- Neck Pain
- Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD)
- Headaches
- Low back pain
- Scoliosis
- Shoulder disorders
- Elbow disorders
- Wrist disorders
- Hip arthritis and thigh pain
- Knee pain
- Ankle and foot pain
Freaked out by the word Spondylosis? DON’T BE! Cervical spondylosis simply means wear and tear which occurs in your neck due to arthritic changes that take place in the spine. The intervertebral discs get dehydrated as they suffer from prolonged axial loading (E.g.: sitting in a bad posture with your head shifted forward in front of the computer) which leads to flattening of the discs. When that happens, your discs bulge circumferentially. In more severe cases, the discs can even herniate or extrude. Once the herniated disc impinges on the nerve that branches out from the involved cervical spine segment, you may suffer from pain, numbness and/or experience a tingling sensation down your arms and hands. We can help you if you are suffering from such symptoms.
Has someone told you that you have a “turtle neck” posture? Don’t you worry. Text Neck Syndrome is a modern age term created by US chiropractor, Dr. DL Fishman to describe the repeated stress injury and pain in the neck resulting from excessive watching or texting on handheld devices over a sustained period of time. It is also known as Anterior Head Carriage Syndrome. Let us be your coach on the Do’s and Don’ts to fix your turtle neck!
“I suffer from jaw pain and am not sure whether it’s a tooth decay.” “It clicks while I’m munching on food.” “My mouth got locked when I was trying to bite an apple.”
These are the statements that we commonly hear from people who suffer from TMD. Yes, we do treat people with jaw pain. The Temporomandibular Joint is a hinge that connects your jaw to your temporal bones on each side of your ears. Pain may occur if you've experienced trauma or a direct blow to your face. The cushion or disc found in between the TMJ may be displaced posteriorly which can further lead to arthritic changes in the jaw. Get yourself checked if you resonate with the statements above!
There are many types of headaches, ranging from primary to secondary headaches. Primary headaches such as migraines and tension-type headaches are often self-arising and are not caused by any underlying conditions. However, secondary headaches occur due to other relatable conditions, which are often also the root cause of pain. Cervicogenic headache is one of the most common headaches that we treat in our centre. Misalignment of the atlas (C1) and axis (C2) bones can result in stressing of the C1, C2 and C3 nerves which innervate the back of the head and upper neck. Cervicogenic headache commonly gives you a one-sided pain from the back of your skull to the front of your forehead, and stops right before your eyebrow. If you are experiencing the same symptoms mentioned above, please get yourself checked before consuming medication to ease your headache.
Lumbar spondylosis simply means having a slipped disc in your lower back, specifically in the lumbar spine. Contrary to its name, the disc does not slip off from the spine; rather it is a layman term to describe lumbar spondylosis. Spondylosis is a medical term used to describe wear and tear in the body especially in the spine. Arthritic changes happen gradually when your spine is not in an optimum alignment which leads to bone spurs (osteophytes), disc bulges, herniation or even an extrusion of the disc depending on the severity of your condition. To a certain extent, you may experience some radiating pain down the back of your buttock and thigh, which continues down to the side of your calf and into your foot. You may have symptoms on one or both sides of your legs depending on the location of the nerve impingement. Don’t wait any longer, let us help you with your pain.
Sciatica is a term we use to describe nerve pain that arises from your lower back which radiates down to the buttock and leg. The causes of sciatica can vary from wear and tear in the lumbar spine which leads to impingement of lumbar spinal nerves, to impingement being caused by a tight muscle in your buttock (piriformis) as the nerve passes through the affected muscle. It is also known as piriformis syndrome. Specific manual therapy and stretches are carried out to improve this condition.
The joint between the sacrum and ilium bones is known as the sacroiliac joint. Misalignment of this joint may result in the instability of your spine because the pelvis is the foundation of your spine. Prolonged untreated sacroiliac dysfunction can cause inflammation in the joint (sacroiliitis) and is oftentimes described as having an unstable back and/or swelling in either/ both sides of your lower back. A chiropractic adjustment being delivered to this misaligned joint will make a huge difference in your life should you have this condition.
The knee joint is made up of the lower part of the femur (thigh bone), the upper part of the tibia (shin bone), and the patella (knee cap). It is the largest and strongest joint in our body. The ends where these three bones meet are covered with an articular cartilage, which is a smooth inner lining that acts to protect and cushion the bones as we bend and straighten our knees.
Albeit being the strongest joint in our body, the knee will eventually undergo wear-and-tear (cartilage wears off) if it is not well taken care of. As this happens, the bones of the joints tend to rub against each other with less shock-absorbing benefits coming from the cartilage. Research has shown that women above the age of 50 are more prevalent in getting knee osteoarthritis, but it can also affect young people too. This condition can be further aggravated by obesity, sedentary lifestyles and excessive repetitive injuries to the knee.
X-rays are often ordered to determine the diagnosis and severity of the condition based on the following classification:
MRI scans may be ordered when X-rays fail to give a clear reason for joint pain or when the involvement of other tissues in the joint is suspected.
Our treatments work best when you are diagnosed with low-grade knee osteoarthritis (Grade 1- 3). Anything above Grade 3 will make it more difficult to treat conservatively. So, grasp the chance and treat it early!
The knee joint is held intact by the presence of ligaments, particularly the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). When the ACL and PCL are torn, not only will you feel pain, but it is also temporarily debilitating.
The ACL is located at the front of the knee whereas the PCL is located at the back of the knee. The ACL is designed to resist any abnormal forward translation of the tibia (shin bone) relative to the femur (thigh bone) and rotational forces. This explains why athletes who perform a lot of twisting motion in the knees and sudden decelerations sustain ACL tears. On the other hand, the PCL does the opposite by preventing the tibia from sliding backwards in relation to the femur. PCL tears usually occur when a person has a direct blow to the knee or hyperextends the knees while landing.
The principal symptom of an ACL tear is rotational instability. You may not notice having sustained an ACL injury as long as you walk or run in a straight line. However, your knee will collapse as soon as you attempt to turn or pivot. With PCL tears, instability is also an issue, but to a lesser degree. In fact, some patients can recover by moderating their activities and undergoing muscle conditioning through rehabilitation exercises.
Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is used to describe pain in the front of the knee and around the knee cap. It is also known as “runner’s knee”. A person who suffers from this condition often complains of pain found in the inner side of the front knee as he walks down the staircase. The complaint of having more pain when walking down, rather than climbing up the staircase, is the key differentiation of this condition from knee osteoarthritis.
There are various causes of PFPS, mainly from overuse and misalignment of the patella (knee cap). The knee can be overused from vigorous physical activities such as jogging, squatting and climbing stairs that puts repetitive stress on the knee. The misalignment of the patella due to muscle imbalance can lead to tracking of the patella to one side of the knee, commonly towards the outer side. This causes the patella to exert friction onto the cartilage in the between the back of the patella and the femur. Swelling and inflammation can then directly cause pain in the patellofemoral joint. If you are experiencing the same issue, please do not wait any further to take action and save your knee.
Ankle sprain is a common condition known to many. Some of us have experienced it, some are even experiencing it at this very moment. Yes, chiropractors treat ankle sprains too! There are two main types of ankle sprains: Medial ankle sprain (inner ankle sprain) and Lateral ankle sprain (outer ankle sprain). The treatments of ankle sprain depend on its severity and location. The main treatment for an acute ankle sprain is to control the inflammation. Once the swelling subsides, a series of rehabilitation exercise is recommended to recondition the proprioceptors (nerve endings) that are found in ligaments of your feet as they are the ones protecting you from spraining your ankle again in the future. Not sure how to strengthen your sprained ankle? We’ve got your back on this.
The Achilles tendon is an extension of the calf muscle which connects the lower part of the leg to the heel. Achilles tendonitis simply means inflammation of the Achilles tendon. It is often seen among runners who increased their running speed or duration during training. Most acute cases can be managed with a RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevation) protocol but chronic ones may require more specific and long-term management.
Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain. It involves inflammation of a thick tissue band known as the plantar fascia. The fascia runs across the bottom of your foot, and connects your heel bone to the ball of your foot. Plantar fasciitis frequently causes stabbing pain in the heel as you take your first few steps in the morning. The pain normally decreases as you move about more, but it may return after long periods of standing or as you stand up after prolonged sitting. Plantar fasciitis is more common in runners and also in people who are overweight. It is also highly seen in people with pronated feet (flattened foot arch), and those who wear shoes with an inadequate arch support for the feet. It is recommended to wear insoles or foot orthotics to reduce the risk of plantar fasciitis.
Scoliosis is defined as having a lateral curvature of more than 10 degrees in the spine, from the frontal view of an X-ray. It also causes rotation to individual vertebrae of the human spine and is often accompanied by an increase or decrease of lordosis curvature in the spine.
There are two main classifications of scoliosis: structural and functional scoliosis. Structural scoliosis is usually congenital, which means that the condition already exists when the child was born and its gene runs in the family. It can be caused by an anatomical short leg or deformities in the vertebrae. However, functional scoliosis often arises from poor postural habits. For instance, sitting crossed-legged when you are at work or sitting slanted on the couch when you are watching television at home. These bad habits can off-set the alignment of the pelvis, the foundation of the spine. Once the pelvis is out of its alignment, a person may develop curvatures in the spine, known as a functional scoliosis. Oftentimes, a combination of structural and functional scoliosis can be found in the same person.
Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) contributes to 80% of scoliosis cases. It is most pronounced during puberty because of the growth spurt in children between 9 to 12 years old. This condition is more prevalent in girls, with them being five to ten times more likely to progress into more severe curves.
The first step of managing scoliosis is by identifying patients with abnormal curvatures of the spine, and then decide on the necessary referrals for imaging and treatments. Parents with a history of scoliosis can always keep your children in check with a simple test known as the Adam’s test.
Here are some instructions on to how to screen your children for scoliosis at home:
Did you know that our shoulder joint is the most mobile and flexible joint in our body?
People who suffer from Shoulder Impingement Syndrome may complain of pain in their shoulder whenever they lift up their hands. In some cases, the range of motion of the arm becomes restricted. This condition is more prevalent in athletes who are highly involved in excessive overhead activities such as cricket and volleyball.
Anatomically, our rotator cuff muscles are located in between the humerus and the top of the acromion. Shoulder impingement, as its name, happens when the rotator cuff muscles are impinged. This can be due to various causes such as misalignment of the shoulder joint and arthritic changes which leads to the growth of bone spurs from the acromion. Bone spurs from the acromion can directly exert pressure on the rotator cuff muscles that are located underneath it.
When the rotator cuff muscles are injured, they swell and cause pressure within the tendon to increase. This results in internal compression and reduced blood flow in the capillaries. As blood flow is reduced, tendon tissues will start to fray. If this condition is not treated in time, it can lead to more severe injuries to the rotator cuff, such as the development of a small tear or hole in the tendon (rotator cuff tear).
The rotator cuff is a group of muscles that can be found in the shoulder joint and they are responsible for movement control in the arms. This group of muscles are made up by the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis. Tear in the supraspinatus muscle is most common where bone spurs rub onto its tendon over a prolonged period of time. Book yourself an appointment if you feel a continuous weakness and/or pain in the shoulder.
Frozen shoulder is also known as adhesive capsulitis. This condition happens when the capsule that wraps around your shoulder joint gets inflamed and thickened over time, resulting in restricted movement of the arm. You may experience pain whenever you lift up your arm. The cause of frozen shoulder remains unknown to date, but is believed to be associated with a history of trauma which leads to immobilization of the arm for a period of time or more systemic conditions of the body such as diabetes. Should you be unable to externally rotate or lift your arm up to 90 degrees in flexion, you should seek treatment as soon as possible.
Shoulder arthritis often happens when the cartilage between the humerus and the socket of the shoulder (glenoid) gets worn out. You may experience stiffness in the shoulder joint and face some difficulty in lifting up your arm due to pain. Arthritis may also develop in another joint of the shoulder, known as the acromioclavicular joint (AC joint). It is observed as having a narrowed gap in the joint space with associated spurs. Shoulder arthritis does not appear overnight, it takes ages to develop. So, don’t wait until it’s too late for treatment.
Tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis, is the inflammation of the tendon that lies on the outer part of the forearm. The pain is often described on the lateral side of the elbow, and its risk increases as that person uses his/her forearm repetitively. Proper treatments should be administered to halt the progress of deterioration.
Even though it is termed “Golfer’s elbow”, this condition does not only affect golfers. Anyone who flexes the wrist or pronates the forearm repetitively and excessively, is vulnerable to developing Golfer’s elbow. As opposed to Tennis elbow, its pain presentation appears on the inner side of the elbow and worsens with wrist and forearm motion.
If elbow pain is making it harder for you to carry out your activities of daily living such as carrying grocery bags, scrubbing clothes or playing sports, arthritis might be the reason to blame. Elbow arthritis may result in stiffness, pain, swelling and difficulty in straightening or bending your elbow. The differential diagnoses of elbow arthritis include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gouty arthritis etc. Management or treatment of these conditions are administered differently depending on the type of arthritis. Therefore, it is crucial to find out the exact diagnosis of your elbow pain and get it treated accordingly.
Experiencing weakness, numbness or tingling on the palmar side of your thumb, index, middle and ring finger? You are likely to be diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome.
The carpal tunnel is a structure that can be found in your wrist. This “tunnel’s” roof is made up of a tough and fibrous ligament known as the transverse ligament, with eight carpal bones forming its base, leaving a hollow tunnel in the centre. The median nerve, blood vessels and nine tendons pass through this hollow tunnel as they enter your hands. Any misalignment of the carpal bones or thickening of the transverse ligament can narrow the space of the tunnel. Excessive pressure due to this narrowing may irritate the median nerve which leads to neurological deficits on the first, second, third and fourth finger.
Research has shown that pregnant ladies are more likely to suffer from transient carpal tunnel during the second and third trimester as they experience oedema or swelling in the body. Swelling of the wrist, which can cause compression on the median nerve, has led to many sleepless nights in pregnant ladies. Some of them recover after delivery but some are unfortunate in that their symptoms persist. If you are suffering from the same condition, please do not hesitate to get yourself treated by a healthcare provider. We can help.
If you have pain around the base of the thumb radiating into the distal part of the forearm, you are likely to suffer from De Quervain’s tenosynovitis. This is a condition whereby two tendons, the Extensor pollicis brevis and Abductor pollicis longus are inflamed, due to direct trauma to that region or repetitive movement of the wrist. Mothers with newborn babies are more susceptible to this condition because of the prolonged hours involved with carrying the baby. You can get yourself checked at home by performing a simple orthopaedic test, the Finkelstein’s test. Do not be frightened by this medical jargon. It is a very simple test; all you need to do is to make a fist around your affected thumb and move your fist towards the floor. Should your symptoms be reproduced, you are likely to have this condition.
Tendons are fibrous cords that attach muscle to bone. There is a thin outer membrane on tendons that acts as a protective sheath around each tendon. Trigger finger occurs when the sheath of the affected finger is inflamed, interfering with the normal gliding motion of the tendon through the sheath. In more advanced conditions, the irritated tendon sheath can produce scarring which then thickens into nodules at the base of the affected finger, further impeding the tendon’s motion. More than one finger can be affected at the same time and both hands might be involved simultaneously. Symptoms include stiffness and locking or catching of the fingers when you straighten your fingers particularly in the morning. It is often accompanied by a pop sound, discomfort and pain as you continue to move your fingers. There are many treatments that can be done conservatively before you seek for more invasive forms of treatment.
There are many types of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common arthritis occurring in the hip. Osteoarthritis of the hip joint can be difficult to identify because the pain often does not only appear in the hip joint, but also in the groin, buttock and down the leg. You may experience stiffness or a sharp stabbing pain when doing weight-bearing activities such as standing and walking. There is no single test to diagnose hip osteoarthritis, but X-rays are often used to visualize the reduction in joint space. In addition, a thorough consultation and physical examination should be carried out to determine the degree of functional loss in the hip.