Common conditions

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Low Back Pain

 

Most cases of low back pain are due to inflammation and irritation of the nerves in the spinal joints (facet). Your chiropractor will assess and check your joints, ligament, muscles and nerves to locate the cause of your pain.

 

1. Spinal Joints (facet pain).

Low back pain is in most cases due to joint pain (facet) the joints become inflamed irritating the nerves in the joint.

2. Pelvic Pain.

The pelvis has two joints at the back (sacroiliac joints) which contain many nerve endings. The joint(s) are irritated with irregular/regular one-sided activities and result in pain and aggravation when sitting, sanding, bending or working in awkward positions.

3. Ligament sprains and muscle strains.

Injury to these soft tissues which hold joints together and move bones occur when the joint is moved too quickly or under excessive loads, especially when the body has become stiff and deconditioned. Injury is accompanied by muscle spasm (tightness/stiffness in the region of injury) to protect from further injury.

4. Disc & Nerve Root Pain.

Low back pain can be produced by pinched nerve root(s) caused by disc herniation, inflammation occurs when the disc material leaks (like jam in a doughnut) resulting in inflammation. Neck pain can be related with arm pain and low back pain can be related with leg pain. In some cases e.g. low back pain can result in both legs being affected and neck pain, both arms being affected.

 

Your Chiropractor is trained to check these areas with orthopaedic and chiropractic tests and will find where your pain stems from. Your Chiropractor will need to refer you for an X-ray or an MRI scan should your symptoms be more complicated. Your Chiropractor will advise if imaging is required for best management of your case of lower back or neck pain.

 

Neck Pain.

The cause of neck pain can be from poor posture/poor ergonomics; head leaned forwards for long duration either at your desk, in your car or from using the neck one side more than the other. Sleep postures could be a major contributor to neck pain. Whiplash type injuries or a traumatic event(s) could also be a cause. Pain from the neck could result with the following symptoms:

 

• Pain shooting up the head from the neck; sharp pain or dull aches.

• localised pain in the neck with associated stiffness.

• Headaches from neck pain.

• Pain travelling from the neck to the upper shoulder(s).

• Pain from the neck down the arm on the same side.

• Burning pain, numbness, pins and needles down the arm.

 

Gentle techniques are used to help reduce inflammation, restore movement and reduce your symptoms.

 

Headaches.

Research has shown chiropractic care can help to elevate migraine, tension type and cervicogenic headaches. It must be made clear chiropractic care helps to reduce the intensity, frequency and duration of headaches, in most cases headaches stop. With correct postures, ergonomics, correct diet/nutrition and chiropractic care headaches could be eliminated or be managed better.

 

Migraine Headache.

Symptoms are commonly one-sided, normally associated with pre-auras (visual), followed by one sided headache. Depending on the level of intensity nausea can be present.

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Cervicogenic Headaches.

Symptoms are at the back of the head, both or on one side and can be local or travel to the top or sides of the head. The joints in the upper three segments of the cervical spine are the cause of the headache. Nerves in these areas travel up to the head.

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Shoulder Complaint / Rotator Cuff Tendonitis.

A very common shoulder problem seen when the shoulder and arm has been subject to repetitive movement (commonly overhead), excessive load or trauma to the shoulder. Tendons attach to the bone. If the tendon is subject to loads repetitively/it is not use to or cannot manage, micro tears occur resulting in inflammation and pain. The same goes for trauma to the tissue. Should there be signs of shoulder degeneration X-ray imaging would be required to rule out bony spurs which could also be a cause/a Ultra Sound Scan to view the state of the tendon should the condition not improve with manual care. Your Chiropractor will decide if these will be necessary.

 

Tennis & Golfers Elbow.

These terms simply indicate tendon pain/inflammation resulting in pain where the tendon meets the bone. The outer elbow is termed tennis elbow, inner elbow is termed golfers’ elbow. The cause is most commonly repetitive strain resulting in inflammation to the tendon and insertion point on the bone.

 

Hip Pain.

Hip joint pain in most case is a result of osteoarthritis (general wear and tear). There could be other causes for hip pain. Your chiropractor would carry out a history and joint tests (orthopaedic tests) to establish the cause of your pain. X-rays may be required to assess the quality of the hip joint so you case can be managed in the best way.

  

Knee pain.

There are many structures in the knee which aid stability and allow for smooth movement in the knees. There are ligaments internally as well as externally at the knee joint. There are internal shock absorbers which also act as guides to allow for smooth hinge like movement of the knee joint (meniscus) as well as joint cartilage which lines the articular surface of the bone. There are multiple muscles which cross the knee joint via tendons as well as muscles. The knee is a complex joint meaning it has no stable housing e.g. like the hip which fits in a stable socket. Therefore, the knee is more susceptible to stress/strain. Structures could be injured through various stresses and faulty movement; your chiropractor will assess the knee with orthopaedic tests to help deduce the pain generator.

A common cause of general knee pain where there are alignment issues and muscle imbalances are termed Patellar Femoral Pain Syndrome, pain from poor knee cap tracking. Other causes of knee pain are general wear and tear/osteoarthritis which in 90% of cases is on the inside region of the knee(s). Falls resulting in sprains typically affect the ligaments resulting in sprains. In some cases, deeper internal structures can be injured by more traumatic events/sports activities.

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Ankle Sprains.

Ankle sprains can be on the outer or inner side. These most commonly occur due to twists, falls or sporting injures.

 

Plantar Fasciitis.

Inflammation of the tendons of the foot floor muscles. Pain is typically found to be at the heel of the foot or mid arch. Usually caused by repetitive sporting activity or walking in ill-fitting footwear, the condition may be aggravated if you have fallen foot arches.

 

Muscle Pain.

Muscles which have been over worked, over stretched or subjected to repetitive activity or a one-off extreme load can result in the muscle fibres becoming shortened, tight, sore or injured. Inflammation occurs if there was injury to the muscle or it has been subjected to stress through overdoing it. Muscles may also respond in this way most commonly due to underlying nerve, joint, ligament or disc injury which could be progressing getting worse. Remember muscle pain/muscle spasm may be a symptom to protect an underlying problem, your chiropractor will assess this.

 

Sports Injuries.

Chiropractic care is a great way to treat, help and heal some sports injuries faster. Chiropractic analysis is powerful as we look at the body mechanics from top to toe helping to correct movement and strengthen weak points in the body. To improve your sports, we all know if we make the weak points stronger and work better you move and perform better. We assess you with functional movement screens to find your weak points. Correction through hands on care and exercise are key in making you stronger and making you move to your optimum (move correctly and move well).