Spine

          

         Back Pain –

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The back is a broad term that covers a large area of the body. It is made up of many tendons, ligaments, discs, muscles, and bones. Without a solid understanding of these different parts, it can be complicated to locate and address the source of the pain. The following explains some of the most common issues and their identifying features. It also explains how chiropractic medicine can help to resolve them.

Disc bulges and herniations are conditions in which the outer edges of the discs, located between the vertebrae, are damaged. This causes the jelly-like center to bulge or be pushed out. This is a surprisingly common issue and it is often, but not always, very painful. Many people who have this condition feel nothing at all. The quality and intensity of it, for those who experience pain, depends on the type and position of the herniation. If the damaged disc is irritating a surrounding nerve, shooting or stabbing pain along with weakness in the legs is often severe.

Subluxation is a medical term describing a misalignment in the vertebral column. There are a wide variety of causes, including physical stress, trauma, and toxins. Subluxations are often quite painful and can disrupt normal movement. Subluxations are one of the most commonly overlooked contributors to back pain. Chiropractors are trained to identify and correct this issue using non-invasive adjustment techniques.

Strains and sprains most typically occur when we engage in tasks that our body is not accustomed to, or when we are involved in an accident. Lifting while twisting, or stretching past one's limits are common causes to strains and sprains of the back. These can be extremely painful, and are often accompanied by swelling and bruising of the surrounding area. Strains and sprains in the back tend to involve changes to the alignment of the spine and typically respond well to chiropractic care.

Chronic stress wreaks havoc on the body, and can eventually lead to hyper-tension and chronic back pain. The back pain is a result of tension and muscle spasms that occur when stress hormones are released. The tension will often accumulate in what are referred to as trigger points. These trigger points can be extremely painful and need professional attention to resolve. Chiropractors have the knowledge and tools to relieve stress from trigger points and to deal with underlying nervous system imbalances that may be keeping your body locked in patterns of stress and pain.

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            Headaches/Migraines –

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Whether you are dealing with a persistent ache in your head, or the worst symptoms associated with migraines, including light and noise intolerance, nausea, vomiting, hallucinations, depression, and irritation the cause may be a structural issue. When the spine moves out of position because of developmental issues, trauma, repetitive stress, and other incidents, it can put pressure on the surrounding nerves. When the nerves are compressed or irritated, they send a message to the muscles of the back, neck, and jaw to tighten.

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This tightness can lead directly to an acute headache or migraine. Over time the tightness can also pull your bones out of alignment leading to more persistent headaches and migraines. A headache or migraine can be a sign that there are deeper problems arising in your spinal column, and because every other system in your body is impacted by your spinal health, it is very important to deal with these issues when the signs begin to arise.

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            Neck Pain –

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Although the neck is a relatively small area of the body, it is comprised of some complicated structures which do the important job of holding your head up. The small size of the vertebrae of the neck allows for a lot of mobility, but can also make the neck more vulnerable to injury and pain. Some of the causes of neck pain include:

• Trauma, such as whiplash

• Sleeping position

• Poor posture

• Repetitive stress

• Abnormalities in the bone structure

• Joint issues

• Muscle strains and pulls

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Most of these issues are either caused by, or impact, the alignment of the spine. When muscles in the neck go into spasm, the spine gets pulled out of alignment. When the spine is misaligned, the nerves become irritated and cause further tension and other systemic problems. Because every nerve in the body has its root in the spinal column, issues that have their source at the neck can have a major impact throughout every other system.

Many people let spinal problems go uncorrected. They hope that if they wait long enough the pain will simply go away. In some cases, it will go away, but the misalignment that caused the problem is usually still there. Over time, that area can become aggravated, and the pain can return. If the problem is not corrected it can become much more serious. Some patients let things go to the point where surgery may be the only option.

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            Sciatica –

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Sciatica, which is also known as sciatic neuralgia, is a condition that causes pain in the lower back, down the back of the leg, and into the foot. It can make sitting and standing for long periods of time difficult and can lead to weakness, tingling, and numbness in the leg and foot. It will often come and go throughout a person's lifetime, causing periods of varying degrees of pain and discomfort. If left unchecked, sciatic pain will generally grow worse and the nerve can become permanently injured.

The reason why the pain travels so far, seems to radiate up and down the legs and back, is because it is caused by the compression of the sciatic nerve, the longest nerve in the body. This nerve originates in the lumbar spine and extends into the buttocks before traveling down the leg to the ankle and foot. When the vertebrae in the low back are compressed, the roots of the sciatic nerve can become pinched and irritated which is what causes the pain and injury. There are a number of factors that can lead to sciatica. It is most commonly caused by disc injuries and bulges. In this occurrence, the disc presses against the nerve root causing the issue. Disc Injuries can occur because of poor posture, repetitive use injuries, and accidents. Sciatica is also common when there are subluxations (misalignments) in the spine due to postural issues, pregnancy, or trauma. Some patients say they simply bent over to pick up a piece of paper and they were hit with extreme pain. The reality is that the spinal condition was probably developing for quite some time before the triggering incident occurred.

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Extremities

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            Arm and Leg Pain –

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The actual cause of arm or leg pain can be difficult to self-diagnose. If you have had an obvious injury, such as stressing a joint through a repetitive pattern at work, dislocating a shoulder playing sports, or pinching a nerve by falling asleep in an awkward position, the source of your immediate pain may be obvious. However, when pain in the arms or legs develops slowly over time without the occurrence of an obvious injury or accident, or when the pain from an injury has become chronic and the source becomes perplexing, you may be in need of a more thorough assessment to determine the source.

There are a number of different possible sources for the pain including bursitis, arthritis and tendinitis, but misalignments (subluxations) of the vertebrae in the neck and lower back are responsible for the vast majority of chronic arm and leg pain. If the spaces where the nerves leave the spine become narrowed because the vertebrae or discs are out of position, the nerve can become irritated, and often produces pain down its entire path. Many patients are surprised when they see that the nerves travel from the spine all the way to the ends of their fingertips and toes.

As a result, injuries to the vertebrae in the spine can create the sensation of pain anywhere along the entire length of the arms and legs. The pain patterns associated with sciatica, which run from the hip all the way to the foot, are a good example of how this works. Due to the complexity of the joints and the vast number of possible causes of your leg or arm pain, it is important to have a professional evaluation to determine the source. Using a combination of a thorough review of your medical history, a physical examination, and advanced imaging techniques, a chiropractor can get a comprehensive picture that will lead to the root cause of your pain.

Using non-invasive and carefully applied adjustments, chiropractors assist the body in gently re-positioning the vertebrae which can provide both instant and long-term relief.

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            Carpal Tunnel –

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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is usually accompanied by sensations of burning, pain, tingling, or swelling in the palm of the hands and extends into the first three fingers and the thumb. Occasionally people also report a feeling of swelling in the hand even when no swelling is present. Patients commonly experience weakness in the affected hand and have difficulty with picking up small objects. This condition can have a major impact on a person's lifestyle and in some sever cases, if left untreated, the damage to the median nerve can cause permanent loss of movement in the hand. Traditionally, Carpal Tunnel treatment has been limited to decompression surgeries, physiotherapy, and prescription medicines. Due to the fact that these options often fail to deal with the underlying problem, they may only provide short-term relief and, at times, can prove completely ineffective. When left untreated, or when unsuccessfully treated, people are forced to adapt their lifestyles to accommodate this debilitating issue. This may include quitting one's job and needing help with basic everyday living.

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            Shoulder Pain –

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We don't think much about our shoulders until they start to give us pain. The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body and as a result it is subject to a wide range of injuries and conditions.

Shoulder problems that go unchecked can lead to lifelong, debilitating issues. In order to properly treat the shoulder joint and achieve long-term relief it is important to identify the cause of shoulder pain. 

The causes of shoulder pain are seemingly endless, but let's go over some of the more common causes for pain in the shoulder. Shoulder pain may be the result of conditions, such as:

• Neck and upper back tightness

• Spinal misalignment

• Arthritis

• Abnormal patterns of movement

• Athletic injuries and automobile accidents

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While a few of the items on this list may indicate localized swelling in the shoulder joint, more of them point to the spine as the probable source of pain. The nerves that control the shoulder originate in the spine. If the vertebrae around the neck and upper back are compressed or injured, the nerves that go to the shoulder will be irritated and cause pain. Even a minor spinal misalignment can interrupt communication between the nerves and the shoulder, and a cascade of problems can begin. So, what appears as shoulder pain may actually be referred pain from the spinal column.

 

Injuries

   Disc Injury/Herniation –

Disc bulges and herniations are conditions in which the outer edges of the discs, located between the vertebrae, are damaged. This causes the jelly-like center to bulge or be pushed out. This is a surprisingly common issue, and it is often, but not always, very painful. Many people who have this condition feel nothing at all. The quality and intensity of it, for those who experience pain, depends on the type and position of the herniation. If the damaged disc is irritating a surrounding nerve, shooting or stabbing pain along with weakness in the legs is often severe.

It is important that this issue is properly identified and promptly treated to avoid further damage. Dr Amy will thoroughly assess your back to determine the extent of the issue and the appropriate treatment to prevent worsening of the herniation and provide relief from the associated pain.

 

            Whiplash –

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A common auto injury, whiplash, occurs when the head and neck are whipped from back to front, similar to how a whip is cracked. The majority of car accidents are rear-end collisions with whiplash being a common result. Whiplash can also occur from other kinds of trauma, accidents, abuse, and falls. When the neck is whipped from back to front during a car accident, while playing contact sports such as football, or occasionally from an assault or other physical trauma, a number of things can happen to the spine and surrounding soft tissue. Whiplash describes the initial impact, but the results can include:

• Disc bulges and herniation

• Subluxations (misalignment of the vertebrae in the spine),

• Injured bones in the spine,

• Irritated and damaged nerves

• Pulled ligaments and muscles in the neck

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Whiplash injuries can range from mild to very severe. Injuries tend to be more significant when your headrest is positioned too low. If the impact was quite severe or the headrest was low, there is the possibility that bones are broken, or tissue is damaged. It is highly recommended that you see a chiropractor and receive a thorough examination and x-rays. Even if the impact seemed mild, you may have whiplash if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms:

• Neck pain

• Shoulder, upper back, and arm pain

• Headaches

• Blurred vision

• Pain when turning the head

• Inability to move or turn the head fully

• Dizziness

• Tiredness

• Numbness or tingling in the arms, hands, and fingers

• Ringing in the ears

• Difficulty sleeping

• Depression

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As you can see there are a wide range of symptoms and not all of them may be immediately traceable to whiplash. Even if you have been cleared by a doctor, your pain could still be related to whiplash, and you may need treatment to correct the problem. If you have recently been injured it's important to get your spine checked as soon as possible. The sooner that you start treating the issue the less chance you have of it developing into a long-term problem.

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   Vertigo -

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Before we get into talking about the causes of vertigo, let’s go over some of the most common symptoms to help you determine if this is what you are dealing with. Two different kinds of dizziness are often assumed to be Vertigo. Sometimes people say that they feel dizzy when they actually mean that they feel like they are going to pass out or faint.

Others say they feel dizzy when they perceive objects around them spinning and moving. Vertigo is a medical term that is used to describe the second situation. It is important to differentiate between the two sensations because each has a different set of causes and appropriate treatments.

Vertigo can range from a small nuisance to an indication of a severe underlying condition. Contrary to popular belief, dizziness is not the only symptom associated with this disorder. Some of the symptoms of vertigo that commonly accompany dizziness are:

• Blurry vision or difficulty focusing

• Problems hearing, especially in one ear

• Ringing ears

• Trouble maintaining balance

• Feeling fatigued or tired all the time

• Double vision

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 At times it can be caused by a severe underlying issue, therefore, it is of vital importance to be examined by a medical professional if you are experiencing symptoms. The following is a list of some of the most common causes of vertigo:

• Severe headaches such as migraines or tension headaches

• Chronic earaches or damage to the inner ear

• A lack of blood flow to the brain

• Car accidents resulting in damage to the joints and ligaments throughout the spine

• Misalignments or subluxations of the vertebrae in the neck

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As you can see, vertigo commonly starts with issues involving the head, inner ear, and spine. These areas play an important role in how the body orients itself and maintains balance. Vertigo commonly results from a disruption in the signals sent from the nerves of the spine to the brain. When signals that would normally keep us balanced become distorted and scrambled symptoms of dizziness can occur.