Dr. Jeffery Patrick Jones, D.C,

Certain toxins build up in the body and are mainly stored in the soft tissue, muscles and ligaments. The most common is lactic acid which is a side affect of glucose synthesis. When an adjustment is performed muscles and ligaments relax, nerve stimulation is enhanced and blood circulation increases. This causes a release of these toxins into the blood stream. The reason for increased fluid intake is to flush these toxins out of the system. Six to eight 8oz glasses is usually advised.

Your in health,

Doc

Definitely. We have had much success in our clinic with this problem. Gravitational forces that the cervical spine (neck) is subjected to in a "whiplash" type injury alters its normal biomechanical configuration. This in turn creates undue stress on muscles and ligaments, affects normal range of motion and creates nerve irritation. These types of headaches rarely ever are relieved very long with medication and the more often they occur the more meds you take, which is not a good thing for the body.

Since your accident happened a few years ago your condition has become chronic, so don't expect a miracle. It will take some time. The more correction you receive relative to the biomechanical distortion, the longer you will be able to go without the recurrence. In the future, when the doctor has your problem under control and you have a flare-up, it may only take one adjustment to get relief for several weeks or months.

Yours in health,

Doc

It is not uncommon to feel worse after the first adjustment. Sometimes it may take 3-5 before you begin to feel results depending on the severity of the condition. Because of muscle and ligament reaction to the adjustments coupled with increased blood flow and the release of lactic acid patients will feel sore, tired and sometimes feverish. Mild exercise such as just walking and lots of water helps.

Yes, it very effective for neck pain. Most neck pain is caused by a lack of the normal cervical lordosis (forward curve of the neck). This increased stress on the muscles and ligaments causes joint fixations and nerve irritation. Chiropractic manipulation can help correct this.

It's not a good idea to exercise immediately after. Muscles and ligaments are reactive for several hours after an adjustment because they are acclimating to the change in joint position. Exercise too quick and you just lost the benefits of the treatment. Rule of thumb: Adjust in the morning, workout in the afternoon and vice versa, or workout before the adjustment.

Yes, it would help. Chiropractors are experts when working with the biomechanics of the skeletal system. Unequal leg length and pelvic distortion can alter normal weight bearing on the feet and lower extremities therefore affecting gait and arches. Custom-made athletic orthotics by FootLevelers.com would also be beneficial. They take some getting used to in the beginning, but in the long run, they enhance performance. Another thing that could be considered helpful is one pediolyte pop in the morning and afternoon to replenish electrolytes.
Good luck in the competition.

Yes, you can. Stiffness in joints and muscles can actually be caused by vertebral fixations.

Usually once sciatica has developed it has become chronic and takes time to bring under manageable control. Depending on the clinical findings, I normally will see a patient 3x a week for 2-4 weeks, 2x a week for 2-4 weeks then 1x a week for 2-4 weeks. It may seem like a broad spectrum, but a lot depends on the longevity of the condition, complicating factors such as age, physical condition, disc involvement, or spinal curvature and how quickly the patient responds to treatment. Once I have the patient's condition under control, I advise a wellness program of one visit every 4-6 weeks, symptoms or not. It is easier to control a condition and more economical this way other than let it recur over time and have to start again.

One word of advice: If you are male, don't sit on your wallet, and if female, don't wear heels more than for extended periods. Both of these help to create sciatica because they cause structural imbalance.

Muscle reaction after an adjustment coupled with increased blood flow causes a release of lactic acid into your system that can create soreness similar to exercising. Drinking a lot of water flushes the acid out, therefore reducing the possibility of sores.

Yes. I would seek chiropractic care for this. The majority of injuries incurred from auto accidents involves muscles, ligaments and joints caused by G forces applied to the body upon impact disrupting normal biomechanical functions. Chiropractors are experts with this type of injury. Also, the longer you wait to get the correct treatment the worse the condition may become.

Definitely. Bad posture is one of the main contributors to the development of back pain. It can affect the natural curvature of the spine causing compression of the intervertebral disc and early spinal degenerative changes.

The first thing is to see a good chiropractor. Because your son has had bad postural hygiene for some time by your question, his muscles and ligaments are conforming to that position and causing loss of normal joint movement, i.e., fixations of the spine. I am sure that because of this when you ask him to straighten up the pain increases, so he slumps. The chiropractor knows how to treat this. He or she may also recommended a posture brace that can be worn under clothes so no one will even know your son is wearing it, except maybe wondering why he seems taller all of a sudden.

Other things to do would get him an exercise ball for daily stretching exercises. Do it with him and he will be more prone to comply. It only takes about ten minutes or so. Go online to therabandacademy.com, it is free to join and they have the equipment you need and also downloadable exercises. Your son can also sit on the ball while playing his video games and that should help his posture and core strength.

Yours in health,

Doc

Because the muscles and ligaments stay reactive for several hours after the adjustment, I would not recommended strenuous exercise immediately. Walking would be fine. Example: If you get an adjustment in the AM, it would be fine to work out in the late afternoon.

Doc

Yes, it is safe for all ages. I have treated patients from 3 weeks of age to 105 years of age.

Not usually. The sciatic nerve is formed by five separate spinal nerve branches, of which only 2 come from the lower back. The rest come from the sacrum (tailbone). Without the presence of radiating pain, your lower back pain can be related to vertebral fixation (loss of normal joint motion), which can irritate local nerves, muscles and ligaments in the immediate area. If not properly addressed, the situation can advance to include radiating pain and numbness. Ask around and find a good chiropractor. We see these types of problems daily.

I am sorry to hear that. Fortunately, there are some chiropractors that have financial plans that allows them by federal Hipaa compliance guidelines to charge patients in your situation an agreed to discounted fee based on your ability to pay. It is called a financial hardship letter that you sign at the doctor's office.

Now, what to do at home. There are several websites that offer exercises for many different conditions. One that is popular is therabandacademy.com. It is free to sign up. One thing is stay away from the heating pad. Hot Epsom salt baths are OK. Use ice packs on the lower back and sacroiliac joint for 15 minutes four to five times a day. Do not put the ice pack directly on the skin, use a towel. Ice can burn you. The lower back is where the branches of the sciatic nerve originate and then courses past the sacroiliac joint under the piriformis muscle down to the leg. Look up exercises for stretching the piriformis muscle. Sciatic pain can be caused by piriformis syndrome, google it. Walking also helps. It may be painful at first but it loosens the muscle and increases joint mobility. If you are male and carry a wallet in your back pocket don't sit on it. It will irritate the nerve and disrupt the normal position of the sacroiliac joint. Hope this all helps.

Doc

Adjustments can last for a couple of hours, several days or weeks. It really depends on the person's condition. Is it acute or chronic. How long has the condition been there. Underlying complications such as spinal curvature, disc degeneration, arthritis, etc. Have you been under regular chiropractic care long enough to get your condition under control and manageable? Patients that have successfully completed a chiropractic treatment program usually only need an adjustment once every 4-6 weeks to maintain an asymptomatic state.

Yes, they can. I would ask before making the appointment because certain types of equipment is needed to treat expectant mothers. A chiropractor that also includes the Webster technique in his/her expertise would be helpful. You can google Webster certified chiropractor. If you can't find one, chiropractic techniques in general will help.

There is another benefit for having regular chiropractic treatment during pregnancy, shorter labor time and easier delivery. I have treated dozens of expectant mothers all the way until delivery. The ones that had children before without chiropractic were amazed and commented that it was like night and day compared to the first. I remember one patient who was having regular treatments that I saw on a Monday and scheduled her back on Wednesday, she called and canceled because she was on her way to the hospital to give birth.

Congratulations. Babies and small children also benefit from chiropractic.

Several things can cause this pain. In males an enlarged prostate. In females urinary tract and/or bladder infection. The most common in my experience is musculoskeletal imbalance that has developed over a long period of time which has now advanced to the point of the symptomatic stage. Lumbar disc problems can also develop this way. It is hard to understand how this happened with no injury involved but it does.

If you are having low grade fever, frequent difficult urination with a burning sensation see an MD to rule out the possibilities that I mentioned in the first sentence of this response. If not, see a chiropractor.

The three most common ways to treat this type of injury are seeing a medical doctor who is going to prescribed pain meds and anti-inflammatories, physical therapy and chiropractic.

My experience in treating these types of injuries is that medication is helpful in treating the symptom, but doesn't address the underlying cause therefore the symptom returns when the medication wears off. Physical therapy is good for rehabbing the muscle and ligament strains/sprains that are involved. The main problem that these two do not address is the disruption of the normal biomechanical function and alignment of the spine created by the injury. If this is not corrected it can lead to the development of a chronic long lasting condition that can only be maintained. Research studies show that chiropractic treatment is most effective for these injuries.

If this has been going on for four weeks the longer you wait to seek treatment the worse it will become and the longer it will take to correct. Remember, the symptom is just a side affect of the cause. Treat the cause alleviate the symptom.

There are several things that can cause this. Lack of normal movement of the vertebra of the spine (joint fixations) creating nerve irritation and constant muscle contraction, arthritis, disc problems and other more serious causes such as infection or tumor. Whether it was a sudden onset or gradual, you should see a chiropractor or medical doctor without hesitation.