Common conditions (chiro)

Intervertebral discs are the shock absorbing structures between each vertebrae of the spine.  These discs can be injured through trauma, lifting, overuse, poor posture or even genetics. Symptoms usually consist of pain in the area and into the limbs and can be associated pins and needles, numbness, weakness, burning or heaviness.  There are a number of problems other than bulges that can cause disc pain including disc irritation and disc degeneration.  Most disc bulges and injuries can be treated conservatively through physical therapy and exercise prescription.

Spinal instability refers to the increased motion between two vertebral segments.  This can occur from ongoing stress to the area, injury or degeneration which can in turn cause spinal fractures (pars defect or spondylolysis). This instability can then result in slippage of one vertebra relative to another (spondylolisthesis).

Nerves can be impinged, or pinched, as they exit the spinal cord. This can be from a number of reasons including disc bulge, inflammation around the spine, bone spurs, arthritis or instability.  When impingement occurs, this can cause shooting pain, dull ache, tingling, numbness, weakness, burning or loss of sensation or strength.  It is important to find the cause of the impingement to work on taking the pressure off the nerve to ensure optimal recovery.

There are many different types of arthritis.  Some of the more common are rheumatoid, osteo (degeneration), psoriatic, gout and ankylosing spondylitis.  Arthritis symptoms include pain, stiffness, inflammation and damage to joint and surrounding structures. This can result in joint weakness, instability and deformities that can interfere with the most basic daily tasks such as walking, driving and cooking.  Arthritis treatment is centered around controlling the symptoms and slowing down the process through physical therapy, exercise prescription and lifestyle advice.

There are many different issues that come with poor posture than can affect the way we move and function. Some of these issues include sway back, rounded shoulders, slouching, forward head carriage, and a tilted pelvis. There are many different reasons for these problems to occur and they can be treated or managed through physical therapy and advice.

Often everyday tasks can create muscular imbalances that upset the symmetry of our body and its function. It is very important to address these imbalances as early as possible to avoid learned behaviours (bad habits) and further injury. 

Headaches can arise from a number of structures including joints, intervertebral discs, muscles, tendons and ligaments. There are many different types of headaches including cervicogenic, tension, migraines, cluster and more. When these structures are not functioning correctly, they can refer up the neck and into the head, causing headaches. Proper diagnosis of headaches is very important due to the small incidence of sinister causes and our well-trained practitioners will perform a thorough physical exam to determine the cause of the headaches. 

There are two joints either side of the spinal cord, between each vertebrae from top to bottom, that provide stability and flexibility to the spine.  These facet joints can lock and cause spasm of the supporting muscles. This causes pain loss of movement in the neck. 

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) acts like a sliding hinge, connecting your jaw to your skull. TMJ disorders can cause pain in your jaw or in the surrounding muscles. Jaw pain may be due to a combination of problems, such as dysfunction, asymmetry, overuse, arthritis or injury. The muscles that control the jaw span from above your ears into your neck and are commonly the reason why jaw pain and dysfunction occurs.

Whiplash occurs mainly from car accidents but can happen with other injuries. It involves the whipping action of the neck in any direction causing damage to the structures around the head, neck and shoulders. The structures that can be injured include muscles, joints, ligaments, tendons and nerves. Whiplash can often become chronic in nature and is therefore very important to ensure the injury is treated through physical therapy and exercise prescription.

Joint sprains involve the injury of the supporting ligaments (the structure that holds bone to bone).  This can occur through injury or overuse. The ligament can tear fully or partially. Partial tears are often treated conservatively. Sprains are often associated with pain, swelling and stiffness.

Tendons are the end structure of a muscle that attaches it to bone.  Tendonitis is the inflammation of these tendons after overuse or overload, tendinosis is thickening of the tendon. Symptoms of tendonitis include pain, stiffness, inflammation and decreased range of motion.

Biomechanical joint dysfunction or fixation describes the locking up of the joints surrounding the spine. These joints can become fixed though overuse, postural issues, injury etc.  The main symptoms of spinal fixation is decreased range of motion and pain. This can cause a tightening up of the surrounding musculature and inflammation.

Muscle pain can occur after a muscle has been injured (strain, torn, pulled, spasm) during overuse or overloading.  Once the muscle is injured, you can experience pain, tightness, reduced movement, bruising and weakness.

Rehabilitation after an injury or surgery is very important for optimal healing. Our practitioners can tailor a plan based on passive and active range of motion, proprioception (balance), neuromuscular control, stretching and graded strengthening exercises together with manual therapy will encourage reduced pain, increased mobility and enhanced muscle growth and strength.

The ribs attach to both the spine at the back and the sternum (breast bone) at the front. They act as protection to the lungs, heart and other structures. They work similar to a bucket handle, moving up and down whilst we breathe.  It is common for these ribs to not function correctly or become stuck causing pain on movement, breathing or coughing and decreased range of motion through the chest cavity.

Scoliosis is an unnatural curvature of the spine from side to side that usually occurs without reason and usually pre-puberty.  When mild, it is important for this to be managed through physical therapy and exercise prescription to ensure the process is slowed and managed.  It is also important to monitor a scoliosis as swift action can be taken if it does progress.  Therefore, early diagnosis is paramount.

Sciatica is a term used to describe pain that runs down the back of leg. The term is not a diagnosis, it is a symptom. It is important to find the source of the impingement which can be due to a disc bulge, spinal dysfunction, muscle tightness, inflammation, arthritis or something higher up the spine, even into the brain. Sciatic issues can also cause burning, tingling, numbness or weakness. Depending on the diagnosis, most sciatic pain and symptoms can be treated conservatively though physical therapy and exercise prescription.

There are two sacroiliac joints (SI joints) between the base of the spine and the hips, one on either side. These joints are very strong, supported by ligaments, that are responsible for fluid movement of the pelvis and act to absorb the shock in this area. When the joint is dysfunctional or fixated, this cause decreased movement and pain in the area and down the leg.

The thoracic outlet is a space between your first rib, collar bone and muscles. There are nerves and blood vessels that run through this outlet. Thoracic outlet syndrome is when these nerves and/or blood vessels are compressed by the structures that create the outlet causing arm symptoms including pain, numbness, tingling and heaviness.

Impingement syndrome is a condition where the rotator cuff tendons or bursa of the shoulder are trapped and compressed during shoulder movements. This causes injury to the shoulder tendons and bursa resulting in painful shoulder movements. It can be caused by poor biomechanics, abnormal bone formation, tendonitis or inflammation. It is often accompanied by bursitis.

Frozen shoulder occurs when the shoulder joint (glenohumeral joint) becomes inflamed and fibrosed (tighten up) creating adhesion of the joint. There are three stages of frozen shoulder – freezing, frozen and thawing. Symptoms include pain, stiffness and reduced range of motion.

Shoulder instability is relatively common condition characterised by loosening of the ligaments and joint capsule surrounding the shoulder joint therefore enabling the bones to move excessively on each other and can often dislocate.

The rotator cuff is made up of four muscles that stabilise the shoulder (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis). When these muscles are placed under excessive stress (either by overuse or trauma), they can tear or develop tendonitis. This shows as pain and stiffness in the shoulder or down the arm.

A SLAP lesion is a tear in the labrum (the ring of cartilage that surrounds the shoulder joint). Often an initial forceful movement of the shoulder pulls the biceps tendon away from the bone causing the labral tear. This may be associated with a dislocation of the joint.

Bursae are fluid filled sacs that are located throughout the body between muscles, bones, tendons and skin to ensure low friction. When these bursa become inflamed, it is known as bursitis. It is most commonly caused by overuse and biomechanical dysfunction. Treatment of bursitis usually involves finding the source of it and correcting that along with treatment of the inflammation within the bursa.

Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is a common tendonitis of the wrist extensor tendons that attach on the elbow. Pain is felt right on the outside of the elbow and is often pinpoint in nature. It is usually caused by overuse of the elbow and wrist.

Golfer’s Elbow, or medial epicondylitis, is a common tendonitis of the wrist flexor tendons that attach on the elbow. Pain is felt right on the inside of the elbow and is often pinpoint in nature. It is usually caused by overuse of the elbow and wrist.

RSI is an umbrella term for injuries that involve overuse, vibration, forceful exertions, regular compression and sustained awkward positioning. It can often be associated with pain, tingling, numbness, stiffness, weakness and even decreased blood flow.

The carpal tunnel is a space within the wrist created by the bone of the wrist and a thick layer of fascia. Running through this space is nerves, tendons and blood vessels. If the size of this space is compromised by inflammation, injury, a narrow tunnel or certain diseases, it can impinge on these structures causing pain, numbness, weakness and decreased circulation.

De Quervains Tensinovitis is a common tensinovitis of the wrist with involves inflammation of the sheath that surrounds two of the tendons attaching to the thumb. This is commonly caused by overuse of the muscles.

Osteitis pubis is an injury in the groin that is particularly prevalent in runners and athletes who play sports that involve kicking. The overuse of muscles around the pelvis cause stress onto the pelvic joint. Repeatedly putting pressure on the pubic bones can cause them to degenerate if this issue is not treated early.

Snapping hip syndrome is a condition in which you hear and feel a snapping sound in your hip when you walk, run, get up from a chair, or swing your leg around. This condition is usually pain free and is more of an annoyance, but for very active people, snapping hip syndrome symptoms may also include pain and weakness that interfere with these activities.

There is a ring of cartilage around the hip joint called the labrum. It supports the hip joint, making it stronger. This labrum can tear through overuse or degeneration. Symptoms include clicking, catching, locking, pain and stiffness in the hip joint.

Chondromalacia patella is the softening and degeneration of the cartilage on the underside of the patella (knee cap). This causes pain deep in the knee, under the knee cap. It can also cause mal-tracking of the patella due to the changes in biomechanics.

Knee meniscus is a fibrocartilage that separates the femur (thigh bone) from your tibia (shin bone). It is commonly referred to as your cartilage. Each knee joint has a medial meniscus and a lateral meniscus. A tear in this meniscus is commonly caused by trauma (twisting) or degeneration. Symptoms often include clicking, popping, locking, swelling and pain.

The Iliotibial band is a long band of fascia that runs from the outside of the upper leg, from the hip to the knee. ITB syndrome is often caused by altered biomechanics due to underlying muscular imbalances. Your biomechanics can alter due to a muscle imbalance (weakness or tightness), fatigue and ground impact issues.

Osgood–Schlatter disease (apophysitis of the tibial tubercle) is an inflammation of the patella ligament at the tibial tuberosity (just below the knee cap). It is characterised by a painful lump below the knee and is most often seen in young children. It is usually caused by overuse (especially in sports involving running, jumping and quick changes of direction) and growth spurts.

Shin splints are a general term for any pain along the front of the shin. This pain can be either anterior or posterior. There are many reasons why this pain can occur including poor biomechanics, flat feet, incorrect footwear, instability, overuse etc. It is very important to establish a correct diagnosis and shin splints are just a symptom. There is a wide range of treatments for shins splints depending of the cause.

Achillies tendonitis is inflammation of the achillies tendon (heel) due to overuse, tight muscles, poor biomechanics and many more reasons. It is very common in people that are involved in sport but can occur and any age or activity level.

Heel spurs are bony growths the extend off the heel, either up or down, usually associated with chronic plantar fasciitis or achillies thendonitis. Bone is laid down to protect the junction between the tendon and the bone. Symptoms include pain, swelling and decreased range of motion.

The plantar fascia is a thick fibrous band of connective tissue originating on the bottom surface of the heel bone, extending along the sole of the foot towards the toes. It acts as a shock absorber for the foot. Plantar fasciitis is inflammation and tightening of this structure, often caused by overuse, poor biomechanics or trauma. It is often sore first thing in the morning and can feel like tearing in the base of the foot when walking.

Sever’s disease (apophysitis of the calcaneus) is an inflammation of the achillies tendon. It is characterised by a painful lump over the heel and is most often seen in young children. It is usually caused by overuse (especially in sports involving running, jumping and quick changes of direction) and growth spurts.