Conditions

If you have a headache, you’re not alone. Every year, 9 out of 10 people suffer from headaches. Some are occasional, some frequent, some are dull and throbbing, and some cause debilitating pain and nausea. The vast majority of headaches are classified as primary headaches, which means they are not caused by disease. These include migraines, tension-type headaches and cervicogenic (originating from the neck) headaches, which are commonly related to tight muscles, restricted movement of spinal joints and the strain from sitting at a computer or being in one position for long periods of time. By conducting an extensive history and physical exam we can diagnosis the cause and identify the headache and provide you with an effective treatment solution.

TMJ is the short form for the Temporo-Mandibular Joint (where the jaw connects to the skull on both sides of the head). Approximately 20% of the population is affected with some form of TMJ dysfunction. Dysfunction often produces a variety of symptoms such as jaw pain, neck pain, headaches, limited jaw movement, and clicking, locking or popping sounds in the joint. There are many possible causes for these symptoms, including overuse of muscles as well as biting, grinding and clenching habits. Proper examination and diagnosis is important because the good news is that approximately 75% of cases respond well to a number of simple conservative treatments available at Chiropractic Plus.

Neck pain affects 7 out of 10 people at some point in their lives and it tends to increase with age for both men and women. Neck pain often occurs as a result of a whiplash injury, such as an automobile or sports accident. It can also be caused by relatively minor incidents such as a quick head turn or a poor night’s sleep. For some people it can develop slowly over time. Neck pain can also be associated with other symptoms including limited neck movements, stiff and tight muscles, tingling in the arms or fingers and even headaches or pain spreading into the shoulders and mid-back. Most causes of neck pain are the result of lost motion in joints, overworked muscles, sprained ligaments or injured intervertebral (spinal) discs and nerves. At Chiropractic Plus, we can examine and diagnose the cause of your neck pain and offer you safe and effective therapies to help get you better and prevent future incidents.

Far too often shoulder pain prevents individuals from participating in their favourite activities such as playing golf, gardening or using the computer. At times the shoulder pain can be so bad it prevents the simplest activities such as reaching into a cupboard or getting a good night’s sleep. The shoulder is different from most other joints in the body because it is designed to provide a great deal of movement. This wide range of movement comes at the cost of stability, which makes the shoulder highly susceptible to injury. Common shoulder injuries such as rotator cuff tears, bursitis, tendonitis and frozen shoulder often occur with injury to the complex group of muscles and ligaments that help to stabilize, support and balance the shoulder joint. At Chiropractic Plus, we understand that with shoulder injuries, diagnosis is of the utmost importance for developing an effective treatment plan. We offer solutions that will often focus not only on decreasing shoulder pain and inflammation, but also on correcting underlying faulty shoulder biomechanics and muscular imbalances to prevent future occurrences.

Widespread use of computers in our lives has led to a dramatic rise in the number of muscle and joint conditions involving the wrist and hand. Some of the most common complaints are carpal tunnel syndrome, ulnar nerve syndrome, wrist sprains and other overuse injuries. At Chiropractic Plus, we offer many different treatment options to decrease pain and help heal injuries to muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves in the wrist and hand region.

There are many potential causes of mid-back pain ranging from the relatively minor to fairly serious and requiring immediate attention. As such, it is important to have any mid-back pain appropriately examined and diagnosed in order to rule-out pain arising from internal organ structures. Commonly, cases of uncomplicated mid-back pain are the result of tense, over-worked muscles, restricted joints in the spine or ribs, and thoracic ligaments or nerve injuries. Fortunately, these conditions respond well to the many conservative treatment options available at Chiropractic Plus.

80% of people will experience low back pain at some point in their lives and 30% of people are living with low back pain right now. In Canada, it is estimated that medical expenditure on low back pain costs $6 billion to $12 billion annually and that does not include costs to society such as time off work, lost productivity and disability payments. Back pain can present as anything from a mild ache to extremely debilitating pain. Although the causes of back pain can be simple or serious, the majority of cases are mechanical in nature, related to the moving and working parts of the spine such as the joints, intervertebral discs, ligaments and surrounding muscles. These injuries often occur as a result of bending, twisting and lifting movements or develop slowly over many years. Once you have been properly assessed and diagnosed at Chiropractic Plus, we offer a variety of safe and effective conservative treatment options that have been scientifically shown to eliminate pain, help you recover faster and prevent future occurrences of lower back pain.

Hip problems are not only common, they can be very frustrating to deal with because it can make the simple act of walking or even sleeping, very painful and uncomfortable. Hip pain can affect all individuals from infants to seniors, although the causes are often very different. Due to the high amount of force, combined with the large range of motion, the hip must rely on a complex system of muscles to control and protect the area. The hip can be injured from a variety of causes such as prolonged sitting, repetitive movements, excessive use, previous injury, improper exercise, various athletic activities, or lack of physical activity. Successful treatment depends on proper diagnosis and many hip injuries respond well to the treatment options available at Chiropractic Plus.

Knee pain is most commonly the result of athletic activities and degenerative changes. Our knees are subject to a tremendous amount of weight-bearing forces. These forces are best handled in a straight forward to backward motion. This is the primary motion the knee joint was designed for. Shearing force (force from the sides) and torque (rotational force) are more difficult for the knee joint to handle. Shear and torque account for many of the sports-related knee injuries. There are a variety of situations that can cause tightness, weakness, and abnormal function of the knee. For example, repetitive use with certain sports or occupations, poor posture, lack of use, lack of stretching, muscle imbalances, or previous injuries can all affect the normal function of the knee and surrounding muscles resulting in excessive strain to the area. Common injuries include meniscal tears, ligament sprains/tears, runner’s knee, jumper’s knee, muscle strains and bursitis. Many of these common conditions are amenable with simple and effective treatments available at Chiropractic Plus.

The foot and ankle are a complex series of bones and joints that have to move as the demands on the foot change. In order to help control the position of the foot and stabilize the joints, there is an intricate system of muscles and ligaments associated with the foot and ankle. Throughout the day we are on our feet a great deal. As we stand, walk, or run, it places a tremendous amount of pressure on the foot that commonly leads to foot and ankle pain or discomfort. At Chiropractic Plus we can comprehensively treat many foot and ankle problems such as achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, ankle sprains, metatarsalgia and tarsal tunnel syndrome. With a thorough history and examination we can help diagnose your pain and get you back on your feet.