Balance Chiropractic

COMMON CONDITIONS
The following are a few of the most commonly treated conditions which are helped through chiropractic care:

Scoliosis

Herniated Discs

Facet Synmdrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Myofascial Pain Syndrome

Repetitive Stress Injury

Muscle Strain
A muscle strain is an injury to a tendon or muscle resulting from overuse or trauma. Some research studies note that 80% of back and neck pain is caused by muscle strain. Unlike muscles in the legs, which are long and resistant to spasm, the back is composed of short extensor muscles that bridge from vertebra to vertebra. Because these muscles are shorter, they are more prone to spasm.

Most neck pain is muscle-related, caused by strain from holding the head in one place for an extended period.

A Lumbosacral strain is a strain or injury of joints or ligaments at the base of the spine where the last lumbar vertebra (L5) is connected to the sacrum. Strain or disc degeneration in this area is probably the most common cause of low-back pain.
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Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine that can first appear in childhood. Sometimes it is caused by differences in leg length that may not even be noticed, and in some cases it is not known why scoliosis occurs, but it does tend to affect women more than men. The curvature of the spine needs to be assessed because in some cases, extreme curves can place pressure on internal organs, which can shorten lifespan if not treated.

There are two types of scoliosis:

Functional scoliosis:
A structurally normal spine that appears to have a lateral curve (scoliosis). Nonstructural scoliosis involves a temporary change of spinal curvature. This is caused by an underlying condition such as a difference in leg length, muscle spasms, or inflammatory conditions, (e.g. appendicitis), which may produce muscle spasm. Functional scoliosis is treated by correcting the underlying problem. The spine itself needs no treatment. Functional scoliosis is also called nonstructural scoliosis as opposed to structural scoliosis in which there is a fixed curve of the bones of the spine (the vertebrae).

Structural Scoliosis:
A fixed lateral (sideway) curve of the spine. Structural scoliosis often occurs from unknown factors without reference to other physical problems (idiopathic scoliosis). It tends to affect girls during adolescence. Structural scoliosis can also be part of a syndrome or disease. Examples of conditions that can result in structural scoliosis are: Marfan syndrome (an inherited connective tissue disorder); other connective tissue disorders; neuromuscular diseases (such as cerebral palsy, poliomyelitis, or muscular dystrophy); birth defects (such as hemivertebra, in which one side of a vertebra fails to form normally before birth); injury; certain infections of the spine; tumors (such as those caused by neurofibromatosis, an hereditary disease associated with benign tumors on the spinal column); metabolic (biochemical) diseases; or some arthritic diseases. Structural scoliosis is different than nonstructural (functional) scoliosis in which the spine appears to have a lateral curve (scoliosis) but it is structurally normal.

Arthritis
If you have constant back pain that is more of a steady ache than a sharp, acute pain, you are probably suffering from arthritis. Arthritis results from wear and tear on the cartilage side of the joints. When the joints get worn, they can become painful and swollen. Chirorpactic care can, in many cases, significantly reduce the effects of arthritis without medication. It can also slow the progression of the disease.

Two common types of Arthritis:

Osteoarthritis:
Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis that is caused by the breakdown and eventual loss of the cartilage of one or more joints. Cartilage is a protein substance that serves as a "cushion" between the bones of the joints. Osteoarthritis is also known as degenerative arthritis. Among the over 100 different types of arthritis conditions, osteoarthritis is the most common, affecting over 20 million people in the United States. Osteoarthritis occurs more frequently as we age. Before age 45, osteoarthritis occurs more frequently in males. After age 55 years, it occurs more frequently in females.

Rheumatoid Arthritis:
Autoimmune disease that is characterized by chronic inflammation of the joints and can cause inflammation of tissues in other areas of the body (such as the lungs, heart, and eyes).

Herniated Disc
Between the bones of the spine are discs, which act as shock absorbers and ball bearings providing flexibility and cushioning. The shock absorbing discs resemble jelly donuts, each having a jelly-like center. As we age, the outer rings naturally become less flexible and more brittle, with the rings separating from one another leading to tiny channels in between the rings. With a fall or heavy strain, these ligaments can rupture, allowing the nucleus of the disc to flow through the channels to the exterior of the disc and place pressure on the nerves that branch off from the spinal cord. The result is back pain and possibly arm or leg pain. The good news is that a herniated disc doesn't necessarily mean a person needs surgery. In many cases, special techniques that RightSPINE physicians employ can make the symptoms from a small to moderate herniation go away. Interventional pain management techniques performed at Pain and Wellness Center can be successful for more significant problems.
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Facet Syndrome
The facet joints function as the guiding joints of the spine and connect each vertebra to the one above and below. Facet joints are synovial, meaning they have cartilage, a joint capsule and synovial fluid within to lubricate the joint. Because of postural problems, genetic predisposition, previous history of injury, or repetitive stress, the facet joints can become a source of pain in many patients.Conservative chiropractic manipulation can help in many cases and if not, interventional pain management at The Pain and Wellness Center is another option.
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Sprain:
An injury to a ligament that results from overuse or trauma. Sprains occurs when there is a stretch or tear in one or more ligaments, slightly elastic bands of tissue that keep the bones in place while permitting movement at a joint.
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Inflammation:
A basic way in which the body reacts to infection, irritation or other injury, the key feature being redness, warmth, swelling and pain. Inflammation is now recognized as a type of nonspecific immune response.
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Fibromyalgia:
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition causing pain, stiffness, and tenderness of the muscles, tendons, and joints. Fibromyalgia is also characterized by restless sleep, awakening feeling tired, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and disturbances in bowel function. Fibromyalgia was formerly known as fibrositis.
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Obesity:
The state of being well above one's normal weight. A person has traditionally been considered to be obese if they are more than 20 percent over their ideal weight. That ideal weight must take into account the person's height, age, sex, and build.
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Sciatica:
Pain resulting from irritation of the sciatic nerve, typically felt from the low back to behind the thigh and radiating down below the knee. While sciatica can result from a herniated disc directly pressing on the nerve, any cause of irritation or inflammation of this nerve can reproduce the painful symptoms of sciatica.
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Repetitive stress injury (RSI):
A type of injury from recurrent stress, often associated with the heavy use of computers. Stress in this context refers to an injury by overuse or improper use. One of the best-known repetitive stress injuries is the carpal tunnel syndrome, due to pressure on and irritation of the median nerve within the carpal tunnel in the wrist, often from trauma of repetitive work.
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Carpal tunnel syndrome:
A type of compression neuropathy (nerve damage) caused by compression and irritation of the median nerve in the wrist. The nerve is compressed within the carpal tunnel, a bony canal in the palm side of the wrist that provides passage for the median nerve to the hand. The irritation of the median nerve is specifically due to pressure from the transverse carpal ligament. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) can be due to trauma from repetitive work such as that of supermarket checkers, checkers in other types of stores, assembly line workers, meat packers, typists, word processors, accountants, writers, etc. Other factors predisposing to CTS include obesity, pregnancy, hypothyroidism, arthritis, and diabetes.
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Myofascial pain syndrome:
A condition characterized by chronic pain in the muscle tissues, similar to fibromyalgia. MPS is sometimes the aftermath of injury. Pain medication, anti-inflammatory medication, and therapies aimed at relaxing the muscles tissues (such as massage, chiropractic, and some forms of acupuncture) have been reported as beneficial. Abbreviated MPS.
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