Arthritis
Arthritis, or joint pain or joint disease, is the leading cause of disability in America. More than 50 million adults and 300,000 children are suffering from some type of arthritis. Common symptoms include swelling, pain, stiffness, and decreased range of motion. Severe arthritis can result in chronic pain, inability to perform normal day-to-day activities, and has the potential to cause permanent joint damage.
To determine whether or not you may be suffering from arthritis or to determine the severity, your medical professional will perform blood tests and conduct an imaging scan (ie: x-ray, CAT scan or MRI). Eating healthy, staying active, and understanding your type of arthritis and treatment options are crucial to decreasing your discomfort and paving the way for an enjoyable, happy life.
Auto Injuries
Even a “minor” crash can result in serious injuries like ligament sprains. This can lead to chronic pain and disability if not treated properly. In fact, research shows that early treatment is the best way to prevent long-term symptoms. Chiropractic adjustments are effective because they help restore the healthy, normal function of your nervous system without the use of drugs or surgery.
Back Pain
Since back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide, it is vital to know how to prevent the cause of back pain. By maintaining a healthy diet and weight, remaining active and avoiding prolonged inactivity or bed rest are all important ways to avoid back pain. Before doing exercises or any physical activity, it is recommended to warm up and/or stretch.
Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative disc disease is when natural changes in the discs of your spine cause pain. The discs between vertebrae act as shock absorbers for your spine, and as you age, they begin to lose flexibility. While this is a normal part of aging, it should not cause pain. If you experience pain due to this, it is classified as degenerative disc disease.
Each disc is composed of a sturdy outer wall and a soft, gel-like inner core. When we are born, these discs are primarily composed of water, but as age advances, the discs lose some of this water content and begin to get thinner. As you might imagine, this means each disc doesn’t absorb the shocks of everyday life as well.
Headaches/ Migraines
Nine out of ten Americans say that they suffer from headaches. Some of these people experience headaches frequently. Some experience constant headaches that are very painful. These can even make a person nauseous. Ninety-five percent of headaches are tension, migraine, or cluster headaches. These types of headaches are not caused from a disease, but from something in your body that is not sitting correctly.
Neck Pain
The neck, also called the cervical spine, begins at the base of the skull and contains seven small vertebrae. The cervical spine supports the full weight of your head which is on average about 12 pounds. While the cervical spine can move your head in nearly every direction, this flexibility makes the neck very susceptible to pain and injury.
Personal Injury
Our goal is to help you receive the proper care after a personal injury, auto accident or fall. Our staff is devoted to helping you obtain the most comprehensive treatments and the care you deserve, so you may maintain your quality of life after an injury and can begin to feel like yourself again.
Too often, individuals involved in an auto injury or wreck have minimal or no symptoms until several weeks after the auto accident. That is where the professionals at Mana Chiropractic come in, and can assist you with all aspects of auto accident personal injury recovery.
Sciatica
Sciatica is characterized by pain in the lower back that radiates down one or both legs. The pain is described as dull, achy, sharp, like “pins and needles” or similar to electric shocks. Other symptoms associated with sciatica include burning, numbness and tingling sensations. Sciatic nerve pain varies in intensity from mild to severe, and frequency may range from occasional to constant. The onset is generally gradual and not necessarily associated with a previous event. Sciatica is also known as radiating or referred pain, neuropathy, or neuralgia.
Sports Injury
Sports can be very taxing on your body, no matter what you play. Our trusted staff will work with you to get to the root of your problem and help you feel better again. We help treat and also prevent injuries in the neck, back, shoulders, knees, and ankles. We are able to manually adjust your spine, relieving any pain that you are feeling. This will allow your body to function much better after the injury.
TMJ
TMJ is an abbreviation for the temporomandibular joint which connects the mandibular, or your lower jaw, to the temporal bones of the skull. The TMJ is one of the more unique joints within your body as it allows you to move your jaw forward, backward, and side to side so that you can chew, talk, sing, yawn, and more. This joint can be found just in front of your ears on both sides of your head.
Any problem with the muscles, ligaments, discs, bones, or the joint itself are known as temporomandibular disorders or TMD and refers to the actual disorder, where the jaw joint is misaligned and causing problems such as pain, inflammation, and inability to move or operate the jaw. However, these problems or conditions are often incorrectly called by the joint name of TMJ instead.
Whiplash
According to the American Chiropractic Association, one of the most common causes of neck pain is whiplash resulting from a car accident. A sudden forced movement of the head or neck in any direction and the resulting “rebound” in the opposite direction is known as whiplash. The sudden “whipping” motion injures the surrounding and supporting tissues of the neck and head. Muscles react by tightening and contracting, creating muscle fatigue, which can result in pain and stiffness. Severe whiplash can also be associated with injury to the intervertebral joints, discs, ligaments, muscles, and nerve roots.
Work Injuries
Workplace injuries don’t only occur during traumatic slips and falls at work but are more often than not, the result of repetitive movements, and caused by doing the physical demands required of your job over an extended period of time. These types of workplace injuries are all too common in today’s workforce and are best identified by their symptoms.
- Lower back pain
- Shoulder pain
- Carpal tunnel and hand pain
- Disc injuries
- Sciatica (pain caused by the sciatic nerve in your lower back and legs)
- Joint pain
Being examined by a chiropractor is often the first step in identifying and treating a workplace injury through non-invasive care which is why Mana Chiropractic conducts thorough examinations during his first session with new patients in order to better assess their injury. Since workplace injuries usually develop over time, it’s important to share all the symptoms you may be experiencing so we can identify the root cause.