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Symptoms
commonly treated by Chiropractors
Chiropractors are well-known for treatment of back pain in
general. However, Chiropractors routinely treat, with excellent
results, conditions such as neck pain, migraine and headache,
frozen and stiff shoulders, repetitive strain injuries, knee and
hip problems, arthritic pain and stiffness, disc injuries, trapped
nerves, cramps, leg pain and sciatica, ankle and foot problems,
whiplash injuries, tennis elbow and wrist pain. Not infrequently
such conditions may be caused by or related to sports injuries.
Symptom
Tight or aching shoulders
Common Causes
-
Sedentary
working environment.
-
Poor posture
maintained for long periods of time. Common examples are driving
and operating machinery or computers
-
Tightness or
aching is typically caused by a build-up of lactic acid,
resulting in hardness and pain in the affected muscles
Treatments
-
Take frequent
breaks to avoid the onset of the condition in the first place
and perform exercises such as shrugging your shoulders and
stretching your shoulder blades back to meet each other.
-
Analyse your
posture to ensure you are sitting as upright as possible (i.e.,
not sitting forward in a "hunched" position) - if necessary
seeking assistance from an Osteopath
-
If your muscles
become too hard you will need treatment by a Chiropractor to
stimulate blood flow in the hardened veins of the shoulder
muscles and allow deposits of lactic acid to drain away
naturally
-
Chiropractic
treatment is recommended if movement remains restricted after a
few days or if you suffer from bouts of stiffness on a regular
or not infrequent basis
Symptom
Headaches at the base of your skull or top of your spine
Common Causes
-
Broadly similar
to those described above for tight or aching shoulders
Treatments
-
Avoidance and
exercises to promote blood flow to the sub-occipital muscles at
the base of the skull
-
Analyse your
posture to ensure you are sitting as upright as possible (i.e.,
not sitting forward in a "hunched" position) - if necessary
seeking assistance from an osteopath
-
Chiropractic
treatment is recommended if movement remains restricted after a
few days or if you suffer from bouts of stiffness on a regular
or not infrequent basis
Symptom
Neck Stiffness
Common Causes
-
Degeneration in
C5 and C6 spinal discs (typically in older patients)
-
Sudden
"locking" of the neck due to muscle spasm. This can occur for an
infinite variety of reasons such as, lying too long in one
position, violently sneezing or making an unusual movement
involving the head or neck muscles
-
Degeneration in
C5 and C6 spinal discs (typically in older patients)
Treatments
-
Application of
an ice-pack in the acute initial phase can help. Later a
heat-pack or hot water bottle should provide relief.
-
A
GP will frequently prescribe you pain-killers and/or
anti-inflammatories such as ibroprofen
-
Wearing a
soft-collar neck support for a few days to take pressure off the
muscles in spasm
-
Chiropractic
treatment is recommended if movement remains restricted after a
few days or if you suffer from bouts of stiffness on a regular
or not infrequent basis
Symptom
Acute immobilising lower back pain
Common Causes
-
Can be set-off
by almost any bending movement such as picking up a dropped pen,
turning to reach something, or the jolt from missing a step
-
The root cause
is typically an underlying disc instability which is
inadvertently triggered by an unexpected event
-
Pain and lack
of mobility is caused by muscle spasm which are part of your
body's defence mechanism
Treatments
-
An ice-pack may
help at the acute stage
-
Anti-inflammatory drugs and pain-killers will
probably be prescribed by your GP.
-
Once the spasm
begins to ease, osteopathic massage and manipulation will
typically be very helpful in restoring mobility and reducing
pain more quickly than the bed-rest often recommended by
GPs
-
The exercise
programmes your Chiropractor recommends are important to
ensuring that the underlying instability which caused the
problem is addressed and the injury does not recur
Symptom
Sciatica and trapped nerves
Common Causes
-
Sciatic nerves
run down the spine from the backside, behind the thigh, the
lower leg and into the foot and toes. Pressure on the nerve from
a bulging disc can cause pain all the way along the nerve
pathway or just part of the way along it
-
Sciatica can
come on gradually or develop suddenly following a particular
event
Treatments
-
Doctors
typically recommend some or all of bed-rest, pain-killer, muscle
relaxants and anti-inflammatory drugs. In extreme case surgery
may be necessary if the bulging disc does not naturally subside
-
The benefits of
chiropractic treatment in promoting the body's self-healing
capabilities are particularly useful - especially in encouraging
exercise as a means of managing the presence and/or intensity of
sciatic pain
Symptom
Pain and stiffness in the shoulder preventing a full
range of movement
Common Causes
-
Sedentary
working environments
-
Poor posture
maintained for long periods of time. Common examples are driving
and operating machinery or computers
-
The condition
can be caused by tendonitis - i.e., inflammation - of one of the
four tendons in the shoulder joint
Treatments
-
Chiropractic
treatment is frequently successful with this condition, with
techniques often focussing not just on the shoulder, but also on
the spine and ribcage.
-
Surgery is
sometimes required, but not before fully investigating options
for chiropractic treatment
Symptom
Whiplash
Common Causes
-
A stiff neck
(frequently accompanied by a headache) caused by a violent
extension of the neck, e.g., in a car accident or falling
forward face-first
-
Problems often
manifest in the neck but can also appear in the upper-back and
even in the lumbar spine region
Treatments
-
If the
condition does not swiftly remedy itself, then chiropractic
treatment is highly appropriate for speeding the body towards
recovery
-
Untreated,
whiplash symptoms can persist for months or years causing
chronic pain
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