Low Back Pain   Neck Pain   Headaches   Disc Problems

Sciatica   Whiplash   Scoliosis   Extremities

Low Back Pain
Many factors can be responsible for lower back pain. Improper sitting or lifting, over-exertion, trauma, or inherited spinal abnormalities can be the cause. Low back pain results in millions of dollars of lost work and untold suffering every day.

Many of the pain-sensing nerves of the spine responsible for low back pain are in the facet joints, the two interlocking "fingers" at the back of each spinal bone. The normally smooth surfaces on which these joints glide, can become rough, irriated, and inflamed. Surgical treatment often involves removing these facet joints, exposing the spinal cord.

Another cause of lower back pain can be a bulging disc putting pressure on the spinal cord or a nearby nerve root. The result is often numbness, tingling, or pain down the leg. Cutting away the bulging disc tissue, can permanently alter its ability to separate and cushion the adjacent bones. This rarely addresses the underlying strucural cause(s) of the back pain. Many research projects show conservative chiropractic care is safer and often more effective than back surgery at relieving back pain.

The chiropractic approach is to help restore a more normal motion and position of affected spinal bones by specific chiropractic adjustments. The simplicity and success of this approach has been documented in numerous research projects and has helped many patients with back pain avoid risky surgery.

Find out if yours is a chiropractic case and enjoy the positive results that millions of patients have discovered.

Neck Pain
Is it hard to look over your shoulder? Is there a constant throbing in you neck? Do you notice a "grinding" sound as you turn your head? Sounds like you need a thorough chiropractic examination. Did you know that your neck has to balance and support the equivalent of a 10-13 lb bowling ball! Neck pain is a common health complaint.

A popular response to neck pain is taking drugs to cover up the problem (aspirin, analgesics, pain pills) or treating its symptoms (muscle relaxers, heating pads). But neck pain isn't caused by a lack of aspirin or drugs!

The chiropractic approach to neck pain is to locate its underlying cause. This begins with a complete case history and thorough examination. Special attention is given to the structure and function of the spine, and its affect on the nervous system.

Is the proper spinal curve present? Are the nerve openings beteewn each pair of spinal bones free and clear? Is the head balanced? Are the shoulders level? These and other considerations are used to create a plan of specific chiropractic adjustments to help improve the motion and position of spinal vertebrae. With improved structure and function, neck pain often diminishes or totally disappears-without addictive drugs or harmful side effects.

Headaches
There are many types and causes of headaches. Because headaches are so common, some people think that getting a headache is just a normal part of life.

A frequent and overlooked cause of headaches is the malfunction of spinal bones in the neck and upper back. When bones of the spine lose their normal position or motion, sentive nerves and blood vessels to the head can be affected. When spinal nerves and related tissues are stretched or irriated they can produce throbbing headaches. Aspirin and medications may cover up these warning signs, but do not correct the underlying structural cause. Many people find relief and correction with chiropractic care.

If a thorough examination reveals reduced range of motion, loss of normal spinal curves, or mechanical restrictions, chiropractic care should be considered. After a complete explanation, you'll receive a care program designed for your unique spinal problem.

Many patients report headache relief. Others find that the correction of their problem takes longer because their spinal problem has existed undetected for many years. Every patient responds differently.

Disc Problems
The intervertebral disc is a common culprit in spine-related health problems. The traditional approach to disc problems often ignores spinal function.

The chiropractic approach to disc problems is to help restore better motion and position to the spinal joints. Besides reducing disc bulging, better spinal function helps reduce inflammation and starts the slow process of healing the surrounding soft tissues. Conservative chiropractic care for disc problems is safer and often more effective than back surgery.

While results cannot be guaranteed, many patients have avoided needless surgery or a dependency on pain pills, by choosing conservative chiropractic care.

Sciatica
The sciatic nerves are the largest (and longest) nerves of the body, reaching about the size of your thumb in diameter, and running down the back of each leg. When these sciatic nerves are irritated or affected by inflammation of nearby soft tissues, doctors refer to this as sciatica. One of the most common causes of sciatic leg pain is the Vertebral Subluxation Complex. It can be accompanied by the bulging or herniation of the soft, pulpy discs which separate each spinal bone. This can irritate or put pressure on the sciatic nerve roots as they leave the spinal cord. The result can be an intense pain shooting down either or both legs.

In the past, treatment of sciatica has involved pain medications, muscle relaxers, physical therapy, and even surgery. The chiropractic approach is to use carefully directed and controlled pressure to remove the interference from spinal structures. These chiropractic "adjustments" can be quite effective in reducing sciatica nerve irritation and its associated pain. Sciatica, like other health problems that can be traced to the spine, often respond dramatically to the restoration of normal spinal function through chiropractic care.

Whiplash
Injuries to the neck caused by the sudden movement of the head, backward, forward, or sideways, is referred to as "whiplash." Whiplash is most commonly received from riding in a car that is struck from behind or that collides with another object.

When the head is suddenly jerked back and forth beyond its normal limits, the muscles and ligaments supporting the spine and head can be overstretched or torn. The soft, pulpy discs between spinal bones can bulge, tear or rupture. The resulting instability of the spine and soft tissues can result in headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, pain in the shoulder, arms and hands, reduced ability to turn and bend, and even low back problems. As the body attempts to adapt to whiplash, symptoms may not appear for weeks or even months later. The chiropractic approch to whiplash is to use specific chiropractic adjustments to help return spinal function. If caught early enough, inflammation can be reduced and scar tissue can often be minimized.

While results cannot be guaranteed, many patients have avoided needless surgery or a dependency on pain pills, by choosing conservative chiropractic care.

Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a sideways curving of the spine that often gets started in childhood, when the bones of the spine are still growing. In many cases, the exact cause of scoliosis is unknown. Scoliosis is detected by uneven shoulder heights, a loss of structural balance, or a change in posture. If scoliosis is detected early enough, chiropractic doctors have had excellent success with scoliosis cases. Unfortunately, the most common treatment approach has been to wait and see how bad it gets, resorting to unsightly braces, or eventually surgery, if it progresses too far.

The chiropractic approach to scoliosis is to use specific spinal adjustments, often combined with corrective exercises. If detected early enough, chiropractic doctors have had excellent success with scoliosis cases.

Extremities
Many people are surprised to learn that joint pain in the hand, wrist, elbow, shoulder, ankle or knee can often be helped by chiropractic care. When joint function in any extremity is impaired, there is reduced range of motion, inflammation, calcium buildup, and scar tissue. This can be caused from repetitive motions, improper sitting, overexertion, slips, falls, accidents, and other causes. Awareness of these types of problems has become more common with terms like "tennis elbow", "runner's knee", "frozen shoulder", and "carpal tunnel syndrome."

The traditional treatment of these extremity problems involves splinting the joint to reduce movement, pain medications, muscle relaxers, steroid injections, and even surgery! What else can be done?

Today, a more common sense approach is being taken with extremity issues. Joint mobilization, like chiropractic care for the spine, is being used in the care of elbows, wrists, and other joints of the body. Helping to restore normal range of motion to joints that have become "locked up", jammed", or injured, seems to improve blood circulation, reduce scar tissue, and speed the healing process. Joint damage from repetitive motion can often be helped with chiropractic care, avoiding braces, drugs, or surgery.

Dr. Richardson is uniquely trained to detect and help restore proper joint function of the spine and the extremities.