Services

Injuries

Auto Injury

One moment everything may seem fine, when suddenly you’re involved in a serious collision. Most people have one thing on their mind after a car accident--their car! However, it’s important to remember that you and your injuries come first. A visit to an MD/DC should always follow an auto injury, as these physicians are specialists in damage to soft and hard tissue.

How Can Integrative Medicine Help Me After My Auto Accident?

Integrative Medicine doctors are able to treat neck and back injuries associated with auto accidents. Many times, individuals who have been injured in a car accident experience such intense muscle pain and stiffness that they simply cannot function normally. When left untreated, this discomfort can be a serious issue.

After an auto accident, some individuals experience indicators of whiplash injuries right away, such as blurred vision, headaches, shoulder pain, dizziness, reduced range of motion and arm pain. Whiplash can also result in minor back injuries, muscle injuries, ligament problems, and disc damage. Other individuals may be injured and feel nothing at all.

Treating pain or whiplash should never be secondary to bringing your car at the mechanic or working with your insurance company. If you’ve had an auto accident recently, your first priority should be taking the initiative to visit your chiropractor!

Personal Injury

Personal injury is defined as bodily harm that comes from being involved in any type of accident or mishap such as:

• Automobile accidents
• Bike and pedestrian collisions
• Boat and airplane accidents
• Construction accidents
• OSHA violations
• Medical malpractice

Integrative Medicine Doctors are professionals who uncover underlying issues in personal injury accidents. Whether using a single spinal adjustment or a series of treatment, visiting a chiropractor is one of the best options to start the healing process.

If you find yourself in a personal injury accident, schedule a consultation with a chiropractor, as you may have underlying issues that we can help diagnose and treat.

Sports Injury

Professional athletes are constantly reaching new heights in their professional careers. With each passing year, new records are shattered and the human body is pushed to its limits. Competitors train rigorously and take their diets to a new level every day. Yet despite the conscientious care and precautions that athletes follow, most experience musculoskeletal injuries at one time or another.

Integrative Medicine Doctors are to athletes as cardiologists are to those who suffer from cardiovascular disease. Athletes who receive treatment from a medical doctor find themselves frequently benched and on the sidelines. Others play and then spend hours after the game icing their injuries and taking pain medication. This is because medical doctors do not treat the body as an integrated system, but rather treat each injury individually. Meanwhile, integrative medicine treatment offers a balanced, holistic approach, by using spinal adjustments and physical therapy techniques to help the patient’s muscles, tendons, and ligaments return to their normal function.

Integrative Medicine care meticulously tends to the needs of the athlete because special attention is given to the spine, joints, muscles, tendons, and nerves. Additionally, chiropractic care ensures that all pieces of the musculoskeletal system are working harmoniously in their healthiest, most natural state.

Professional athletes recognize tremendous value in chiropractic care because they realize that it helps them maximize athletic performance. Whether you’re an athlete or weekend warrior, receiving chiropractic care will enable you to reach an optimum level of achievement without breaking yourself.

Pediatric Chiropractic

You want to give your little ones the healthiest start in life — and we’re here to support you. At Vital Motion, our team offers gentle, effective pediatric chiropractic care to help children grow, move, and thrive. We’re dedicated to supporting your child’s development through safe, age-appropriate care.

Common Questions About Pediatric Chiropractic

Chiropractic care isn’t just for adults children can benefit, too. We understand that parents have important questions when it comes to their child’s health—and they should. Pediatric chiropractic care offers safe, gentle support for growing bodies, from infancy through adolescence. Our experienced team is here to guide you through the benefits, safety, and effectiveness of chiropractic care for children. Below, we address some of the most common questions we hear from parents to help you make informed decisions about your child’s wellness.

Why Should Children See a Chiropractor?

It’s not always easy to see, but children’s bodies go through a great deal. Whether they’re learning to walk, playing at school, participating in sports, sitting at a desk, or carrying a heavy backpack, there is ample opportunity for the spine to be impacted. Visiting a chiropractor can ensure that any damage done is addressed immediately, preventing it from causing ongoing pain, suffering, and health issues.

How Safe Is Pediatric Chiropractic Care?

Pediatric chiropractors are trained in treating small, vulnerable bodies – and they have special techniques to do so. It’s a very safe practice and one that many children benefit greatly from.

What Benefits Will a Child Gain From Visiting a Chiropractor?

As with adults, the exact benefits can differ greatly. However, some benefits include:

• Better, more restful sleep
• Ensures proper spinal development
• Improves mood and focus
• Relieves headaches and tension
• Ensures proper healing of joint injuries, with less risk of future complications

All of these benefits can help children not only at home, but also during school hours.

If I Take My Child to a Chiropractor, Does That Mean They’ll Have to See One Their Whole Life?

Chiropractic care is not addictive. It also doesn’t create damage that needs constant care. Instead, it seeks to correct any issues one might be facing and get rid of them for good. After correcting those issues, the patient can walk away from chiropractic care, but they might not want to. Most continue to visit for regular wellness visits to keep their spine in optimal shape.

If you're located in the Washington, D.C. area, we invite you to schedule a pediatric chiropractic appointment at Vital Motion. Our team provides gentle, effective care tailored to the unique needs of children and families. To book your appointment, contact our Washington, D.C. office at (202) 296 3555 or visit us at 908 New Hampshire Ave. NW, Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20037.

Electrical Stimulation Therapies

Electrical Muscle Stimulation

Curious about electrical muscle stimulation? You're in the right place. Our skilled providers use soft tissue therapies like electrical stimulation to help reduce pain, improve circulation, and accelerate healing. This treatment is often part of a personalized care plan tailored to your unique needs and recovery goals.

Electric Muscle Stimulation and Chiropractic Care

Chiropractors are most well-known for their various hands-on treatments, such as spinal manipulation and massage therapy. However, like other types of health care, chiropractic care has evolved and practitioners and patients today now have access to more advanced technologies. One form of care is electrical musclestimulation, or e-stim as it's sometimes called, which can be highly effective for dealing with muscle tension. 

Electrical currents cause muscles to contract and stimulate the nervous system. In fact, nervous systems rely on electrical signals to send messages throughout the body. Depending on the patient's needs, e-stim can be used to target muscles and/or nerves. By causing muscles to contract, it may be possible to improve blood flow, which could speed up healing. Meanwhile, by working with the nerves, it may be possible to block pain signals from reaching the brain.

There are a few different types of electric muscle stimulation. They use currents applied by electrodes placed at specific points of your body. Which specific method of stimulation you should use depends on your situation and goals. 

Comfortable, Professional E-Stim Treatment

Some patients worry that electric muscle stimulation will be painful. In practice,
the currents used are rather low and pain is typically a non-factor. You may experience a numb "pins and needles" feeling, however.

As with any therapeutic treatment, it’s essential to receive care from experienced, properly trained professionals. At Vital Motion, our team is fully qualified in the safe and effective use of electrical muscle stimulation as part of an integrated approach to healing and pain relief. 

Interferential Current Therapy

Interferential Current Therapy is an effective therapy method used to relieve pain and accelerate the self­-healing process. It is essentially a deeper form of electrical stimulation. To perform this method of treatment, electrodes are placed on the skin around the injured body part. An Interferential Current device is then used, which transmits electrical impulses in minute quantities throughout your skin.

Underlying tissue and nerves become stimulated which begins the healing properties. These impulses are not painful, and can be described as a minor prickle on the skin.

Interferential Current Therapy is used to treat:

• Circulatory and muscle disorders
• Stiff joints
• Joint injuries
• Edema
• Inflammation
• Muscle spasms

Advantages of Interferential Current Therapy include:

• Reducing or eliminating pain in a safe manner
• Noticeable decrease in swelling and inflammation
• Restoring lost movement and improving range­-of­-motion
• Stimulating the natural hormones which can help the body heal faster

Additionally, Interferential Current Therapy also assists in blood circulation and rushes recovery by stimulating endorphins.

Shockwave Therapy

This is a targeted therapy, used to treat various injuires and painful conditions. Up to 80% of patients worldwide report that Shockwave Therapy has helped eliminate their pain.

Shockwave therapy gives fast pain relief and mobility restoration. As well as being non-surgical, with no need for painkillers, this is an ideal therapy to speed up recovery and various problems causing acute or chronic pain:

• Tennis/ golfers elbow
• Plantar fasciitis
• Lumbar joint facet pain
• Elbow osteoarthritis/tendinitis
• Shoulder calcification/tendinitis
• Achilles tendinitis
• Hip pain
• Heel spur
• Ligament tears

Microcurrent therapy restores the electromagnetic field within your body so that the cells are back up to normal function. This speeds up healing. Microcurrent therapy has been shown to decrease pain, inflammation, and muscle spasms. It may also help with range of motion.

Microcurrent therapy is commonly used for back and neck pain, but it is great for
many physical conditions, both chronic and acute. Treatment is usually several sessions long, and it is often used in conjunction with another form of chiropractic therapy. If you are interested in learning more about microcurrent therapy, contact us today.

How does it work?

Shockwave uses radial acoustic waves which carry high energy to painful spots and myoskeletal tissues with subacute and chronic conditions, causing accelerated tissue repair and cell growth, analgesia and mobility restoration.

Does it work?

Some discomfort may be felt depending on the level of pain already being experienced. However, treatment only lasts 5 to 20 minutes so most patients can tolerate this. Also, the intensity of the treatment can be adjusted during the session.

How many treatments do you need?

Initially this depends on the problem and each individual response to treatment. Relief will often be felt after one treatment – the effect is cumulative so typically 3 to 5 treatments are needed 7 -10 days apart. You may feel some soreness after treatment but this usually disappears within 24 hours. We ask that you refrain from doing any physical activity especially that which caused the problem in the first place within 48 hours after treatment.

Adjustments & Manipulation

The team at Vital Motion in Washington, D.C. is dedicated to providing expert chiropractic adjustments and a range of natural, evidence-based therapies to support your health, mobility, and overall wellness.

Quick Guide to Chiropractic Adjustments

Chiropractic care consists of many effective techniques that help the body heal, but adjustments will always be at the core. The concept and use of adjustments have been around for centuries, as they are so effective at improving health and providing relief from a wide range of issues.

What’s the Deal With Alignment, Anyway?

Your body is an intricate machine that you move through your daily life and heal as needed. However, it can’t do either of these things if it’s not in the proper shape.

Spinal alignment is a foundational aspect of health and wellness. Proper alignment means that each of the vertebrae is stacked neatly. When a vertebra gets out of this alignment, it puts strain on the muscles, discs, nerves, and other spinal components. Unfortunately, this can lead to everything from back and neck pain to difficulty concentrating.

How Adjustments Help

Adjustments are a technique in which any vertebrae that has shifted out of place is returned to where it needs to be. This takes pressure off of the surrounding components, which provides the following benefits and more:

• Relief from back and neck pain
• Headache relief
• Improved joint function
• Increased circulation
• Increased range of motion
• Better sleep
• Better nerve function

While adjustments are most well-known for the neck and spine, they are available for the entire skeletal system. They are often used to relieve shoulder, elbow, wrist, knee, and ankle pain, as well.

Adjustments are also a critical component in treating sports and auto injuries. Additionally, regular adjustments can help prevent pain, as well as maintain general health and wellness.

Whether you're seeking pain relief or working toward better overall health, the team at Vital Motion is here to support you. Schedule your chiropractic adjustment today by calling our Washington, D.C. office at (202) 296 3555. We look forward to helping you move better, feel better, and live better.

Therapeutic Exercise

Experience the benefits of therapeutic exercise at Vital Motion in Washington, D.C. Our team offers personalized, movement-based treatments designed to support recovery, build strength, and improve mobility. Schedule a session today and take an active step toward better health and long-term wellness.

What Are Therapeutic Exercises?

Regular exercise is critical to maintaining good health. It helps keep your bones strong, your joints supported, and your muscles flexible. However, it’s not safe for everybody to exercise normally, and people who have been injured or are recovering from surgery may need specialized exercises to help them regain their musculoskeletal function. Such is the case with therapeutic exercises.

Your chiropractor may advise you to perform resistance exercises. These involve working against a weight or external force of some kind. By pushing your body to fight against that weight or external force, you can build up muscle, and in turn, bone tissue. You may also be told to perform resistance exercises that will help your core support your spine.

Next up, your chiropractor may urge you to participate in flexibility training. As you’ve probably guessed, these exercises are designed to restore the range of motion of your joints and muscles. Dynamic stretches and lunges are great examples of flexibility exercises.

Finally, we have the endurance exercises. You may need to develop a routine featuring endurance exercises because your injuries forced you to remain inactive for a long time. Following that period of deterioration, you may find that your stamina is below normal. Increase your stamina by jogging, cycling, or jumping rope.

What Can You Expect from Your Therapeutic Exercise Routine?

A therapeutic exercise routine is designed according to a patient's specific needs. The plan your chiropractor creates will account for your current physical limitations. It will help you get the most out of your workouts without putting you at risk of further injury.

Aside from being personalized, therapeutic exercise plans are also evolving constantly. Early on, your chiropractor may ask you to perform relatively light exercises. Expect the intensity and required reps to increase as you make progress. The exercises may also change so you can overcome greater challenges.

There is no definite timeline for your therapeutic exercise. Even after recovering, you can continue performing certain exercises to bolster your resistance to injury.

Call to Begin Recovering from Injuries and Chronic Conditions

At Vital Motion, our experts design personalized therapeutic exercise routines tailored to your needs. Visit us at
908 New Hampshire Ave. NW, Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20037, or call (202) 296-3555 to schedule your
appointment.

Additional objectives of Therapeutic exercise include:

• Increasing mobility
• Releasing contracted muscles, tendons, and fascia
• Mobilizing joints
• Improving circulation
• Improving respiratory capacity
• Improving coordination
• Reducing rigidity
• Improving balance

Therapeutic exercises are classified into three major categories:

• Endurance training
• Resistance training
• Flexibility training

No matter what type of exercise is prescribed to remedy a patient’s specific condition, the final goal of rehabilitation is to acquire a maximum level of physical fitness, without the use of more invasive methods. Therapeutic exercise can be performed at home, and gives you the power to improve your quality of life.

Therapeutic Ultrasound

Experience lasting relief from soft tissue injuries with therapeutic ultrasound sessions at Vital Motion. Schedule your appointment today at our Washington, D.C. location or call (202) 296-3555 to learn more.

What Are the Benefits of Therapeutic Ultrasound?

Soft tissue injuries such as sprains, strains, and bursitis are fairly common. Bursitis, which is inflammation of the
sacs of fluid that lubricate tendons and joints, is one of those injuries that results from overusing a specific part of your body. Meanwhile, sprains and strains, which are damage to tendons and ligaments, respectively, may result from both continuous and accident-related trauma.

Given how common soft tissue injuries are, you need some form of treatment that can address them effectively. That’s where therapeutic ultrasound comes in.

Therapeutic ultrasound generates sound waves inside your body. As the ultrasound waves interact with your tissues, they will produce heat around those areas.

By creating heat, the ultrasound waves can improve circulation. They can direct more nutrients to your injured tissues and facilitate faster recovery. Your symptoms should dissipate as the inflammation subsides.

Therapeutic ultrasound can help with conditions including back pain, neck discomfort, and joint stiffness. Other health issues related in part to chronic inflammation, including carpal tunnel syndrome, can also benefit from this treatment.

What Happens During Therapeutic Ultrasound?

Therapeutic ultrasound is popular largely due to how well it treats soft tissue injuries. However, that’s not the only benefit presented by this treatment. Ultrasound therapy is also worth trying if you’re interested in a treatment that’s easy on the body.

You don’t have to worry about experiencing discomfort during therapeutic ultrasound. Even the areas being treated may only feel slightly warm while treatment is taking place.

Extensive preparations are also not needed for ultrasound therapy. Once your chiropractor has confirmed that you have no wounds or infections that could be affected by therapeutic ultrasound, they can proceed with treatment. The treatment session is also fairly short and can be completed in 10 minutes.

Lifestyle Changes for a Healthier Spine

When it comes to your spine's long-term health, medical and chiropractic care goes hand in hand with certain lifestyle decisions. Simple things like lifting properly or standing occasionally while working at a desk can make all the difference. Vital Motion is committed to educating patients on the vital role mindfulness plays in maintaining spinal health. For your convenience, Vital Motion offers expert care at our Washington, D.C. location.

Resting and Sleeping

Neck and back strain are common during rest and sleep. Sometimes we fall asleep in strange positions or angles and wake up asking ourselves, "did I sleep the wrong way?" Your trusted chiropractor will tell you it's important that your pillow supports your neck and head so that everything is neutral with your spine. This is the simplest way to avoid aches and pains in the morning. 

Lifting

Lifting objects improperly is the most common way to injure your spine. Always use your legs to lift, never your back! Keep your back straight and hold the object close to your body. Never twist while picking something up and always set the object down the same way you lifted it. Lifting properly is the easiest way to avoid seeing your chiropractor. 

Talking and Texting on the Phone

If you need to speak on the phone for an extended period of time, using the speaker function or a headset is recommended to keep your neck aligned with your spine. Tilting your head towards your shoulder will damage muscles and vertebrae. Similarly, when you're texting, keep your neck and back straight with the device at chest or eye level. Never hunch!

Working at a Desk

While working at a desk for an extended period, make sure you're getting up every thirty minutes to stretch out your body. Also be sure that when you're sitting, your feet are flat on the floor with your knees at a ninety- degree angle. Your computer screen should always be at eye-level.

Some of these bad habits are second nature, so it's easy to forget to pay attention to what we are doing with our bodies. Awareness is key. If you think you injured your back or neck, contact our office today.

Common Conditions Treated

We dedicated to providing superior treatment options for people suffering from symptoms associated with injuries or chronic pain. Some of the most common conditions we can treat with our integrative medicine methods include, but are not limited to:

• ADHD
• Allergies
• Back pain
• Carpal tunnel
• Neck pain
• Fibromyalgia
• PMS
• Stress
• Osteoporosis
• Osteoarthritis
• And much more! 

We also treat patients who are suffering with chronic conditions that can be debilitating. Some of these conditions are:

• Multiple sclerosis
• Parkinson’s disease
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Cerebral palsy
• Many others

We believe that integrative medicine offers effective treatment options that focus on getting to the root of the problem, rather than simply treating surface symptoms associated with a condition.

When you suffer from one of the aforementioned conditions, or any condition that is causing symptoms you’re unsure of how to deal with, it’s common to try multiple treatments in the hope of finding a solution that will work for you. A couple of the most commonly used methods for treating the symptoms that our patients deal with are chiropractic care and medical acupuncture. We believe that these practices will not only address and relieve the pain your condition is creating, but also work to correct the way your body functions so that you can heal and see your body restored.

An important part of integrative medicine is to teach our patients that general wellness is vital to your overall health. Whether you are seeking integrative medicine to help heal an injury or deal with chronic pain, we want to help you learn to live a healthy lifestyle. Living a healthy life can greatly benefit your efforts in treating the specific condition you’re dealing with. As part of a healthy lifestyle, we encourage patients to incorporate the following:

• Regular exercise, at least 30 minutes per day
• Regularly washing your hands to maintain good hygiene
• Eating healthy foods, such as lean proteins, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits
• Regularly visiting an integrative medicine practitioner

Contact us today to learn more about integrative medicine and pain management.

Allergies

Integrative medicine can help reduce the severity and the frequency of your allergies.(1) Integrative medicine does not work like an anti-histamine as a direct, short term relief from allergies. Integrative medicine allows your body to be better equipped to fight against allergies.

Allergies are a reaction by your immune system to an allergen (substances that normally have no effect on people) resulting in sneezing, coughing, congestion, hives, rashes, and in severe cases, seizure and anaphylactic shock. These symptoms are caused by the histamines your immune system creates in an attempt to protect your body against the allergen.

When your spine is misaligned it can impinge on the nervous system in your body. Studies have shown that the nervous system has an effect on the functionality of your immune system. When your nervous system is under stress and not functioning properly, your immune system cannot work at an optimal level. Chiropractors work with the nervous system by aligning the spine to relieve any stress on nerves. This allows the immune system to work at a higher level, making it easier to fight off infections while recognizing allergens.

When your immune system recognizes allergens, it will not overreact to them, or at least not react as severely to them.

If you suffer from allergies, integrative medicine can help you find relief. Schedule an appointment today.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

This condition is most commonly associated with people who are constantly using a computer. Typing is a motion that, when performed repetitively and with poor posture, can cause carpal tunnel syndrome. Symptoms include pain, numbness, weakness, or a burning sensation. The nerves in the fingertips travel through the wrist, up the arm, and into the neck. The spine is the center of the nervous system, and the pain in your hands and wrists can be relieved by your chiropractor with concentrated spinal and joint adjustments.

Degenerative Disc Disease

Degenerative disc disease is not as much a disease as it is a name for the changes that can happen to the spine as we age. Our discs are made of a tough, rubbery exterior and a soft interior. They sit between the vertebrae to act as shock absorbers. As we age, the spinal discs begin to degenerate. This can cause herniated discs, bulging discs, spinal stenosis, and osteoarthritis.

The degeneration of spinal discs may cause no symptoms at all, and symptoms depend on each patient and the severity of their case. Pain may occur at the site of the affected disc in the back or neck. As the pain is often caused by compressed nerves, this pain can also travel to other areas of the body like the buttocks, arms, and legs. Numbness and tingling in the arms and legs may also be experienced. Pain can range from mild to severe and debilitating.

As mentioned previously, our spines can degenerate as a natural part of aging. Tears in the tougher outer layer of the disc are common as we grow older. and when the discs begin to lose fluid, they become smaller and less flexible. In addition to aging, other factors that may come into play, including obesity, smoking, repeated physical work, and injury.

Pain caused by degeneration is often treated with hot or cold packs and an anti inflammatory medication. When disc degeneration causes problems like herniated or bulging discs, spinal stenosis, or osteoarthritis, other forms of treatment may be beneficial. This may include physical therapy, stretching, and in some cases, surgery. While degenerative disc disease is a natural part of aging, there are things you can do to prevent pain and stay healthy. If you are experiencing frequent back or neck pain, be sure to visit our office for an examination so we can create a treatment plan for you.

Disc Problems

Intervertebral discs are positioned between the vertebrae in the spine. The outside of a disc is made from cartilage, and in the center is a jelly like solution. These discs serve many purposes, including allowing movement of the spine, creating space between the vertebrae, and acting as shock absorbers. The gelatinous middle allows the disc to compress and expand based on impact and movement. Trauma to the spine can
cause the discs to herniated, bulge, become displaced (slipped disc), or even rupture. Trauma or direct injury to the area is not the only cause, however. As we get older, the discs can begin to weaken and dehydrate. These conditions can put pressure on the nerves around the spine and cause pain.

If you’re dealing with any of these injuries, consider visiting Vital Motion for chiropractic care. Surgery can be
costly, carry risks, and involve lengthy recovery. Often, chiropractic treatment offers a safer, more affordable
path to relief and healing. By properly aligning the spine, pressure can be relieved on nerves and on the discs
themselves. This will reduce and hopefully eliminate your pain and discomfort and allow you to live a normal
lifestyle.

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a condition that we still do not know much about. There is no specific known cause, and it could
be brought on by many different factors. The main symptom of fibromyalgia is chronic pain throughout the
body, mainly located in joints. The pain may be achy, sharp, radiating, burning, or shooting and it may be mild or
severe. Fibromyalgia has also been known to bring on other conditions like trouble sleeping, headaches,
depression, and anxiety.

While there is no known cure for fibromyalgia, chiropractic treatment can help to uncover what may be causing
the pain and also provide relief for the pain. The cause of fibromyalgia could be physical, mental, or emotional,
so a full examination will be performed. Adjustments and chiropractic massage can be used to relieve pain from
the affected areas. The added effects of chiropractic treatment such as increased energy levels, better circulation, and a stronger immune system can also help to fight the effects of fibromyalgia. If you are
experiencing symptoms of fibromyalgia give us a call to schedule a consultation so we can establish a plan to start you on your road to recovery.

Headaches

Many people believe that headaches are caused by loud noise, being tired, or being stressed. While these are
all factors that can lead to headaches, the direct cause is tightness in the neck and shoulders. The tightness can cause misalignments in the vertebrae of your neck, resulting in pain. 80% of all headaches originate from the neck. With a typical cervicogenic (neck origin) headache, a person usually feels pain starting at the base of the skull which radiates into the temples, eyeballs, and forehead. Massage of the neck and shoulder muscles can release tension, and a chiropractic adjustment can realign the vertebrae in your neck. Integrative medicine can help eliminate the cause of your headaches rather than offering a temporary relief from the symptoms.

Joint Dysfunction

Joint dysfunction occurs when joints become stiff and full movement is restricted. It can be caused by an injury,
poor posture, overuse/underuse of a joint, muscle imbalance, as well as other factors. Like arthritis, joint dysfunction can cause pain in the joint and the surrounding muscles, and can also cause problems in other parts of the body due to overcompensation.

One common form of joint dysfunction is sacroiliac joint dysfunction, which occurs where the base of the spine meets the pelvis. It causes low back pain and prohibits movement. This condition is often misdiagnosed because the symptoms are similar to sciatica or a herniated disc. 

Neck/Back Pain

Pain along the spinal column in your neck or back is usually caused by subluxations, or misalignments of your vertebrae. A small misalignment can cause pain by causing pressure on nerves. Left untreated, these subluxations can cause muscle spasms and increasing pain. Chiropractic adjustments properly align your spine so that pressure on joints and nerves is released. It is a direct treatment for the cause of the pain, not a temporary relief like pain relievers or massage. If you are experiencing back or neck pain visit us today.

Osteoarthritis

Arthritis is a condition that is caused by the wearing down of the cartilage between joints. Some of the major
joints that are affected are the knees, hips, back, neck, and hands/wrist. Arthritis can be painful and can cause
the affected areas to not function properly. Arthritis in one area can cause arthritis or other problems in a different joint. For instance, if you have arthritis in your left knee, you may compensate for this by putting more pressure on your right side, leading to right hip problems.

Pain killers can cause temporary relief from pain and discomfort, but it is not a long term solution. Chiropractic can alleviate pain by releasing pressure on the nervous system with proper alignment. It can also restore proper
joint movement, helping to ensure that you use proper motion so that you do not cause injury to other parts of your body. We are not concerned strictly with the affected area, but rather the body as a whole. We aim to restore and maintain proper movement and functionality to increase your overall well being.

Pinched Nerve

When a nerve is squeezed or compressed it is called a "pinched nerve". This can be caused by spinal
misalignments, bulging or herniated discs, or other factors. The increased pressure on the nerve causes
inflammation, pain, and sometimes muscle spasms. The pressure on the nerve must be relieved in order to alleviate the pain. An examination can reveal the cause of the pain, and an adjustment can relieve the pain by properly aligning the spine and addressing the cause of the pain.

Sciatica

Sciatica is a condition that results when the sciatic nerve becomes irritated. Bulging discs, spinal subluxations,
and muscle spasms can all cause increased pressure on the sciatic nerve. When this happens it causes pain,
numbness, and weakness in the lower back and leg. To properly treat sciatica the cause of the condition needs
to be diagnosed and properly treated. Your chiropractor can help you do this.

Whiplash

Whiplash is a common injury for people involved in car collisions. When a car is struck from behind or collides with another object, it causes the neck to snap back and forth violently. This causes the muscles and ligaments to overextend, leading to strains and/or tears. This is referred to as soft tissue damage, and can cause stiffness and soreness. Whiplash can also cause structural damage such as misaligned vertebrae, herniated, bulging or ruptured discs, or nerve damage due to the overextension from the violent movement.

Adjustments and alignments can be performed specifically for those who have been in car accidents and suffered from whiplash. The pressure on the discs and nerves is released when the spine is returned to its proper alignment. Integrative medicine can be used to help relieve the pain and discomfort from soft tissue injuries. If you have been in a car accident, schedule an appointment with us before relying on pain medications
and surgery.

Maintenance Care

We have discussed many conditions that can be relieved through integrative medicine. The best way to treat these conditions is to prevent them before they even start. Regular visits can help to prevent physical problems and injuries from occurring. Other potential benefits of regular visits are increased flexibility and mobility, higher level of energy, improved posture, more effective immune system, better circulation, and an overall better feeling of well-being.

Geriatric Chiropractic

As our population ages, many seniors are seeking holistic treatment modalities to manage their physical and mental well-being. Geriatric chiropractic care is a specific form of chiropractic treatment that offers non- invasive, natural solutions to help foster healing in aging individuals. We provide expert osteopathic and chiropractic care, along with integrative medicine and acupuncture. Our holistic approach supports your health and wellbeing, helping you age gracefully and enjoy life to the fullest.

As the body grows older, many seniors experience degenerative conditions of the spine, ligaments, joints, nerves, discs, and bones. Poor posture over the years can result in diminished flexibility and reduced mobility of the body, difficulty with balance, and painful symptoms from conditions such as degenerative disc disease, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic inflammation of the muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves, and misaligned vertebrae. Left untreated, these conditions generally worsen over time and can lead to dangerous falls or other personal injury incidents.

Geriatric chiropractic care focuses on treating the whole body with a range of treatment techniques
that may include:

• Gentle chiropractic adjustments to improve the alignment of the spine, increase range of motion and
  flexibility, and foster improvements to balance and posture.
• Acupuncture to ease pain from arthritis and improve circulation. 
• Soft tissue therapy techniques such as myofascial release and massage can foster relaxation, ease stiffness, and muscle tension, and improve blood circulation. 
• Personalized therapeutic exercise programs to strengthen the body, improve physical function (including
  balance and coordination), restore mobility, and foster flexibility and respiratory capacity. 
• Recommended lifestyle changes to help improve sleep, daily activities, and quality of life so seniors can take
  important measures to optimize their health and well-being.