COMMONLY TREATED CONDITIONS

Chiropractic care is very safe for children and can be very beneficial for children through their growing years, as they play sports, spend time behind a desk or screen for school, or if they have any neuromusculoskeletal conditions such as scoliosis.

Chiropractic care during pregnancy is safe and can be very beneficial for both the mother and the fetus or baby. Pregnancy can typically result in back and pelvic related pain for the mother and these can be treated safely with gentle adjusting procedures and specific soft tissue (muscle, tendon and ligament) techniques.

This has to do with anatomy and some physics of a joint. A joint is where two bones come together and articulate. Around where the two bones come together, there is a piece of tissue called a joint capsule, which is like skin to the joint. Within the joint capsule there is synovial fluid, which helps to lubricate and nourish the joint where there is cartilage at the end of each bone. When an adjustment is performed, the surfaces of the bone separate ever so slightly, and it changes the fluid pressure within the joint and it results in what we call a cavitation, which is the release of a gas bubble making the audible popping noise. This usually can indicate that the joint moved enough for an adjustment or manipulation to be effective and can result in immediate increases in range of motion and a decrease in pain in the area.

The most common area that individuals tend to adjust on themselves in their fingers by “popping their knuckles.” Some individuals try to pop and crack their neck and back as well. This tends to not always be the safest because most individuals are not properly trained in how to do this appropriately with minimal risk and can result in an injury, especially in delicate areas. It is not recommended that individuals or patients try to adjust themselves.

Chiropractic care can definitely be utilized even after having spinal surgery. If adjusting in the area is not permitted, muscle work, mobility work and rehabilitation exercises to reduce ongoing symptoms can be incredibly helpful or even help a patient recover from the surgery.

Chiropractic care can be incredibly helpful after having surgery on an extremity. Some chiropractors (especially sports chiropractors) have a strong background in therapeutic exercise and rehabilitation and can practice very similarly to a physical therapist. They sometimes will have advanced equipment and exercise techniques to progress a patient through a full post-operative treatment and rehabilitation program. That being said, chiropractic care can be helpful post physical therapy programs or alongside physical therapy programs as well because more specific soft tissue work and manual therapy techniques can be performed to assist the physical therapy program and a chiropractor can incorporate care in other areas of the body that are related to the surgery as well.

Generally, if you are an upright individual that gets out of bed, goes to work, exercises and participates in hobbies, chiropractic care is recommended for you. That being said, individuals should strongly consider chiropractic care if they have have headaches, jaw pain, neck pain, back pain, pain while taking a deep breath or while sneezing, shoulder pain, hip or pelvic pain, knee, pain, foot or ankle pain, elbow or wrist pain, hand pain, or if there is numbness or tingling in their arms or legs. If individuals are suffering sudden pain, chiropractic care can usually be helpful pretty quickly. If individuals have chronic pain, chiropractic care can be helpful. If you’re an athlete or someone who exercises often with some aches and pains or wants to prevent injury, aches or pains, then chiropractic care should be strongly considered as well.