If you have been suffering from sciatica or a related condition, you can ease nerve pain with chiropractic treatment. Most nerve pain is caused by a sudden traumatic event, such as in a car accident or by a football injury. Cumulative stress and damage from poor posture or being significantly overweight may also lead to nerve pain over time. Chiropractic adjustments can correct many of the physical imbalances that cause this damage.

When you see your chiropractor for treatment to ease nerve pain, he or she will first perform a full battery of diagnostic tests, including CT scans, MRIs, and x-rays. This will help the chiropractor narrow down the exact source of the nerve pain. Sciatica is the most common cause, occurring when the vertebrae of the spine are out of alignment and pressing down on the sciatic nerve. Nerve pain can also occur in other areas of the body where ligaments and bones are not aligned correctly. It usually is felt as a mild burning or tingling sensation in the legs or back.

Because most of the discomfort is caused by pressure from the vertebrae or other bones, it is a natural fit to ease nerve pain with chiropractic treatment. Chiropractic adjustments can realign the vertebrae to relieve the pressure on the nerves and eliminate the pain. Often, this simple adjustment is all that is needed to relieve severe nerve pain. In addition to spinal adjustments, ice may be needed to reduce the swelling and inflammation in the area before the nerve pressure will be completely relieved.

There are some other technology-based treatments your chiropractor may use to ease nerve pain. The most common of these is the Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) device. These machines are also frequently used by doctors and physical therapists to stimulate muscles and speed up the healing process. The TENS equipment works by stimulating contractions in certain muscles to offset an existing imbalance in the body.

Ultrasound equipment is also being used more and more by chiropractors in treating nerve pain. Ultrasound machines create sound waves that produce heat to soothe and heal the tissues of the body. It also will increase blood circulation, which reduces swelling and pain. Ultrasound is not usually the only option used to ease nerve pain with chiropractic treatment. Most chiropractors will combine the ultrasound sessions with one of the other forms of treatment to give the patient maximum relief.

Tennis elbow and chiropractors are a natural fit.

Tennis elbow usually refers to pain in the outer part of the elbow and the upper part of the forearm. This pain is caused by inflammation of the tendon when it rubs against the bony protuberance at the outer part of the elbow. The adjustments done by the chiropractor can realign the entire body and reduce pressure on the elbow ligaments.

The most common symptoms of tennis elbow include pain over the outside elbow, which can also radiate up or down the arm, wrist weakness, tenderness over the outside of the elbow, and difficulty extending the forearm. pain when lifting or bending the arm may also be a sign of a ligament problem, along with pain when gripping or carrying an object. The pain from tennis elbow generally lasts for about 6 to 12 weeks, but can also persist for years if the problem is not corrected by a chiropractor.

Tennis elbow is considered an overuse injury, caused by repetitive, forceful movements of the wrist. This forces the thumb to move outwards and the palm to move upwards, which shortens the muscles of the forearm. The point of attachment at the outer part of the elbow then becomes strained and any sudden movements may cause the tendon to tear. Despite the name, only about five percent of tennis elbow patients actually play racquet sports. Any repetitive motion can cause the injury, including gardening or typing.

Chiropractors will recommend certain treatment measures to relieve tennis elbow. The most important is to completely rest the elbow and ice it down to reduce the inflammation. An elbow brace or strap may be required if the problem continues and total rest is impossible. Your chiropractor can examine the problem and locate any problems with the function of the elbow and muscles of the forearm or wrist. A misalignment in the shoulders, neck, or back may lead to compensation injuries in the arms and elbows, so these adjustments may be enough to fix the problem for some people.

It is also crucial to increase the blood circulation to the elbow and forearm area. The chiropractor can do this by alternating hot and cold packs while massaging the muscles to relieve tension. Once the pain has subsided, a comprehensive rehabilitation and physical therapy program should be followed to regain strength and range of motion in the elbow and forearm.

Many of the people I’ve treated in my 19 years of practice were either on their way to the spinal surgeon or they had a failed back or neck surgery and unfortunately ended up in our office after the damage was done. Since I began using the spinal disc decompression treatment in my Lawrenceville, Georgia Chiropractic office, I have been inundated with questions from both doctors and patients as to which cases it will best help. Obviously proper patient selection is essential to favorable outcomes, so let me explain to you of the inclusion and exclusion criteria so you may make the right decision, since not everyone qualifies for the treatment.

Please keep in mind that there are about a dozen different decompression therapy tables that have come into the marketplace with models named Vax-D, DRX-9000, AcuSpina, DTS, IDD, and Lordex-just to name a few. I have first hand experience with most of these and can tell you that they all work well, but only as well as the doctor that renders the service.

Inclusion Criteria:
• Pain due to herniated and bulging lumbar discs that is more than four weeks old
• Recurrent pain from a failed back surgery that is more than six months old.
• Persistent pain from degenerated disc not responding to four weeks of therapy.
• Patients available for four weeks of treatment protocol.
• Patient at least 18 years of age.

Exclusion Criteria:
• Surgical Hardware (screws, plates, wires)
• Severe Osteoporosis
• Malignancy
• Joint instability as shown on imaging studies

ProHealth Chiropractors and Medical Doctors have years of hands on knowledge and are proud to serve Gwinnett county and the cities of Lawrenceville, Suwanee, Duluth, Buford Georgia.

What are herniated discs?

The 24 vertebrae of your spine are separated from one another by pads of cartilage called discs. These discs have a fairly tough outer layer with a soft interior to cushion against the shocks and strains experienced as you move and put various stresses on your spine. The discs are subject to injury, disease, and degeneration with use over time. Certain activities and types of work increase the risk of discs being damaged or deteriorating. When the soft interior material of a disc pushes out through a tear or weakening in the outer covering, the disc is said to be herniated.

Herniated discs are also called protruding, bulging, ruptured, prolapsed, slipped, or degenerated discs. There are fine distinctions between these terms, but all really refer to a disc that is no longer in its normal condition and/or position. Herniated discs cause pain by impinging on (intruding upon, irritating, and pinching) and even injuring nerves in the spinal column.

What are some of the typical symptoms of herniated discs?

Most disc herniation takes place in the lower back (lumbar spine). The second most common site of herniation is the neck (cervical spine). A herniated lumbar disc may send pain shooting down through your buttock and thigh into the back of your leg (sciatica). Cervical disc herniation may cause pain in the shoulder, arm, and hand. Herniated discs can cause muscle weakness, make it hard to get up when you’ve been sitting or lying down, cause pain when you strain to do something, even when you cough or sneeze. They sometimes produce pain in the lower right side of the abdomen. Herniated discs may also affect nerves to the bladder and bowel, causing incontinence. This symptom signals the need for immediate, emergency attention.

What can chiropractic do?

There is broad acceptance among health care professionals and the public of the recommendation that the pain from herniated discs be initially treated conservatively. That is, as long as there are no signs (such as severe pain, numbness, or functional impairment from nerve involvement) of the need for more invasive treatment, two or three months of chiropractic care may be the best choice before considering to spinal surgery or shots of analgesics (painkillers) in your back. And only a minority of disc herniations turn out to require treatment as traumatic and costly as hospitalization and surgery or with as many side effects (especially for older people) as opioid analgesics and muscle relaxants.

In my next post I want to try to discuss some of the Spinal Decompression Tecniques available for Herniated Disc.

Chiropractic care has become a more regularly used form of treatment by cancer patients over the years. Chiropractic care is used to treat and prevent pain and disorders relating to the musculoskeletal system that controls the body’s movement, including the spine.

According to the American Chiropractic Association, chiropractic doctors “have a deep respect for the human body’s ability to heal itself without the use of surgery or medication. These doctors devote careful attention to the biomechanics, structure and function of the spine, its effects on the musculoskeletal and neurological systems, and the role played by the proper function of these systems in the preservation and restoration of health. A doctor of chiropractic is one who is involved in the treatment and prevention of disease, as well as the promotion of public health, and a wellness approach to patient healthcare.”

Many cancer patients have added chiropractic care in their course of treatment to help control pain and alleviate headaches, tension and stress. Patients interested in alternative treatment, who strongly believe in the body’s ability to repair itself, may find chiropractic care particularly appealing. Alleviating severe headaches and movement pains during cancer treatment may make the treatment process easier for cancer patients, including those fighting mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is caused primarily by exposure to asbestos. Asbestos was utilized in a number of military and industrial applications throughout the 20th century, mainly as insulation. The symptoms of this type of cancer typically take anywhere from 20 to 50 years after initial asbestos exposure to become obvious. As a result, the diagnosis is often made when the cancer is in late stages and is not treatable.

Two studies published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics examined the cases of two patients combating cancer. One of cases involved a 54-year-old man diagnosed with lung cancer (a cancer often related to asbestos exposure) who began seeing a chiropractor after experiencing little pain relief one year after he underwent surgery to combat his cancer. The man experienced pain relief immediately after beginning chiropractic care and stopped using of all pain medications after two visits to his chiropractor. The Journal noted, “These clinical examples offer two specific instances of how chiropractic may improve the quality of a cancer patient’s life.”

It dawned on me as I was pouring milk on my cereal this morning. After years and years of thinking about how to best treat my patients, a simple solution presented itself as I listened to the “snap-crackle-pop” of my milk laden puffed rice.

At first the noise was nothing more than a slight distraction. As a matter of fact, how many times have I heard that familiar chorus a the breakfast table? Countless times I assure you. But as I really listened, it became clear that our bodies deal with pain kinda like this as well.

You see, in my Lawrenceville, Ga. Chiropractic Practice we treat patients who are in real pain. The pain could be caused by anything from an auto or work injury, herniated disc or arthritis, or other acute or chronic pain conditions.
Symptoms are the way your body talks to you. are you listening? For example, stiffness is you body saying, “there something starting to happen here, you might want to take note”.  What people tend to do is file it away in the minor distraction file of our brain, along with other minor distractions or signals that we are consciously and unconsciously receiving on a 24 hours a day basis.  Unfortunately, the louder your body is talking to you usually the more complex the problem is and make no mistake-pain is not “normal”.

Patients tend to minimize their symptoms for whatever reason.  I’ll hear something like, “Yeah, Doc Willis I have lower back pain but it’s just “normal pain”  Did you hear that?, I say.  Hear what?, is the patients reply.  Your body is telling you that you have a major problem going on which are not normal or not okay and you are ignoring the alarm system you were given by nature to protect you.

In my almost 20 years of Chiropractic practice in Gwinnett County and the cities of Lawrenceville, Suwanee and Duluth I have never seen a case of normal pain.  There is a cause for the alarm signal of pain in your body and if you treat the cause of the pain(herniated disc, DJD, DDD, whiplash) the body will take care and heal itself.  It’s the way it works, plain and simple. Even worse is covering up the symptom with pain medication that wont fix anything.  I think its like ignoring the check engine light in your car and hoping things will go back to normal-it usually doesn’t.

Take care of your most valuable asset-YOU!

No one ever asks for aches and pains. They just seem to hit at unexpected times.

You’ve probably tried masking the problem with drugs or over-the-counter pain relievers, but your body keeps sending you the signs that something’s wrong. That’s what pain is – it’s your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong.

My name is Dr. Paul Willis, and I’ve been a practicing Lawrenceville, Ga chiropractor for the past 18 years. During my years of chiropractic practice, I’ve seen all kinds of cases – auto accident victims, work-related injuries, sports injuries, herniated discs and just general day-to-day wear and tear on the body.

I’ve had people come into my Gwinnett County chiropractic office who have tried everything – drugs, therapy treatments, doctor’s exams, rehab, surgery and other very painful procedures such as injections. Most of them came into my office very frustrated with the never-ending pain, and sick of expensive procedures and drugs with no relief.

I can tell you that the vast majority of those patients have finally found relief the NATURAL way – with chiropractic care at my Lawrenceville, Ga chiropractor office.

As I mentioned above, pain is nothing more than your body’s way of telling you that something is not functioning properly. Because many people view pain as something to just get rid of (no matter what the cost), they pop pills, elect for surgeries and do anything in their power to just get rid of the pain.

However, just getting rid of pain doesn’t solve the ultimate problem. If we take the time to “listen” to our bodies, we can generally locate the source of the problem and fix the pain as well as the source of the pain – with natural treatments.

And that’s what Lawrenceville, Ga chiropractic office sets out to do. With state of the art equipment and procedures, our Chiropractors, Medical Doctors and staff will correct what is causing your pain.

Many people view chiropractic as helping only with back pain, but it’s that and much more. Let me ask you, do you suffer from:

• Frequent headaches and/or migraine pain
• Neck and joint pain
• Low back pain
• Pain in the shoulders and upper arms
• Radiating pain in the legs
• Carpal tunnel syndrome or Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Pain
• Numbness or tingling in the arms, hands, legs or feet
• Pain or limited mobility after an auto, sports or work-related injury
• Wrist and hand pain

If you answer “yes” to any of those symptoms, then you would benefit from treatment in our Lawrenceville, Ga chiropractor office. If you’re wondering what exactly is involved in chiropractic treatment, check out our Gwinnett County Chiropractor Question & Answer page at the website below. On that page, I’ve compiled a list of the most commonly asked chiropractic questions, and I answer them so you know exactly what to expect with chiropractic treatment in my Lawrenceville, Ga chiropractic office.

If you live in the Lawrenceville, Suwanee, or Duluth Georgia areas, then come in for a Free Chiropractic Consultation. Click on the following link to visit my site:

www.ProHealthinfo.com

This site is intended for Dr. Willis’ patients and new visitors, to have a simple method for asking questions. Feel free to comment on anything you see here! As well, feel free to ask questions relating to a post or to any other topic you feel Dr. Willis may be able to help you with.