Conditions We Treat
Chiropractic care has been misunderstood by many since it’s induction in the field of medicine. This is changing, as more and more medical specialties recognize the need for integrative care.
In this age of concern for being ‘green’, and returning to natural healing products, the chiropractor has been emerging as an integrative part of health-care and wellness.
Effectively treating without drugs or invasive surgery, the chiropractor is essentially, a ‘green’ neurologist, as their core study and doctorate is based on the nervous system. This includes the spinal cord, the nerves and how they affect all areas of the body, muscles, tendons, and other tissues that help us function and move.
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Headaches Foot Pain Arthritis Fibromyalgia |
Sciatica Back Pain Neck Pain Accidents/Injuries |
The most prevalent type of pain is the headache. Often thought to be of no concern, normal and accepted as a trial of life, headaches are one of the primary ways the body asks us to pay attention to our body, soul, and spirit. The internalized emotional stress, environmental triggers, misuse of the body, and of course, even life threatening issues, can produce the dreaded headache. Almost everyone has some type of medication for headaches in their home. With so many different issues that may underlie this problem, relying on over-the-counter medications may only mask the real problem, or prolong the suffering. According to E.S. Kristoffersen, et al, in the October 2011 issue of the Journal of Headache Pain, 62% of people in their survey of chronic headache sufferers, consult an alternative care specialist, including chiropractors, to alleviate the problem.
Dr. Dornbier can assess the headaches, and if you require care from a different specialty, Dr. Dornbier will give you a referral to a trusted professional. However, most headaches can be quickly and easily treated in our office with chiropractic care, and perhaps therapeutic massage.
For more in depth information, see our Issue 2 Newsletter on Headaches.
“Your foot bone is connected to your... anklebone, your anklebone is connected to your...leg bone, your leg bone is connected to your... hipbone, now hear the word of the Lord.”
This old song by James Johnson titled "Dem Dry Bones," is based on Ezekiel 37 from the Bible. In this story, a prophet came upon a valley filled with dry bones. Through this prophet, God created an army by calling life into the bones; first they came together to form a skeleton, and then healthy, human flesh returned, followed by life.
Dem Dry Bones, remind us that all our bones are interconnected. When one bone is misplaced, the rest of the body will compensate for it, causing pain in places we can’t recall hurting!
The "straight" talk is, your footwear could be the cause of your back pain! Dr. Dornbier offers a foot scan to determine if your feet need special support in order to bring new life to your body, and bring your bones back into alignment.
"I'll take degenerative spine160 CHIROPRACTIC for $25.00.”
“ANSWER: Two hundred and six.”
“QUESTION: How many bones does the human body contain?”
As a degenerative disease of the joints, our lifestyle can be in "jeopardy," if you have arthritis. This can be debilitating at worse, and aggravating in the least.
The most common types of arthritis include Osteoarthritis, which wears down the cartilage of the joints, and Rheumatoid Arthritis, in which the immune system of the body attacks its own joints.
Chiropractic care, alongside the care of your primary care doctor or rheumatologist, makes a great addition to your health care team for this condition.
No, this isn’t the pain of making sure you get enough fiber in your diet, though that is definitely part of a healthy lifestyle! Fibromyalgia is a perplexing condition affecting around 3 - 6% of Americans, predominately women. It has wide-spread, unexplained pain and tenderness through-out the body. If you present with a possible diagnosis of fibromyalgia, Dr. Bolton may need to order some blood work to rule out other issues.
The natural approach to this condition includes nutrition counseling, stress management, exercise, and sleep issues. The American Chiropractic Association website states that this regime, used along with chiropractic care, has consistently ranked as one of the most effective for the fibromyalgia patient.
Are you sitting on a mound of money? Most of us wish we were, but sitting on one’s wallet can cause painful results. Sciatica, or pain that shoots down the leg from the lower back, often accompanied by burning, weakness, tingling, or numbness is quite prolific. Pregnancy, trauma, bulging discs, degenerative disc disease, and spinal stenosis are some of the many culprits creating this shooting pain. Even coughing or sneezing may send the back into spasms with this condition. Amazingly, even hip rotations can create pressure to bring it on (see the section on orthotics). In fact, the Celts actually blamed sciatica on elves shooting them, because they simply could not explain they mysterious pain.
The sciatic nerve is the longest and widest nerve in the body, and runs from the lower back, down the buttocks, into the back of each leg, and on into the foot. Pain can be intense, sharp, dull, constant or intermittent and tends to gradually increase or intensify, if not treated.
Gratefully, patients find that sciatica responds very well to the treatment Dr. Dornbier uses for this, sometimes complex, issue. Restoring spinal composure through exercises, therapies, and subluxation adjustments, will usually bring relief.
Though spinal stenosis is often more difficult to treat and cannot be "cured," regular chiropractic care can certainly help.
Most people suffer with back pain at some point in their lives, either from too much activity, poor posture or sleeping posture, heavy backpacks or purses, high-heeled shoes or poorly supporting shoes, are among many other factors may make for a miserable day. In fact, the only thing more common than low back pain is a headache.
Many things attribute to those crippling back spasms; from the wrong mattress, to being overweight, even being too thin, such as, anorexia can cause problems for the spine. Age, medical conditions, injuries, and sedentary lives all can produce debilitating pain and missed workdays adding to the stress of job overloads that keep us hunkered down over a desk.
When the bones of the spine lock up and cause congestion in the spine, or tight muscles pull at the joints, pain will make its presence known loud and clear. With the prevalence of back pain, periodic chiropractic maintenance (like getting the oil changed in a car) can help keep you functioning at your best. Dr. Dornbier is just a phone call away when your body is screaming at you for relief.
Do you have a pain in the neck? No, not that kind, we all have those. Do you have trouble turning or bending your neck, even difficulty sleeping due to neck pain?
Neck pain is a very common condition that seems to be increasing in our society, due to excessive “Forward Head Posture.” With the prevalence of texting, laptops, hand-held games and the like, even children are finding “text neck” problems. These include headaches, neck and shoulder pain, even numbness and tingling in the arms. This is not something to ignore. Doctors are finding premature aging conditions of the spine in even young patients.
Other examples of conditions that aggravate or cause neck pain, are degenerative disc disease, neck strain, herniated discs, pinched nerves, and injuries such as whiplash. Fibromyalgia, polymyalgia, and arthritis are also causes of pain in the neck. Dr. Dornbier understands the inconvenience of problems in the neck, and will help you move, work, drive, and text again.
Any sudden impact, acute twisting, misuse, or abuse of the body, can result in injuries to the placement of the bones, called a subluxation. Tight muscles from strenuous or continuous use, can pull on the bones, shifting them. Some of the most common reasons for seeking chiropractic care after an injury are:
- Personal injury from an auto accident
- Sports related injuries
- Falls or missteps
- Incorrect lifting or carrying of items
In addition to correcting the bone positions, your doctor may give you special exercises, suggest heat or cold therapy, electrical stimulation to the muscles, even prescribe massage therapy to alleviate the pain from these consequences of life. A treatment plan will be tailored to your needs after a careful examination, lifestyle discussion, and history is performed.
If you are active in sports having regular chiropractic visits and massage will help keep the muscles loose and the bones in their best position, for strength and pain-free movement.
