Back Pain
Since back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide, it is vital to know how to prevent the cause of back pain. By maintaining a healthy diet and weight, remaining active and avoiding prolonged inactivity or bed rest are all important ways to avoid back pain. Before doing exercises or any physical activity, it is recommended to warm up and/or stretch.
Arthritis
Arthritis, or joint pain or joint disease, is the leading cause of disability in America. More than 50 million adults and 300,000 children are suffering from some type of arthritis. Common symptoms include swelling, pain, stiffness, and decreased range of motion. Severe arthritis can result in chronic pain, inability to perform normal day-to-day activities, and has the potential to cause permanent joint damage.
To determine whether or not you may be suffering from arthritis or to determine the severity, your medical professional will perform blood tests and conduct an imaging scan (ie: x-ray, CAT scan or MRI). Eating healthy, staying active, and understanding your type of arthritis and treatment options are crucial to decreasing your discomfort and paving the way for an enjoyable, happy life.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
CTS is a problem of the median nerve which runs from the forearm into the hand. When there is excessive pressure in the wrist, it causes swelling of the median nerve. This small area called the carpal tunnel is a narrow tunnel at the wrist made up of bones, soft tissues, nerves, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels. When the median nerve which runs through this tunnel gets compressed it causes pain, weakness, numbness or tingling in the hand and wrist which radiates into the forearm. The carpal tunnel is the most common area that gets compressed in both the hands and feet.
CTS should be diagnosed and treated early. During your consultation, you will receive a standard physical examination of the hands, arms, shoulders and neck to help determine if your symptoms are related to daily activities or to an underlying disorder. Our highly skilled chiropractor will also utilize other orthopedic tests to try to produce the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. Laboratory tests and x-rays can reveal diabetes, arthritis, fractures, and other common causes of wrist and hand pain.
Pinched Nerve
A pinched nerve can happen in a variety of places throughout the body with some of the most common being the lower spine, wrists, neck, and legs. A pinched nerve occurs when the muscles or tendons around the nerve are inflamed, putting pressure on the nerve and either causing pain or even numbness throughout the extremities related or attached to this affected nerve.
Your pinched nerve may be caused by different physical conditions such as carpal tunnel or a herniated disc. Though pinched nerves can be painful, the majority of patients find that their pinched nerve(s) goes away on its own.
If the pinched nerve does not resolve itself and you have persistent pain that lasts for more than a few days, you should seek medical attention by scheduling an appointment at McArthur Chiropractic with our chiropractor. This is especially true if you’ve tried at-home treatments but feel like your pain is worsening as time progresses. With pinched nerves, it’s important to seek medical attention in order to identify the underlying cause of the pinched nerve to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Neck Pain
The neck, also called the cervical spine, begins at the base of the skull and contains seven small vertebrae. The cervical spine supports the full weight of your head which is on average about 12 pounds. While the cervical spine can move your head in nearly every direction, this flexibility makes the neck very susceptible to pain and injury.
Neck pain ranges from easily ignored to excruciating. The pain combined with other symptoms can indicate that you need immediate medical attention. The signs and symptoms of neck pain include:
- Soreness or tenderness
- Stabbing pain
- Limited range of motion
- Radiating pain from the neck to the upper parts of the body
Typical Causes of Neck Pain
Some activities and events can lead to neck pain since they affect cervical biomechanics. Here are some of the reasons why people experience neck pain:
Injuries and Accidents. If surrounding tissues of the neck or head are suddenly forced in any direction, pain is often the result.
Old age. As one grows older, he is more likely to develop degenerative disorders like spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, and osteoarthritis.
Daily life. Some activities can cause the neck to bend forward unnaturally. Additionally, weak abdominal muscles and obesity affect spinal balance, leading to neck pain. Stress and emotional tension can lead muscles to contract and tighten, resulting in pain.
Chiropractic Care for Neck Pain
If you’re looking for neck pain treatment, our chiropractor at McArthur Chiropractic will begin by performing an exam to establish the source of your pain. Our chiropractor may ask questions such as:
- When did you start feeling pain?
- Which treatment methods have you tried so far?
- Is the pain stagnant or does it radiate?
- What makes the pain better or worse?
Physical Exam
For the physical exam, our doctor will:
- Check your physical condition and observe your range of motion and posture.
- Feel your spine and soft tissues. He will then check your spine’s curvature and alignment.
- Check your shoulder area.
TMJ
TMJ is an abbreviation for the temporomandibular joint which connects the mandibular, or your lower jaw, to the temporal bones of the skull. The TMJ is one of the more unique joints within your body as it allows you to move your jaw forward, backward, and side to side so that you can chew, talk, sing, yawn, and more. This joint can be found just in front of your ears on both sides of your head.
Any problem with the muscles, ligaments, discs, bones, or the joint itself are known as temporomandibular disorders or TMD and refers to the actual disorder, where the jaw joint is misaligned and causing problems such as pain, inflammation, and inability to move or operate the jaw. However, these problems or conditions are often incorrectly called by the joint name of TMJ instead.
Shoulder Pain
Shoulder pain is a very common condition and affects almost half of the U.S. Most patients feel some sort of pain, limited range of motion, an inability to engage in activities of daily living (ADL) or something more serious as a permanent disability.
Headaches/ Migraines
Nine out of ten Americans say that they suffer from headaches. Some of these people experience headaches frequently. Some experience constant headaches that are very painful. These can even make a person nauseous. Ninety-five percent of headaches are tension, migraine, or cluster headaches. These types of headaches are not caused from a disease, but from something in your body that is not sitting correctly.
Sports Injury
Sports can be very taxing on your body, no matter what you play. Our trusted staff will work with you to get to the root of your problem and help you feel better again. We help treat and also prevent injuries in the neck, back, shoulders, knees, and ankles. We are able to manually adjust your spine, relieving any pain that you are feeling. This will allow your body to function much better after the injury.
Auto Injuries
Even a “minor” crash can result in serious injuries like ligament sprains. This can lead to chronic pain and disability if not treated properly. In fact, research shows that early treatment is the best way to prevent long-term symptoms. Chiropractic adjustments are effective because they help restore the healthy, normal function of your nervous system without the use of drugs or surgery.
Neuropathy
Neuropathy is a medical condition caused by damaged nerve cells and often associated with autoimmune diseases, infections, diabetes, tumors, or hereditary conditions. Peripheral neuropathy currently affects over 20 million people in the United States with symptoms ranging from tingling or burning pain and nausea to muscle spasms, difficulty moving your arms or legs, or atrophy.
Knee Pain
Knee pain is increasingly becoming a more common problem in society. It is a complaint we see frequently. The most common complaint associated with knee pain is considered the normal “wear and tear.” Another ailment that affects the knee is osteoarthritis. The symptoms and progression of osteoarthritis and knee pain can be reduced through our individualized approach to chiropractic care.
Sciatica
Sciatica comes with frequent flare-ups and interferes with daily activities. At McArthur Chiropractic in Meridian, MS, we take pride in helping people regain their old lives by easing their sciatic nerve pain. You do not have to keep missing out on things because of pain. Reach out to Dr. McArthur and our team to schedule an appointment to address your sciatica once and for all.
To understand how chiropractic care can ease the crushing discomfort that comes with sciatica, it is first important to know what the condition is. A range of things can cause this painful condition. Sciatica is often the result of a bulging or herniated disc in the spine or a bone spur that presses against the sciatic nerve. This nerve runs from your coccyx (the triangular bone between the pelvis at the base of the spinal column) and down your leg. If you suffer from frequent lower back pain, hip pain, or leg pain, you may have sciatica.
Chiropractors Relieve Sciatic Nerve Pain
Chiropractic care is extremely effective when it comes to treating sciatica. Through manual manipulation and chiropractic adjustments to the spine, a chiropractor can relieve pressure on your sciatic nerve. This pressure is often the cause of the majority of discomfort associated with sciatica.
Dr. McArthur will relieve your sciatic nerve pain with as few treatment sessions as possible. However, depending on the condition and severeness of your symptoms, multiple sessions may be required to provide pain relief and support the recovery process.
Chiropractic Care Addresses the Source
All too often, people suffering from sciatic nerve pain believe their only options are to keep taking pain medication or undergo surgery for their sciatica. Unfortunately, pain medication only masks the symptoms, allowing the problem to become worse over time. Surgery comes with lengthy recovery periods which are often painful by themselves.
Chiropractic care treats the problem at its source without being invasive. Simple manual manipulations to relieve the pressure on the nerve helps our patients quickly get back to daily life with no recovery period. Each of our treatment plans is personalized to provide pain relief while supporting the recovery process.
Personal Injury
Our goal is to help you receive the proper care after a personal injury, auto accident or fall. Our staff is devoted to helping you obtain the most comprehensive treatments and the care you deserve, so you may maintain your quality of life after an injury and can begin to feel like yourself again.
Too often, individuals involved in an auto injury or wreck have minimal or no symptoms until several weeks after the auto accident. That is where the professionals at McArthur Chiropractic come in, and can assist you with all aspects of auto accident personal injury recovery.
Vertigo
Vertigo is the feeling that you are moving when you’re not. This sensation can be triggered by movements such as turning your head too quickly or looking down from a great distance, but it is ultimately caused by problems in the inner ear, brain, or brainstem. There are two different forms of vertigo with each stemming from various medical issues: peripheral vertigo and central vertigo.
Peripheral vertigo results in a problem with your inner ear and thus your balance, while central vertigo occurs when your brain or brainstem are suffering from a disease originating from your central nervous system (CNS). Peripheral vertigo is typically more severe, and central vertigo is more gradual in its onset. Regardless of the type of dizziness you are experiencing, more than likely, your quality of life is suffering because of it.
Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative disc disease is when natural changes in the discs of your spine cause pain. The discs between vertebrae act as shock absorbers for your spine, and as you age, they begin to lose flexibility. While this is a normal part of aging, it should not cause pain. If you experience pain due to this, it is classified as degenerative disc disease.
Each disc is composed of a sturdy outer wall and a soft, gel-like inner core. When we are born, these discs are primarily composed of water, but as age advances, the discs lose some of this water content and begin to get thinner. As you might imagine, this means each disc doesn’t absorb the shocks of everyday life as well.
Whiplash
According to the American Chiropractic Association, one of the most common causes of neck pain is whiplash resulting from a car accident. A sudden forced movement of the head or neck in any direction and the resulting “rebound” in the opposite direction is known as whiplash. The sudden “whipping” motion injures the surrounding and supporting tissues of the neck and head. Muscles react by tightening and contracting, creating muscle fatigue, which can result in pain and stiffness. Severe whiplash can also be associated with injury to the intervertebral joints, discs, ligaments, muscles, and nerve roots.
Work Injuries
Workplace injuries don’t only occur during traumatic slips and falls at work but are more often than not, the result of repetitive movements, and caused by doing the physical demands required of your job over an extended period of time. These types of workplace injuries are all too common in today’s workforce and are best identified by their symptoms.
- Lower back pain
- Shoulder pain
- Carpal tunnel and hand pain
- Disc injuries
- Sciatica (pain caused by the sciatic nerve in your lower back and legs)
- Joint pain
Being examined by a chiropractor is often the first step in identifying and treating a workplace injury through non-invasive care which is why McArthur Chiropractic conducts thorough examinations during his first session with new patients in order to better assess their injury. Since workplace injuries usually develop over time, it’s important to share all the symptoms you may be experiencing so we can identify the root cause.
Mid Back Pain
Pain in the mid-back is not fun to deal with or something to take in stride. It can be caused by serious conditions and lead to more trouble. Let’s learn more about mid-back pain, the causes, home treatments, and how chiropractic care at McArthur Chiropractic in Meridian can help.
Several issues can lead to mid back pain, including the following:
- Poor posture
- Herniated discs or another injury that puts pressure on the spinal nerves
- Overusing or straining your back muscles
- Accidents or injuries to the muscles, ligaments, or spinal discs
Tips for Preventing Mid Back Pain
- Practice proper lifting techniques when you need to lift an object.
- Exercise to strengthen your core muscles.
- Improve your flexibility through regular stretching.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Quit smoking.
Mid Back Pain Relief
Taking a few steps at home can help ease your mid-back pain.
- Rest, especially when you are experiencing pain. Take a break from what you are doing and give your back some time to rest.
- Ice and heat therapies are great. If you injure your back, you will want to use ice for the first two days. After that, use heat to help manage the inflammation and find some pain relief.
- Exercise when the pain is gone. Building your muscles can help you heal and prevent future pain.
If these tips do not help it is time to seek help. Dr. McArthur will provide treatment through spinal manipulations, massage, decompression, and more depending on your needs.
Have You Already Tried a Chiropractor?
It can be frustrating to visit a medical specialist and not walk away with a solution to your problem. Unfortunately, it does happen, but you should not give up. Sometimes, it takes more than one visit or more than one specialist to find an answer. If you have visited a chiropractor for your chronic back pain before but walked away still in pain, visit our team at McArthur Chiropractic. We won’t give up until we find a solution for your pain.
Chronic Back Pain
Chronic back pain can start with something as simple as a pulled muscle or a torn ligament that is not given a chance to heal properly. If treatment is to be successful, the cause of your pain must be identified and addressed appropriately. Visiting a chiropractor is one of your best options when it comes to dealing with soft tissue-related injuries. If you are suffering from chronic back pain and live in or around Meridian, contact Dr. McArthur at McArthur Chiropractic to schedule a consultation.
Chiropractic care is all about maintaining balance in the structure of both the spinal column and the rest of the body. The concept of adjusting the body to maintain that delicate state of balance is nothing new. Even minor adjustments can restore balance, opening up blood flow to an injured area and encouraging the body’s healing responses to be stimulated. Chiropractic care uses many treatment modalities to strengthen the body and support the healing process.
Treatment Options
With lifestyle and nutritional support, chiropractic care begins to lay the foundation for a healthier, pain-free life. Stretching and strengthening exercises are important because they build the body back up so it can become stronger and more resilient. These treatments provide your body with what it needs to begin the healing process. Our chiropractor will find the right combination of treatment modalities to provide pain relief and help your injuries heal. Best of all, chiropractic care does not rely on pain medication or invasive procedures like surgery to produce results.
Promoting Proper Healing
Chronic pain is often the result of improper healing. If you do not seek treatment after an injury, the damaged tissues may not heal as they should. Chiropractic care works to restore balance so that the body can begin to heal as naturally as possible. By incorporating positive lifestyle habits and proper nutrition, you can strengthen your body and restore balance resulting in good health.