Back Pain
Since back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide, it is vital to know how to prevent the cause of back pain. By maintaining a healthy diet and weight, remaining active and avoiding prolonged inactivity or bed rest are all important ways to avoid back pain. Before doing exercises or any physical activity, it is recommended to warm up and/or stretch.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
CTS is a problem of the median nerve which runs from the forearm into the hand. When there is excessive pressure in the wrist, it causes swelling of the median nerve. This small area called the carpal tunnel is a narrow tunnel at the wrist made up of bones, soft tissues, nerves, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels. When the median nerve which runs through this tunnel gets compressed it causes pain, weakness, numbness or tingling in the hand and wrist which radiates into the forearm. The carpal tunnel is the most common area that gets compressed in both the hands and feet.
CTS should be diagnosed and treated early. During your consultation, you will receive a standard physical examination of the hands, arms, shoulders and neck to help determine if your symptoms are related to daily activities or to an underlying disorder. Our highly skilled chiropractor will also utilize other orthopedic tests to try to produce the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. Laboratory tests and x-rays can reveal diabetes, arthritis, fractures, and other common causes of wrist and hand pain.
Pinched Nerve
A pinched nerve can happen in a variety of places throughout the body with some of the most common being the lower spine, wrists, neck, and legs. A pinched nerve occurs when the muscles or tendons around the nerve are inflamed, putting pressure on the nerve and either causing pain or even numbness throughout the extremities related or attached to this affected nerve.
Your pinched nerve may be caused by different physical conditions such as carpal tunnel or a herniated disc. Though pinched nerves can be painful, the majority of patients find that their pinched nerve(s) goes away on its own.
If the pinched nerve does not resolve itself and you have persistent pain that lasts for more than a few days, you should seek medical attention by scheduling an appointment at The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center with our chiropractor. This is especially true if you’ve tried at-home treatments but feel like your pain is worsening as time progresses. With pinched nerves, it’s important to seek medical attention in order to identify the underlying cause of the pinched nerve to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Neck Pain
The neck, also called the cervical spine, begins at the base of the skull and contains seven small vertebrae. The cervical spine supports the full weight of your head which is on average about 12 pounds. While the cervical spine can move your head in nearly every direction, this flexibility makes the neck very susceptible to pain and injury.
TMJ
TMJ is an abbreviation for the temporomandibular joint which connects the mandibular, or your lower jaw, to the temporal bones of the skull. The TMJ is one of the more unique joints within your body as it allows you to move your jaw forward, backward, and side to side so that you can chew, talk, sing, yawn, and more. This joint can be found just in front of your ears on both sides of your head.
Any problem with the muscles, ligaments, discs, bones, or the joint itself are known as temporomandibular disorders or TMD and refers to the actual disorder, where the jaw joint is misaligned and causing problems such as pain, inflammation, and inability to move or operate the jaw. However, these problems or conditions are often incorrectly called by the joint name of TMJ instead.
Shoulder Pain
Shoulder pain is a very common condition and affects almost half of the U.S. Most patients feel some sort of pain, limited range of motion, an inability to engage in activities of daily living (ADL) or something more serious as a permanent disability.
Headaches/ Migraines
Nine out of ten Americans say that they suffer from headaches. Some of these people experience headaches frequently. Some experience constant headaches that are very painful. These can even make a person nauseous. Ninety-five percent of headaches are tension, migraine, or cluster headaches. These types of headaches are not caused from a disease, but from something in your body that is not sitting correctly.
Sports Injury
Sports can be very taxing on your body, no matter what you play. Our trusted staff will work with you to get to the root of your problem and help you feel better again. We help treat and also prevent injuries in the neck, back, shoulders, knees, and ankles. We are able to manually adjust your spine, relieving any pain that you are feeling. This will allow your body to function much better after the injury.
Knee Pain
Knee pain is increasingly becoming a more common problem in society. It is a complaint we see frequently. The most common complaint associated with knee pain is considered the normal “wear and tear.” Another ailment that affects the knee is osteoarthritis. The symptoms and progression of osteoarthritis and knee pain can be reduced through our individualized approach to chiropractic care.
Sciatica
Sciatica is characterized by pain in the lower back that radiates down one or both legs. The pain is described as dull, achy, sharp, like “pins and needles” or similar to electric shocks. Other symptoms associated with sciatica include burning, numbness and tingling sensations. Sciatic nerve pain varies in intensity from mild to severe, and frequency may range from occasional to constant. The onset is generally gradual and not necessarily associated with a previous event. Sciatica is also known as radiating or referred pain, neuropathy, or neuralgia.
Vertigo
Vertigo is the feeling that you are moving when you’re not. This sensation can be triggered by movements such as turning your head too quickly or looking down from a great distance, but it is ultimately caused by problems in the inner ear, brain, or brainstem. There are two different forms of vertigo with each stemming from various medical issues: peripheral vertigo and central vertigo.
Peripheral vertigo results in a problem with your inner ear and thus your balance, while central vertigo occurs when your brain or brainstem are suffering from a disease originating from your central nervous system (CNS). Peripheral vertigo is typically more severe, and central vertigo is more gradual in its onset. Regardless of the type of dizziness you are experiencing, more than likely, your quality of life is suffering because of it.
Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative disc disease is when natural changes in the discs of your spine cause pain. The discs between vertebrae act as shock absorbers for your spine, and as you age, they begin to lose flexibility. While this is a normal part of aging, it should not cause pain. If you experience pain due to this, it is classified as degenerative disc disease.
Each disc is composed of a sturdy outer wall and a soft, gel-like inner core. When we are born, these discs are primarily composed of water, but as age advances, the discs lose some of this water content and begin to get thinner. As you might imagine, this means each disc doesn’t absorb the shocks of everyday life as well.
Whiplash
According to the American Chiropractic Association, one of the most common causes of neck pain is whiplash resulting from a car accident. A sudden forced movement of the head or neck in any direction and the resulting “rebound” in the opposite direction is known as whiplash. The sudden “whipping” motion injures the surrounding and supporting tissues of the neck and head. Muscles react by tightening and contracting, creating muscle fatigue, which can result in pain and stiffness. Severe whiplash can also be associated with injury to the intervertebral joints, discs, ligaments, muscles, and nerve roots.
Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a common condition that can be debilitating in severe cases. This condition involves a curvature of the spine that is abnormal. It often develops before puberty, and many causes of the condition are unknown. At the Spinal Decompression and Chiropractic Center in Denton, TX, our team of experts diagnose scoliosis and provide ways to manage scoliosis pain, as well as to slow down the degenerative process associated with it.
Many people have scoliosis, and a large percentage have no idea it exists unless they get a physical exam that focuses on the spine. In some cases, scoliosis can be mild and has no real impact on a person’s capabilities and mobility. However, in more severe cases, the curve of the spine is severe and often continues to worsen. And even moderate cases will eventually end up with significant degeneration at the apexes of each curve. This can lead to pain, decreased range of motion, and an inability to do daily activities.
Symptoms and Conditions of Scoliosis
Scoliosis can impact patients in different ways, depending on its severity. As the condition gets worse, it affects posture, gait, how people move, and their structural strength. Others realize limitations in flexibility and capability, such as children with severe scoliosis and back deformation. The body can also physically display the condition when it is severe. A common initial sign is uneven shoulders, hips, and legs. It can also cause the ribs to stick out farther on one side of the body.
Scoliosis is more common in females. It is also hereditary, so it is important to get frequent checkups if you are at risk.
Diagnosis and Management of Scoliosis
When you first visit our chiropractors, we will perform a thorough physical exam. If we determine that you have scoliosis, we will create a personalized treatment plan for you.
Chiropractic care can provide pain relief and offer a safe, non-invasive treatment option for scoliosis. Our doctors may use chiropractic adjustment techniques. These adjustments work to gently and safely realign the spine and neck. Doing so will alleviate tension and pressure in the back. We also may use spinal decompression, which stretches the spine to decrease inflammation, reduce pain and discomfort, and improve flexibility.
Bulging Discs and Herniated Discs
You probably already know that both a bulging disc and a herniated disc are painful conditions of the spine that often require surgery for their treatment. However, you may not know that many alternative medicine therapies can also be used to alleviate pain due to these conditions. One of these therapies is Chiropractic. In this article, you will find out what these conditions are in detail, what causes them, and how Chiropractors can manipulate the spine to heal these conditions.
The spine is made up of bones called vertebrae. In between the vertebrae are rubber discs, together these form your spine and contain the spinal canal. The spinal canal contains a bundle of nerves called the spinal cord.
The function of the discs in between the vertebrae is shock absorption. They keep the vertebrae from colliding with each other whenever there is excessive movement. The disc is made of two components: a soft, central component called the Nucleus Pulposus and a peripheral tough structure called the Annulus Fibrosus.
A bulging disc is the sagging of the outer tougher part of the disc, whilst a herniated disc is a tear in the outer part of the disc. Once this tear forms, it leads to the leakage of the soft, central portion into the spinal canal.
What are the causes of disc injury?
Disc bulging is a normal degenerative process that occurs as we age. With time the disc deteriorates and bulges downwards. This causes slow onset symptoms, and the pain can even radiate to the buttocks or legs. Sometimes the bulging can be severe enough to cause other medical conditions like Lumbar Stenosis. Lumbar stenosis usually needs spinal decompression to alleviate pain.
In contrast to a bulging disc, the pain from a herniated disc is abrupt in onset and only affects individual nerve roots. This condition is usually caused by acute injury, but the origin of the injury is not always known. Sometimes patients just wake up with this pain other times they can relate it to incorrect positioning and so on.
Chiropractic Care for Herniated Discs
A chiropractor is qualified to treat back pain and problems with herniated or bulging discs. Initially, a chiropractor will go through your medical history, perform a physical exam and some additional orthopaedic and neurological exams to evaluate your status. Then he may use one of the methods below for your treatment.
Flexion-distraction Technique for Herniated Discs
This is a common chiropractic technique used specifically to address the symptoms of a herniated disc.
It involves special equipment that gently stretches the spine. This is called ‘distracting’. It helps the chiropractor pinpoint the affected area whilst simultaneously flexing the spine using a pumping rhythm.
No pain is associated with this method. In fact, pumping rhythm flexion allows the soft central matter of the disc to assume its natural position again.
This technique also improves disc height. Which alleviates radiating pain by decreasing the compression on the nerve roots. It is important to use this technique adjunctively with some other treatments like physiotherapy, muscle stimulation, supplementation, and at-home treatments.
Manipulation Under Anesthesia (MUA)
This technique is performed in a hospital where the anesthesia can be administered under a controlled environment. The type of anesthesia used is called Twilight anesthesia since it is of short duration- about 6 minutes-. Whilst the patient is sedated, the chiropractor manipulates the treated area. The anesthesia is needed because the body needs to be in a completely relaxed state. This treatment is complete after up to three sessions.
Pelvic Blocking Techniques for Herniated Discs
This is yet another method used specifically to treat herniated discs and their symptoms. This method also needs special equipment in the form of wedge cushions. These are placed under either side of the pelvis throughout the duration of the treatment. The chiropractor gently exercises the spine, during these exercises the cushions help draw your disc away from the nerve structures they might be compressing.