Do you have pain in your neck? Many people suffer on a daily basis with neck pain that can make movements in your upper body quite difficult. If movement in your neck, head, arms, shoulders, or upper back is particularly difficult, you may want the spinal health of your neck evaluated by a chiropractor. Along with mobility issues you may experience with neck pain, headaches are a common symptom resulting from poor mobility and tight muscles in your neck.

Neck pain can be caused by traumas such as whiplash, most commonly associated with car accidents and sports injuries. However, the way you sleep, your posture, excessive computer work, arthritic changes in your joints, and muscle strains may also be the problem. At Anderson Family Chiropractic, we provide gentle cervical (neck) adjustments to help align your spine, increase joint movement, and reduce muscle related issues that are contributing to your neck pain. Take a look at the article posted in our introduction page discussing why chiropractic is a safe alternative to treating neck and back pain.

Sciatica is a condition that results in pain in your lower back which radiates down the back of your leg and into your foot. This can be similar to the pain described by people who suffer from disc herniations because sciatica is sometimes caused by disc injuries. Either condition can be extremely uncomfortable and made worse by sitting and standing for long periods of time. Sciatica can also cause numbness, tingling, and/or weakness in your leg.

Sciatica can develop from misalignments in your lower lumbar spine and sacrum. The spinal nerves that arise from the spine at this location are the nerves that ultimately create the sciatic nerve. Along with misalignments, poor posture and other repetitive injuries or arthritic changes may contribute to its development.

Another condition that can mimic sciatica is ‘Piriformis Syndrome’. The piriformis is a muscle deep in your buttock and is an external rotator of your leg. The piriformis is occasionally pierced by the sciatic nerve in some people. Spasm in the piriformis may irritate the sciatic nerve. If you seem to have deep achy pain in your buttock rather than your low back and still have symptoms of sciatica, then you may be suffering with piriformis syndrome.

Headaches and migraines can be quite painful for those who suffer with them. Medications can often help, but they sometimes only mask the symptoms related to headaches and migraines and not fix what is truly going on. Many times, the problem with headaches is due to structural reasons. Misalignments, joint restrictions, and chronic muscle tension in your neck can sometimes be blamed. Chiropractic care for headaches and migraines can be very effective.

So, what is the difference between a headache and a migraine? Headaches are often a mild or moderate pressure or ache in your head. Headaches can affect both sides of your head in the forehead, temples, and back of your neck. Migraines on the other hand are often moderate to severe in nature and usually only affect one side of your head. An intense throbbing sensation is commonly reported because migraines are vascular in nature. Migraine sufferers often report nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, temporary vision loss, etc. One type of migraine called a ‘classic migraine’ is associated with a prodrome phase that occurs 10-30 minutes before the full onset of the migraine. During this phase the person often sees flashing lights in their vision, numbness in hands and face, and loss of mental alertness.

Chiropractic will help relieve the structural cause of your headache or migraine by addressing misalignments and muscular tension that are often associated with these conditions.

Chiropractors do much more than address misalignments in your spine. We are also trained in treating pain, restrictions, and range of motion issues in your extremities. This includes your hips, knees, ankles, and feet as well as your shoulders, arms, elbows and hands. Injuries to your extremities are very common particularly in athletes, employment that requires upper body and lower body activity, and slips/falls. Most commonly these injuries are due to overuse, but trauma may also be a cause.

Chiropractors can help reduce pain or range of motion issues in your extremities by addressing restrictions through carefully applied adjustments. In addition, addressing the muscular component of extremity injuries is extremely important. Anderson Family Chiropractic has experienced doctors that can help you with these injuries. Our doctors are also RockTape certified which is a form of kinesiology tape to help in your recovery.

Pregnancy leads to a great deal of stress and discomfort. Women who are pregnant often report having significant low back pain, sciatica, and muscle cramps. In preparation for delivery, women begin to release a hormone called relaxin in their first trimester which relaxes pelvic ligaments, increases cardiac output, etc. With relaxation of the pelvic ligaments, it is possible you are at risk of having misalignments in your pelvis during pregnancy, which may lead to low back pain.

Regular chiropractic adjustments all the way through your pregnancy are safe and can help prevent low back flare ups during those 9 months. Let us help you feel more comfortable during your pregnancy.

Chiropractic care for infants and children is safe and highly beneficial. We use gentle techniques that do not require force for infants. The stress and trauma that an infant goes through during birth can easily lead to misalignments in the spine. Chiropractic can potentially help infants that are colicky, having difficulty breast feeding, and having digestive issues.

Growing children from toddlers to teens go through many body changes. All along the way, regular spinal health checks should be completed to monitor for conditions such as scoliosis. One common condition in kids are ear infections. A child’s ear canal is more horizontal than an adults, which can lead to difficulty draining. Ear infections may or may not be caused by bacteria, many times it is viral and antibiotics will have no effect. Adjustments to the cervical spine and ear can help the fluid drain from the child’s ear and prevent future infections.

As your kids become more active and join various sports, spinal and extremity injuries are common. Help prevent injury by keeping your kids aligned and their joints moving properly. Much like dental health, spinal health is particularly important as your children grow. We recommend regular check ups for your children.

Athletes ranging from young children to adults are at risk for many different types of sports related injuries. Muscle strains, concussions, knee and ankle injuries, shoulder injuries, and other soft tissue injuries are quite common in the athlete. Chiropractic adjustments are a great way to keep your body aligned to reduce your risk of injury and help you perform to your optimal potential. At Anderson Family Chiropractic, we offer a variety of services in addition to your adjustments which are beneficial for the athlete. RockTape is a type of kinesiology tape that has been shown to reduce pain and help your body move more naturally. Muscle therapy including trigger point therapy, cupping, or instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization could help you with recovery after your injury.