Here’s a handy guide for the type of problems that we are especially good at fixing. Some may be obvious, some might surprise you, but hopefully it will serve as inspiration when faced with family and friends who need help in these areas. I specialize in a variety of techniques to find the best fitting treatment for every person. This is especially good for people who are squeamish about chiropractors: no “cracking” is required for them! A good referral to your chiropractor would be people who have the following:
1. Headaches:
You know people aren’t their normal selves when they have a headache. It may happen rarely, frequently or rapidly worsening, but all of these situations take away from quality of life to varying degrees…sometimes it can be debilitating. Chiropractors figure out where the headache is coming from (sometimes it’s due to muscle tension, structural problems in the neck, triggered by food intolerance or dehydration) and can help by treating the source of the problem.
2. Any Kind of Joint Pain (i.e. shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, etc):
That’s right, chiropractors are not just spine doctors! For people who have pain or dysfunction (“it feels off”) of any major joint such as shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee or ankle, these problems can really become a bother. It can start fast & furious after an injury or develop slowly over time due to repetitive stress. Either way, most of these problems begin when the joint isn’t moving correctly. Perhaps some of the muscles around the joint are too tight, which cause abnormal movement, resulting in wear & tear that can lead to degeneration. Depending how severe the problem, a chiropractor can get that joint moving better and restore function…in many cases so that surgery can be avoided. On a related note, another “big joint” problem that chiropractors are good at fixing is carpal tunnel syndrome, which is pain, numbness and/or weakness of the wrist & hands due to repetitive stress. The problem comes from nerve irritation in the carpal tunnel and by removing the tight muscles, carpal bone restriction or whatever else that causes stress in that area allows healing to occur.
3. Pain Throughout Pregnancy
It is common for pregnant women to develop upper and lower back pain or sciatica (which feels like pain down the leg). What many people don't know is that chiropractic can help neutralize these changes and reduces the cause of pain, while improving pelvic alignment which results in easier labor, delivery and postpartum recovery. Not only is it safe, women who have regular chiropractic treatments during pregnancy report 91% decreased average pain throughout pregnancy compared to those who had no chiropractic care. It also greatly reduces the occurrence of complications such as breached birth. So if you know anyone who is pregnant or planning to have a baby, let them know the importance of chiropractic care during any stage of development.
4. Low back pain
This is typically what most people think chiropractors treat…and they would be right! Whether it’s sharp or dull pain, numbness or muscle weakness, chiropractors are great at figuring out where the problem is coming from and help. So if you know someone who wakes up every morning and can barely move because of their back pain; or if work is becoming more difficult because by the end of the day their back is bothering…let them know that they don’t have to grin and bear it.
5. Neck pain (especially from an injury such as car accident)
Like many of these conditions, neck pain can develop gradually or as the result of an accident or injury. The pain that develops gradually or in the cases where “I tweaked my neck” or “just woke up with the pain” are similar to low back problems that are usually due to a nerve irritation and/or disc problem. In an injury such as a car accident, the problem comes from ligament damage due to whiplash. In these cases, most medical treatments would be to give anti-inflammatory medicines or cortisone injections (for more chronic cases); but chiropractic treatments fix the structural problem caused by the ligament damage which allows the body to heal faster and more thoroughly (to prevent further flare ups). So if you know someone who had a fall or accident, let them know that chiropractors specialize in those kind of injuries and can make sure they are getting an appropriate level of care (more severe cases are referred to an orthopedic doctor).
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