Conditions Treated

Chiropractic has provided effective relief to millions of individuals suffering from back and neck ailments. Chiropractic has also provided relief from many other musculoskeletal complaints ranging from knee and ankle problems to carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow. In fact, musculoskeletal pain or discomfort in any area of the spine or extremity is a candidate for safe, natural, noninvasive chiropractic care. If a condition exists which is better suited for treatment by a medical specialist, chiropractors are fully trained to identify such conditions and make the appropriate referral. However, most patients suffering from musculoskeletal complaints can and are successfully treated with chiropractic every single day.

Common musculoskeletal conditions treated:

• low back pain and stiffness
• neck and upper back pain and stiffness
• mid back pain and stiffness
• headaches and migraines
• leg pain, weakness, numbness and tingling
• arm pain, weakness, numbness and tingling
• extremity joint pain and dysfunction
• carpal tunnel syndrome

Chiropractors commonly treat all types of injuries and recognize the unique findings associated with each. For example, it’s important to understand that auto injuries often involve a delayed onset of symptoms which commonly surface weeks and even months post-accident. In work injuries, chiropractors routinely look beyond the actual injury and address such things as work station setup, ergonomically correct equipment, and proper work techniques. For sports injuries, chiropractors often check for biomechanical and muscle imbalances as a routine part of the treatment plan. Treating the whole person and optimizing health is what chiropractic is all about.

Common injuries treated:

• automobile accident and whiplash injuries
• on-the-job and lifting injuries
• sports/athletic injuries
• slip and fall injuries
• chronic injuries

In addition to musculoskeletal problems, chiropractic treatments have also been shown to benefit many individuals suffering from “medical” ailments such as chronic ear infections in children, menstrual pain and irregularities in women, and arthritis in the elderly. Although chiropractic care is not a specific form of treatment for such conditions, research has shown that many “medical” conditions can be caused or aggravated by irritation to spinal nerve roots which share an intimate relationship with the spinal structures. By restoring proper nerve functioning by normalizing spinal structure and function, we believe some individuals suffering from these “medical” ailments can obtain partial and in some cases, full relief.

As time goes by, it is more difficult to get back to normal and proper portion of joints. If a subluxation of vertebrae was remained untreated, the surrounding muscles, nerves, bones and discs can begin to degenerate. Therefore, those patients who are already exhibiting the signs of the early Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) are encouraged to continue spinal care. The followings are the sequence of spinal degeneration.

• Phase I : The 1st stage of degenerative rarely shows any major discomfort or pain. Since this stage involves a slight spinal architectural change has begun, the surrounding discs and joints are more stressed. If it was identified early enough, there is a good chance to return to normal with proper treatment.
• Phase II : It is often accompanied by a mild disc narrowing with the evidence of osteophytes (bone spurs). As the spinal canal opening begins to narrow, it is associated with more significant pain and discomfort. There is a good chance of improvement with the proper treatment.
• Phase III : There is more significant pain and discomfort associated with this condition since more likely there is nerve damage as well as spinal architectural changes in disc heights and vertebrae. The reversal would be highly limited.
• Phase IV : Now the damage is permanent. The spinal degeneration at this point is irreversible.

Participating in sports is encouraged because of the many benefits. Not only is a person getting exercise when playing, but they are also developing fine motor skills, learning about teamwork and fair play and of course building friendships. But their bodies are also taking impacts no matter what sport they are playing. “Even if you don’t play football, sports like soccer, baseball, volleyball, softball, wrestling and lacrosse involve a lot of contact and the physical demands of any training and practice affect your spine and muscles too. Cross country track was a slug fest in NY. As soon as you were out of sight and in the woods running the race guys were catching elbows in their sides and getting pushed down,” says Dr. Jay Lipoff, Executive Board Member of the International Chiropractic Association Council on Fitness and Sports Health Science. A point he drove home by drawing a comparison between heading a soccer ball traveling at 70 miles per hour and getting punched by Muhammad Ali.

1. Solid Body Maintenance in Professional Football It’s no secret that professional football is a beast of a game and injuries are frequent. Even if football players avoid serious injury, it’s a sure bet that stiffness and soreness are just par for the course. In a 2002 survey, thirty-one percent of football teams in the National Football League reported having a chiropractor on staff. Athletes reported using chiropractic care quite frequently, noting its effectiveness. 

2. Improved Mobility in College Football Osteopathic manipulative treatment, or OMT, is one of the main forms of chiropractic therapy used in sports medicine. The main goal with OMT is to promote flexibility and pain-free movement. Football players often rely on OMT as a preventative measure against injuries. A 2012 Virginia Tech study showed that OMT positively impacted sports performance in both offensive and defensive Virginia Tech football players. Most football players also reported a self-assessed improvement in athletic performance after OMT sessions. 

3. Helpful for Hockey Injuries Like football, ice hockey is a full-contact sport and injuries are common. Chiropractic has been shown to reduce painful symptoms of recurrent shoulder instability related to hockey injuries.

4. Relief for Sports Hernia Five to twenty percent of all sports injuries involve groin pain. However, it’s not always the result of a line drive baseball. One of the most common causes of groin pain in athletes is athletic pubalgia, commonly referred to as sports hernia. A study showed that soccer players who experienced sports hernia were relieved of discomfort following 8 weeks of a combination therapy that consisted of chiropractic care and rehabilitation exercises.

5. Increased Strength in Martial Arts Although mainly used for alleviating muscular and skeletal complaints, it seems that chiropractic can also promote physical strength. In one study, national level judo athletes showed a 16% improvement in grip strength after undergoing only three chiropractic sessions.

6. Support for All Olympic Athletes For years, chiropractors have worked with world-class Olympic athletes to improve their strength, endurance, and range of motion while training. Olympic athletes also receive chiropractic care at the games. One particular set of games often overlooked at the Olympics is the Paralympics. These games include professional athletes with some type of physical disability who also use chiropractic care to enhance performance and overcome minor injuries.

7. Soothes Tennis Elbow A whopping 50 percent of tennis players can expect to get tennis elbow during their lifetime, and one-third of tennis players will experience it in severe fashion. The main goals of chiropractic therapy for tennis elbow is to relieve discomfort and redness, promote healing, rehabilitate the injured arm, and avoid recurrence. Specific joint manipulation performed by a chiropractor has shown to be effective for discomfort associated with tennis elbow.

8. Keeps Baseball Players Swinging Baseball is a game that demands quick bursts of energy. Whether it’s running the bases or swinging the bat, these fast-moving activities often come with rotator cuff injuries, neck pain, back strains, and hamstring pulls. Studies have shown that chiropractic helps prevent hamstring and other lower limb injuries in baseball players.  Another study revealed that muscle strength and long jump distance was greatly improved in baseball players who received regular chiropractic adjustments

You may be busy dealing with your own auto insurance, repair shops, other party and other party’s insurance.  Your pain sometimes becomes secondary issue.  Chiropractors are trained to diagnose and treat soft tissue injury from the accident.  We highly advise that you would visit a chiropractor and get checked out before you make any major decisions.  There could be an underlying minor injuries that traditional medical doctor may have missed or took a “wait and see” approach.  It may become symptomatic later on.  

We the state of Florida’s Worker’s Compensation Board conducted a Research in 1988 on treatment associated with injured worker’s who received care from  either chiropractor or M.D., they found chiropractic treatment costs were  58.8% of the treatment costs rendered by M.D. ($558 vs. $1,100 per case).   Chiropractors utilize and maximize body’s innate healing power without the need for addictive pain medicine or potentially risky surgery.