Month: January 2022

Recently, I had a patient, Robert, who came to my office because he was experiencing pain of his tailbone. He had been skiing a month earlier and fell directly on his tailbone. He said the initial pain was very intense, being so bad that he had to stop skiing that day. His discomfort had lessened but was still a mild to moderate, constant ache. He was concerned that while his pain was improved, it was still an ongoing, continuous problem that wasn’t getting better. This article will discuss tailbone pain, its causes and how chiropractic treatment can give relief of tailbone pain.

Back and neck pain relief are what most people think of when they consider chiropractic care. And while neck and back problems make up the majority of reasons patients come to me; I also help other conditions in my chiropractic practice of over 37 years. Robert’s tailbone pain is something I’ve commonly seen and have been able to help.

Robert had already been to his PCP’s office who had him get x-rays at another facility. The physician’s assistant from the PCP’s practice called Robert and said there wasn’t anything wrong with the x-rays. Robert was told it would just take time to go away and to take Tylenol for the pain.

Because his tailbone pain was not going away and taking medication was not something he was interested in Robert thought seeing a chiropractor worthy of investigating.

Sometimes a fall on the tail bone will cause a fracture or a very deep bruise. Fractures show up on x-rays. Bruises heal with time. In Robert’s case there was no fracture seen on the x-ray and any bruising should have healed in a month.

The anatomical word for the tailbone is the “coccyx.” The coccyx is the bottom, tail end of a larger bone called the sacrum. On either side of the sacrum are two large bones called the iliac bones. The sacrum and each iliac bone form a joint called the sacroiliac joint (SIJ). The sacroiliac joints are gliding joints. They glide back-and-forth when we walk.

When a person falls on their backside, they commonly can cause a misalignment of the SIJ. Because this joint is in the lower part of the pelvis it feels as if the pain is coming from the tailbone but, it is really coming from the sacroiliac joint.

In Roberts case this is exactly what happened. As a chiropractor I’m trained to look at the whole person. When I examined Robert, I found that he had tenderness and some muscle spasm over one of his sacroiliac joints. I obtained the x-rays that were taken earlier which confirmed a slight misalignment of the SI joint.

By utilizing safe, gentle chiropractic adjustments I was able to realign the SIJ in several treatments and I’m happy to report Robert had complete tailbone pain relief.

Visit here to learn more about  pain relief. See this site for information about a pain relief chiropractor near me.

Those having pain along the length of the shoulder and arm often wonder: “What’s causing this pain radiating down my arm?”  This complaint can cause severe discomfort in the shoulder, upper and lower arm and the hand and fingers. This article will discuss pain of the upper extremity, it’s possible causes and safe conservative treatment options.

Anyone experiencing discomfort of the shoulder and arm should question if a heart problem exists. This should be ruled out by the proper health specialist at a primary or emergency, urgent care setting.

Barring a cardiac event, the most common cause of pain in the upper extremity is from nerve irritation or a “pinched nerve” in the neck. Typically, this problem presents as an ache in the shoulder that travels downward into the upper and lower arm and the person can possibly develop numbness and tingling in the hand and the fingers. The symptoms can range from a mild, annoying discomfort to an excruciating, all consuming, intense agony.

Sometimes, a person will have a traumatic event that generates the problem. At other times, there seems to be no apparent reason for cause of the discomfort.

Mechanical misalignment of the spinal bones of the neck, called the cervical vertebrae, can pinch and irritate nerves that travel from the neck to the upper extremity. Many times, a cervical disc which is a specialized type of cartilage that forms a type of cushion between vertebrae can bulge, protrude or herniate, and create nerve pressure. This nerve pressure causes pain to radiate into the arm. When pain travels or radiates from one area to another it is called “radiculopathy.”

Chiropractors are the preeminent healthcare practitioners able to help with conservative, nonpharmacologic, non-surgical treatment of radiculopathy. Chiropractors can perform chiropractic adjustments to realign cervical vertebrae and reduce cervical disc compression of the nerves traveling into the arm safely and gently.

A 2013 research study followed 50 patients suffering from arm pain due to herniated cervical discs. After two weeks of chiropractic care 55% were “better” or “much better.” By three months that percentage improved to 86%.

As a practicing chiropractor of 37 years, I have seen many cases of upper extremity radiculopathy that responds well with chiropractic care. I inform my patients that they can certainly explore medical approaches involving medications and surgery. However, my experience has shown that most of these terribly uncomfortable conditions will respond to conservative chiropractic care. Most patients agree to try this approach first and leave surgery only, to non-responders.

Visit here to learn more about McKnight Road neck and back pain relief. See this site for information about a neck and lower back pain relief chiropractor near me.

HAPPY REV. MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY. From the Pittsburgh North Hills chiropractic office of Dr. James J Schofield.

Recently, I had a patient, Abby, a high school swimmer who came to my office because she was experiencing shoulder pain. She was just starting the swimming season in her senior year. She was concerned that her complaint would cause her to miss competing in her last year of eligibility. This article will discuss shoulder pain, its causes and how chiropractic treatment can be of help with those suffering from pain of the shoulder.

When most people consider chiropractic care they think of back and neck pain relief. While neck and back complaints make up the bulk of problems my patients experience, I also am able to help other conditions in my chiropractic practice of over 37 years. Swimmers frequently experience shoulder pain. In fact, it is so ubiquitous that it has been tagged with its own name called “swimmer’s shoulder.”

Abby’s parents had already taken her to a physician’s assistant who had prescribed anti-inflammatory medication and recommended seeing an orthopedic surgeon. The physician’s assistant said the surgeon would most likely give Abby an injection of more anti-inflammatory drugs and then they could see if she had enough pain relief to resume swimming.

Her parents, looking to find a more natural type of care, and seeking correction of the cause of the pain versus merely suppressing symptoms thought seeing a chiropractor was worth investigating.

During Abby’s initial visit I performed a thorough evaluation of not only the shoulder but of other areas to identify any and all factors contributing to her shoulder complaint. We found that in addition to irritation of her shoulder bursa and tendons she had alignment problems of the spinal bones of the neck, which is called the cervical spine.

A sometimes-overlooked feature of the shoulder is its association with the cervical spine. If the bones of the cervical spine are misaligned and not moving freely it can contribute to shoulder discomfort.

In Abby’s case we took an approach of treating the various factors causing the shoulder condition. Cold pack applications were used to help the bursitis and tendinitis inflammation of the shoulder itself. I performed safe, gentle chiropractic manipulation of the cervical spine to improve mobility and alignment. We also gave her exercises to improve poor posture that included rounded shoulders and forward head position.

I’m happy to report that Abby’s shoulder pain diminished rapidly, she said her shoulder felt stronger than ever during her swimming practices and we were able to give her shoulder pain relief naturally, without the use of potentially harmful pharmacologics.

Visit here to learn more about shoulder pain relief. See this site for information about a shoulder pain relief chiropractor near me.

“I don’t get dizzy when I play deck hockey anymore!” is what my patient, Jack, recently told me. I am a chiropractor who has been in practice for over 37 years. When most people consider chiropractic care they think of neck and back pain relief. While back and neck complaints make up the majority of problems my patients experience, I also am able to help other conditions. This article will discuss dizziness, its causes and how treatment to improve alignment and movement of the spinal bones of the neck can bring about relief of dizziness.

Let me tell you the whole story behind Jack’s comment. I’ve known Jack, as a patient, for many years. Periodically, he would come to my office for treatment of lower back pain. During one of these visits, he happened to mention that he was getting dizziness whenever he played deck hockey. Jack is in his mid-40s and plays in, and referees deck hockey games two or three times a week. These games are a considerable source of enjoyment and exercise for him. He was having to either drop out of games when the dizziness became too bad or to refrain completely from playing in some games.

He had correctly visited with specialists to make sure did not have a medical problem such as a cardiovascular condition. He was also tested to see if there might be an abnormality with the balance mechanism of his ears. Additionally, an MRI of his skull was performed. Fortunately, all these tests were negative for serious pathology however, his dizziness persisted.

One thing Jack told me piqued my interest. He said that he only felt dizzy when he played deck hockey and at no other time. It seemed that when he had to turn his head a lot to look for the puck and for other players the dizziness commenced. Once he sat down and rested for a while the dizziness would diminish.

While there are many causes of dizziness, one that is often overlooked is a mechanical problem with the upper spinal bones of the neck. Ideally, these bones should be in good alignment and move smoothly and normally. If there is malalignment and abnormal motion of these bones it creates a problem called “mechanical dysfunction of the spine.” Dysfunction of this area of the spine affects proprioception, the ability to know where parts of the body are in relation to one another, which we perceive as dizziness.

One hospital in Japan found that of 1000 patients who noted dizziness as their chief complaint mechanical dysfunction of the upper bones of the spine was a contributing cause in 90% of the cases.

When I examined Jack, I found that he had muscle spasms and restricted ranges of movement of the neck. X-rays were taken which confirmed spinal misalignment.

Next, I performed safe, gentle chiropractic adjustments to realign and restore proper motion to the upper spinal bones and joints. Jack was given specific exercises to increase flexibility and strength which helped with his upper body posture. Using cold pack applications daily helped hasten his recovery.

I can happily report that he had total resolution of dizziness and was able to fully resume his deck hockey activities.

Please visit here for your local UPMC chiropractor near me. See your McKnight Road chiropractor for neck and back pain relief.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! From the Pittsburgh North Hills chiropractic office of Dr. James J Schofield.