the joint.
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Automobile Accident
If you are involved in an auto accident it is important to be evaluated to determine if there is a soft tissue injury. Symptoms of a soft tissue injury may not show up until 3-7 days after the trauma.
Chiropractors focus on proper function of posture and the spine, nerves, muscles and ligaments, so the first thing evaluated is evidence of serious trauma such as fractures, etc.
Pain changes how a body moves, therefore after the initial pain improves, the body may need to adapt to moving differently. Pain medication and muscle relaxers can mask the pain, but unless normal motion is restored, body motion will be unbalanced. Left untreated, the body adapts to the unbalanced pattern of motion creating a chronic problem.
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Back Pain
The body can sustain a spinal injury from one big trauma (such as an auto accident) or by buildup of many small traumas (such as long term unbalanced posture from working on a computer, lifting, or other activity).
Restoring normal motion and allowing the body to first heal, and then move differently, is the most effective treatment.
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Back Spasms
Just like a fever is the result of an infection and not the cause of the illness, back spasms are a symptom, not the cause of a back problem.
The spasm is caused by irritation of nerves controlling the spinal joints and discs. These are the same nerves which control muscle contraction in the back. If the nerves are irritated, they produce pain and reflex spasm. A spasm is the body's way of stopping motion to protect an inured joint.
The body can sustain a spinal injury from one big trauma (such as an auto accident) or by buildup of small traumas (such as long term unbalanced posture from working on a computer, lifting, or other activity).
Restoring normal motion and allowing the body to first heal, and then move differently, is the most effective treatment.
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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) usually begins with occasional hand and wrist numbness. Most people ignore CTS when it is in early stages. Over time, the numbness persists and turns into pain and hand weakness.
People at risk for CTS include computer operators and anyone who performs a repetitive hand motion frequently.
Early detection and treatment is important. Since different people have different pain thresholds, it's best to be screened by a trained professional.
A doctor of chiropractic can help determine if a problem is on its way to CTS, or a temporary, mild ache from overuse.
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Disc Problems (slipped disc, herniated disc, and bulging disc)
The spine or backbone, is made of the vertebrae separated by the discs (IVD'S, or intervertebral discs). A disc is a round pillow of cartilage between the vertebrae. The disc has a leathery outside and jelly in the center. It is the part of the spinal joint which cushions the motion between each pair of vertebrae.
A slipped disc, herniated disc or bulging disc are all the same thing. It is like a bubble in the sidewall of a car tire. The jelly in the center of the disc pushes the weakened part of the disc outwards creating a bulge. This bulge can press on a nerve or other delicate spinal structures.
Although each case is different, most problems respond well to chiropractic care.
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DJD/ Degenerative Joint Disease
DJD (degenerative joint disease), or Osteoarthritis, is a mechanical irritation of the joint, usually due to unbalanced motion. The joint responds to the unbalanced and stressed motion with formation of bone spurs on the edges of the bone.
Maintaining proper motion through a joint can reduce this mechanical damage.
Osteoarthritis is different that rheumatoid arthritis, which is an inflammatory autoimmune disease that attacks the synovium of the joint.
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Hand Pain
Neck problems are a common cause of pain radiating to the upper extremity (arm, wrist, and hand). The nerves which control the upper extremities begin in the neck. Structural distortions in the neck caused by chronic poor posture or prior trauma can cause a spinal distortion in the neck and compress the nerves traveling to the hand. Hand and wrist pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness of grip can result.
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) usually begins with occasional hand and wrist numbness. Most people ignore CTS when it is in its early stages. Over time, the numbness persists and turns into pain and hand weakness.
People at risk for CTS include computer operators and anyone who performs repetitive hand motion frequently. Since different people have different pain thresholds, it's best to be screened by a trained professional.
A doctor of chiropractic can help determine if a problem is on its way to CTS, or a temporary, mild ache from overuse.
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Headache
Long term overload of the balancing muscles of the neck and back causes chronic tight muscles, as well as pulling against vertebra of the neck causing headaches, nerve irritation, and other painful stress related symptoms.
Chiropractic helps reduce and relieve stress caused by poor posture, continuous standing or sitting, or muscle tension from mental exertion.
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Knee Pain
The knee joint is made up of ligaments, tendons, nerves, and a disc to cushion motion. Distortions of motion of the knee can strain the ligaments and muscles creating pain and ultimate degeneration.
Chiropractic can restore and balance normal motion and relieve mechanical joint stress.
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Leg Pain
Sciatica is pain in the back which runs down the back of the leg. It is caused from irritation of the sciatic nerve itself or from pinching of the spinal nerves which form the sciatic nerve.
Chiropractic care is a logical conservative approach to this condition. Reducing the irritation of the nerve by realigning the vertebrae helps many sciatic patients. Surgery is recommended if necessary, but can usually be prevented.
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Neck Pain
Long term overload of the balancing muscles of the neck and back causes chronic tight muscles, as well as pulling against vertebra of the neck causing headaches, nerve irritation, and other painful stress related symptoms.
If your neck and shoulders are constantly tight, chiropractic can help.
Chiropractic helps reduce and relieve stress caused by poor posture, continuous standing or sitting, or muscle tension from mental exertion.
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Sciatica
Sciatica is pain in the back which runs down the back of the leg. It is caused from irritation of the sciatic nerve itself or from pinching of the spinal nerves which form the sciatic nerve.
Chiropractic care is a logical conservative approach to this condition. Reducing the irritation of the nerve by realigning the vertebrae helps many sciatic patients. Surgery is recommended when necessary, but can usually be prevented.
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Sports Injuries/ Performance
Doctors of Chiropractic effectively treat back and neck pain, headaches, shoulder, elbow, and wrist problems. Hip, knee, ankle and foot conditions also respond well to conservative chiropractic manipulative therapy.
Chiropractors help athletes balance body and joint motion for optimal sports performance. Chiropractic adjustments promote full range joint motion, stretch overly tight muscles, work underused muscles, and reduce stress from overused tissues.
An athlete who can move fully, with balance and control can perform at his best.
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Stress
Long term overload of the balancing muscles of the neck and back causes chronic tight muscles, as well as pulling against vertebra of the neck causing nerve irritation, headaches, and other painful stress related symptoms.
Chiropractic helps reduce and relieve stress caused by poor posture, continuous standing or sitting, repetitive motion injuries, or muscles tension from mental exertion.
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Whiplash
If you are involved in an auto accident you should be evaluated to determine if there is a soft tissue injury. Because the symptoms from a soft tissue injury may not show up until 3-7 days after the trauma, a thorough chiropractic examination is very important.
Pain changes how a body moves, therefore after the initial pain improves, the body may adapt to moving differently. Pain medication and muscle relaxers can mask the pain, but unless normal motion is restored, body motion will be unbalanced. Left untreated, the body adapts to the unbalanced pattern of motion creating a chronic problem.
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Workers Comp Injuries
Many employers send employees with back and neck injuries to a chiropractor for fast relief and to get the injured back on the job.
In the computer age, carpal tunnel injuries (CTS) also respond to gentle manipulation to realign the joints of the hand, wrist, arm and neck.
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Wrist problems
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) usually begins with occasional hand and wrist numbness. Most people ignore CTS when it is in its early stages. Over tim, the numbness persists and turns into pain and hand weakness.
People at risks for CTS computer operators and anyone who performs a repetitive hand motion frequently. Early detection and treatment is important.
Since different people have different pain thresholds, it's best to be screened by a trained professional.
A doctor of chiropractic can help determine if a problem is on its way to CTS, or a temporary, mild ache from overuse.
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