Common Problems

CHIROPRACTIC FOR HEADACHES & MIGRAINES

Headaches can be a debilitating experience. They are more than just pain and can affect your everyday activities, work, leisure and time spent with family & friends. Headaches can vary in different ways based on the causes, the individual, stress levels, hormones and time of year. They can be primary where there is no other causative factor or secondary due to another factor. A large contributor to secondary headaches is spinal misalignments and dysfunction in the vertebral joints and muscles in the neck, which trigger pain signals that refer into the head. At Optimal Health Chiropractic, we take you through a thorough history and examination to determine your headache and what may be causing it as well as a tailored treatment plan to achieve the best results for you.

By performing gentle yet specific adjustments to the neck and upper back and reducing soft tissue tension, we restore the normal alignment and function of the muscles and vertebrae in the neck. This allows improved length and tone in the muscles, which reduces the tension that causes headache and migraine symptoms. In turn, inflammation around the joints, muscles and blood vessels are decreased and the pain fibers begin to deactivate.

CHIROPRACTIC FOR BACK PAIN
Back pain can be debilitating and often affects your ability to perform even the simplest daily tasks. Approximately 1.8 million Australians suffer from back pain and approximately 80% will suffer from back pain at some point in their life! There are numerous structures that could cause pain; muscles, nerves, ligaments, discs, bone and organs could all contribute to your pain and symptoms. This is often experienced as a deep aching feeling in the lower back which can also be sharp at times and is commonly exaggerated by movement or prolonged positions. Pain may also radiate into other areas of the body including the gluteal muscles, legs, mid back, groin, flank and abdomen. Recent research has shown Chiropractic to be far more effective in the treatment of back pain than taking medication alone.

WHAT CAUSES BACK PAIN?
Acute back pain can be the result of trauma in which case it often occurs suddenly. This may be the result of heavy lifting, bending or twisting (or a combination of these) in a way that causes damage to the structures mentioned above. Unfortunately acute back pain can also develop without any apparent cause and be just as debilitating. If left untreated, chronic back pain may develop over a prolonged period of time. Repetitive movements and actions have also been noted to cause strain and micro-trauma contributing to back pain and dysfunction.

CHIROPRACTIC FOR NECK PAIN
Approximately 70% of Australians will experience neck pain at some point in their life. A common contributor to neck pain is poor posture, this relates to prolonged sitting, looking down at technology devices, poor sleeping positions and pillows that don’t support the neck. Neck pain commonly also involves headaches, arm and shoulder pain. As the neck involves delicate structures such nerves, ligaments, blood vessels, airways, esophagus, muscles and tendons, a thorough examination is always required to determine the cause of your discomfort and what outcomes are necessary.

Neck pain may also be the result of trauma or repetitive movements. Dysfunctional spinal segments contribute to muscle tightness, tenderness and inflammation.

Chiropractic is remarkably safe and effective in treating neck pain and dysfunction.

CHIROPRACTIC FOR SCIATIC PAIN
The Sciatic Nerve originates from the Lumbar spine (lower back) and runs through the buttock and down the back of the leg. When the Sciatic Nerve is compressed or irritated, it can cause low back pain and referred pain down the leg.

Other common symptoms of Sciatica include muscle spasm, weakness, pins and needles, and numbness. Symptoms can be constant or intermittent in nature and typically remain on one side of the body. It is often difficult to sleep, and mornings can be very uncomfortable.

Bending, lifting, sneezing, coughing, and prolonged sitting are common aggravating factors. It is often difficult to find positions of relief, but lying seems to be the most comfortable.

WHAT CAUSES SCIATIC PAIN?
Sciatica is not a condition in itself but is simply a description of symptoms which can be caused by various injuries of the lower back and buttock. These injuries can be acute such as those caused by trauma, or chronic due to long term wear and tear.

Acute episodes of Sciatica could result from high impact trauma such as motor vehicle accidents or sporting injuries. It is also common for low impact activities such as bending, lifting or twisting to cause Sciatic symptoms.

Chronic episodes of Sciatica are generally due to degeneration of the Lumbar Spine as a result of long term misuse.

TREATMENT
Assessment of the underlying causes of sciatic compression dictates the specific treatment necessary. Rather than mask the symptoms of pain and discomfort only for symptoms re-appear, treating the underlying causes are of more importance. Chiropractic adjustments along with soft tissue therapy and rehabilitation are components that aid the body to repair and recover and further more build strength and stability to prevent future re-occurrences.

CHIROPRACTIC FOR HIP PAIN
The term hip pain is often used to describe pain from the hip joint itself (the acetabulum), as well as the groin and the sacro-iliac (SI joints) in the pelvis.

As a weight-bearing joint, the hip is commonly affected by degenerative changes, muscle imbalances and injuries.

WHAT CAUSES HIP PAIN?
There can many causes of hip pain. Hip pain can may be due to referral from the lumbar spine or as a result of knee, ankle and foot problems such as foot pronation (flat feet). The hip makes up part of the pelvic girdle and when pelvic imbalance or instability is present, it can cause the muscles in the region to work incorrectly and contribute to dysfunction and pain. Due to heavy wear and tear on the joint arthritis may also be a contributing factor. In extreme cases medical intervention may be required; however many times the pain may be managed conservatively through safe and effective chiropractic care.

TREATMENT
Many factors need to be assessed in determining the underlying cause of hip pain. Optimal Health Chiropractic uses a holistic approach to treatment, hip pain doesn’t always necessarily begin at the hip so call our team today and make an appointment to have your problem assessed thoroughly.

CHIROPRACTIC FOR SPORTS INJURIES
Regardless if you are a professional athlete, amateur or just like to play on the weekends, sport has high demands from our bodies. If you don’t effectively warm up, cool down and condition yourself to play at the demanded level, you may be prone to sporting injuries.

Effective management of an injury is important to ensure a speedy recovery as well as a rehabilitation program to strengthen and repair tissues. Preventing future sporting injuries can be assisted with getting a thorough assessment with your Chiropractor, and treating dysfunction and muscle imbalances. Research has demonstrated chiropractic adjustments to increase muscle power, improve range of motion, improve injury recovery times and reaction times.