Dr. John G. Vilkelis, D.C.

How long the adjustment for neck pain lasts will vary depending on a number of factors: first, the duration of the pain can affect how long the adjustment lasts. Severity of the pain also plays a factor. Next, underlying problems such as degenerative changes in the joints in your neck can create a condition where it will take much longer to heal. Finally, what you are doing to yourself on a daily and weekly basis can affect how long the adjustment lasts as well. Sitting at the computer for long hours (5 plus hours), playing a collision sport like rugby, training extremely hard at the gym and high levels of stress can all contribute to shortening the effects of the adjustment and shorten the relief you experience. Your chiropractor can help you explore all the issues to make sure you will get the best results from your adjustments.
I hope that adequately answers your question.

Best of luck!



Dr. John G. Vilkelis

39 West 56th St, 4th Floor

New York, NY 10019

(212) 582-9704

www.vilkelischiropractic.com

3 years old is not too young to see a chiropractor. In fact, all babies should be checked by a chiropractor as soon as possible after birth. The birthing process can be traumatic to the child’s neck and may require a very gentle adjustment (much gentler than what an adult or even an older child would receive) to make sure they do not develop some of the same problems that most adults have. When babies are born their bones are largely not calcified yet. They calcify or become hardened in the places that are put under stress first. If the infant’s atlas or 1st cervical vertebra is out of alignment form the birthing process it will have stress placed on the bone and will calcify earlier than it is supposed to and often in a shape that supports the misalignment thus leaving them open for neck problems, headaches and a series of other issues. Back to your 3 year old, while children do not have the same stressors as adults they do have stressors that can create misalignments in their neck that can cause pain and a number of other problems. A child of that age should be getting checked by a chiropractor probably every two weeks to make sure they are aligned properly and balanced so they do not run into biomechanical problems later on. Probably the same frequency that you should be getting checked yourself.

Good luck!

Dr. John G. Vilkelis

The low back pain you feel when you sit, stand, or walk for a while is most likely due to degenerative changes in the disk between two of your vertebra. Which also means at some time, you injured that joint. Now it may not be an injury like you’re thinking: “Lift something heavy, hear a pop, and now you have pain.” Sometimes the injury I speak of is very small. You might not even notice you did it at the time, but it started a process and over time it has become a problem and now the joints involved and the nerves at that spinal level are not functioning properly. You should certainly seek the help of a chiropractor before it gets worse. And when I say “before it gets worse,” I mean that it will get worse and it will likely get worse sooner versus later. A course of corrective treatment with a chiropractor followed by maintenance care with your chiropractor will give you the best chance at fixing the problem you have and prevent it from coming back. Lastly, because chiropractic adjustments get the joints moving again, the adjustments put a halt to degenerative changes so they don’t progress and make your condition worse. This is a huge reason as to why you will need to continue with maintenance care with your chiropractor after you address the acute problem.
I hope this helps you find a solution. Good luck!

Dr. John G. Vilkelis

My experience over the last 25 years has been yes, chiropractic can help hip bursitis. Aligning your pelvis and the entire kinetic chain (all the joints in the leg) will usually lead to a reduction in pain. The improvement experienced by my patients works like this: corrected alignment = corrected motion = less inflammation = less pain. While not gone immediately, the pain almost always improves from the first visit. If you’re not local to NYC, find a chiropractor who specifically mentions their extremity adjusting on their website.
I hope that answers your question.

Good luck!

Dr. John G. Vilkelis

It’s very possible that chiropractic can help with your 14-year-old (same age as my daughter) daughter’s migraines. Chiropractic adjustments can affect muscle tension, nerve function, and blood flow. If you’ve read anything about migraines, I’m sure you’ve read all about the increase in blood flow that often occurs during migraines. There are many types of migraines and I personally have had success with all of them to one degree or another. Chiropractic adjustments might only be part of the solution for her to move away from the medication. Food sensitivities, hydration, exercise and the proper amount of rest can all be important in solving the problem. If your daughter has been this way for a year and only treating with medication, you should definitely research some chiropractors in your area that deal with migraines and/or kids. You may be able to get her off the medication completely or at least reduce the need for it.
I hope this answers your question and it will encourage you to find an alternative to the migraine medication.

Best of luck!

Dr. John G. Vilkelis

It can be totally normal to have some pain or soreness after your first adjustment. Your chiropractor just unlocked some joints that have not been moving and so just like if you go to the gym and do a new exercise, you use the muscles differently and get sore. Now things are moving in a new way and can make you sore. Also, you may have a fair amount of inflammation and correcting your spine can make you sore from that as well. Healing is not a quick fix but a process that takes time and repetition.

Best of luck!

Dr. John G. Vilkelis

Chiropractic adjustments are absolutely safe for children of all ages. Adjustments are different for people of different ages. A newborn is adjusted very gently. So gently in fact you might even laugh at how easy it is. For tweens and teens, adjustments are very similar to adults but require less force because kids are not so filled up with adult stressors. If it makes you more comfortable, find a chiropractor that is certified in pediatrics through the International Chiropractors Association’s (ICA) Council on Pediatrics or the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA). They will be well schooled on adjusting kids of all ages.
I hope that alleviates your concerns.

Good luck!

Dr. John G. Vilkelis

There is possibly a problem in the hip where your leg attaches to your hip. It may also be a problem at your sacro-iliac joint in your lower back. Both could easily be caused by the accident you mentioned. Chiropractic care does very well with both of these problems. Hopefully you can find a chiropractor that adjusts extremities (the joints in the arms and legs).
I hope this was helpful.

Dr. John G. Vilkelis