Conditions
Welcome to the Health Conditions section of our website.
We have covered, in detail, some of the more common ailments we provide care for on a frequent basis. This allows us to provide our patients and prospective patients with information about their health condition so that they may make more informed decisions in respect to their health. Additionally, having a better grasp of what is wrong has been shown to significantly increase the outcome of your care.
If you are currently suffering a health problem, would like to find out more information about us, or have a health problem you’re not sure we can treat, contact our office today.
Don’t forget to tell others to visit our website. We would like to assist as many individuals as possible achieve greater health.
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Auto Injuries
According to the Insurance Research Council, nearly 1/3 of all claimants injured in motor vehicle accidents (MVA’s) seek treatment from doctors of chiropractic. This is an impressive number given that the National Safety Council (NSC) has determined there to be more than 12 million MVA’s annually involving more than 20 million vehicles.
The reason individuals like yourself choose chiropractic care for treatment of injuries sustained in MVA’s is simple – chiropractic care is exceptional in the treatment of soft tissue injuries, especially of the spine. Since the most common injuries associated with MVA’s are sprains and strains of the spinal muscles and ligaments, it’s only natural that chiropractic be the treatment of choice.
Many studies have also found individuals injured in MVA’s prefer chiropractic care for the treatment of their injuries. One such study evaluated 190 whiplash injury victims and found those who received chiropractic care reported treatment satisfaction of 100%.
1. Balla JI, Iansek R. Headaches arising from disorders of the cervical spine. In: Hopkins A, ed. Headache: Problems in Diagnosis and Management. London: WB Saunders; 1988.
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Headaches
Chiropractors successfully treat thousands of headache sufferers everyday. According to surveys, as many as 25% of the individuals seeking chiropractic care do so for the treatment of headaches.
Chiropractic has such good success in the treatment of headaches because most headaches are either soft tissue or neurologic in nature. Also, a significant portion of headaches originate in the tissues of the neck. And since chiropractors focus their treatment on the soft tissues of the spine, which includes the neck, the majority of headaches can be successfully managed with appropriate chiropractic care. Best of all, chiropractic treatments consist of only safe, natural, and noninvasive therapies that focus on correcting the cause of headaches, and not simply the short-term masking of symptoms.
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Low Back Pain
Doctors of chiropractic are the health care leaders in the treatment of low back pain as well as other spinal conditions. Treatments are gentle, safe, natural, noninvasive and highly effective. Also, the treatments are designed to correct the root cause of your problem and not simply cover up the symptoms you experience. In fact, a Canadian government commissioned study on the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of chiropractic management of low back pain concluded,
“Chiropractic manipulation is safer than medical management of low back pain. Chiropractic management is greatly superior to medical management in terms of scientific validity, safety, cost-effectiveness and patient satisfaction.”
– The Manga Report
Identifying The Cause
The first step in treating low back pain is to determine what has and is causing the low back pain. Once the causes and contributing factors are identified, a successful treatment plan can be structured to eliminate the pain and achieve the goals of the patient.
Most individuals experiencing low back pain have a combination of:
- vertebral subluxations
- faulty spinal biomechanics
- deconditioned and weak spinal musculature
- improper firing patterns of spinal musculature
- poor postural habits
- poor diet and nutritional practices
- a history of activities (work or play) generating high levels of spinal stress
The Treatment
Chiropractic doctors have successfully treated low back pain for over 100 years. Through the use of natural and safe procedures, chiropractors correct the underlying problems which cause and contribute to the majority of low back pain cases.
The main treatment employed by the chiropractor is the chiropractic spinal adjustment. This noninvasive therapy consists of a gentle, manually or mechanically applied force into the segments of the spinal column. Spinal adjustments have been shown to decrease pain, increase spinal range of motion, decrease muscle spasm, reduce inflammation, optimize spinal biomechanics, and reduce the recurrence of old injuries.
Clinical practice guidelines for the management of acute low back pain released by the US Department of Health and Human Services (AHCPR) stated:
- Conservative treatment such as spinal manipulation should be pursued in most cases before considering surgical intervention;
- Prescription drugs such as oral steroids, antidepressant medications and colchicine are not recommended for acute low back problems.
- The risk of serious complications from lumbar spinal manipulation is rare
1. Acute Low Back Problems in Adults. Clinical Practice Guidelines. Bigos S, et al. Agency for Health Care Policy and Research Publication No. 950642 (1994) – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
According to researcher Pran Manga, PhD,
“Spinal manipulation applied by chiropractors is shown to be more effective than alternative treatments for low back pain. Many medical therapies are of questionable validity or are clearly inadequate.”
1. The Effectiveness and Cost Effectiveness of Chiropractic Management of Low-Back Pain (The Manga Report). Pran Manga and Associates (1993) – University of Ottawa, Canada.
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Mid Back Pain
The fast-paced lifestyles of today have taken their toll on the backs of America. Currently, back pain is the number one cause of disability in those aged 19-45 and is the second leading cause of missed work days. Total annual costs for back pain in the US alone are estimated to be in excess of $60 billion.
A number of factors contributing to these statistics, including:
- overall increases in work demands
- overall decreases in physical activity
- increases in prolonged sitting (at the desk, in the car, in front of the television)
- lack of periodic spinal checkups and preventative care
- failure to seek immediate care following injury
- failure to receive adequate treatment for back injuries (i.e. medications only without proper rehabilitation of tissues)
- poor postural habits and lifting techniques
Our treatments primarily focus on the cause of your problems, which not only results in rapid and effective pain-relief, but most importantly, minimizes the chance of future back problems.
To learn more about mid back anatomy, causes of mid back pain, treatments for mid back pain and related articles, choose from the menu links.
The Treatment
Chiropractic doctors have successfully treated mid back pain for over 100 years. Through the use of natural and safe procedures, chiropractors correct the underlying problems which cause and contribute to the majority of mid back pain cases.
The main treatment employed by the chiropractor is the chiropractic spinal adjustment. This noninvasive therapy consists of a gentle, manually or mechanically applied force into the segments of the spinal column. Spinal adjustments have been shown to decrease pain, increase spinal range of motion, decrease muscle spasm, reduce inflammation, optimize spinal biomechanics, and reduce the recurrence of old injuries.
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Neck Pain
Neck pain affects a significant number of individuals. Recent studies have found more than 10% of Americans suffer from neck pain at any given time.
The reason is that the neck region contains many delicate, pain sensitive structures commonly exposed to abuse and abnormal stresses. Incomplete rehabilitation of past injuries, poor posture, prolonged sitting, and lack of periodic spinal alignments are some of the more common factors in the development of neck problems.
Fortunately, most individuals suffering from neck problems will find chiropractic care extremely beneficial. Most chiropractic procedures address the cause of the majority of neck problems, not simply the symptoms. Best of all, chiropractic care is safe, natural, and noninvasive!
The Treatment
The chiropractic treatments for neck pain incorporate the use of many therapies, all of which are gentle, safe, natural and noninvasive. However, the true power of chiropractic care is found in the chiropractic adjustment – the most effective and essential treatment employed by the chiropractor. The reason? Quite simply, the spinal adjustment corrects the major problems that the majority of neck pain sufferers have.
Most individuals experiencing neck pain have either:
- suffered an acute accident such as whiplash, where the structural integrity of the neck has been altered and tissue damage has occurred, or
- been exposed to long period of adverse neck and spinal stresses most commonly from bad or improper postural habits and techniques.
In both cases, the spinal components are almost always structurally misaligned and biomechanically faulty. In other words, the vertebrae and their supporting structures have lost their “optimal” positioning and their movements are occurring in an inappropriate and stressful manner. The only effective and long-term way to correct the structural malpositions and improper biomechanics is to realign the spinal segments and restore normalize motion. This is the job of the spinal adjustment. In addition to restoring positioning and motion, the spinal adjustment also produces a reflexive relief of pain and reduction in muscle spasm. This is due to the high number of mechanoreceptors in the joints of the vertebrae which are stimulated through the chiropractic adjustment. Research has shown that stimulation of these mechanoreceptors sends signals to the brain which shutdown pain signals and result in muscle relaxation. Also, the adjustment helps to eliminate inflammation through the introduction of motion; inflammatory chemicals are known irritates to pain fibers.
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Sports Injuries
Chiropractic care has received much attention in regards to it’s successful management of sporting injuries. Since the majority of sports injuries are soft tissue in nature and because many of injuries arise from improper body biomechanics and improper sporting techniques, chiropractic doctors have become the doctors of choice – from the weekend warrior to the professional athlete.
According to an article in the June ’98 issue of The Physician and Sports Medicine, “Interet in alternative or complementary medicine ‘especially chiropractic’ is booming… active patients are running to unconventional providers to treat their aches and pains… from chiropractors and acupuncture to magnets and meditation.”
It’s really quite simple. Chiropractic care – through the use of safe and natural spinal adjustive techniques, physical therapy applications, soft tissue mobilization, stretching and exercise programs, diet and nutritional counseling, and extensive biomechanical training – focuses on all causes which have lead to the symptoms of pain and tissue injury and do not focus on solely eliminating pain.
Successful treatments must focus not only on pain relief, but must address the underlying causes such as muscular imbalances, biomechanical deficiencies, improper sporting techniques, and improper conditioning, to name a few.
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Work Injuries
Welcome to the Work Injuries section of our website!
We have an excellent source of basic as well as in-depth information to assist you in any workers’ compensation questions you may have.
If you experience difficulty finding the answer to your questions, please contact our office directly. We can answer most of your work comp related questions, as workers’ compensation cases make up a significant portion of our practice.
SHOCKWAVE THERAPY TREATABLE CONDITIONS
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Achilles Tendonopathy
- Tennis Elbow
- Jumpers Knee
- Hamstrings
- Stress Fractures
- Calcific Rotator Cuff Tendinitis
- Bursitis
- Trigger Point Therapy
- Non Healing Ulcers
- Non Unions
- Mortons Neuroma
- Scar Tissue Treatment
- Hallux Rigidus
- Heel spurs
Plantar Fasciitis/Achilles Tendonitis/Ankle & Foot Pain/Heel Spurs
Heel pain is typically the result of overuse but can be caused by a major injury. Heel pain usually occurs on the back or underside of your heel.
Ankle pain or a sprain is often the result of a forceful twisting of the ankle causing a tear of ligaments in the ankle, in which no bones are broken
Pain can present has heel pain on the bottom or front edge of the heel, tenderness over the bottom of the foot, pain, to varying degrees, when walking, which is usually worse in the morning and improves throughout the day.
Achilles Tendonitis can present with ankle pain, swelling, bluish discoloration, pain with walking, slight increased warmth to the injured area.
Plantar Fasciitis is a condition involving the large ligament-type structure in the sole of the foot that can cause heel pain and arch pain. The Plantar fascia becomes inflamed and irritated at its attachment at the base of the heel and it can sometimes have small tears. Sometimes Heel Spurs are present, but these are not the cause of heel pain. “Heel Spurs” is a misleading diagnosis that has been used for many years, and this is finally becoming more apparent to most medical professionals. The heel spurs don’t cause the pain, but the inflammation in the plantar fascia surrounding the spur, does.
Plantar Fasciitis is often described as the feeling of a stone bruise underneath the heel and usually causes pain when the foot hits the floor in a morning and after the patient has been on their feet for long periods.
Shockwave therapy is an effective treatment for plantar fasciitis/heel spurs/achilles tendonitis and ankle and foot pain. Shockwave Therapy is a treatment whereby a hand-held probe is positioned over, and moved around, the base of the heel / arch of the foot or Achilles Tendon at the back of the heel. The probe delivers very high energy acoustic waves which expand as they travel inside the foot. These sound waves stimulate tissue regeneration, increase blood flow to the affected area and break down scar tissue. The process accelerates healing.
Tennis or Golfers Elbow/Elbow Pain/Wrist Pain
Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) or Golfers Elbow (medial epicondylitis) often presents with pain in the elbow, which may or not have some localised swelling over the region. The pain may be localised or radiate down into the forearm into the wrist, with symptoms such as reduced grip strength or pain when performing gripping and twisting movements. Full range of flexion and resisted movements which use the extensor muscle group often result in pain.
Shock wave therapy sends acoustic shock waves into bone or soft tissue. The effect reinjures the area and breaks up the scarring that has penetrated tendons and ligaments. The controlled reinjuring of tissue allows the body to regenerate blood vessels and bone cells. The resulting revascularization leads to faster healing and often a return to pre-injury activity levels.
Jumpers Knee & Knee Pain
Jumper’s knee is an inflammation or injury of the patellar tendon felt as pain, tenderness and functional deficit. This condition may interfere with or even end your patient’s sporting career regardless the age and is difficult to treat. Shockwave therapy offers simple and immediate solution. Patient feels relief right after the first session and in several treatments the cause and the pain vanish.
Hip Pain
With age and use, the cartilage can wear down or become damaged. Muscles and tendons in the hip can get overused. The hip bone itself can be fractured during a fall or other injury. Any of these conditions can lead to pain and damage in the hip area. Shockwave therapy enhances the healing process, fights inflammation, eliminates the pain and tenderness and can prevent hip replacement surgery. In 79% of patients with necrosis Shockwave therapy also improves osteonecrosis of the femoral head.
Shoulder Pain/ Calcific Rotator Cuff Tendinitis/Frozen Shoulder
Frozen shoulder is adhesions (calcification) in the joint capsule of the shoulder. To break it down, calcific tendonitis is a calcification of the tendons of the rotator cuff muscles in your shoulder. It starts when there is inflammation from an injury or micro-trauma in the shoulder. The tendons heal by collagen forming cells called fibroblasts. With calcific tendonitis, on the other hand, fibroblasts are replaced with osteoblasts. Osteoblasts make a bone-like tendon. Therefore, these are bone forming cells that, literally, stimulate bone growth in the tendons of the shoulder.
As calcific tendonitis is a calcification of the tendons of the shoulder, frozen shoulder is a calcification of the joint capsule of the shoulder. The symptoms of frozen shoulder are pain and decreased range of motion. The condition is common after an injury and prolonged immobilization. It can be challenging when sleeping on the shoulder or during overhead activities like painting, washing your hair, throwing a ball, etc…
With shockwave therapy, acoustic waves travel the speed of sound into your calcified tendon or frozen shoulder. The wave energy causes wave-like movement of the tissue. Because it is pliable, normal tissue just ripples. However, calcified tissue breaks up like hard spaghetti that is bent. As a result, there is a cascade of events that spawn healing. First, new blood vessels come into the injured tendon (this is called angiogenesis). This allows your body to bring in healing properties and to flush out old inflammatory waste products. Most noteworthy is new collagen fibers are allowed to grow and flourish leaving you with a stronger tendon.
Bursitis/Hip Pain
Trochanteric bursitis is inflammation and swelling of the bursa located between the point of the hip (trochanter) and the overlying gluteal muscles. (A bursa is a fluid-filled sac, which allows adjacent tissues to slide over one another without friction.) It occurs when the trochanteric bursa is irritated and this commonly results from excessive friction on the bursa.
Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (or ESWT) is a non-invasive procedure. Shock waves are channelled through the skin to the affected area, targeting the bursa. The aim is to reduce the inflammation and restore the smooth movement in the hip.
Trigger Point Therapy/Myofascial Release Therapy
Trigger points are the principal cause of pain in the back, neck, shoulder and limbs. They are associated with palpable nodules in taut bands of muscle fibers and have extremely contracted sarcomeres, which can cause numbness & tingling and chronic pain. The dysfunctional sarcomeres contract so tightly that they begin to cut off their own blood supply. This causes the waste products to build up. Waste product build-up irritates the sensory nerve endings, which then causes even more contraction. This vicious cycle is referred to as “metabolic crisis”. The assumed mechanism of action is that the delivered acoustic energy from shockwave therapy unblocks the calcium pump and thus reverses the metabolic crisis in the myofilaments and releases the trigger points.
Calcifications
Calcifying tendinitis is a chronic painful disorder that is characterized by calcifications in rotator cuff tendons. Such condition causes pain and range of motion limitations. Shockwave therapy is one of the most effective treatments of calcifications. Acoustic waves cause disruption of the calcified entities and support their resorption and elimination by the body. SWT significantly decreases treatment length and offers fast relief in chronic stages.
Injuries/Muscle & Ligament Strains
Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy is a method of therapeutic treatment for soft tissue injuries including muscle and ligament strains. It works by passing shock waves (short but intense energy waves), which travel faster than the speed of sound, into the tissues. The form of treatment was originally developed to break down kidney stones and has been used in this way for the last 20 years. It was noticed that patients receiving this treatment also noticed a decrease in pain from other soft tissue injuries. The technology was then adapted to be suitable for use specifically on these areas.
Arm Pain
Pain in the elbow and arm can be caused by the inflammation of a tendon or joint. Pain, decreased motion, swelling, redness and tenderness at the site are common characteristics. The pain may become worse with bending the wrist, twisting the forearm down, grabbing objects. Shockwave Technology also known as Pressure Wave and EPAT, Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Technology is an innovative, non-invasive and effective way to treat pain.
Leg Pain
Calf pain in the lower leg is often a result of inflammation of the tendon that extends from the lower calf to the heel. Pain is typically located at the back of the ankle and worsens with walking.
Shin pain can result from overuse of the leg. The pain can arise from inflammation of the bone, the muscle or connective tissue. The most common causes are ill-fitting shoes, over training, and/or running on hard surfaces.
Shockwave Technology is an innovative, non-invasive and effective way to treat leg pain.
Back Pain/Lumber Facet Syndrome/Herniated discs/Degenerative Disc Disease & Arthritis
Back pain can be the result of a strain (a stretched or torn muscle injury) or from a sprain (an over-stretched or torn ligament). It can also occur over time as a result of gravity and normal use.
Facet Syndrome is a condition which develops in the joints between each vertebrae, called Facet Joints. Over time, normal wear and tear, injury or overuse can cause the lining of the facet joints to decline. As these joints are used every day, even when just walking or sitting, once the lining (cartilage) is worn down, rubbing between the joints can cause irritation. This condition is also called Osteoarthritis or Degenerative Arthritis.
Degenerative Disc Disease can also cause Facet Joint Syndrome. This happens when the discs start to degenerate, the space between the vertebras become smaller, and there is a build up of pressure on the facet joints that can wear away the cartilage. Left untreated, bone spurs can develop which can press on the spinal canal and cause it to narrow – this is called Spinal Stenosis.
Facet Joint Syndrome can affect anywhere along the spine, but usually affects the lumbar region (lower back) or cervical region (neck).
Characteristics include a dull or aching pain, pain radiating down the leg, decreased flexibility, difficulty moving, pain with movement, and occasional numbness and weakness. Pain can be constant or intermittent, stay in one place or radiate to other areas and may be a dull ache or a sharp piercing or burning sensation.
Shockwave Technology also known as Pressure Wave and EPAT, Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Technology is an innovative, non-invasive and effective way to treat pain. Spinal Manipulative Therapy and Lumber Traction are also effective ways to treat facet syndrome and herniated discs.
Scar Tissue Treatment
Shock wave therapy, also known as Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT), is a clinically proven and highly effective treatment for chronic soft tissue injuries and certain bone conditions.
An extracorporeal shockwave is defined as a non-evasive, non-electrical high energy sound wave that passes through the body via a hand-held probe. The shock waves produce a rapid increase in blood circulation to the target area and will break down fibrous scar tissue, which builds up over time, especially with chronic conditions.
The break-down of scar tissue is the key to why shock wave therapy is so effective. Unlike normal elasticated tissue, scar tissue is non-elastic and will prevent normal movement and function, thereby weakening the unaffected tissue surrounding it, often causing further damage and pain. By increasing circulation and breaking-down scar tissue, shock wave therapy will stimulate cell regeneration and promote normal healing and rapid reduction of pain.
© 2010 Dr. Rupi Kaila. All rights reserved. No parts of this web site may be used, borrowed or copied without express written permission by Dr.Rupi Kaila. Thank you for visiting. The material on this website is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions.