FAQ |
Sciatica and Spinal Disc Problems Tendonitis, Bursitis &/or Capsulitis |
Osteoarthritis (OA) Headaches or Migraines |
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The Alta Vista Chiropractic and Massage Clinic helps many people with the following conditions. Don't be afraid to call us if you'd like to find out what we can do for YOUR condition. |
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Sciatica and Spinal Disc Problems
The sciatic nerves are the largest nerves in the body, about as big around as your finger. They start in your lower spine, pass behind the hip joint, and go down the buttock and back of the leg to the foot. Pain from this nerve, may be felt from the low back to the big toe.
What Causes Sciatica?
If the sciatic nerve is pinched between spinal vertebrae (a vertebral subluxation), or if its passageways are narrowed by arthritis or swelling of a sprained ligament in the area, the sciatic nerve will become irritated and tender. A bulging spinal disc may also bulge out of place and apply pressure to the sciatic nerve.
Is Sciatica different from back pain?
Yes, although low back pain is often experienced with sciatica, sciatica affects typically only one side of your body. Pain will often be experienced radiating down from the buttock to the leg. Your leg or foot may be numb or weak and have odd sensation feeling. The pain of sciatica is typically referred to as a tingling, burning, pins and needles feeling to excruciating pain down the leg which makes standing up straight very painful. Often coughing, sneezing, and sitting make the pain worse.
What can you do for Sciatica?
Contact one of the doctors of chiropractic at the Alta Vista Chiropractic Clinic. A complete and thorough clinical, orthopedic and neurologic evaluation will be performed to diagnose if you suffer from sciatica.
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Tendonitis, Bursitis &/or Capsulitis
Shoulder Bursitis / Tendinitis is one of the most commonly occurring injuries in sports where the arm is used in an overhead motion (i.e.: swimming, baseball). The pain is usually felt on the tip of the shoulder or part way down the shoulder muscle. The pain usually is felt when the arm is lifted overhead or twisted in a certain direction. In extreme cases, pain will be present all the time and it may even wake you up from a deep sleep. sposing Factors
- Overuse (too much, too soon syndrome)
- Weak muscles or muscle imbalance.
- Improper/inappropriate lifting techniques.
- Strenuous training.
- Loose shoulder joint.
- Poor posture.
- Previous injury to the shoulder.
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Osteoarthritis (OA)
Osteoarthritis (OA) is commonly considered a "wear-and-tear" process and is associated with degenerative changes in the involved joint. OA tends to be most commonly seen in joints that are subjected to repeated trauma from excessive strenuous athletic activities, in weak muscles in the affected joint region and as a result of aging. Joints that are not functioning in a mechanically correct manner will wear out the cartilage, the ligaments and the surrounding tissues. The wear and tear and inflammation eventually lead to the buildup of calcium deposits, which then develop into little spurs in and around the involved joints.
Some of the signs of osteoarthritis are:
- Pain, usually around the joints, which tends to be dull and aching.
- Stiffness. With most people with OA experiencing frozen or stiff joints most intensely in the morning or following exercise.
- Crepitus, a term that describes joints that produce a "creaking" type of noise with movement.
- Muscle shrinkage caused when muscles are not used enough. Some people stop being active after experiencing joint pain develop OA.
If you are suffering from Osteoarthritis (OA), please feel free to contact any of the chiropractors at the Alta Vista Chiropractic Clinic!
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Headaches or Migraines |
Cervical Headache Tension Headache |
Migraine Headache |
Headache is more than just an ache in your head. It involves many parts of your body including vertebrae, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels. Your spine has three natural curves, which give your body the flexibility it needs to withstand stress. Good posture keeps your spinal curves aligned. When you're cervical (neck) curve is aligned surrounding structures, like spinal nerves, and muscles perform their function more smoothly because they are not stressed or irritated. Spinal vertebrae are movable bones that protect your spinal cord and nerves when properly aligned. Spinal nerves leave the spine through openings in your vertebrae. Unless they're irritated, they send the proper signal to all parts of your body. Muscles work together to support your spine and to move and support your head and neck. Unless they're stressed they are flexible and relaxed.
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Cervical Headache
Q: What is a Cervical Headache?
A: Cervical headache is a headache (HA) arising from musculoskeletal impairment and painful dysfunction in the cervical spine (neck).Studies have shown that a connection exists between HA and poor posture, weak cervical flexors, cervical joint trauma, and joint hypomobility and hypermobility.
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Tension Headache
Q: What is a Tension Headache?
A: Tension headaches are the most common kind of headache you can get. Although stress and fatigue can make them worse, or trigger the onset of pain, a tension headache often starts with misaligned vertebrae. This misalignment may irritate a spine nerve, setting in motion other physical problems, like tightening muscles and causing steady, "viselike" pain of a tension headache.
Q: What does a tension-type headache feel like?
A: The pain of a tension-type headache is dull and ongoing, and changes in intensity. You may feel like a band is tightening around your head. Tension-type headaches aren't associated with nausea or vomiting, but you may not feel hungry. You may be more sensitive to sound of light. You generally won't feel worse if you're active, but you may not want to do some activities. You may also feel tired.
Q: How long do tension-type headaches last?
A: Tension-type headaches may last 30 minutes to seven days. You may have tension-type headaches once or twice a year to as often as three of four times a week.
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Migraine Headache
Q: What is a Migraine Headache?
A: Migraine often begins with misalignment either restricting blood flow into your head or irritation of a spinal nerve. This nerve irritation upsets your autonomic nervous system, which controls unconscious functions like the narrowing and expansion of your blood vessels.
Q: What does a migraine headache feel like?
A: The pain of a migraine headache can be intense. It can get in the way of things you want to do. Migraines don't feel the same in all people.
Symptoms of migraines may include the following:
>Throbbing or dull aching pain on one or both sides of your head
>Not feeling hungry
>Nausea, vomiting
>Changes in how you see, including blind spots or flashing lights in your vision
>Bothered by light or noise
>Feeling cold or sweating
>Feeling edgy
>Cold hands or feet
Q: Are there different kinds of migraine headaches?
A: Yes. The two most common are migraine with aura and migraine without aura
An aura is a set of warning signs that usually occurs before the headache.
Sometimes, though, the aura and the pain overlap or the pain never occurs. Auras typically last 15 to 30 minutes.
The aura often involves changes in the way you see. You may see flashing lights or zigzags of light. You may lose some
of your vision for a short time in one or both eyes. For example, you may lose peripheral vision (side vision).
Things may also seem like they are different sizes of shapes or are in different locations. You may also feel a
strange prickly or burning sensation or muscle weakness on one side of your body. The sensation may seem to march through your body.
Migraines without an aura may still have some warning signs. Two hours to three days before the pain begins, you may feel tired, crave certain foods, yawn more than usual, feel depressed, have a surge of energy, feel irritable, anxious or restless, or be more talkative than usual. This type of migraine may start more slowly than migraine with an aura, last longer and interfere more with your activities.
Q: What causes migraine headaches?
A: Migraine headaches can be triggered by certain things, such as certain foods, alcohol, caffeine, sleeping too much, being around strong smells, loud noise or bright lights, weather changes, and many other things.
A: YES! Chiropractic can help you get to the root of your problem by diagnosing your type of headache and the underlying physical causes. Although clinical orthopedic manual examination will help to determine whether the cervical spine is a primary contributor or not involved in headache syndrome. Chiropractic spinal manipulation reduces pain by decreasing the pressure on your spinal nerves, by relieving muscle spasm, and improving your range of motion. Chiropractic will not only address the underlying physical cause, but will also help you learn how to prevent headaches in the future.
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