What We Treat

The back is a complicated structure of bones, joints, ligaments and muscles. You can sprain ligaments, strain muscles, rupture disks, and irritate joints, all of which can lead to back pain. Arthritis, poor posture, obesity, and psychological stress can cause or complicate back pain. Back pain can also directly result from disease of the internal organs, such as kidney stones, kidney infections, blood clots, or bone loss.

Headaches can have many causes, and are the most common form of pain.The most common type of headache is a tension headache. Tension headaches are due to tight muscles in your shoulders, neck, scalp and jaw, and are often related to stress, depression or anxiety. You are more likely to get tension headaches if you work too much, don’t get enough sleep, miss meals, or use alcohol. Other types of headaches include sinus, migraine, or cluster headaches which can be triggered by environmental factors and certain lifestyle behaviors. Not all headaches require a doctor’s attention. But sometimes headaches warn of a more serious disorder. Source: National Institute of Health

Ankle sprains result from stretching the ligaments beyond their ability causing them to tear. Certain factors increase the likelihood of ankle sprain occurrence, including: flimsiness and laxity of the ligaments, or loose bone fragments in the ankle joint; a condition associated with arthritis. Ankle sprains are classified into grades from I to III and can create chronic ankle instability if not treated early.

Repetitive strain injury (RSI) refers to injuries that occur to joints and muscle groups that become fatigued and injured due to overuse. The most common areas of the body that are afflicted are the hands, wrists, and forearms, shoulders, shins, and knees. RSI can occur among athletes, and non-athlete patients alike. Aside from overuse, other factors such as a weak physique, poor posture, and improper form or technique are among the cause of the injury. Signs and symptoms include pain, numbness, tightness, discomfort, and difficulty in motion and flexibility.

Posture is the position in which you hold your body upright against gravity while standing, sitting or lying down. Good posture involves training your body to stand, walk, sit and lie in positions where the least strain is placed on supporting muscles and ligaments during movement or weight-bearing activities. Proper posture can decrease or prevent a wide array of health problems, including: abnormal wearing of joint surfaces that could result in arthritis, fatigue, overuse problems, backaches, and stress on the ligaments that hold the joints of the spine together. Source: Cleveland Clinic

Achilles tendinitis is a common condition that causes pain along the back of the leg near the heel. The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the body and it connects your calf muscles to your heel bone. Although it can withstand a great deal of stress from running and jumping, it is also prone to tendinitis, a condition associated with overuse and degeneration. Achilles tendinitis manifests gradually and is often caused when we push our bodies to do too much, too soon. Common symptoms include: stiffness, thickening of the tendon, bones spurs, and swelling that gradually worsens throughout the day. Source: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain. It involves inflammation of a thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of your foot and connects your heel bone to your toes, called plantar fascia. Symptoms are often a  stabbing pain sensation that usually occurs with your first steps in the morning, and then gradually decreases throughout the day. Often referred to has heel spurs, pain can also be present after long periods of standing or after rising from sitting. Plantar fasciitis is more common in runners and can sometime afflict both feet. In addition, people who are overweight and those who wear shoes with inadequate support have an increased risk of plantar fasciitis. Source: Mayo Clinic

What most people call the shoulder is really several joints that combine with tendons and muscles to allow a wide range of motion in the arm. Most shoulder problems fall into four major categories: Tendon inflammation (bursitis or tendinitis) or tendon tear, Instability, Arthritis, or Fracture (broken bone). Depending on the severity of the injury, treatment can range from simple activity changes to surgery. Surgery can involve arthroscopy to remove scar tissue or repair torn tissues, or traditional, open procedures for larger reconstructions or shoulder replacement.In the case of an acute injury causing intense pain, seek medical care as soon as possible. Source: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

The term “shin splints” refers to pain along the tibia, the large bone in the front of your lower leg. Shin splints are common in runners, dancers and military recruits. Medically known as medial tibial stress syndrome, shin splints often occur in athletes who have recently intensified or changed their training routines. The increased activity overworks the muscles, tendons and bone tissue causing pain. In many cases shin splints can be treated with rest, elevation, and other self-care measures. Wearing proper footwear and modifying your exercise routine can also help prevent shin splints from recurring. Source: Mayo Clinic

Knee pain can be caused by trauma, misalignment, and degeneration as well as by conditions like arthritis. Non-traumatic knee disorders generally take one of two forms. One type involves a tissue-related problem that creates pressure and irritation in the knee between the patella and the trochlea, causing pain in the patient. The second class of knee disorders involves a tear, slippage, or dislocation that impairs the structural ability of the knee to balance the leg. This may cause either pain, a sense of poor balance, or both in a patient.

Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS) is one of the most common overuse injuries among runners and cyclists. It occurs when the iliotibial band, the ligament that runs down the outside of the thigh from the hip to the shin, is tight or inflamed. ITBS can result from any activity that causes the leg to turn inward repeatedly. This can include wearing worn-out shoes, running downhill or on banked surfaces, running too many track workouts in the same direction, or simply running too many miles. The IT band attaches to the knee and helps stabilize and move the joint. When the IT band isn’t working properly, movement of the knee becomes painful. Because the most notable symptom is typically swelling and pain on the outside of the knee, many patients mistakenly think they have a knee injury. Source: Runner’s World

The hip joint is the largest ball and socket joint in the body. Despite its durability, the hip joint isn’t indestructible. With age and use, the cartilage can wear down or become damaged. Muscles and tendons in the hip can get overused, and the hip bone itself can be fractured during a fall or other injury. Any of these conditions can lead to hip pain. Some symptoms will worsen with activity, especially in the case of arthritis. You may develop a limp, or find that your range of motion has been reduced. Pain may also be felt in the thigh, groin, inside of the hip joint, the buttocks, and the outside of the hip.

Our neck, also called the cervical spine, begins at the base of the skull and contains seven small vertebrae. Incredibly, the cervical spine supports the full weight of your head, which weighs an average of 12 pounds. While the cervical spine can move your head in nearly every direction, this flexibility makes the neck very susceptible to pain and injury. Activities and events that affect cervical biomechanics include extended sitting, repetitive movement, accidents, falls and blows to the body or head, normal aging, and everyday wear and tear.

Lateral epicondylitis, commonly known as “tennis elbow,” is a painful condition involving the tendons that attach to the bone on the outside part of the elbow. With lateral epicondylitis, there is degeneration of the tendon’s attachment, weakening the anchor site and placing greater stress on the area. This can lead to pain associated with activities in which this muscle is active, such as lifting, gripping and/or grasping. Sports such as tennis and golf are commonly associated with this, but the problem can occur with many different activities. Source: American Society for Surgery of the Hand

The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway of ligament and bones at the base of the hand that houses and protects tendons and the median nerve. The median nerve controls movement and feeling in the thumb and the fingers. Carpal tunnel syndrome is an overuse condition in which pressure is put on that nerve. The trauma can also cause the tendons to become inflamed. The condition affects hundreds of thousands of individuals, including many athletes. Source: American Society for Surgery of the Hand

Rib pain can be extremely painful and difficult to treat. The ribs make up the thoracic cage (protecting our most vital organs) and the majority of them originate from our mid-back (thoracic), attaching to our sternum and surrounding cartilage. Many times posterior rib pain presents itself as a large spasm between the shoulder blades that wont respond to massage, ice or heat. There are muscles, nerves, and fascia that run between each rib, and many structures that attach to the ribcage that must all be addressed. Sports injuries, car accidents, shoulder pain, sleeping positions, poor posture, improper breathing technique, and many other factors can lead to rib pain. With our techniques, we can address both the front and back rib attachments, the soft tissue connections, and the nerve entrapments within.