Common Reasons People See a Chiropractor

The patients that visit our chiropractic clinic come from a diverse range of backgrounds, occupations, ages and cultures.

Each patient has specific individual needs and it is our goal to determine how we can help.

Disc Pain

When discs wear out, bulge, protrude, or herniate they can cause extreme pain. Sometimes the pain is from the disc, or it may be from the structures they press on. The goal for a good recovery is to determine which type of disc complaint you have, and which treatment options will give the best outcome for you.

Facet Joint Pain

This pain comes from the side joints of the vertebrae, and is a known cause of low back pain. Chiropractic management is effective in the treatment and management of this biomechanical issue.

Headache

Headache is one of the common complaints that patients identify in our clinic. The type, location, severity, and/or frequency of the headache determines whether it is eye strain (ocular), tension (cervicogenic), referred from your jaw, sinus, or something more serious. Our role is to assess the type of headache you have and give advice and/or treatment that is appropriate for you.

Hip pain

It is quite common for patients to ask for help with a stiff, painful hip. Hip pain can be due to injuries, arthritis, or developmental, degenerative and trauma induced conditions such as Perthes, hip dysplasia, osteoarthritis, bursitis and strains to ligaments, tendons and muscles that attach to the hip. Hip pain can also come from structures known as the ITB (iliotibial band) and the TFL (tensor fasciae latae). The extent that chiropractic management can help is determined by the individual diagnosis and is dependent on the patient’s age and level of fitness. Our advice is to talk to the chiropractor to find out whether they can assist, help or resolve your complaint.

Knee Pain

This may be referred from low back or gait issues, or it may be due to injuries to the tendons, ligaments, muscles, cartilages and bones around your knee can all cause pain. Some common issues are patella tracking syndrome, patella bursitis, torn meniscus, Osgood Schlatter, anterior cruciate ligament tear and posterior cruciate ligament tear. The approach that Chiropractors take to manage these complaints is similar to other sports practitioners. We also have a range of chiropractic adjustments that are specifically for the knee.

Lower Back Pain

Low back pain has many different causes. Chiropractors are trained to diagnose the cause and origins of the pain and to appropriately manage low back pain. We have a variety of treatment approaches available including advice, exercise, stretches and adjusting techniques to help with the management and resolution of the individual’s low back pain. The extent to which the chiropractor can assist is dependent on the individual case

Sciatic Pain

Sciatica is the name used to describe pain that comes from the sciatic nerve. Typically, this is pain that starts in the low back, or buttock and extends down the back of the thigh, sometimes into the calf or foot. Sometimes there are associated pins and needles or numbness or loss of strength in the thigh, leg or foot. Chiropractors diagnose the cause of the sciatic pain (such as disc bulge, piriformis muscle spasm, or foraminal stenosis) and then customise treatment to best address the issue. This can involve a variety of manual adjustments, low force treatment, stretches, traction, advice on home care, and soft tissue techniques. Imaging such as MRI or x-rays may also be required for an accurate diagnosis.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It is likened to rust, where there is a gradual wearing away of the cartilage that protects the joint surfaces. It causes soft tissue swelling, joint pain and joint stiffness.

Migraine

Migraine is a type of headache that is typically severe, with nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light/sound, and is often on one side of your head/eye. There can be many triggers for migraine, and individuals can find it very difficult to identify their specific triggers. It is important to seek advice from your Chiropractor/Health Practitioner if you get migraines.

Whiplash

Whiplash is a name given to an injury that involves rapid acceleration, and/or deceleration forces to a body part. It is most commonly seen in the neck. This commonly occurs in

  • car accidents

  • sports where a jolt occurs to the neck

  • soccer when heading the ball

  • and it can occur in areas other than the neck

It can involve injury to muscle, ligament, tendons, discs, joints, bone, and nerves depending on the severity of the injury. Chiropractic treatment centres around management of the inflammation and damage to the soft tissues, realignment of the involved joints and restoration of normal movement and function.

Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Dysfunction & Pain

The TMJ is the jaw joint structure. It is a complex mechanism that allows us to eat, chew, talk, sneeze, cough, etc. Common TMJ complaints are jaw locking (unable to open, or unable to close), painful clicking, pain and headache.

Neuralgia & Pinched Nerves

Nerves can be pinched, squeezed, swollen or cut. The key to successfully helping patients with a pinched nerve is to diagnose which nerves are injured, how they are injured, and then the options to help relieve the problem. Common nerve pains are sciatica, neuralgia, some headaches, facial pain, and intercostal neuralgia. It is important that your practitioner establishes exactly which condition you have. This is necessary as there are so many different problems that can occur and the treatment approach may vary significantly.

Scoliosis

Scoliosis is an abnormal sideways curving of the spine. There are several types of scoliosis, and causes include trauma, poor posture, genetic abnormalities, developmental changes, and idiopathic scoliosis. In many cases chiropractic treatment can help this issue depending on the cause.

Shoulder Pain and Restriction

There is a range of shoulder syndromes that patients seek help with. These range from simple muscle strains, to more complex tendon injuries, frozen shoulder (capsulitis) and rotator cuff tearing or impingement. Some complaints have only soreness over the injury site, some involve a loss of mobility, some result in stiffness, some refer pain to other places, and sometimes the shoulder pain comes from the neck. It is important to have shoulder complaints thoroughly checked and diagnosed. Repetition Strain Injury (RSI) - RSI is the name used for complaints that arise from repetitive activities with a joint(s) of the body, and prolonged repetitive movements of a body part.  The most commonly identified of these are tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, mouse arm, Wii shoulder, occupational overuse injury and carpal tunnel. Chiropractors have an approach that involves identifying the cause of the complaint and management is then based around how to get the best outcome for the patient.