What Conditions do Chiropractors Treat and Manage...
Recent evidence (The Bronfort Report, 2010) supports the benefits of chiropractic care for:
  • General aches and pains of joints, muscle spasms and cramps
  • Joint pains resulting from osteoarthritis (including hip and knee)
  • Mechanical neck pain
  • Headaches arising from the neck
  • Prevention of migraines
  • Frozen shoulder
  • Shoulder and elbow pains (including tennis elbow) when associated with other musculo-skeletal conditions of the spine
  • Tension

The National Institute for Health & Clinical Excellence (NICE) provides the NHS with specific guidelines on how to manage specific medical conditions. In 2009 they began recommending manual therapy including spinal manipulation (ie chiropractic care) for the treatment and management of persistent or recurrent non-specific mechanical low back pain. (This is defined as tension, soreness and/or stiffness in the lower back region involving one or more muscle, joint, disc or other connective tissues).

For further chiropractic evidence and research click here

We assess and address the underlying reasons why joints, muscles and nerves go wrong around the whole body
As a family based centre, we also work with specific problems that arise throughout all stages of life...
Mechanical Neck & Low Back Pain

There are many causes of back and neck pain and it is the job of our chiropractors to diagnose where your pain is originating from, why it has occurred and how to fix or manage it. 

It is very common for the joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, joint capsules and/or fascia to be the cause of pain and to a lesser extent the big nerves and spinal discs. 
Ensuring an accurate diagnosis is important to enable the right choice of treatment and recommendations to be prescribed. If we feel the cause is outside the scope of our practice, we will tell you and advise you on which route you should be taking.
 
Joint, muscle and ligament pains can often be sharp, twingy, spasms or aching in nature and are typically felt during specific movements e.g. getting out of a chair, turning in bed, lifting, bending or walking.
 
Disc problems can range from a mild tear to a fully herniated 'slipped' disc. The damaged or bulging disc can often irritate nearby nerves that travel down your arms or legs. Pain is typically a deep nagging toothache type pain that can be constant and very hard to find a position to relieve the pain. Other symptoms of nerves being damaged include pins and needles, weakness or numbness. Often the pain (or pins and needles, weakness or numbness) is worse in the arm than the neck, or worse in the leg than the lower back.
 
Back pain is an increasingly common problem and is primarily due to the lifestyles we now lead. Treatment can vary from a few days with some injuries to 18 months with others.

It is very rare for back pain to be a sign of serious underlying pathology such as fractures, infections or tumours.

Headaches & Migraines

Chiropractors tend to see headache patients on a very regular basis and it is usually due to one or a combination of Tension type headaches, Cervicogenic type headaches and/or Migraines.

Tight muscles in the neck and shoulders, stiff and restricted joints in the neck and irritated nerves in the neck can all cause these headaches. Combining chiropractic treatment to help improve joint function and reduce muscle tension with self help measures e.g. drinking enough water, stretches, neck exercises or correcting posture is an effective way to eliminate these headaches.

Sports Injuries

There are many different types of injuries that can occur during sports. Common injuries include sprains, strains, tendonitis, delayed muscle soreness, stiffness and in worse cases can include torn cartilage or fractures. 

Our chiropractors can examine your injury and provide the appropriate recommendations on different treatments and self help measures to ensure you make the fastest recovery combined with how to minimise the risk of re-injuring yourself.

'Slipped' Discs, Trapped Nerves & Sciatica

Sciatica, a common term for pain down the back of the leg, has a number of causes each requiring a different approach to treatment. 

Pain in the back of the leg can commonly be due to tight buttock and hip muscles, referred pain from the lower back and pelvic joints, disc damage/slipped discs or nerve compression from osteoarthritis.

Tight muscles, ligaments and stiff joints are usually the most common cause of pains and are usually quite straightforward to treat. Disc damage can range from a minor tear on the outside of a disc to a bulging or fully herniated 'slipped' disc. These type of back injuries are the more significant causes of sciatica and require careful management to avoid surgery.
Certain chiropractic techniques, spinal exercises and postural advice can be very beneficial in the management of disc injuries. In some cases pain medications will be required from your GP alongside to help. Disc injuries can often take 6-8 weeks for the pain to settle however the underlying weakness and damage can take 18 months to repair, so long as no permanent damage has been done.

Sciatica can also be caused if the nerves in your spine are being compressed due to osteoarthritis ('wear and tear'). This can be helped in some cases if the joints and muscles can be gently loosened, however the wear and tear cannot be reversed and sometimes surgery is required to have any lasting change.

Pregnancy Related Back Pain

During pregnancy there are many new stresses and strains that are placed on the body, especially the lower back and pelvis. Weight gain, postural adaptations and changes in center of gravity combined with softer ligaments around the joints make muscle and joint pain a common occurrence during pregnancy. 

Chiropractic care can often help ensure the joints are all positioned, moving and working in the best possible way which in some cases will help stop any pain and in other cases can simply help to manage it.
We also offer our tailor-made chiropractic rehab sessions which will help improve your core strength and aim to reduce lower back discomfort during your pregnancy. For more information, give us a call and speak to Kate Simpson.

Arthritic Pains & Stiffness

There are many types of arthritis that effect different people in different ways. Osteoarthritis is the most common and is often referred to as 'wear and tear'. Many of us will get it to some extent although many with it won't realise they have it as it doesn't always physically effect you.

For those who it does effect; pains, aches and stiffness are the usual complaints. Modified gentle chiropractic treatment alongside specific prescribed exercises can help to manage the symptoms of osteoarthritis and often reduce stiffness by improving mobility of the joints involved.

Frozen Shoulder

Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) can be a very painful and debilitating condition. It goes through different stages involving pain and restricted movement of the arm and shoulder before it will finally resolve itself. Unfortunately it can last for a good 18 months in some cases. 

There are different techniques that can be applied to the shoulder to help speed up the recovery process and progress through the different stages more quickly. Many patients we see who think they have frozen shoulder actually don't and they tend to recover more quickly. Those that do have it can still make quicker progress, but unfortunately manual treatment doesn't work for every case.

Dizziness

Dizziness, vertigo or a feeling of being unsteady can be very debilitating. There are many causes of dizziness including neck problems, ear infections and other ear problems, blood pressure and blood sugar levels, to mention a few. Dizziness can be a vague symptom and therefore can be very hard to accurately diagnose and in some cases there are more than one overlapping cause. 

The two main conditions that chiropractors can help with are called cervicogenic dizziness and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).
Cervicogenic dizziness means it's coming from the neck. Problems with how the joints move and work in the neck can effect the little muscles and nerve endings leading to a feeling of dizziness or unsteadiness. Correcting and improving the mobility and function of the joints is the key to resolving this type of dizziness.

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is caused when small particles become dislodged and settle in the wrong part of the ear. This can happen following infections, trauma or spontaneously. Specific manoeuvres are designed to help relocate the particles into the correct part of the ear in order to correct this type of dizziness.

Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI)

Repetitive strain injuries can occur in a number of places in and around the body. Shoulders, elbows and wrists are probably the most common and are usually related to people's jobs and/or hobbies. 

If stopping the activity is not an option or you have tried that and it hasn't helped, then it can often be worthwhile being checked by a chiropractor to evaluate your posture and how your muscles and joints are working. There are a range of treatment techniques as well as advice and recommendations that can help manage and/or fix these types of injuries.

Hip, Knee & Ankle Pains

Similarly to shoulders and elbows, the hips and knee joints rely on proper joint alignment, mobility and strength in order to function properly. Problems with one or more of these factors commonly leads to a range of pains and injuries. 

Chiropractic treatment can help improve and/or maintain the best alignment and mobility of the joints along with providing a range of techniques to help keep the muscles supple. Best results are achieved when treatment is combined with daily stretches and specific exercises and any required lifestyle modifications. 

Shoulder, Elbow & Wrist Pains

Shoulder pains are commonly due to poor muscle and joint function which leads on to impingement, frozen shoulder, tension and inflammation. Postural correction, stretches and improved joint mobility and alignment are required to correct these problems in most cases.

Tennis elbow (inflamed muscles at the elbow) and repetitive strain injuries at the wrist are both relatively common. They also respond well in most cases to chiropractic care, ice and stretching, although the progress sometimes can be quite slow, depending on the extent of the problem.