There is no doubt that if you are in conversation with someone and they mention they are seeing a Chiropractor, your automatic assumption would be that this person is struggling with back or neck pain…..
But…
Did you know that Chiropractors are more than just “back-crackers”?
Did you know that Chiropractors can help with more than just the spine?
Yes, while our main area of interest is the spine, there is so much more to it than that!
As Chiropractors, we are trained thoroughly in conservative management of neuromusculoskeletal conditions. This means we also assist with disorders of the nervous (nerves), muscular (muscles) and skeletal (bones) systems.
People often present to Chiropractors with a variety of conditions – ranging from simple back pains to more complex disc issues, general check ups to headaches and even their knee or elbow pain!
Heres a just a few of the common conditions or areas of concern that patients present to our clinic with:
TMJ (Jaw) dysfunctions – known as the Temporomandibular Joint or more commonly as the jaw. These issues could cause jaw pains and headaches and are often caused by stress/tension (especially when someone clenches their jaw in stressful situations), teeth grinders when sleeping (also consider getting an opinion from the dentist for bite plates), sleeping position, wisdom teeth removal or Trigeminal nerve irritation.
Headaches – there are many different types and causes of headaches but the more common ones we assess and manage include
- Suboccipital – coming from the suboccipital region (base of your skull)
- Cervicogenic – coming from the neck (cervical spine)
- Tension – usually from stress
- Cluster – these occur in series or clusters
- Migraine – these can be with or without aura
The list goes on for headaches – if you are experiencing headaches, it is advised to consult with your healthcare practitioner
Spinal – all the way from the occiput (the base of the skull) down to the coccyx (the tailbone)
- Facet Syndromes – the joints of spine become dysfunctional and start affecting the surrounding muscles, nerves, and vascular system
- Ligamentous Sprains/Muscular Strains – these can occur around the spinal joints (just like with the extremity joints) – an example of this is a whiplash type injury (from an MVA)
- Disc related issues – this can include disc bulges and herniations
- Radiculopathies/Nerve Impingements – this could be due to inflammation around the nerve root, disc bulging/herniation or space-occupying lesions
Extremities: including sprains, strains, tendonitis and subluxation in these joints
- Shoulders
- Elbows
- Wrists
- Hips
- Knees
- Ankles
General wellness – to ensure optimal functioning of the nervous system and better connections between the brain and body (just ask the elite sportsmen)!
Paediatrics: including newborn infants and toddlers
- Colic/ Reflux symptoms
- Reaching the appropriate developmental milestones
- Plagiocephaly ( change in the shape of the infant’s skull)
- Trouble attaching or latching to the breast for breastfeeding
- Sleeping Issues
Pregnancy – to help with optimal position and alignment of baby and to help mothers be comfortable throughout their pregnancy. Our Chiropractor Loukia has undergone extensive postgraduate training in Women’s Health, has completed the Spinning Babies Workshop and is a Spinning Babies Aware Practitioner. She has given back to the community by providing lectures and podcasts about the benefits of Chiropractic care throughout pregnancy. This additional training allows for a comprehensive analysis and treatment specific to your needs.
While these are just a few of the conditions we see, there is so much more to Chiropractic than the above! If you’re interested why not book in to see our Chiropractors Luke and Loukia and see how they can help!