Whiplash

Whiplash is an injury to the neck that occurs with rapid acceleration and deceleration of the cervical spine.  It is most often associated with automobile accidents, especially where the victim is struck from behind.  A whiplash injury is a sprain/strain injury that can damage muscles, tendons and ligaments as well as joints, nerves and discs in the neck.  Neck pain, headache, jaw pain, upper back pain, dizziness and nausea are just a few of the symptoms that can result.  The sooner treatment is begun after a Whiplash injury occurs the faster the recovery and the better the outcome will be.

Stress

Stress is an every day part of modern life.  Unfortunately, it can become an overwhelming force in our lives and can lead to adrenal exhaustion, elevated levels of cortisol, anxiety and depression disorders.  The first step toward curing it, or at least getting it under control is noticing how it is impacting you physiologically.  Notice how often during the day you are clenching your jaw, breathing shallowly and elevating your shoulders.  This is part of your fight or flight response that can become hard wired and damaging.  Helping people break this cycle is a big part of care in our office, but there is also some tools you can apply through online searches.

Slipped Disc

Discs don’t really slip.  They are firmly attached to the spinal vertebral bodies and cannot slip out of place.  However, they can bulge, tear or rupture.  This can cause sciatica.  Please see disc herniations for more information.

Pinched nerve

Pinched nerves or “radiculopathies” are a common complication of disc herniations or spinal stenosis in the cervical and lumbar spines.  A disc herniation in the cervical spine can cause arm pain, while a disc herniation in the lumbar spine can cause leg pain or sciatica.  Nerves can also be pinched or compressed peripherally in the musculature of the neck, low back or buttocks and cause similar symptoms that disc herniations or stenosis cause.  If you have arm or leg pain you need a thorough examination to determine where and from what the nerve is being pinched.

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Disc Herniations and Bulges

Disc Bugle and Herniation

Neck pain

Neck pain has a number of causes which can involve muscle, tendon or ligamentous tissue.  However, it can also involve intervertebral discs and the facet joints.  Unless there is trauma, it is generally preceded by gradual stiffening and episodes that can gradually worsen or become more frequent.  As always the most direct course toward a cure is a good diagnosis.  That is where we begin.

Muscle pain

Muscle pain can be a result of overuse, trauma or an adverse reaction to medication.  The most common type of medication that can cause chronic muscle pain is the medication prescribed to treat high cholesterol.  If you have developed muscle pain without overuse or trauma and have begun taking cholesterol medication it may be the source of your pain.

Joint pain

Joint pain can occur anywhere in your body and usually includes stiffness or restricted motion and inflammation.  As long as there is no fracture, infection or disease process involved: restoring movement and reducing inflammation is the most direct route toward resolution.  Think of two hinges.  One is shiny and right off the shelf and the other is well used, rusty and creaky.    So if you had the rusty, creaky hinge on your garden gate, you would spray it with WD-40 and work the hinge until it moved smoothly.  It may not look like it came off the shelf, but it would function as if it did and last a long time.

We are basically biological machines with hinges (joints), that can either function smoothly like shiny hinges or stiff and creaky like the rusty one.  Chiropractic adjustments or manipulation of stiff, creaky joints in the body restores the movement and joint health, just as you restored the movement and “health” to the garden gate hinge … thereby getting rid of the inflammation and pain.  Whether the pain has been there a day of a year, the application of this oldest form of medicine is just as effective and available to you right now.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) usually presents as wrist and hand pain with burning, weakness, burning and/or numbness.  At it’s end stage it may require surgery to correct the problem.  However, just because you are experiencing some of these symptoms it does not necessarily mean you have CTS, even if you have been told that you do.  Unfortunately, I have often seen patients that have been diagnosed with CTS, when they actually have nerve entrapment in the forearm, Thoracic Outlet (Thoracic Outlet Syndrome or TOS), under the Scalene muscles (Scalenous Anticus Syndrome) in the neck or centrally in the cervical spine due to a disc herniation.  Each of these conditions require a slightly different type of treatment to resolve the symptoms.  It is important though, to get an accurate diagnosis and get treatment because the longer the nerve entrapment goes on, the better the chance of permanent damage.  If you have these symptoms please return to our Home page, learn more about us and take the virtual office tour.

Auto Accidents

Automobile accidents are unfortunately a common occurrence.  The most common injury associated with automobile accidents is “Whiplash” injury to the neck which is discussed under a separate heading.  However, other areas of the body including the TMJ (temporomandibular joint), mid back, low back or head and extremities can, of course be traumatized as well.  Additionally, fairly low impacts, especially from the rear of the vehicle can result in fairly significant symptoms.  Underlying conditions like arthritis or disc degeneration can predispose a person to pain from these impacts.  If you have been in an automobile accident and you have not been to an emergency room, it is important to get evaluated by a medical professional.  Either your primary care doctor or a doctor of chiropractic see you for this injury and initiate treatment if necessary.  As far as home care, ice and rest are the best choices until you can be evaluated and managed.

Arm and leg pain

Arm and leg pain if sharp in nature and following a “linear” or line-like pattern can be caused by pressure on, or damage to a nerve.  Most typically it is a “radiculopathy” which is irritation or stimulation of the sheath surrounding the nerve roots as they exit the spine.  This can be caused by “stenosis,” which is thickening of the bone around the opening for the nerve roots, disc herniations or even compression of the nerves in the musculature of the arm or leg.  The most important thing one needs when experiencing these symptoms is a good diagnosis.  Once it is clear where the pain is coming from, appropriate treatment or a referral can be provided.  Chiropractic care seeks to reduce the pressure on the nerve, reduce the inflammation and pain, restore the function of the related spinal area and strengthen to prevent re-injury.