Shoulder problems are very common and there are many different causes for pain. The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body and therefore is also the most unstable making it prone to stress and strain. It is often affected by painful problems that limit movement, especially such things as brushing or washing your hair, putting a jacket on or lying on the painful shoulder at night.

Like tooth decay, degeneration of your joints begins without you knowing. If you live long enough you will most likely develop some degree of osteoarthritis. The general wear and tear of our lives results in joints laying down extra bone in an attempt to protect and support the damaged area.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a very common condition affecting many types of workers in different settings. It involves the median nerve and is often a chronic, overuse condition of pain, tingling and numbness in the wrist, palm or fingers of one hand. It is usually the result of repetitive movement, pressure on the nerve or direct damage to the median nerve.

A disc is a cushion like structure located between each vertebrae in the spine. A disc herniation occurs when its outer layer weakens or tears and the inner segment protrudes out into the spinal canal. The protruding disc can then irritate the nerve in the spinal canal creating an inflammation reaction, resulting in pain in the neck or arms or pain in the back, buttocks or legs. Disc herniations can arise anywhere in the spine but they are most common in the neck and low back .

The ankle is a hinged joint capable of moving the foot in two primary directions; away from the body (plantar flexion) and toward the body (dorsiflexion). The ankle is formed by three bones; the large dome shaped bone at the top of the foot (talus), the end of the shin bone of the leg (tibia) and a small bone in the leg (fibula). As well as walking between 5000-10,000 steps a day, many of us carryout other physical activity such as running, aerobics, squash and tennis. Add this to the fact that our feet and ankles have to absorb our own body weight they are very vulnerable to injury.

The feet are often a neglected, underappreciated body part. Your feet play a huge role in controlling your balance, posture and how the rest of your body works. There are many different reasons why we get foot pain. The most common causes are a combination of trauma, poor biomechanical alignment of the bones, strains or disease.

There are those who suffer with headaches all the time and there are those that never get them. However there are many people who suffer with headaches as part of their everyday life. Are you one of them? Headaches can be a symptom of many different conditions and therefore many people are afraid that they could have something more serious. There are many types of headaches for example; migraine, cluster headaches and tension headaches. The last type is the most common form of headache which chiropractic is also the most effective at treating.

The hip joint is one of the largest joints in our body and much of the body’s weight rests on both joints. Your hips give you strength, stability, flexibility and mobility. Almost everything we do creates some tension in the hip joint and it is therefore important that we understand its function and how we can help it if a problem develops.

Many women are unaware that those aches and pains associated with pregnancy can be relieved by chiropractic care.  Many women also find that their labour is shorter and experience less discomfort if they have received chiropractic care compared to previous pregnancies.

One of the main causes of injuries is of course sports. Most sports involve body contact, fast stops and starts, quick turning, excessive loading on the legs or positioning that places an unusual amount of strain on the body. Many amateur and professional athletes are unable to continue playing because of injuries which may or may not respond to ordinary treatment. Some injuries can be prevented others are accidental. Some athletes continue playing but not at peak efficiency simply because their musculoskeletal system is not in balance.

The sciatic nerve along with its many branches is the longest and widest nerve in the body. It is about the diameter of a finger and its course runs through the buttocks, back of the thighs to the feet. The nerve can become irritated or inflamed by many causes and results in pain down the leg which is referred to as sciatica.

The letters TMJ are the abbreviation of Tempro-Mandibular Joint, which is the joint between your jaw and your skull. Do you grind your teeth; do you have a clicking jaw; do you have recurrent jaw pain, earache or headaches. If so you could be suffering from a TMJ problem.

Neck pain can be sudden pain and stiffness that you just wake up with or a pain that is just there all the time in the neck. Often it occurs suddenly and we just can’t turn the head one way or both. Sudden neck pain can occur in everyday situations without warning. It is good to go to a chiropractor if you have neck pain as it can be successfully treated. Often the problem occurs due to locking in the facet joints of the neck and a chiropractic treatment often gives excellent results.

Acute low back pain (LBP) is a sudden, often sharp pain in the low back which often results in the inability to move. Low back pain is the largest single reported cause of absence from work and the leading cause of disability. Acute back pain is one of the most common reasons why people seek chiropractic treatment.

Most people associate this with car accidents but every knock, fall, bump of the head or fall in the shower can all create joint restrictions and muscle spasms.

Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine to one side. The curve can bend to either side and can happen at any point along the spine. The curvature can also vary in severity and the chest and lower back are most commonly affected. In some cases the curve is so mild that you suffer no problems from it. In more severe cases of scoliosis it can cause pain in the whole of the spine, chronic tiredness and weakness in the back. Chiropractors are spine specialists and can examine a person with scoliosis.

For some people it’s an upset stomach, allergic reactions or sensitivity to chemicals, for others its recurring headaches, tension in the neck, back pain or muscles tightness.  No matter how you react it is your NERVOUS SYSTEM that is in operation. Which is why chiropractic can be so helpful.

Most of us are aware of the term whiplash and its association with car accidents, especially rear end shunts. Whiplash can present at greatly varying levels of intensity which do not always seem to correlate well with the impact of the accident. Often there is a traumatic injury to the neck causing neck pain, stiffness and headaches. The injury occurs when the neck is thrown backwards and then suddenly forwards with a hard force. Chiropractic treatment can reduce the pain and associated symptoms during the healing stages but also speed up the healing process.