Symptoms
Arthritis
Arthritis is an inflammation and/or pain in a joint or joints such as the knees, wrists, elbows, fingers, toes, hips, and shoulders. The neck and back also have joints between the bones of the spine, and arthritis can develop there too.
Symptoms from chronic arthritis are pain, swelling, stiffness, and deformity of one or more joints. It may appear suddenly or come on gradually. Some people feel a sharp burning or grinding pain, while others compare the pain to the pain of a toothache. Moving the joint usually hurts, although sometimes there is only stiffness. While there are many different forms of arthritis, the most common two are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis: Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease of wear and tear on the cartilage at the ends of the bones. Over time, the once smooth surface of cartilage become rough, resulting in friction. The tendons, ligaments and muscles holding the joint together become weaker, and the joint itself becomes deformed, painful and stiff. It afflicts 15.8 million Americans, and typically runs in families, affecting women three times as much as men.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a type of inflammatory disease that attacks the membranes surrounding the fluid in the joint. The cartilages and tissues around the joint are destroyed, and the body replaces it with scar tissue. This makes the spaces between the joints narrow, they develop folds, and fuse together. Rheumatoid arthritis is an immune disease creating stiffness, swelling, fatigue, anemia, weight loss, fever, and crippling pain. It occurs in people under forty, and currently 2.1 million Americans are afflicted, twice as many women as men.
Back Pain
What are some facts about back pain?
An estimated 80% of adults will experience back pain at some time in their lives.Imbalances in the feet are often the cause of low back pain, even if the feet don't hurt. The feet are the foundation of the body. When they aren't balanced, abnormal forces are transmitted to the ankles, knees, hips, pelvis, and spine. Over time, these forces can lead to pain.Spinal strain and postural fatigue may account for as much as 70% of cases not caused by a more serious condition. For example, lifting a heavy object improperly may cause immediate back pain. Other causes may take a long time to develop into a painful condition (such as poor sleeping, standing, or sitting posture).
Bruxism
Bruxism is the medical term for tooth grinding. This usually occurs during sleep, often without the person even being aware of it. It can also occur when the person is awake, as a way of relieving tension. Over time, chronic tooth-grinding can result in loosened teeth, damage to the supporting bones in the jaw, receding gums, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome. This usually occurs in the muscles, joints, and disks of the jaw and may cause pain while chewing. Stress, allergies, and nutrient deficiencies are often the cause of tooth-grinding, which can also involve imbalanced blood sugar levels.
Bunions
Hallux valgus are know as bunions. Usually described as an aching pain located around the base of the first toe, and usually with a noticeable bulge, bunions make walking difficult. They are associated with malpositioned toes, heel, and lumbar spinal joints. Mobilization, ultrasound, and gentle traction of the first metatarsophalangeal joints are well tolerated by most patients. Often custom-made stabilizing orthotics and custom exercises are recommended.
Carpal Tunnel
One of many injuries called repetitive strain injuries (RSI) which include trigger finger, nerve spasm, and carpal tunnel syndrome. It is used to describe a set of symptoms that occur when the median nerve in the wrist is compressed or damaged. Symptoms range from a mild numbness to excruciating burning, tingling and pain in the thumb and first three fingers. The tingling is often referred to as "falling asleep" or "pins and needles" feeling. The median nerve is susceptible to pressure or injury from a variety of sources: swelling, bone spurs, diabetes, inflammatory arthritis, and tendonitis. As estimated 1.2 million people a year consult a physician about this symptom. Factors that increase its risk are menopause, obesity pregnancy, hypothyroidism, and diabetes.
Dental Distress Syndrome
There is a reciprocal relationship between jaw posture and spinal posture - a condition upon which body comfort and health are dependent. The correctness or incorrectness of either of these postures seriously affects the functioning of the other. The mouth-body connection allows the dental and chiropractic professions to work together or correct underlying anatomical and functional dysfunction that may have been unseen or mistreated by other specialists.
Common complaints are:
Dental Distress Syndrome
Disk Herniation
Herniated disk, prolapsed disk, or "slipped disk" are all names for a similar problem - damage to the small cushion between vertebrae of the spine. Each disk consists of a tough, fibrous outer layer surrounding the soft interior, which provides the cushion. When a disk begins to degenerate, a strain - even something a small as a sneeze - can cause the soft interior of the cushion to leak out and press against a nerve or spinal cord. It can result in severe intermittent or constant back pain. Some people feel a shooting pain, others numbness or weakness, still others tingling.
What can be done? Surgery is necessary for back pain less than an estimated 1% of the time. Further, research suggests one third of all people without back pain have herniated disks. Fortunately, most spinal disorders can be treated with simple conservative care involving manipulation, self care advice, and exercise.
Facet Jamming
The posterior joints of the spine are known as facets. An increase in the normal lordotic or "C" curve of the low back or neck may cause the facets to move closer together ("jamming") leading to pain and discomfort.
Headaches (See also Migraines)
Headaches that hurt your head and also restrict movement in your neck are called vertebrogenic headaches. It is one of two kinds of headaches that originate in the neck, the other being myogenic or muscular in origin. People who experience vertebrogenic headaches complain of a dull, constant ache at one side or top of the head. The pain can last anywhere from a couple of hours to several weeks. Prolonged periods of bad posture can make people prone to these types of headaches. Chiropractic care, cranial adjusting, laser therapy and nutritional counseling work together to help you recover from and avoid future headaches.
Heel Pain
Painful heels are a condition that can be caused by trauma to the heel area or it can be an indication of the stretching of the plantar fascia of the foot where it inserts into the calcaneus (heel). Painful heels can also be an indication of the beginning or presence of heel spurs. Chiropractic adjustments, ultrasound therapy, massage therapy, custom orthotics and therapeutic exercise can correct symptoms of painful heels.
High Hip
A high hip can contribute to low back pain, mid back pain, and cervical pain. The high hip can be caused by a pronation problem (turning under) in the foot on the opposite side, or by a supination problem (turning up) in the foot on the same side. This faulty body position can be corrected by chiropractic alignments.
Jaw Popping/Clicking (See also TMJ)
An estimated 10 million Americans suffer from TMJ syndrome, a condition in which the temporomandibular joint does not function properly. This is the joint what connects the temporal bone (the bone that forms the side of the skull) with the mandible (jawbone). The condition produces pain in the muscles of the face, neck, and shoulder, and may cause difficulty in opening the mouth all the way. Many people complain of clicking, grinding, popping noises, as well as headaches, muscle spasms, toothaches, dizziness, pressure behind the eyes, as well as ringing in the ears.
The most common cause of TMJ syndrome are stress, poor bite, clenching of the teeth, bruxism or tooth-grinding, bad posture, habits such as cradling the phone between shoulder and jaw, repeated or hard blows to the jaw or chin, gum chewing, whiplash, or chewing on only one side of the mouth. Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar can cause people to clench or grind their teeth, producing pain in the TMJ. Dr. Gilbert helps align the jaw and muscles by chiropractic, acupuncture, laser therapy, and will provide dental orthotics if necessary.
Knee Pains
Several factors can cause knee pains. When the bones of the foot, lower leg, upper leg, pelvis, and spine become misaligned, trauma or injury occurs to the knee and supportive tissues. The second and most common cause of knee pain is pronation or flattening of the foot. Pronation causes the tibia and fibula (lower leg bones) to rotate inward, putting torque or pressure on the knee joint, muscles, and ligaments. Supination (high inflexible arches which limit the normal shock absorbing ability of the feet) is a third cause. A lack of motion leads to overcompensation in adjacent joints.
The most commonly affected joint is the knee. Since the knee is a hinged joint, pressure or torque from the side can increase the muscle and ligament stress and focal weight-bearing pressure. This increased biomechanical stress can lead to roughening of the kneecap's undersurface (chondromalacia patella) and or medial knee degeneration (osteoarthritis). An increase in stress on the anterior cruciate ligament and the medial collateral ligament also can occur, predisposing them to injury.
Leg Cramps
"Charlie horse" leg pain is often a sign of magnesium deficiency. Most Americans need more magnesium including many who are already taking vitamin supplements. Why? First, the amount of magnesium the body requires is greater than most people think, and their bodies are "magnesium starved." Second, the magnesium level available in capsule and tablet forms are often not completely absorbed by the body. This combination can often result in muscle cramps and discomfort.
A leg cramp may also be a muscle overuse symptom. One of the main contributing factors of leg cramps is pronation of the foot. When the foot pronates (or turns inward), the excessive motion causes the leg muscles to overwork in an abnormal position of function. Another contributing factor of leg cramps is supination of the foot. When the foot supinates (or turns outward), the lack of motion causes jarring tension in the leg muscles and has been shown to contribute to shin splints and leg pain. Chiropractic alignments to the bones of the hip, leg, ankle, and feet help to eliminate the imbalance leg cramps and discomfort.
Lumbo-sacral Strain
A lumbo-sacral strain is a condition of muscular stress in the lumbar area that can be broadly classified into two forms: Acute and chronic. Acute lumbo-sacral strain is often caused by trauma or injury. Chronic lumbo-sacral strain is usually due to postural problems or muscle dysfunction.
Migraine Headaches
Migraines are severe, throbbing headaches that may or may not be accompanied by nausea and/or visual disturbances. An estimated 28 million people in the United States suffer from migraines. Many more women than men suffer from this condition. Traditional research has described migraines as vascular dilation or contraction of the brain's blood vessels. More recent research suggests that the inflammation of the meninges (the membranes surrounding the spinal cord and the brain) creates abnormal nerve transmission, leading to pain.
Migraines may occur anywhere from once a week to once or twice a year, and they often run in families. Migraines occur most often between the ages of twenty and thirty-five and tend to decline with age. One factor behind the higher incidence in women may be fluctuations in the hormone estrogen. Any number of things can trigger a migraine: allergies, constipation, stress, liver malfunction, too much or too little sleep, emotional changes, dental problems, low blood sugar, caffeine withdrawal, etc. Fortunately chiropractic, acupuncture, massage and soft tissue approaches as well as nutritional counseling have helped many to rid themselves of debilitating migraine headaches.
Muscle Tension/Spasm
The stress of life can cause all of us to tighten up a little. If you are under more stress than you should be, then it may be that you can feel a sharp pain or dull ache. Like a "Charlie Horse," these spasms occur in muscles that are inter-related. For example, muscle spasms in the jaw can eventually cause spasm in the head and neck. Tension headaches are the result, and muscle relaxants or pain killer medicines are not the real answer to the problem.
Nervous System
Your nervous system controls and coordinates every function of your body. Your spinal cord acts as the major link from your brain to your nerves that exit from your vertebraes. To be healthy, it is essential that your nervous system function properly and free from any interference. While the chart below is designed to show the relationship between areas of your spine and your nervous system, keep in mind that your nervous system is much more complex than shown here:
Neuropathy
Sensory neuropathy is the breakdown of nerves that detect sensations in the hands or feet. Damage from sensory neuropathy is most often caused by repeated injuries that can't be felt. For instance, continually walking with pressure on one part of the foot, foreign objects in the shoe, tight shoes, or walking barefoot may result in corns, calluses and sores that can lead to ulceration and infection. Neuropathies can also be from vitamin B deficiencies or diabetic conditions. Dr. Gilbert can test you for these deficiencies to correct the cause of your problem.
Nutritional Testing
If our bodies are compromised nutritionally, then we will have a lowered stress resistance. Proper calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, zinc, etc. balance is necessary for optimal health. Sometimes correcting a faulty diet can be enough to raise the body's resistance to prevent problems from surfacing. Eating too many refined carbohydrates (sugars, white flour), saturated and unsaturated fats and oils, caffeine, and alcohol all cause chemical stress to your body. Increasing intake of complex carbohydrates (whole foods, fruits, and vegetables) is beneficial. Nutritional Testing via electrodermal screening, computerized questionnaire, blood, urine, and saliva testing are all available to provide you customized nutritional support.
Poor Posture
Changing faulty head posture caused by poor body posture may help alleviate your discomfort. Correcting a faulty jaw position at the same time can also be beneficial. Dr. Gilbert will evaluate your posture by digital photography to let you see for yourself how important your posture is for overall health.
Sacro-iliac Syndrome
Sacro-iliac syndrome is a dysfunction of the sacro-iliac joint, usually exhibiting local pain and tenderness as well as possible referred pain in the buttocks, groin, thigh, leg, or foot. Acute forms of sacro-iliac syndrome can result due to trauma, injury, lifting, slipping or sudden movement, all caused by faulty posture and aggravated by occupation or habits.
Sciatica
The sciatic nerves are responsible for transmitting all signals from the lower body. They are the longest nerves in the body, and any pressure on them (typically a disk protruding from the vertebra) results in a shooting pain to the leg or foot. Some people experience a debilitating numbness that renders them almost incapable of walking. Others experience only a tingling sensation in the toes or numbness in the foot or leg. The most often cause of sciatica is disk degeneration.
Scoliosis
Your spine is made up of 24 bones called vertebrae that stack up one on top of the other to form a straight line when viewed from front to back. Spines are not perfectly straight, but when one curves or twists excessively, it can be abnormal and is called a scoliosis (Greek for "crooked"). In most cases the cause of scoliosis is unknown. The chiropractic approach to scoliosis is to correct as nearly as possible the functioning of the spine, nervous system, and the body as a whole.
Shin Splints
Small tears in the leg muscles at their point of attachment to the shin can cause shin splints. Shin splints, therefore, result from imbalances, insufficient shock absorption, or toe running. Excessive pronation contributes to shin splints when the foot and leg overwork in an attempt to stabilize the pronated foot. The repeated stress causes the muscles attached to the tibia to tear.
Excessive supination also contributes to shin splints by the foot's shifting of excessive shock forces to the leg. The supinated foot and the repeated stress of the foot hitting the ground causes bone trauma, including internal bleeding. Chiropractic adjusting of the ankle, leg and hip helps this condition as well as nutritional support to balance minerals and inflammation.
Short Leg
In a short leg scenario, one leg is either anatomically or functionally shorter than the other. Anatomical short leg refers to a leg that is physically shorter than the other due to unequal growth rates, fractures, or deformities. In a functional short leg situation, both legs may be identical in length (or nearly so), but one functions as if it were shorter because of either a postural imbalance in the body (such as a pronated or supinated foot) or uneven muscle contractions between the two legs. A chiropractic evaluation and treatment can help to balance leg length discrepancies.
Stress
Who doesn't have stress? Dr. Gilbert offers programs that can help you recognize and deal with the stress factors in your life. Sometimes counseling in basic nutrition and exercise is needed to help you begin to take responsibility for your own health.
TMJ Syndrome (See also Jaw popping/clicking)
The templemandibular joint (TMJ) is used more than any other joint in the entire body-because we eat, talk, and swallow constantly. Did you know you can expect to eat around 76, 440 meals in your lifetime? (3 meals/day x 7 days/week x 52 weeks/years x 70 years/lifetime.) If you are uncomfortable eating, then you will not enjoy eating, and ultimately your health will suffer.
TMJ Self Test
Place your little fingers in your ears so that hearing is obstructed. Then slowly and steadily open and close your jaw. If at any point you hear a clicking or popping noise, the jaw joints may be out of alignment. Chiropractic, acupuncture, laser therapy, soft-tissue procedures, and even nutritional counseling can help these problems.
Trauma (See also Whiplash)
A blow to the head can cause damage to the ligaments that hold the jaw in place. This can occur at any time in life and can surface many years later. How many toddlers have fallen down on their chin as they learned to walk, or how many youngsters have fallen down while running? One of the most common ways to damage the ligaments on the backside of the jaw is during an automobile accident where the victim suffers a whiplash injury. If the impact was sufficient, there may be damage that causes immediate discomfort, or it may not become painful for several years.
Weak Psoas
The Psoas muscle is a muscle that connects the lumbar spine with the femur (upper leg bone). When the foot pronates, (or turns in) or the arch drops, a stretch-weakness of the muscle compromises its own strength and support to the low back. When the foot supinates, (or turns out) the normal coordination of pelvic muscles is decreased. Imbalance in the pelvic muscles compromises support to the low back.
Whiplash
Also known as hyperextension/hyperflexion injury, whiplash is produced by a sudden jerking or backward and forward acceleration of the head with respect to the vertebral column. It occurs most often to those in a vehicle that is suddenly and forcibly struck from the rear or side. When the head is "whipped" by an impact, tendons, ligaments and muscles are stretched or torn, resulting in a less stable spine.
Research indicates that deterioration of your neck, vertebrae, muscles and tendon tissues may result in symptoms seemingly unrelated to the injury:
By correcting imbalance as soon as possible after a whiplash can prevent lifelong discomfort. Chiropractic, acupuncture, laser therapy and nutritional support can help your body heal quickly and help you stay well.
