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knee pain treatment

Knee Pain Treatment: Home Remedies Plus Chiropractic Solutions

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Knee pain treatment at home

Has a sudden, sharp pain in your knee ever stopped you in your tracks? If so, you’re not alone. Knee pain is a common complaint for those of us who lead active lifestyles, spend long hours on our feet, and even sit at a desk all day. And you don’t have to just live with it. Knee pain treatment works.

Many knee pain causes exist. They include injuries, arthritis, or underlying health conditions. So, you must get to the root cause to experience relief from joint pain.

That’s what we’re here to help you do. Because knee pain, my friend, is no joke.

In fact, according to the American Academy of Pain Medicine, nearly 20% of Americans report severe knee pain at some point in their lives.

This article gives detailed information on knee pain.

  • What causes it?
  • Are your knee pain symptoms trying to tell you something?
  • And what is the best knee pain treatment based on your unique symptoms?
  • Could knee pain treatment without an operation work for you?

You’ll find what you’re looking for here. But first, if you’re unsure what’s causing your knee pain, we invite you to explore knee pain causes.

What Is Knee Pain?

Knee pain is any pain or discomfort you feel inside your knees. It can be in the front, back, outside, or where the knees come together. That pain may be sharp, dull, sudden, or persistent.

It’s an inconvenience at best and debilitating at worst. It can hamper your daily activities, keep you sedentary, and impact your sleep.

What Causes Knee Pain?

Your knees hurt for one or more of these reasons. Here are some top culprits.

Overuse injuries

These are pretty common. Just think about how much work your knees do every day!

They bear the weight of your body and help you move around. So, it’s not surprising that they might get worn out or injured from time to time.

Sudden Injuries

Accidents can damage tendons and ligaments. Imagine twisting your knee during a football game or falling awkwardly while hiking. Ouch!

These kinds of incidents can lead to serious knee injuries like sprains or tears. And what’s worse, you keep reinjuring it while it’s trying to heal.

Arthritis

Here’s another common culprit. Inflammation in the joints causes severe discomfort and damages the tissues further. You need to get that inflammation down so the joint can heal.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that over 54 million adults in the U.S. suffer from some form of arthritis.

Underuse

This may seem counter-intuitive. But not using your knees can also cause pain. The tissues surrounding the joint weaken. As they do, the knee experiences greater pressure during everyday activities. It’s more likely to get injured. And it may hurt for seemingly no reason.

What are the Symptoms of Knee Pain?

Knee pain symptoms include:

  • Stiffness

  • Swelling

  • Popping or crunching sound

  • Redness or warmth

  • Limited ability to extend the leg

  • Weakness

  • Instability

Knee pain can be a real nuisance, right? It’s like that one friend who shows up uninvited and overstays their welcome.

When you move your leg, you may feel a little uncomfortable or have a lot of pain when resting. Some people describe their knee pain as a dull ache. Others say it feels like their joint is on fire!

It’s all relative, as they say. Pain is a very subjective experience but no less real.

The condition can be so severe that you have swelling around the joint or trouble moving the leg.

But here’s what’s important:

If you notice any redness around your knee or if it feels warm when touched, these could be signs of an infection. In such cases, it’s best to seek medical attention immediately. 

Home remedies for knee pain are not an alternative to medical treatment. They can only be a complement to it. They promote your body’s natural ability to heal itself.

The American College of Rheumatology suggests that you should see a doctor if your knee hurts for more than a week or if you have a fever or unexplained weight loss. Remember, early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent long-term damage to your knee.

Now that we’ve covered what knee pain is, its causes and symptoms, I bet you’re wondering how it’s diagnosed.

But you can explore more knee pain causes here if you’d like.

How Is Knee Pain Diagnosed?

Diagnosis starts with a thorough medical examination. Your doctor will ask about your symptoms, how bad your pain is, and what might have caused it. They’ll also want to know about any past injuries or medical conditions.

Next comes the physical examination. Your doctor checks for swelling, tenderness, and warmth. They look for visible bruising on your knee.

They might also move your knee into different positions. How far can you move your knee back and forth before it hurts? Where do you feel the pain—outside of the knees, between the knees, front, back, to all over?

This allows them to identify which ligaments or parts of the knee are affected.

Sometimes, the initial exams can’t find the exact cause of your knee pain. So, doctors use imaging tests like X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, and ultrasounds to diagnose medical conditions. These tests provide detailed images of the structures inside your knee—bones, cartilage, tendons… you name it!

Unfortunately, X-rays can’t detect all problems.

For instance, they can reveal if you’ve got a fracture or arthritis. But you’ll need an MRI to detect damage to soft tissues such as ligaments and tendons.

Sometimes, when there’s a concern about infection or gout, doctors may do a procedure called arthrocentesis. They take fluid from your knee joint to examine under a microscope.

Sounds scary? Don’t worry! It’s done under local anesthesia. So. you won’t feel much discomfort during the procedure.

Now, let’s move on to home remedies for knee pain relief, San Francisco! 

You can also schedule an initial consultation to learn how misalignments contribute to your pain. Schedule your initial consult and get your first Knee on Trac treatment same day. It’s included with your first visit.

What Is the Home Remedy For Knee Pain Relief?

Knee pain self-treatment is possible. You may not need surgery.

When knee pain is serious takes you out of the game, many home remedies might do the trick. So, it’s crucial to explore knee pain treatment options that are natural and non-invasive when possible.

How is Knee Pain Treated at Home?

One popular method is using heat and cold therapy. To get started, use a hot pack to loosen stiff joints or a cold pack to reduce inflammation and numb the area. Alternate.

Remember, using too much heat or cold or for too long could harm your skin. So, don’t leave either on the skin for an extended time.

Heat should be tolerable. Cold should have something between your skin and the ice.

OTC Pain Killers

Painkillers aren’t our first choice. But they can be very effective—especially short-term.

Try ibuprofen (such as Advil) or acetaminophen (such as Tylenol). These medications can help manage mild to moderate knee pain. But don’t use them long-term without talking to a healthcare professional.

Even OTCs have side effects when overused or misused. These can include liver damage, uncontrolled bleeding, and tinnitus (ringing of the ears).

Essential Oils

You’ve probably heard about the benefits of essential oils, right? Certain oils, like lavender and eucalyptus, may reduce knee pain when massaged onto the area. They have anti-inflammatory properties.

Knee Pain Lotions

Creams with capsaicin, a pain-relieving substance found in chili peppers, create a sensation of warmth. Apply it on the skin over your painful knee joint. This helps distract your brain from the underlying pain.

Menthol also has both anti-inflammatory properties and a heating sensation. 

Knee Pain Treatment Exercises

Exercise plays an integral role in managing knee pain.

Even gentle activities like walking strengthen muscles around your knees. These muscles stabilize the joint and reduce pressure on it.

Flexibility activities help, too! Regular movement across your entire range of motion keeps tissues like tendons, ligaments, and fascia healthy. The joint can move with greater ease. It doesn’t have to compensate for tightness by moving awkwardly.

Being active helps blood flow. This speeds up the healing of injured tissues.

Swimming and cycling are better for your knees than running or jumping. Low-impact exercises reduce the risk of aggravating an existing injury.

But remember, it’s all connected. Do exercises for your quadriceps and hamstrings to reduce knee pain and strengthen them. Weakness in a different area will force the knees to work harder and less efficiently.

Yoga is another excellent choice for those suffering from knee pain. This practice emphasizes balance and flexibility. Poses such as the chair pose or warrior pose can help strengthen your knee muscles. But they don’t put too much strain on them.

Lastly, don’t forget about stretching! Regularly stretching your legs can improve flexibility and reduce stiffness in your knees. Just remember to warm up before you start to prevent injuries!

This seems counter-intuitive. You’ve undoubtedly seen runners stretch before physical activity.

But stretching knees that are stiff from sitting or lying can actually make it worse. Walk around or gently extend them before going for deep stretch.

Managing Knee Pain with Food

 

Believe it or not, knee pain treatment food is possible. What you eat can have a significant impact on your knee pain. Eating foods like fruits, vegetables, fish, and nuts can help manage knee pain caused by inflammation. These foods have compounds that science shows reduce inflammation.

On the other hand, foods high in sugar and saturated fats may increase inflammation. They make knee pain worse. So, try to limit your intake of processed foods and opt for whole foods instead.

And yes, fruits are okay despite the sugar. The benefits of fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins are greater than the harm from sugar within a well-balanced diet.

Knee Pain Relief Supplements

Glucosamine and chondroitin are also believed to promote joint health by helping rebuild cartilage. Cartilage is the tissue that cushions your joints. So, yes, you want to protect that tissue.

However, you should only take them under medical supervision. They may interact with other medications.

As you can see knee pain treatment is more than taking a pill or getting surgery. A holistic approach to knee health includes home remedies, regular exercise, and a healthy diet. Often, this resolves the problem entirely.

What Are Knee Pain Home Remedies for Bursitis, Meniscus Tear, Etc.?

If you’ve been diagnosed with a certain type of knee pain, you may be looking for knee pain treatment specific to that type of knee pain.  
 

Knee Pain Meniscus Tear Treatment

A small meniscus tear can heal with rest, hot/cold, and low-impact exercise. But it does take some time to heal—sometimes a year or more. You may also reinjure it as it closes, causing scar tissue. Strengthening the surrounding muscles protects the meniscus as it heals. A significant meniscus tear will probably need surgery. And if you’re an athlete or have a demanding job that increases reinjury risk. Surgery is usually a better option for you.
 

Knee Pain Bursitis Treatment

Bursitis responds well to anti-inflammatory drugs, low-impact exercise, and a focus on strengthening the whole leg.

Knee Pain Cartilage Treatment

Rest, hot/cold, and low-impact strengthening exercises can help with pain caused by cartilage loss.

However, it’s essential to realize that poor body alignment and balance can wear cartilage down faster than it can heal. Knee pain chiropractic treatment helps restore knee stability.

Knee Pain Tendonitis Treatment

Anti-inflammatories and gentle exercise can help ease the pain while the joint heals.

Knee Pain Swelling Treatment

You may have an infection or serious injury if you have significant heat or swelling. Please see a doctor.

Holistic Knee Pain Treatment

In all of these cases, your Truspine chiropractor can assess your condition, order imaging, and build a knee pain treatment plan that includes both home remedies and holistic, natural treatments like:

 

 

 

When Should You Seek Medical Knee Pain Treatment?

If you have mild to moderate knee pain that is relatively new, the above knee pain home remedies can help.

But when is knee pain serious?

You may need to see a doctor and get medical knee pain treatment if:

  • Pain is severe
  • Moderate pain persists for several days even with rest and OTC medicine
  • Mild pain persists for weeks despite home remedies
  • You can pinpoint a cause back to a specific injury
  • You can’t fully extend your leg
  • You limp or try to walk a certain way to avoid pain
  • You struggle to perform daily activities. Have you started walking less or avoiding the stairs? Do you sit down on a stool to avoid squatting when reaching under the sink? You’re doing your body a disservice. These seemingly small reductions in activity make it worse over time. They will age you beyond your years.
  • You think you may have a soft tissue tear. Soft tissue tears can take a long time to heal on their own because you keep reinjuring them. So, delay only makes it worse. If the manual examination indicates you may have a soft tissue tear or fracture, we can order imaging. This guides your knee treatment plan.

  • You also have swelling, redness, and fever. These could be signs of an infection or an inflammatory condition like arthritis.

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, about 18 million patients visit a doctor or hospital yearly due to knee problems.

When you choose Truspine for your chiropractic care, you get an evaluation plus your first Knee on Trac treatment during your first visit.

We want to get you on the path to relief quickly.

Other Indications That You Might Need Medical Knee Pain Treatment

Sometimes, the symptoms aren’t as evident as intense pain or swelling. Perhaps you’ve noticed a grinding sensation in your knee when you move it. Or maybe there’s been an unusual increase in joint stiffness when you wake up in the morning.

These subtle changes can also indicate underlying issues such as osteoarthritis.

Injuries from sports or accidents often need medical attention, too. Have you fallen recently? Did you hear a popping sound followed by immediate pain in your knee? These could signify ligament damage. It needs urgent care.

It’s important not only to focus on physical symptoms though. Psychological factors play a part too!

Is constant worry about your knee problem causing stress and anxiety? Is it affecting your quality of life? Don’t hesitate to get those knees checked out!

It’s better safe than sorry!

Lastly, remember those statistics we mentioned earlier? Early intervention can greatly improve outcomes for knee pain. So if you’re in doubt, getting checked out is always a good idea.

Now that we’ve talked about when to see a doctor for knee pain, let’s discuss knee pain treatments for severe cases.

What Are The Medical Treatments Available For Severe Knee Pain?

Any knee pain becomes a constant reminder that something is not quite right. As you go about your day it’s always with you. But sometimes, the pain is beyond what’s bearable.

Even here, knee pain treatment can get you back on your feet.

What Does A Surgical Procedure Involve?

Doctors often recommend surgical options such as arthroscopic surgery or total knee replacement. Either you’ve already tried conservative measures. Or they know they won’t work because it’s bad.

Arthroscopic surgery is a minimally invasive procedure. Doctors make tiny cuts and use special tools to find and fix problems in the joint. This method can remove small amounts of damaged or diseased parts and close tears.

On the other hand, total knee replacement replaces the damaged parts of the knee joint with an artificial one. Doctors make an incision over your knee to expose the joint.

They can then remove damaged tissue. After that, they insert artificial pieces made of metal and plastic. This restores their function. It reduces pain.

Surgery can sound scary. But knowing what to expect can help ease your nerves. But it’s not just about what happens during surgery. Recovery is equally important! After surgery, you’ll likely need to stay in the hospital for a few days before returning home. You’ll also have regular follow-ups with your doctor to monitor your progress.

And you’ll also get physical therapy to help the joint stay mobile as it heals. 

According to The American Journal of Medicine, 90% of people who undergo total knee replacement experience substantial improvement in their ability to perform common activities like walking or climbing stairs.

But we don’t want to leave you with the impression that surgery is your only option—even for severe knee pain.

Non-surgical treatments can also manage knee pain.

How Does Physical Therapy Treat Knee Pain?

Physical therapy sounds fancy doesn’t it? But trust me, it’s pretty straightforward stuff! Physical therapy helps you regain movement and function in your body after an injury or illness. It includes guided exercises and personalized home exercise programs. Physical therapists focus on strengthening muscles around your knees.

Different types of therapies are used depending on what’s causing your discomfort. For instance, let’s say you have arthritis causing you grief. A physical therapist may suggest Aquatic therapy. The water provides resistance without putting too much stress on joints.

Therapists often use their hands to apply pressure on muscles and manipulate joints, known as manual therapy. A study in a medical journal discovered that 72% of knee osteoarthritis patients had less pain after manual therapy. So, don’t underestimate the power of a good rubdown!

Now that we’ve covered treatments for severe cases of knee pain let’s move on to something equally important – prevention! Because, as they say, prevention is better than cure.

Now that we’ve covered treatments for severe cases of knee pain let’s move on to something equally important – prevention! Because, as they say, prevention is better than cure.

How Do You Prevent Knee Pain?

First, the home remedies we suggested above will also go a long way toward preventing knee pain. They can also reduce the chances that it gets worse.

But you can do more to keep knee pain from stopping you in your tracks.

It’s all about making lifestyle changes and caring for your body.

Maintain a Healthy Body Weight

Body weight is more than a vanity metric. Extra weight puts more stress on joints than they’re built for. When your weight shifts from side to side, it’s pulling the joint in unnatural ways. This is made worse if you also have weak muscles around the joint. So, you may become injury-prone.

Jumping or running amplifies the weight. So, it’s no wonder you may exhaust more quickly than normal-weight people. You’re doing more work than they are.

That added weight may also discourage you from being as active as you would otherwise. This can start you down a slippery slope. Extra weight presses down on the joints. Knee pain starts. You become less active. It gets worse. And so on.

It doesn’t matter if you’re carrying extra muscle or extra fat. Losing a bit of weight can help your knees.

According to Harvard Health Publishing, every pound of excess weight exerts about 4 pounds of extra pressure on the knees! So losing just 5 pounds could take 20 pounds of pressure off your knees. That’s pretty impressive, right?

Regular physical activity lowers the risk of knee pain, according to a study in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. To stay healthy and prevent knee pain, it’s important to maintain a healthy weight and stay active.

Wear Supportive Shoes that Fit Well

If your feet and ankles are shifting side to side, your knees will adjust to the movement. This wears down cartilage and causes pain. So, think about what your feet want when buying shoes. Supportive footwear maintains proper leg alignment and balance. It reduces strain on your knees.

Avoid Prolonged Sitting or Standing

Do you sit and stand for long periods throughout the day? You likely notice your knees feel stiff after a while.

When the knees aren’t moving for a time, they lose lubrication. The surrounding tissues tighten. Now what happens when you transition from an extended period of no activity to intense movement?

That lack of lubrication coupled with tightened tissues increases discomfort. It also causes joint damage.

A better strategy for sitting or standing in one place for a long time is to change your position several times an hour. Tools like a footstool, balance board, or massaging mat can help. Try walking in place or tapping your foot for a period.

Maintain Good Posture

Good posture goes a long way toward keeping those pesky knee pains away!

Avoid letting yourself settle into slumping positions, Whether sitting, standing, or running. These “lazy” body positions don’t engage muscles, making them weak.

Weak soft tissues make hard structures like your spine, or pelvic bones misaligned. Knee pain occurs because they must compensate.

Get Knee Pain Relief with Effective Knee Pain Treatment

Many home remedies can effectively reduce your knee pain. But to get the right treatment, you need to know what’s causing the pain and know when home remedies don’t work. 

We invite you to find out what’s causing your knee pain. To get your comprehensive knee pain evaluation and first Knee on Trac treatment, schedule an initial consultation.

Download our Knee on Trac Brochure.

Learn all about the conditions treated, benefits and contraindications.

Frequently Asked Questions About Knee Pain Treatment

What are the most common causes of knee pain?

Injuries cause ligament tears or cartilage damage from sports or accidents. Osteoarthritis causes cartilage breakdown. Overuse can lead to Meniscus tears, tendinitis or bursitis.

How many types of knee pain?

Many, all with different causes.

  • Sharp and stabbing. This means there may be an injury like a tear.
  • Dull and Aching. This is usually from arthritis or overuse. Bone-on-bone contact in arthritis causes a grinding sensation.
  • Swelling and stiffness can occur from injuries or joint inflammation.
  • Instability and Giving Way may be due to ligament damage.

When should I see a doctor about knee pain?

You should see a doctor if the pain is severe or persists for more than a few weeks despite self-care. If it worsens over time or you have swelling, redness, or warmth in the joint, it’s time to check it out.

If knee pain prevents you from doing your normal activities, causes instability, or you have clicking or giving way of the knee, don’t delay scheduling an appointment. Sudden onset of severe pain after an injury also requires prompt medical evaluation.

What tests will the doctor do to diagnose knee pain?

Common tests to diagnose knee pain include a physical exam where the doctor checks for swelling, range of motion, ligament stability and meniscus function. Imaging like X-rays can check for arthritis or fractures. MRIs can see soft tissues like cartilage, ligaments and tendons. Finally, an arthroscopy uses a tiny camera through a small incision to look inside the joint. Lab tests can confirm infections and measure inflammatory markers for arthritis.

Which treatment is best for knee pain?

The treatment for knee problems depends on the cause. Home remedies include rest, ice, compression, and anti-inflammatories. Other non-invasive treatments include physical therapy, injections, and braces. If pain or knee damage is severe, you may need surgery for tears or loose bodies. In extreme cases, knee replacement for severe arthritis. Avoid reaching this stage through lifestyle changes. Weight loss, low-impact activities, and diet can all directly impact knee health.

What is the best knee pain relief at home?

Common home remedies include RICE therapy. That stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Knee braces, a knee pain relief sleeve, or tape for support are temporary solutions. They can cause weakened muscles with everyday use.

Over-the-counter pain relievers can reduce inflammation and pain for a short time. This gives you a window to exercise or receive knee pain therapy like Knee on Trac to strengthen knee muscles and promote healing.

Knee pain topical medication creams containing menthol or capsaicin have a burning sensation. They work by distracting the brain.

Knee wraps, low-impact exercises like swimming or biking, knee pads, and losing weight if overweight are also effective. Invest in good footwear. A doctor, physical therapist, or chiropractor who knows about your knee pain cause can suggest the safest exercises for it.

When is surgery recommended for knee pain?

Surgery is usually recommended if non-surgical treatments like physical therapy, knee pain treatment injections and braces have failed. For surgery to work there must be a clear mechanical problem like a torn meniscus or ligament. Or x-rays/MRI show significant arthritis damage. Some common knee surgeries include arthroscopy for tears, loose bodies or debris removal, meniscus repair or removal, ligament reconstruction, and total knee replacement for end-stage arthritis.

What are some exercises for knee pain?

To help with knee pain, try gentle exercises like swimming, water aerobics, or stationary cycling. You can also try knee-friendly yoga, walking in a pool or on soft surfaces, or leg lifts without weights. Physical therapy exercises that focus on range of motion, strengthening, and proprioception can also be helpful. Avoid high-impact activities like running that may aggravate knee problems.

Will knee pain go away?

Knee pain can go away through knee pain treatment at home. Strategies like low-impact exercise, diet improvement, and weight loss can help. But it’s important to realize some knee injuries require medical attention. If you experienced a known injury or if the pain is severe, accompanied by heat, or doesn’t resolve in a few weeks with home remedies, you should get it checked out.

What is the recovery time after knee surgery?

The time it takes to recover depends on the surgery. For arthroscopy, it’s usually 2-6 weeks. Meniscus repair takes 6-12 weeks. Ligament reconstruction takes 6-9 months. Total knee replacement takes 4-6 months. Physical therapy is vital after all surgeries to regain motion, strength and function. After minor procedures, most people can go back to their daily activities within a few weeks. However, returning to sports may take longer.

How can I prevent knee pain from getting worse?

Lose weight if you’re overweight. This works wonders. Start or maintain a low-impact exercise routine, including stretches and strength. Wear proper shoes and use braces during more intense activities. But don’t wear them all the time. This has a worsening effect. If you’re injured, get treatment.

Avoid high-impact activities if possible. Manage arthritis with medications and lifestyle. See a doctor for an early evaluation to identify and address the underlying cause.

To get your comprehensive knee pain evaluation and first Knee on Trac treatment, schedule an initial consultation.

Medial Knee Pain

Knee Pain Medial: What Causes Knee Pain from Inside?

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Knee pain Medial

Is knee pain your ever-present companion? Or maybe you’ve just started experiencing knee pain symptoms? Either way, it’s crucial to consider where the knee hurts. It gives you clues about what’s causing knee pain and what to do about it. Knee pain medial (or medial knee pain if you prefer) should never be ignored.

It not only brings discomfort. Lack of mobility keeps you from doing what you love, which can make the pain worse over time.

Find out what’s causing your knee pain now!

What Is Medial Knee Pain?

Medial knee pain refers to the discomfort felt on the inner side of the knee closest to the other knee.

So, which side is the medial side of knee? Left or right? This can cause some confusion when you Google search “what causes knee pain left side” or “knee pain right side”.

Instead of thinking right or left, realize that the knees mirror each other!

This part of the knee is called “medial” because the medial collateral ligament (MCL) connects the thigh bone to the shin bone on the inner sides of each knee. If you’re experiencing knee pain inside (between your knees), this ligament is what you feel.

On the other hand, if you have knee pain on the outside, that’s lateral knee pain. You’re feeling the Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL).

Anatomy of Medial Knee Pain

Where is medial knee pain? That’s not a trick question.

It often originates as knee pain inside below the kneecap. But it can extend to the upper leg.

The pain might worsen with specific movements. So, you may have knee pain walking up stairs, knee pain on the side when bending, or medial knee pain with flexion (trying to bend your knee as far as it goes).

The inner side of your knee might be tender to touch.

To learn more about the anatomy of knee pain, here are more resources you’ll want to check out.

What Causes Pain on the Inner Side of Knee?

Sudden Inner Knee Pain

3 common events lead to sudden knee pain medial:

  • Falls
  • Sports injuries, like a medial collateral ligament injury
  • A sudden increase in activity without adequately preparing the body

Chances are one of the above culprits is to blame if this is a new pain.

Ongoing Inner Knee Pain

Knee pain medial can also be an ongoing issue with the musculoskeletal system, like these:

  • Osteoarthritis is a slow degeneration of joint tissue accompanied by a slowing repair rate as you age. While it’s associated with age, factors like excess weight (muscle or fat), lack of exercise, and poor spinal alignment can significantly hasten the degeneration an individual experiences, if any.
  • Torn meniscus (cartilage) may occur when the knee is not properly supported by strong leg muscles.
  • Pes anserine bursitis is inflammation of the fluid-filled bursa that reduces ligament friction, usually caused by improper knee alignment or weak leg muscles.
  • Medial plica irritation. Media plica are folds in the joint that cover the knee. The constant rubbing can cause them to thicken and become less pliable, usually caused by poor body alignment.

As you can see, it’s all connected. The musculoskeletal system is complex. When something goes wrong in one area, other tissues must overcompensate. This leads to chronic pain throughout the body.

You can learn more about how these misalignments contribute to your pain, and what we can do about it when you Schedule an initial consultation for evaluation and first treatment.

What Are the Symptoms of Knee Pain Medial?

Symptoms of inner knee pain include:

  • Sudden pain on the inside of the knee (injury-related)
  • Swelling
  • Knee pain inside when bending.
  • Bruising
  • Instability
  • Stiffness
  • Difficulty walking
  • Locking of knee joint
  • Feeling like your knee is going to “give out” when you stand up
  • Cracking in the knee

how to treat medial knee pain

Chiropractic care offers non-invasive, drug-free, and effective options for alleviating medial knee pain. We first perform a thorough examination to identify the root cause of your pain. We then apply manual techniques to adjust and manipulate the affected areas, promoting natural healing.

Treatments for Medial Knee Pain

Each chiropractic treatment plan is unique. We design one specifically to help you achieve your goals. A chiropractic treatment plan for knee pain may include:

Chiropractic Adjustments

You may think of the back when we say “chiropractor”. And we won’t diminish the importance of the back because that’s where the spine is. But chiropractors are trained in “whole body” alignment. When the mechanical issues with the body are fixed, the body can start healing itself.

Learning Proper Form

Posture is more than how you sit or stand upright. You need to move so your posture is dynamic. Every activity you perform requires posture. When you bend, lift, squat, reach, pick something up, turn, and more, you’re applying a posture technique.

If this technique is off-balance, weight is unevenly distributed. Some tissues strengthen more than others, causing misalignment. So, re-learning how to move effectively is essential.

We show you how as part of your knee pain treatment plan! And we send you home with an exercise plan to practice and strengthen supporting tissues.

To get your comprehensive knee pain evaluation and first treatment, schedule an initial consultation.

Ultrasound therapy

Ultrasound is a well-established healing practice. We use a device to send sound waves at 800,000 Hz and 2,000,000 Hz through your knee. This can reduce swelling and promote blood flow to oxygen and nutrient-starved tissues.

Stretching for Relief

Stretches targeting the inner side of your knee can help alleviate knee pain medial. Gently stretching the muscles around the knee joint and hip can improve flexibility and reduce tension. Your Truspine chiropractor guides you with specific medial knee pain stretches that suit your condition.

Knee on Trac

Knee on TracTM is a specialized traction device we use in the office to isolate and strengthen knee tissues. It ensures your knee movements use proper form while taking the knee through a set of static and intermittent movements. This helps ensure the knee is not re-injured during exercises, while reducing any discomfort your may feel.

Download our Knee on Trac Brochure.

Learn all about the conditions treated, benefits and contraindications.

Sports Medicine

In the short term, our focus is reducing pain and helping your body heal. But we also want to prevent future injuries. Your inner knee pain treatment plan may include developing a training strategy to reduce your risk of future injury. Sports medicine is for everyone. Athletes and weekend warriors alike.

Getting Back to What You Love

With each treatment, you’ll feel less pain. You can move with ease and get back to activities you enjoy. This “getting back to what you love” is vital to the healing process. As you do, you’ll strengthen the surrounding muscles and other tissues to support and maintain alignment. This can provide you with long-term relief from the annoyance of knee pain.

Why Chiropractic Care for Knee Pain Is Different

Chiropractic care stands out due to its emphasis on functional healing without medications. Unlike medications that may have side effects, chiropractic treatments target the root cause of the pain.

This means that as chiropractors, we not only focus on the symptoms. We aim to identify any underlying issues contributing to your medial knee pain. This approach can lead to long-term improvement and prevention of future injuries.

Let’s fix this at the source!

Sometimes, pain in the knee can be referred from the hip. Very often, misalignments in the spine contribute to poor knee alignment.

So, we address all of it to provide whole-body pain relief, increased mobility, and improved function.

What’s more, when you choose Truspine for your chiropractic care, you get an evaluation plus your first treatment on the same day. We want to get you on the path to relief quickly.

Embracing a Life without Knee Pain

Medial knee pain shouldn’t hold you back from living your life to the fullest. With chiropractic care, you can address the pain on the inner side of your knee and regain your mobility.

If you’re struggling with knee pain on the inner side, chiropractic care provides a promising avenue for relief. By targeting the root causes of your pain, chiropractors can help you overcome discomfort and improve your overall quality of life. Say goodbye to persistent knee pain and embrace a pain-free, active lifestyle with chiropractic solutions.

Let our Truspine chiropractors get to the root cause of your knee pain. Schedule an initial consultation and get your first treatment same day!

Knee Osteoarthritis Relief

Osteoarthritis of the Knee: Getting Knee Deep in Relief

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Osteoarthritis of the knee

Are you tired of living with the discomfort of osteoarthritis of the knee? Relief is possible! Chiropractic care offers a holistic approach to managing knees with osteoarthritis. Discover what this condition is and how a chiropractor can help you find relief from osteoarthritis in the knee.

Do you have knee osteoarthritis or something else? See other knee pain causes here.

What Is Osteoarthritis of the Knee?

It’s a degenerative joint disease that causes pain, stiffness, and swelling. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 32.5 million U.S. adults currently suffer from it.

It occurs when the protective cartilage in the knee gradually wears away.

Your cartilage is like a slippery surface that a bone can glide against. You don’t even feel this glide when this surface is healthy and new. It’s that smooth. But one of the first signs you are developing osteoarthritis in the knee is that you do start to feel this movement, even if you wouldn’t yet call it “pain”.

First, the layer gets rough, so your knees don’t move as well as they once did. Then it thins until you have bone-on-bone friction.

Everyone’s knees are constantly in a state of wear and repair. And as we age, the “wear” can start to outpace the “repair” and those wear patterns become uneven, allowing the bone to work through your protective cartilage layer. This wearing away of knee cartilage is known as “knee osteoarthritis”.

Common Arthritis Knee Symptoms

Do you believe you may have arthritis in knee symptoms? Then, chances are you’re experiencing these 2 or more of these knee osteoarthritis symptoms:

  • Pain
  • Aching feeling
  • Stiffness
  • Decreased knee flexibility. It may feel like it’s getting stuck before fully extending.
  • Swelling

The pain may come and go. And it’s possible to have it only in one knee. Some people will feel the pain in a specific place on their knee, like the front or one side.

You may notice your knee feels slightly unsteady when you try to go up or down stairs. It usually hurts more going down than when you went up.

This pain may keep you up at night as it throbs for no apparent reason, and you may feel stiff when you get out of bed. Creaking and crunchy sounds are also common symptoms of knee osteoarthritis.

Find out more about common knee pain causes here.

Getting to the Root Cause of Knee Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis pain is not a certainty as we age, and even after you begin experiencing symptoms, relief is possible.

Each time the cartilage renews itself, it changes shape a little based on factors like how you use it, bodily alignment, weight distribution, and nutrition. Over time, this structure alters to maximize your ability to move with the least effort.

That sounds like a good thing, doesn’t it?

But if your body isn’t correctly aligned, the wear becomes uneven. One or the other side of your knee does more work, and the musculoskeletal system it works within is also off-balance. Since wear is not evenly distributed, the bones work through the protection, and you begin to notice more arthritis knee symptoms.

This isn’t just about having good posture—or not. Alignment is a dynamic, whole-body activity that begins with the spine. If this pillar of your bodily structure is off-balance, everything else will try to adapt, and you have knee osteoarthritis.

This spinal misalignment is the root cause of knee osteoarthritis. The only way to find lasting knee pain relief is by getting to the root of the problem.

Want to learn more? You may also like:

The Chiropractor’s Approach to Osteoarthritis in the Knee

When it comes to managing osteoarthritis in knee joints, we take a personalized and comprehensive approach because, as you can see, the location of the osteoarthritis and how it’s impacting you can vary.

Our goal is to help you experience knee pain relief quickly and improve function while we focus on the longer-term solution of stopping that uneven wear so the repair can outpace the wear again. To do that, we must develop a personalized plan to realign your musculoskeletal system and strengthen the muscles and connective tissues around your knee joint.

To get to the root cause of pain and discomfort, schedule an initial consultation, including a comprehensive knee pain evaluation and first Knee on Trac treatment.

What a Knee Pain Treatment Plan Looks Like

Depending on your knee pain causes and other factors, your plan may include:

  1. Manual Adjustments: Chiropractors use gentle, controlled movements to realign the knee joint, reducing stress on affected areas.
  2. Joint Mobilization: The chiropractor employs techniques to improve joint mobility and decrease stiffness in the knee.
  3. Therapeutic Exercises: Weakness in the supportive structures around the joint puts extra strain on the cartilage, amplifying pain and the wear rate. Customized exercise programs in the office and at home can strengthen the knee muscles, providing better support to the joint. This promotes better alignment and creates an environment where the joint can heal.
  4. Nutritional Guidance: A chiropractor may offer dietary recommendations to support joint health and reduce inflammation.
  5. Knee on Trac: A knee pain therapy that involves a specialized machine that gently takes your knee through its range of motion or holds your knee in a specific position over a session to restore function
  6. Acupuncture: A non-invasive ancient Chinese technique that uses tiny single-use needles to reduce pain and inflammation for up to a few days while increasing blood flow to promote healing. This gives you time to perform exercises and treatments to realign and strengthen tissues for longer-term results.
  7. Shockwave Therapy: A therapy that uses a specialized machine to send acoustic waves that target tissue at various depths to compress and manipulate them. Like acupuncture, this can also reduce inflammation and pain while improving blood flow to promote healing.
  8. Ultrasound Therapy: A therapy involving a specialized machine that sends sound waves between 800,000 Hz and 2,000,000 Hz into tissues. This causes tissues to vibrate, increasing blood flow and reducing inflammation.

Download our Knee on Trac Brochure.

Learn all about the conditions treated, benefits and contraindications.

How Chiropractic Care Helps

It’s non-invasive. Chiropractic care offers a non-surgical and drug-free approach to managing knee osteoarthritis.

You can have pain relief now while we restore function and mobility. Through gentle adjustments and targeted therapies, chiropractic treatments can alleviate knee pain.

Get your mobility back. Chiropractic techniques help restore flexibility and range of motion in knees with osteoarthritis.

Take back your quality of life. By addressing the underlying causes of knee pain, chiropractic care can improve your daily functioning and overall well-being.

To learn more about whether chiropractic therapies may relieve your knee pain, check out other knee pain causes.

To get to the root cause of this pain and find lasting relief, schedule an initial consultation, including a comprehensive knee evaluation, treatment plan, and an initial adjustment and/or knee on Trac treatment.

Prevention and Self-Care Tips for Knee Osteoarthritis

  1. Work Toward and Maintain a Healthy Weight: Excess weight puts additional stress on the knees, contributing to arthritis symptoms. The closer you can get to and stay at a healthy weight, the better your knees will feel and perform.
  2. Stay Active: Engage in low-impact exercises like swimming and walking to keep your knees moving without excessive strain. It may seem counterintuitive, but the worst thing you can do when experiencing knee pain is stop moving. Lack of movement will weaken supportive structures even more.
  3. Use Assistive Devices: Knee braces or orthotics can support and reduce discomfort during daily activities. But it’s important not to think of braces as a long-term solution since your body can become dependent on them, worsening the wear over time.

Living With Osteoarthritis Of The Knee

To say it’s challenging would be an understatement. For most, being able to walk without pain means freedom, independence, and getting the most out of life. But you don’t have to endure the pain alone. With the help of a skilled chiropractor, you can find relief and improve your quality of life. Seek professional chiropractic care, follow self-care tips, and take control of your knees with osteoarthritis today.

Remember, the journey to managing osteoarthritis in the knees starts with a single step toward a chiropractic solution. To get to the root cause of this pain and find lasting relief, schedule an initial consultation, including a comprehensive knee evaluation, treatment plan, and an initial adjustment and/or Knee on Trac treatment.

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Meniscus Injuries

Meniscus Injuries: Stop the Pain Now & Promote Healing

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Meniscus Injuries
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Meniscus injuries can be painful and limit your mobility. But did you know that a chiropractor can play a significant role in your recovery? Whether you’re dealing with a lateral meniscus tear or any other meniscus injury, working with a chiropractor is a non-invasive and effective approach to alleviate pain and promote healing.

How Do Meniscus Injuries Happen?

Meniscus injuries, including lateral meniscus tears, can occur due to sudden twists or impacts on the knee joint. It’s true that mild to moderate meniscus tears can heal “on their own”. But this rarely happens with without some form of care because you will keep re-injuring it, making it worse.

If left untreated, as it gets injured again and again, it begins to significantly impact your daily activities and overall quality of life.

Meniscus tear

Types of Meniscus Injuries

A meniscus is a C-shaped pad made of cartilage on either side of your knee. It works as a shock absorber. There are two main types of meniscus injuries: medial and lateral.

The medial meniscus, located on the inner side of the knee joint, is more commonly injured. The lateral meniscus, positioned on the outer side of the knee joint, is less frequently injured.

Both kinds cause similar meniscal injury symptoms:

  • Pain
  • Swelling
  • Stiffness
  • Limited mobility 
  • Difficulty straightening or bending the knee
  • Popping or clicking sensations during knee movement
  • Feeling of instability or giving way

To learn about other knee pain causes, check this out.

Both types of meniscus injuries can range from minor tears to severe and complex tears. The severity and location of the tear within the meniscus play a significant role in determining the appropriate treatment approach.

For the vast majority of injuries, a therapeutic approach, such as chiropractic care is your best option. Only in severe cases, surgical intervention may be necessary to repair or remove the damaged portion of the meniscus. Either way, prompt diagnosis and treatment are essential for optimal recovery and to prevent further complications.

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How a Chiropractor Helps Meniscus Injuries (3 Steps)

Chiropractors utilize a holistic approach to treat meniscus injuries and address their underlying causes.

1. Chiropractic Assessment

A medial or lateral meniscus tear can cause excruciating pain. So, we share your sense of urgency to stop the pain and restore function. Those are our two primary goals.

To this end, a chiropractor will conduct a thorough evaluation to identify the exact nature and extent of your lateral meniscus injury. It involves imaging to look inside and identify where the tear is and how bad it is. It also involves a gentle manual assessment of “where it hurts”. This assessment helps your chiropractor develop a customized treatment plan.

To get to the root cause of this pain and find lasting relief, schedule an initial consultation, including a comprehensive knee evaluation, treatment plan, and an initial adjustment and/or treatment.

Download our Knee on Trac Brochure.

Learn all about the conditions treated, benefits and contraindications.

2. Relieving Lateral Meniscus Pain

After the assessment, one of the first things your Truspine chiropractor will want to do—and we think you’ll agree—is to take action to reduce pain levels quickly. We’ll develop a plan to provide quick but short-term relief. This short-term relief gives us a window to start working on therapies that, over time, can improve musculoskeletal alignment, restore functionality, and promote healing for long-term results.

To alleviate pain, reduce inflammation, and accelerate healing, we may perform a variety of integrative healing therapies:

  • Gentle and specific chiropractic adjustments
  • Ultrasound therapy
  • Shockwave therapy
  • Laser therapy
  • Acupuncture

3. Restoring Functionality

When you’re suffering from a meniscus injury, restoring mobility and functionality are crucial. Chiropractors employ various techniques, such as mobilization and soft tissue therapies, to restore joint motion, improve muscle strength, and enhance overall knee function.

Your chiropractor will guide you through corrective exercises during your appointment. We also prescribe specific exercises to strengthen the muscles surrounding the knee joint. These exercises help stabilize the joint, enhance flexibility, and promote long-term recovery.

Be sure to check out other knee pain causes that this comprehensive chiropractic strategy can help.

Natural Healing without Surgery

Chiropractic care provides a non-surgical and drug-free alternative for meniscus injuries. By addressing the underlying causes of the injury and promoting natural healing processes, chiropractors help patients avoid invasive procedures and potential side effects.

If you’re suffering from a lateral meniscus tear or any other meniscus injury, chiropractic care can be a valuable treatment option. With our expertise in musculoskeletal health, we can provide personalized care to alleviate pain, restore mobility, and improve overall well-being. Don’t let meniscus injuries hold you back—seek the help of a chiropractor to regain control of your life. To get to the root cause of this pain and find lasting relief, schedule an initial consultation, including a full knee evaluation and an adjustment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will walking on a torn meniscus make it worse?

Walking on a torn meniscus can potentially worsen the injury and cause increased pain or further damage.

Will meniscus injuries heal on their own?

A meniscus tear may not heal on its own as the blood supply to the meniscus is limited, and the healing potential depends on the tear type, location, and individual factors.

How long does a meniscus tear take to heal?

The healing time for a meniscus tear can vary depending on factors such as the severity of the tear, treatment approach, and individual healing ability. It can take several weeks to several months.

Can a meniscus tear heal without surgery?

In some cases, a meniscus tear can heal without surgery, particularly for small tears on the outer edge of the meniscus. However, larger tears or tears in the inner part of the meniscus are less likely to heal without surgical intervention.

Can meniscus pain come and go?

Yes, meniscus pain can come and go, particularly if the tear is unstable or if the person engages in activities that aggravate the injury. Symptoms may vary over time.

Which meniscus injuries are more common?

The medial meniscus, located on the inner side of the knee joint, is more commonly injured than the lateral meniscus, which is on the outer side of the knee joint.

Is a torn meniscus a permanent injury?

A torn meniscus can be a permanent injury, especially if it does not heal properly or if surgical intervention is required. However, with appropriate treatment and rehabilitation, many individuals can find relief and regain functionality.

Be sure to check out other knee pain causes that this comprehensive chiropractic strategy can help. And You can learn more about how these misalignments contribute to your pain, and what we can do about it when you Schedule an initial consultation for evaluation and first treatment.

Pinched-Nerve-Spinal-Stenosis

What Causes Spinal Stenosis? What Are The Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Available Treatment?

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Spinal stenosis causes wear and tear in the spine leading to the advanced stage of arthritis. Spinal stenosis is a result of a reduction in the space in the backbone.

What is spinal stenosis?

Spinal stenosis involves losing space inside the spinal canal. Just like you can have stenosis of the freeways when there are a lot of cars going through, you can have encroachment on the spinal canal. Now, it’s most common in the lumbar part of the spine, which is the lower back. Degenerative changes can take up space inside that canal. Less space means more pressure on the nerves and thus more irritation.

What does pain from spinal stenosis feel like?

Spinal stenosis pain is mostly felt in the back or in the legs. But spinal stenosis may not cause any pain at all. It can cause more intense symptoms such as progressive weakness in the lower extremities, again, meaning the legs. If it gets bad enough, it can also cause some bodily functions to lose control, such as the bladder and bowel movements.

What is the main cause of spinal stenosis?

The main cause of spinal stenosis is degenerative arthritis or instability in the spine. Some of the symptoms of spinal stenosis could be numbness in the legs due to pinched nerves, and loss of motor function as well into the lower extremities. The symptoms are mostly as you might take notice, caused by squeezing of the nerve root. Symptoms again most often occur in the lower extremities or the legs. Standing or walking can sometimes exacerbate or make your symptoms feel a lot worse.

How is spinal stenosis diagnosed?

Spinal stenosis is predominantly diagnosed with either an MRI or a CAT scan, and it’s reviewed by a radiologist and discussed with your primary care.

What part of the body does spinal stenosis affect?

It can definitely affect the neck, back, or low back. Meaning the mid back or low back. It can also cause difficulty with walking. Classic spinal stenosis can be presented with shorter distances of you being able to walk, along with much more.

How does Spinal Stenosis affect the body?

First and foremost, Spinal Stenosis can affect the neck, mid back, or the low back. Depending on what parts of the body it affects, you may get different types of symptoms. Some symptoms may be an effect of Spinal Stenosis of the lower part of the body, meaning the lumbar – could be difficulty with walking. Sometimes you may even be able to walk shorter distances, but you tire much quicker than you normally might. Spinal stenosis can also affect the neck and upper back. With those, you may get more arm & hand symptoms.

What types of people are prone to developing Spinal Stenosis?

Spinal stenosis generally affects the older population, so we’re looking at 60, 70 plus. As we age, there are more chances of degenerative arthritis, which can cause spurring and consequently, Spinal stenosis.

More reading we think you’ll like:

Can spinal stenosis be cured?

Spinal Stenosis is not curable. Good therapy and some activity modification can help to manage it. If the case shows severe symptoms, experts will immediately recommend surgery.

To get to the root cause of pain and discomfort, schedule an initial consultation, including a comprehensive evaluation and first treatment.

What are the best treatments to cure or manage Spinal stenosis?

If spinal stenosis gets severe enough, experts may recommend surgery to free up or decompress the nerves, causing less inflammation and less irritation. Professionals make use of the decompression fusion process to achieve this.

Surgery is indicated with advanced arthritis leading to pinching of the nerve or instability of the spine. Remedies that you can do to prevent getting to a point of surgery would be chiropractic treatments, acupuncture treatments, and physical therapy. That would be the best three-prong approach. The chiropractic is great, therefore really loosening up the joints, taking pressure off the nerves. Where acupuncture comes in is decreasing inflammation and irritation around the nerves and eventually, you’re going to want to strengthen those muscles and ligaments around the spine to help hold the structure. So physical therapy or rehabilitation is important mostly long term. So again, chiropractic, acupuncture, and physical therapy are definite musts with spinal stenosis.

Other things that could definitely be beneficial would be palliative care such as massage therapy, as well as flexion-distraction types of exercises that can help pump the lower back. And this pumping mechanism with these flexion distraction exercises can help get nutrients and water through an imbibition process to the discs to help really get all the nutrients to the disks as quickly as possible.

How can a person suffering from Spinal stenosis cope with the disease?

In addition to doing the recommended therapy, it’s important to keep active, keep moving and keep things fluid. Going on daily walks can help. Experts recommend more flat walking, so avoid hilly areas and high elevations.

Another thing that could be very beneficial would be swimming. Swimming kind of helps take the weight off the body and takes your joints through a full range of motion, loosening up the area, and de-inflaming the area.

Making sure that you have good sleep ergonomics, as well as sitting and standing ergonomics. So it’s important to get an Ergonomic professional to possibly take a look at your setup to make sure that you’re doing everything you can possibly not to irritate the area any further. One thing to note is that when Spinal stenosis gets bad enough, it can cause radiating symptoms. So symptoms down the legs as well as bowel and bladder dysfunction. If we get to this point, it’s really important to get to the emergency room as quickly as possible. This could indicate a surgical intervention and that’s probably what our experts at Truspine would recommend at that point in time.

Are you having shooting pains down the back of your legs? This could be spinal stenosis. At our San Francisco clinic, we have spinal stenosis experts that are ready to take action, evaluate and give you the right and best care plan. It’s important to get a very thorough examination. Give us a (415) 421-1115.

You can schedule an appointment with our San Francisco chiropractor to get correctly diagnosed or have a free 15-minute phone consultation.

Does Chiropractic Help? Yes, it helps with these 3 health concerns

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A common misconception about chiropractic care is that the practice isn’t an authentic medical treatment. I would like to set the record straight by saying that chiropractors are designated as physician-level providers. This means that they are medically trained to treat disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system.

Herniated_Disc_Treatment

The ACA estimates that chiropractors treat more than 35 million Americans annually for a range of health concerns. Three in every group of four people describe chiropractic care as very effective. What top health concerns are among those that ail the general population, and how do chiropractic adjustments address these? Keep reading to find out.

Who Should I See For Back Pain?

Your first choice should be to look for a non-surgical treatment that focuses on spinal manipulation and mobilization. We now know that chiropractic adjustments can restore the mobility of joints that get restricted due to tissue injury. As we’ve previously discussed in A Blessing for Back Pain Relief, this tackles the root of the problem of back pain — which can be either a stuck joint, a muscle sprain, or a strain.

An estimated 40% of Americans with lower back pain or more than 7.7 million people would rather see a chiropractor than a medical doctor. This is because the latter’s specialty would be the management of pain through the prescription of muscle relaxers, pain relievers, and inflammatory reducers. The former enables our body’s self-healing process without medication or surgery.

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Can Chiropractic Care Help Quick Smoking? 

Experts have found that smoking contributes to lower back pain. Chiropractors encourage their patients to quit smoking to manage body pain and much more. Additionally, Tobacco Free Life explains that the knock-on effect resulting from back pain and poor posture encourages smoking for stress relief. Addressing back pain medically, therefore, will reduce stress and discourage smoking behavior.

The effect isn’t direct, of course. However, when combined with evidence-based approaches to quitting smoking, it can be easier to avoid relying on cigarettes. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)—like the nicotine patch, gum, and lozenge—is proven to increase your chances of quitting. Prilla notes nicotine pouch use is growing throughout the US as a discrete means to consume nicotine in moderation. This smokeless “modern oral nicotine category” similar to nicotine gums and patches can be used in public spaces like the office where back pain tends to flare up.

Chiropractic adjustments can help you get rid of back pain that leads to nicotine cravings. Thus, slowly decreasing the reliance on nicotine.

To get to the root cause of pain and discomfort, schedule an initial consultation, including a comprehensive evaluation and first treatment.

Obesity 

Another epidemic in the US is the growing rate of obese adults and children. Surprisingly for most, chiropractic treatment addresses this in different ways by tackling the root cause. By not simply treating symptoms, it seeks to prevent future weight gain.

First is by moderating communication between the brain and the digestive tract, through spinal manipulation. This regulates the physical appetite for food while simultaneously reducing body and back pain due to excess weight.

Otherwise, Gym Trends 365 emphasizes that chiropractic care improves athletic performance by making daily movement more comfortable. This encourages exercise and other physical activity, which many obese people with pain tend to shy away from. The resulting production of serotonin can then induce a cycle of healthy diet and exercise habits.

As a form of holistic care, chiropractic treatment doesn’t just care for a current issue in isolation. A traditional chiropractor looks at a patient’s whole body and how everything interacts. This holistic view shows them how body pain can have a cyclical relationship with things like obesity or smoking behaviors. They should thus be treated together and not separately.

Whether it’s your brain, muscles, nerves, skin, or even your emotions, chiropractic treatment aims to keep every part working so that you can feel better. For more information on chiropractic care, check out our other blog posts at Truspine. 

To get to the root cause of pain and discomfort, schedule an initial consultation, including a comprehensive evaluation and first treatment.

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Dry Needling Vs Acupuncture: How to Choose?

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Dry Needling Vs Acupuncture
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Are Dry Needling and Acupuncture the Same? If you’ve ever seen a picture of someone performing dry needling vs acupuncture, no one would blame you if you confused the two. After all, they both involve the placement of super-thin needles shallowly into the skin. Both can be used to manage pain — albeit different kinds.

But that’s the end of the similarities.

If you’d like to skip the explanations, go straight to the quiz.

What Is Dry Needling Vs Acupuncture?

What Is Dry Needling?

Dry needling is a therapeutic technique that targets trigger points on the body. This instructs specific musculoskeletal systems to “reset to default”. By doing so, they begin functioning as they were intended to.

It involves the placement of a tiny, single-use, dry needle into a trigger point. A myofascial trigger point is an easily irritated spot found on the fascia of a musculoskeletal system. Fascia is an extremely nerve-dense (and therefore sensitive) tissue that surrounds organs, bones, muscles, and other systems in the body.

Nodules and tightness can form within the fascia. A trained professional can feel these spots on your body. You can also feel them as isolated pain or tension in a muscle.

Placing a dry needle on this spot acts as a “reset button” for that network of tissues. We call it “dry needling” because the needle doesn’t inject anything into your body. The sterile, stainless steel needle instead works with your own body’s natural responses to get the desired result.

What Is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture also requires several single-use, tiny needles. The acupuncturist applies these needles shallowly to acupuncture points to restore optimal health.

Acupuncture points are not the same as the trigger points targeted with dry needling. Instead, they are points mapped out on the human body along life force (Qi or Chi) pathways called Meridians. These pathways manage the flow of Qi energy and connect everything, body-mind-emotions.

Since these are also connected, disruptions or blockages in one part of a whole person (That’s you!) can lead to dis-ease in another part of the body, mind, or emotions.

An acupuncturist targets these points by shallowly inserting needles into your external body (skin) to unblock Qi within the body (e.g., liver function) and restore balance in those energies.

So when comparing dry needling vs acupuncture, dry needling helps improve the mechanical function of the muscles and joints. Alternatively, acupuncture helps restore how energy moves through your body to promote overall health.

So much more to explore on our site! We think you’ll also like these helpful articles.

How Does Dry Acupuncture Vs Dry Needling Work?

Dry Needling Supports Musculoskeletal Balance

Your musculoskeletal system comprises muscles, bones, and connective tissues. Overuse, underuse, and misuse can cause this system to stop functioning as it initially did.

Unfortunately, modern life doesn’t promote whole body health. You use specific muscles a lot, and others hardly move. Just think of how often you use your right hand vs left hand, depending on your preference.

As a result, some systems overwork while others do not. They become weak. This creates an imbalance between them that can lead to abnormal stress. You may experience this as a localized:

  • Tension
  • Pain
  • Pinched nerves and nerve pain
  • Cramping up

If allowed to continue, this can cause degenerative joint diseases and a change in your posture. Misalignment slowly becomes the new normal. The body tries to adapt to how you’re using it.

Those who sit for 8-10 hours a day can find themselves particularly affected. Sitting muscles get stronger. Standing and moving muscles get weaker.

By targeting the myofascial trigger point, we can restore proper alignment and balance among systems.

Acupuncture Supports Optimal Health and Function

Acupuncture is a complex, and well-studied science of how Qi moves through the body. Through research and experimentation, ancient acupuncturists mapped out how Qi flows within the meridians. This allowed them to target specific acupuncture points to unblock the flow of Qi.

Keep in mind that neither acupuncture nor dry needling is a treatment in the way conventional medicine defines “treatment”. Both work by helping your body help itself. They can reset and activate your body’s natural tendency to want to restore balance and move toward optimal health. In that, dry needling and acupuncture are the same.

We can further explore the dry needling and acupuncture differences by looking at the types of conditions you might use acupuncture or dry needling for.

Take the quiz to find out which one may be better for you.

What Does Dry Needling Versus Acupuncture Help With?

Dry Needling Helps Primarily with Extremity Pain

Most pain in your extremities is caused by imbalances in the musculoskeletal systems. One system is working harder than another, overcompensating and causing strain. You may have experienced this when you’ve ever favored an injured body part and developed a cramp somewhere else because of the imbalance.

So activating the trigger points with a dry needle can help restore balance and reduce pain with conditions like these:

  • Tennis elbow
  • Golfer’s elbow
  • Hip Pain
  • Pain in the Glutes (Buttocks)
  • Knee pain
  • Achilles Tendonitus / Tendonosis
  • Plantar Fasciitis
  • Other foot pain
  • Various muscle spasms
  • Dry needling for TMJ

To experience the benefits of acupuncture, schedule an initial consultation for evaluation and first treatment.

Acupuncture Helps with Disrupted Qi Flow that Can Lead to Physical and Emotional Pain

Acupuncture can help with a broader range of conditions related to imbalances in the Qi flow. As a result, you may experience improvements in:

  • Digestive issues
  • Menstrual pain
  • Autoimmune diseases
  • Inability to deal with stress
  • Depressed feelings
  • Migraines
  • General pain
  • Allergies

You’ll find a more complete list here.

While dry needling vs acupuncture for various conditions may sound straightforward, everyone is different and may need one, the other, or both to experience the greatest relief. For example, many want to know about Dry Needling vs Acupuncture for migraines.

Some people who have migraine, develop a tension headache that becomes a migraine while others see light flashes that signal the headache is on its way. These are just two of the different ways people experience migraine. Each calls for a different solution. For this reason, both dry needling and acupuncture can be effective for migraines, depending on the person and how they experience the condition.

When you take the quiz, you’ll quickly learn which might work best for your unique situation.

Origins

Dry needling is a fairly recent and modern treatment first practiced in 1979. It is growing quickly in popularity and respect in the conventional medical community. In fact, many physical therapists now learn this treatment as part of their training. They are adding it to their list of therapies they use to help patients with various types of pain.

On the other hand, acupuncture is an ancient Chinese Medicine practice dating back 1000s of years that is also growing in popularity and respect in the U.S.

Relationships to Conventional Medicine

American Medical Association (AMA)

The American Medical Association (AMA) has also presented acupuncture as a possible solution when they said, “Non-pharmacologic therapy and non-opioid pharmacologic therapy are preferred for chronic pain”.

The American Medical Association (AMA) calls dry needling an invasive procedure. That term sounds scary. But it just means that because a needle penetrates the skin, only a licensed practitioner can perform it. These include medical doctors, doctors of chiropractic, physical therapists, and doctors of acupuncture. The AMA and many other organizations consider dry needling to be a type of acupuncture. So it’s important to note many may use the term “acupuncture” when they are really talking about dry needling in research and vice versa.

American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)

Similarly, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) says that physical therapists who are properly trained can offer this treatment to their patients.

National Institutes of Health (U.S.)

Acupuncture and dry needling have a lot of modern scientific research backing up their efficacy for a variety of ailments. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health a subset of The National Institutes of Health, “Results from a number of studies suggest that acupuncture {including dry needling} may help ease types of pain that are often chronic such as low-back pain, neck pain, and osteoarthritis/knee pain… reduce the frequency of tension headaches and prevent migraine headaches.”

Conventional medicine sees the benefits of acupuncture a little differently than a modern acupuncturist or ancient practitioner would. They recognize that acupuncture can:

  • Reduce inflammation
  • Stimulate blood flow
  • Stimulate the nervous system
  • Activate endorphins, your body’s natural painkillers

They see it as an integrative therapy complementing conventional medicine much like chiropractic or nutritional therapy. In the same way, it can work for people who are willing to stick with a treatment plan.

To experience the benefits of acupuncture, schedule an initial consultation for evaluation and first treatment.

Dry Needling Therapy Vs Acupuncture Treatment Targets

Through years of education and experience, trained professionals can feel that tension and knots when they examine a part of your body. Often the location of these knots isn’t precisely where you have pain, since these systems pull on each other.

The practitioner knows that placing a needle at that trigger point causes the muscle to release that tension so that it can start working correctly.

On the other hand, acupuncture follows a well-researched and defined meridian map. This map dictates that placing a series of needles here, here, and here can restore the proper flow of Qi. The acupuncturist listens to the client describing their problems. Then, based on their understanding of the meridian map, they know where to place the needles.

Dry Needling Vs Acupuncture: Side Effects

All procedures and therapies can have side effects. So it’s important to only allow a trained and licensed professional to perform dry needling or acupuncture. Because needles are single-use, the risk of infection is minimal. Most side effects are mild and not enough to stop someone from having either done. Around the treatment site, you may experience temporary pain, bruising, and bleeding.

To experience the benefits of acupuncture, schedule an initial consultation for evaluation and first treatment.

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Facet Joint Syndrome: Symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment

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The work of a joint is to connect two or more body bones to facilitate motion. In our spine, facet joints are the joints that connect two or more vertebrae. Like any other joints in the body, facet joints allow effortless motion in the intervertebral disc. This functionality caters to the stability of each motion segment. Unfortunately, because of age or any accident, a person can get damage in his facet joints which leads to facet joint syndrome.

The Facets are located in the neck, upper back, and lower back. They exist in pairs, one on each side of the spine and at each level of the spine. They are essentially synovial joints, similar to the joints we have at the knuckles and the knees.

If it’s acute, it can be like a sharp shooting pain. If it is more chronic, it can tend to present duller and achy, sometimes paired or coupled with muscle spasms.

Causes of Facet joint syndrome

The Facet joints are one of the most overlooked when it comes to back pain. About 15% to 45% of all back pain originates from these facet joints. There are millions of people with back pain who have inflamed facet joints.

The leading cause of facet joint syndrome depends on the affected region of the spine. For instance, if you are experiencing facet joint pain in your lower back, it is probably because of your age.

With age, our body structure which supports the spine, like the intervertebral disc and facet joints, gets wear and tear due to strain and physical activity. In addition, the intervertebral disc comprises water, and our growing age affects disc hydration, ultimately reducing the disc height. Such things lead to lower back pain.

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Symptoms of the Facet Joint Syndrome

Well, the facet joint pain usually presents as more localized pain versus radiating pain or traveling pain. So you can have localized pain in the neck or the lower back. When they get bad enough, facet joint pain can radiate to other parts.

For instance, if facet joints in the neck are compromised, the pain will radiate into the upper back and the arm. Similarly, if facet joints in the lower back are experiencing the pain, you may experience pain down into the glutes and the high hamstring area. Facet joints can present as pain, but they can also present as muscle spasms and just dull and achy pain in general.

Besides, joint pain can worsen because of specific movements such as forward bending and twisting motions.

Let’s know more about the symptoms of facet joint syndrome as per the affected joint.

Cervical Facet Joint Syndrome

Cervical Facet Joint Syndrome causes neck and shoulder pain, which will restrict motion. Thus patient will find it difficult to rotate the head with ease. Facet syndrome in the cervical spine may also lead to a headache.

Thoracic Facet Joint Syndrome

This syndrome causes pain in the mid-back. In addition, this restricts the patient from several body movements such that a patient may need to move their entire body to the left or right to see in that particular direction.

Lumbar Facet Joint Syndrome

This causes pain in the lower back. Patients will feel pain in the lower back or sometimes in the buttocks. But the pain will never go below the knees. Such inflammation causes stiffness and makes it difficult to stand straight and get up from the chair.

Which is the most common facet joint syndrome?

Degenerative Joint Syndrome is the most common one. Around 60% of adults over the age of 65 have some sort of the arthritic change in their necks. And over 90% of adults over the age of 65 have some kind of degenerative or arthritic changes in their lower back. Now the facet joints and the discs work together.

So when the facet joint is compromised, the discs also tend to get involved, causing a duel, and both of them mostly feed off of each other and cause you pain. Therefore, through chiropractic treatment, we will address both, the disc and the facet joint when working with a patient with some of these symptoms.

Diagnosis of Facet Joint Syndrome

Your chiropractor will feel tenderness around the facet joint and do palpation or push into the spot to diagnose the condition.

When you visit the doctor’s clinic, he will check your medical history and do some physical and neurological exams. The physical test includes bending, walking, or twisting your body. This will help the expert to know the exact pain point in your back. The neurological examination checks your nervous system and may test your reflexes and responses.

While neurological tests and physical examination will inform the doctor about your condition, a diagnostic injection is necessary to confirm the facet joint syndrome. In such injections, the doctor will give local anesthesia to the suspected joint pain site. A decrease in pain immediately after injection shows that the doctor can know the source of pain and can plan further treatment accordingly.

Sometimes your doctor may observe the inflammation area and then perform other tests that diagnostically could be x-rays that could look at the joint spacing and if there’s any inflammation around that facet joint. There is also a slew of orthopedic examinations that can be done during treatment and consultation. The most expert way to diagnose facet syndrome is through imaging, the orthopedic test, and of course, touch and feel.

Is it possible to repair facet joints?

That’s a complicated question because once a facet joint has degenerated or deteriorated, doctors cannot re-grow the bones, but they can manage it pretty well. Of course, if you’re catching your facet syndrome a little bit on the earlier end of things, your specialist can start to stop things in their tracks and begin to reverse the process through good treatment.

Treatments for facet joint syndrome

After confirming your facet joint syndrome, your doctor will probably start with nonsurgical treatments. This may include anti-inflammatory medications and physical exercise. Some exercises give strength to your lower back and help prevent facet syndrome. But there are some holistic ways to treat this syndrome. For example, your specialist may go with hot and cold therapy based on acute or chronic pain to cure the syndrome.

If your facet joint syndrome is very new and acute and there’s inflammation, we may start with some cold or Cryotherapy followed by heat therapy and then contrast treatment. At our San Francisco clinic, we utilize cold and hot therapy and other therapies such as Chiropractic and Acupuncture. One big thing to understand when it comes to facet joint pain is that it can sometimes pop up for numerous reasons. For example, when you may go to pick up something heavy off the ground, or sometimes it’s random; you just kind of wake up with it or maybe sleep incorrectly. So we’ve seen these conditions pop up for many different reasons. But regardless of the reason, we treat all types of facet joint syndrome at our San Francisco clinic here at Truspine.

One thing that has worked for our patients is getting them into a supportive brace. Wearing a supportive brace between flare-ups can help reduce the discomfort that comes with facet syndrome. Pairing that supportive brace with treatment or therapy at our clinic can help. So Chiropractic treatment can help to take pressure off the facet joint syndrome through a technique called Spinal manipulation therapy or adjustments. Adjustments are quick forces into the joint to help to decompress the joint and reduce inflammation. We do offer Chiropractic therapy here at our San Francisco clinic.

Another beneficial therapy is Acupuncture. Acupuncture can be beneficial in helping to ease the tension or pinching of the nerves to help relax the muscles around the nerve, especially if your facet syndrome presents with any radiating or traveling pain. Other than that, we love to pair our Chiropractic and Acupuncture care with exercises to ensure that once we get rid of your facet syndrome, it stays away and doesn’t come back. So strengthening the muscles around the facet joint is much more helpful.

To experience the benefits of acupuncture, schedule an initial consultation for evaluation and first treatment.

Can massage therapy help facet joint syndrome? 

The short answer is no. Facet joints are deep, and massage therapy is more superficial.

Can massage help in any aiding with the recovery process?

Yes, once the acute phase has been completed, then massage therapy can aid in helping you recover from facet joint syndrome.

How long does facet joint syndrome take to heal?

It depends on how long you’ve had your pain and many other factors. But typically, we can resolve the facet joint syndrome at our San Francisco clinic in about four to six weeks.

Can facet joint syndrome or pain heal itself? 

The body is self-healing, but sometimes it needs a push in the right direction.

And we believe our chiropractic care paired with Acupuncture and other therapies can help you on your way.

What are the best exercises for facet joint syndrome? 

The top three exercises for facet joint syndrome are planks, child’s pose, and cat-cow stretch.

What is the best sleeping position for facet joint syndrome? 

We typically recommend patients suffering from facet joint syndrome sleep on their side with a pillow between their knees and try to keep their body in a neutral position as possible. The proper pillow and mattress are also recommended.

Conclusion 

The best medications for facet joint syndrome are NSAIDs, Acetaminophen, and a type of muscle relaxer. However, we highly recommend seeking professional help before attempting to try one of these medications for your pain.

Are you suffering from back pain? Does it become a part of your life? Do you know 60% of people suffer from back pain, which can be Facet joint inflammation? Give us a call at Truespine, our San Francisco clinic, to get correctly diagnosed.

Can Chiropractic Care help cure your facet syndrome? We’ve cured plenty of facet joint syndrome victims at our clinic. To get to the root cause of pain and discomfort, schedule an initial consultation, including a comprehensive evaluation and first treatment.

Acupuncture-and-Its-Benefits

Acupuncture and Its Benefits

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In the case of various health issues, people first try standard therapies. Then, people switch to alternative medicine when these therapies fail to give the expected results. There are several forms of alternative medication practised today. In this article, we will discuss the concept, process, and benefits of Acupuncture in detail. Let’s begin with the idea of Acupuncture.

What is Acupuncture, and How Does It Work?

Acupuncture uses thin needles put into different places on the body called acupuncture points. These points lie along Meridian pathways that carry Chi or energy to other body parts. Acupuncture works to unblock those areas where the power may be stagnant because of illness or injury or some chronic disharmony in the body. It allows the body to function naturally by restoring the balance that was once there.

To experience the benefits of acupuncture, schedule an initial consultation for evaluation and first treatment.

Relief after an Acupuncture session

After an acupuncture session, the body becomes highly relaxed. It resets the nervous system and puts you in a more parasympathetic state than a sympathetic one. Sometimes you will feel sleepy; sometimes, you may have more energy. It depends on the cause of the treatment on that day.

Immediate Effect and Time Required for Relief or Improvement

Acupuncture often generates an immediate effect experienced as body relaxation and better sleep that evening. However, in some cases, patients who have chronic issues and delay treatment may require therapy for a longer period. For example, if you visit the acupuncturist with back pain you’ve had for five years, it’ll take several sessions for recovery. Some people feel much better after one or two treatments. Usually, results are expected within four to six weeks. Your consistency with treatment will determine the final result.

How Long Does the Effect of Acupuncture Last?

It simply depends on what you’re coming in for. In most cases, the effects of Acupuncture can be permanent after a few sessions, or it can require maintenance. Initially, it is necessary to visit an acupuncturist regularly until the symptoms don’t come back. Experts usually recommend weekly visits for about four to six weeks until your symptoms aren’t returning. In case of signs return after some period, the maintenance and upkeep wellness visits can help the patient. You can visit monthly or maybe seasonally for such a purpose.

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Dos and Don’ts After an Acupuncture Session

After the acupuncture session, patients must listen to their bodies. People coming in for physical ailments must avoid doing exercise or activity involving that particular body area. Those who come for detox are not supposed to drink alcohol. Experts usually ask people to drink lots of water after Acupuncture. They also suggest resting if they can and resting if they feel like it. If you must go on with your work and are tired, you’ll be fine to drink a coffee if you need to.

Preparation for First Acupuncture Session

You need not prepare much for Acupuncture. Many patients try to wear loose clothing, which is not necessary. Experts ask people not to come on an empty stomach or complete, just somewhere in between. There is no strict rule of eating much or less before Acupuncture to make or break the treatment.

During the first session, experts have an in-depth conversation with patients about what they’re coming in for and their medical history.

Then, the patients are asked to get on the table so that experts can take their pulses. Then the other diagnostic measures are done, such as palpation of the abdomen, neck, and other body areas. After that, the expert will begin the treatment by starting slowly. The expert will ask you to inhale and exhale with the first couple of needles. Some people are susceptible to Acupuncture, whereas others are not sensitive.

Frequency of Acupuncture Sessions

Unless someone is extremely ill, at an advanced age, or has a child, the experts say you can’t overdo it with Acupuncture. Acupuncturists usually recommend a cadence of once a week. However, it is undoubtedly acceptable to do more than that. Typically, people proceed with that speed whenever they’re first starting. 

Comparison Between Acupuncture and Physical Therapy

Comparing acupuncture with physical therapy, people recover very quickly from acupuncture. Even though the recovery depends on the injury, physical therapy seems to be a long-term process. Acupuncture immediately relaxes the tight muscles in acupuncture Points. And it also allows the body to function the way it did before the injury. Physical therapy chips away bit by bit. Acupuncture will expedite your process. Physical therapy is essential, and most people opt for it. But, you will get a lot quicker results if you also do Acupuncture.

Who Can Opt for Acupuncture Therapy?

Everybody can benefit from acupuncture therapy. However, acupuncture is not done on kids younger than five to seven. And also, if you’re at an advanced age, it will be very light. There are no other parameters than age to get Acupuncture done. Being too young, kids don’t need this therapy. And the older people are too weak to have a lot of Acupuncture done. But people with ages anywhere in between can opt for this for anything. It may be a cold or flu, a sore neck or back, allergies, indigestion, anxiety, etc.

Process of Acupuncture Session at True Spine

Before Acupuncture Session

  • We begin with an in-depth conversation when you come for your first acupuncture treatment. You can share any pertinent information that you feel is important for us, along with your medical history and reason for coming.
  • We ask you many questions about things that might seem unrelated to what you’re coming in for. Acupuncture strives to treat the entire person. Anything from your past life is perhaps significant to what you’re coming in for.

To experience the benefits of acupuncture, schedule an initial consultation for evaluation and first treatment.

During Acupuncture Session

  • After that, we will let you get comfortable on the table and will begin the treatment with a diagnosis. It includes Chinese pulse taking and palpitation of the abdomen. Depending on what you’ve come for, the neck, sometimes the feet, or different areas.
  • If you’ve come for physical pain, we’ll take a good look at the body’s structure. The way you stand and your neck or arm moves(if it’s a separate issue).
  • Then we will begin the treatment by giving you the breathing cues. So you inhale, we insert the needle, and you exhale. We’ll continue needling till all of the hands are in. We’ll continue the treatment depending on how nervous you are that day.
  • Usually, people start to feel nice and relaxed and fall asleep at the table. Some of them get to a pleasant meditative state. Then we let you rest in the room with the lights off, warm bed, and feet heater on for about 20 minutes.

After Acupuncture Session

  • We leave you with a button in case you feel uncomfortable. You can press the button, which will alert us to come in and check on you. So after 20 minutes, we return and get the needles out. We check in with you to see how you’re feeling, and you’ll be on your way.
  • At True Spine, we make sure you’re entirely comfortable. We allow you to understand what was done that day and what you can expect in the upcoming days. We’ll give you that briefing before you leave. We’ll tell you when we want to see you again, and you’ll be on your way.

Benefits of Acupuncture

The benefits of Acupuncture are far and wide. It is helpful for pain relief, stress, anxiety, and insomnia. Experts do work with allergies, fertility, and the digestive system. Let’s look at the following benefits of Acupuncture for various health issues.

  • Acupuncture for Fertility

Acupuncture is widely studied for fertility and can be beneficial on many levels since it regulates hormones. If stress is the factor, it relaxes the patient. It can also build an endometrial wall if that is a factor. Several factors lead to infertility these days. Acupuncture can also be done with IVF for people looking to get pregnant naturally.

  • Acupuncture for Back Pain, Neck Pain, and Other Body Pain.

Pain is one of the most common reasons people seek out Acupuncture. Some people suffer from upper back and neck pain due to poor posture. Few others suffer from low back pain due to exercise or injury. Acupuncture works to relax these muscles and decrease inflammation. There’s another form of Acupuncture called trigger point acupuncture. It is more effective at relaxing tight muscles and gives excellent results.

  • Acupuncture for Nausea and Vomiting

Acupuncture is perfect for all sorts of nausea. It’s good at relaxing the vagus nerve. It helps those who have a vagal response that often causes them to be nauseous or dizzy. Other reasons for nausea can be related to how your digestive system works further down the line. It decreases inflammation in the intestines and helps the digestive system function smoothly.

  • Acupuncture for Migraine and Headaches

Acupuncture is excellent for migraines and headaches. People have a lot of tension at the back of their heads or eye strain due to looking at a screen. Acupuncture is excellent for relaxing muscles around the back of the neck and the eyes. We can deal with the hormones; whose imbalance is causing a headache. So Acupuncture works for multiple factors causing a headache.

  • Acupuncture for Anxiety 

We’re all overworked and stressed out these days. Everyone’s nervous system is on a high. So we do a lot of Acupuncture to decrease the sympathetic response from the nervous system. Acupuncture is also excellent for depression. It helps to relieve long-held emotions and helps the body and your mind in processing. You often feel much lighter and much more relaxed after an acupuncture session.

  • Acupuncture for Insomnia

We treat insomnia with Acupuncture by regulating the nervous system of people. They are overworked and constantly on the go, and it’s difficult for them to turn it off at night. We also work with the adrenals in this state. It’s difficult for the adrenals to get on a regular rhythm, which interrupts the circadian rhythm. When melatonin increases at night, cortisol is still very high. It won’t allow melatonin to turn on and will help you to turn it off and go to sleep.

  • Acupuncture for Weight Loss

Acupuncture can decrease the way your brain thinks of the stimulus. So it will allow you to eat only when you are hungry. Acupuncture also allows the digestive system to function more smoothly. You can process your food effectively. You don’t have all the bloating, constipation, and toxicity build-up from a sluggish digestion system.

  • Acupuncture for Sciatica

Sciatica is one of the main reasons people come in for Acupuncture. The piriformis muscle becomes highly tight due to poor posture or injury. This is where the sciatic nerve runs through the glutes. We can relax the piriformis muscle around that nerve and decrease the nerve pain. In addition, the imbalance of the sacrum bone, which is at the base of your spine, also often leads to sciatica. Acupuncture can realign the sacral joint to avoid pressure and further imbalance.

  • Acupuncture for Sinus

Acupuncture is excellent for sinus issues. If someone has chronic sinusitis, it decreases the inflammation in the sinuses. It also allows the body to process the flame more effectively. So, in case of an allergy, it will help with the histamine response. If it’s a chronic inflammation of the sinuses, it will decrease the inflammation and flame produced in response to that inflammation.

  • Acupuncture for Stress

If you’re coming in for any ailment, we always work with stress-relieving points on you. It’s straightforward to relax the nervous system and feel euphoric after Acupuncture. It’s one of the best benefits of Acupuncture and one of the main things we see in almost all of our patients.

Risks Involved with Acupuncture

  • Pneumothorax

The puncturing of the lung is the most significant risk for Acupuncture and is called pneumothorax. Since the needles are thin, they do a very tiny puncture. In that case, you would have blue lips and a bit of difficulty in breathing. You would also need to go to the hospital. So, pick the acupuncturist wisely who knows what he’s doing.

  • Nerve Damage

Choose your acupuncturist wisely to avoid the risk of nerve damage. Correct placement and depth placement of the needle should never damage a nerve. But it can happen if you have somebody that does not know what they’re doing.

Conclusion

Now you are aware of the concept of Acupuncture and its benefits. You can opt for Acupuncture as a remedy for any of the above health issues. You will get the best acupuncture treatment with True Spine.

Are you dealing with pain, injury, or inflammatory conditions? To experience the benefits of acupuncture, schedule an initial consultation for evaluation and first treatment.

Chiropractic Treatment: A Blessing for Back Pain Relief

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Many of you might have experienced back pain in your life at least once. Being an unpleasant situation, we try to eliminate it as soon as possible. Today, we will know about types of back pain conditions and Chiropractic Treatment for back pain relief.

Back Pain and its Types

We can separate back pain into two broad categories: upper back pain and lower back pain. Doctors consider upper or mid back pain as one part and the other one as lower back pain. Both types of back pains require different treatments.

Some of the specific back pain issues include facade syndrome, disc herniation, lumbar sprain strain, day-to-day backaches due to sitting for a long time, sleeping incorrectly, and other reasons. These issues are treated differently with chiropractic or acupuncture techniques.

Chiropractic Treatment for Back Pain

The majority of the people suffering from back pain want relief from it and hence choose chiropractic treatment. It is a non-surgical treatment that focuses on spinal manipulation and mobilization. The theory behind this treatment is that the proper alignment of the spine, muscles, and surrounding structure enables our body’s self-healing process without medication or surgery.

Chiropractic treatment is an alternative method for patients suffering from pain in their joints, muscles, connective tissues, bones, and tendons. This treatment uses the manipulation technique to restore the mobility of joints that get restricted due to tissue injury caused by some reasons.

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Chiropractors v/s Regular Doctors

Patients suffering from back pain have two primary options: visit a regular doctor or go to the chiropractor. There is a difference between a regular doctor and a chiropractor because the regular doctor falls under conventional medicine, and the chiropractor comes under holistic medicine.

In conventional medicine, doctors prescribe a combination of muscle relaxers, pain relievers, and inflammatory reducers. These medicines usually help the patient manage the pain, but they do not necessarily cure it. At the same time, chiropractors go to the root of the problem, which can be a stuck joint, a muscle sprain, or a strain that they focus on.

How does Chiropractic Treatment work on Back Pain?

There are a few different ways in which chiropractors treat the back pain of patients. The use of chiropractic adjustment for specific joints is one of these ways. HVLA technique or high-velocity low amplitude thrust technique is used to unstuck the particular joint. To identify these sticky joints, expert chiropractors use the feel or touch approach.

The other techniques used by chiropractors include the Graston Technique, which is a soft tissue technique. They also use the active release technique, which involves manual therapy. Knowing where the inflammation has formed and which joints are stuck is important for this Treatment. Chiropractors use the palpation technique for this purpose. Once they are aware of the root cause to focus on, the treatment is provided to the patient accordingly.

To get to the root cause of pain and discomfort, schedule an initial consultation, including a comprehensive evaluation and first treatment.

Number of sittings and duration required for Treatment-

This is a major concern for almost all patients with back pain. Most patients want to recover soon so that they can enjoy their life again. The number of sittings required for treating back pain and the duration of recovery differs from person to person. The reason behind this is the severity, and the delay in starting the treatment is different in each case.

Chiropractors try to provide relief from back pain at the earliest. In the case of chronic back pain, the time required for recovery is more than the general backache. The number of sittings needed is more in such cases. Some people have an assumption that they have to visit a chiropractor for a lifetime, which is wrong. You can stop the treatment once you feel the relief and the chiropractor gives you some exercises for a future course.

Advantages of Chiropractic Treatment for Back Pain-

Chiropractic treatment provides you with many health advantages and relief from back pain. Some of the chiropractic benefits are as follows-

Relief from neck pain and back pain-

Chiropractic treatment relieves patients suffering from back pain and neck pain. Chronic pain takes time to recover, but this treatment helps to achieve good results.

Non-surgical treatment-

Chiropractic treatment is a non-surgical option available for back pain and joint pain patients.

Help in treating Scoliosis-

The abnormal curvature developed in the spine is known as Scoliosis. This causes abnormal posture and back pain. Chiropractic treatment helps in treating patients with Scoliosis.

Relief for patients with Sciatica-

The sciatic nerve gets damaged due to some pressure and causes severe pain from the lower back to the legs. This condition is referred to as Sciatica. Chiropractic treatment provides relief to patients with Sciatica.

Helps in reducing inflammation-

Chiropractic treatment reduces inflammation and provides relief to patients.

Helps in joint pain and muscle tension-

After getting chiropractic treatment, people suffering from joint pain and muscle tension experience relief.

Improved athletic performance-

This benefit is more inclined towards the sportspeople or athletes. Chiropractic treatment improves the performance of sportsmen and athletes.

Side effects of the Treatment-

Like other therapies, some patients experience side effects after having chiropractic treatment sessions. These side effects include extra soreness in the area of pain, inflamed muscle, and pushback in the joint. In such cases, chiropractors always recommend at-home palliative care. It includes stretching and icing, which helps manage pain after treatment sessions.

Conclusion

Now we have understood the concept of chiropractic treatment and how it provides relief for back pain. Being a non-surgical treatment, it avoids further health issues. Thus, we can say that- ‘Chiropractic treatment is a Blessing for patients suffering from back pain.’

To get to the root cause of pain and discomfort, schedule an initial consultation, including a comprehensive evaluation and first treatment.

What Is Shockwave Therapy & How Can It Treat Plantar Fasciitis?

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This article will discuss shockwave therapy and how it cures plantar fasciitis. Shockwave therapy proves to be the best among the other options available to treat plantar fasciitis. So let’s understand those concepts and why this therapy is best.

What is Shockwave Therapy?

In this therapy, the sound waves or acoustic waves go deep into the muscle, tendon, or ligament. It is a non-invasive, outpatient alternative to surgery for people suffering from joint and tendon disorders.

Patients looking for an alternative to conventional treatments like orthotics and injections find this treatment very useful. For example, shockwave therapy helps people with tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, knee pain, shoulder pain, and plantar fasciitis. 

How does it work?

Shockwave therapy helps treat tennis elbow, heel pain, and degenerated tendons. After completion of diagnosis, the therapy starts with the probe. Firstly, your doctor will apply gel to the skin of the concerned area. Next, he will do a non-invasive probe to that part of the body.

An electric charge will create focused energy on the area of concern. These shock waves heal the tissues by creating force. After the session ends, your doctor will remove the gel from the skin.

To get to the root cause of pain and discomfort and experience the healing power of sound, schedule an initial consultation, including a comprehensive evaluation and first treatment.

Is Shockwave Therapy painful?

The main complication involved in this treatment is pain and hypersensitivity. These issues generally resolve with time. The active participation of the patient makes this treatment more successful.

High energy wave may require local anesthesia, as it causes some pain, whereas low energy wave therapy doesn’t require anesthesia. Pain and disability may persist if the treatment is not successful.

What is Plantar Fasciitis & where is the pain in plantar fasciitis located?

The plantar fascia is at the bottom of the foot. In this disorder, the inflammation takes place in the foot’s heel. The patient may feel a sharp pain in the morning or after long durations of activity.

To be precise, Plantar Fasciitis is the pain at the heel, specifically in the calcaneus bone. The patient may feel pain in the morning after the rest of the whole night. Also, the long walks or running sessions can cause pain in this area. Shockwave therapy treats plantar fasciitis.

What is the cause of plantar fasciitis? Who is affected by this disease?

Repeated stress and tension on the feet can cause inflammation in the plantar fascia. This results in plantar fasciitis. There is no particular reason for this disorder. But the following categories of people are more prone to plantar fasciitis-

  • People between the age group of 40 to 60 years.
  • Athletes and sportspersons who do more exercises which cause stress on heels.
  • People with flat feet, a high arch, or a typical walking style can suffer from plantar fasciitis.
  • Obesity causes stress on the feet. Hence those who are carrying extra weight are prone to this disorder.
  • The people with occupations that keep them on their feet regularly for a long time.

Does obesity contribute to plantar fasciitis?

Obesity is one of the factors causing stress on the feet. A person who is carrying extra weight puts added pressure on the plantar fascia. The extra weight causes heal pain, which puts a load on joints and ligaments.

Consulting a doctor for suitable weight-loss methods and doing exercises regularly will help avoid the risk of plantar fasciitis in the case of people who are carrying extra weight.

 Signs/symptoms of plantar fasciitis:

If you are suffering from one or more signs/symptoms present below, then there is a possibility that you have plantar fasciitis-

  • Pains in the bottom and nearby area of the heel.
  • Increasing pains after a workout.
  • Pain in the arch of the foot can be a symptom.
  • Worst pain in the morning and standing after sitting for a long duration.
  • The swollen heel can also be a sign of plantar fasciitis.
  • Continuing pain for months.
  • 80% of people have reported tight Achilles as a symptom.

How can shockwave therapy cure plantar fasciitis?

If the conservative treatment options did not work in the early days, there were limited choices like steroid injections, custom orthotics, or invasive surgeries for plantar fasciitis. Unfortunately, these options cannot be used in the long term since they can weaken the tendon.

Shockwave therapy is a quick, gentle, non-surgical treatment option which helps reduce the pain from plantar fasciitis. Currently, this treatment is highly effective and the most advanced therapy available for plantar fasciitis.

In this process, the special probe delivers pressure to the concerned area and triggers the body’s self-healing process. This results in the formation of new blood vessels. Thus it is a very effective treatment.

You may also find these resources very helpful:

What are the home remedies to treat plantar fasciitis? (primary solution to treat the pain before visiting a chiropractor)

The majority of the people with plantar fasciitis recover within 10 months by following home remedies. They are:

  • Stretching the calf muscles.
  • Avoid walking bare feet. Use well-cushioned, sturdy and supportive shoes.
  • Use arch supports, appropriate shoe inserts, or custom-made foot orthotics.
  • For reducing tightness in the calf muscle, use a night splint.
  • Massaging the affected area can also give relief.
  • Apply ice on the area for 10 to 15 minutes, three to four times per day.
  • Restrict physical activity along with prolonged standing.
  • Take over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen or naproxen.
  • Lose weight and use crutches.

What are the therapies for plantar fasciitis other than shockwave therapy?

The treatment options other than shockwave therapy are as follows:

Physical therapy- A therapist teaches exercises to the patient that requires stretching of plantar fascia and Achilles tendon to strengthen lower leg muscle.

Night splints- Wearing a splint can keep the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon in a stretched position overnight while the patient sleeps.

Orthotics- Using custom-fitted or off-the-shelf arch supports distributing the pressure on the feet more evenly.

Walking boots, crutches, or canes- Using one of these products for a longer duration as per recommendation from the health care provider.

Other procedures- If the above options do not give results, then the other options like steroid injection, surgery, and ultrasonic tissue repair can help to get relief.

Why is shockwave therapy better than other therapies?

We have seen options other than shockwave therapy for plantar fasciitis. They have their limitations as follows:

  • Steroid injections cannot be used for a long time since they can weaken the tendon.
  • Wearing a particular shoe for a long time for custom orthotics is not convenient.
  • Invasive surgeries are risky because of the side effects and an extended downtime which is not favorable.

But in shockwave therapy, there is no risk, no inconvenience of wearing the particular shoe, and no injections are involved. Besides these factors, this therapy is quick, gentle, advanced, and highly effective. These features make it better than other therapies.

What are the side effects of plantar fasciitis?

Some effects may not be strictly known as side effects, but they are observed if the plantar fasciitis is left untreated. They are:

  • Chronic heel pain hinders daily activities.
  • The change in walking style to avoid pain can lead to hip, knee, foot, and back problems.
  • Heel spurs, ligament tears, ankle pain, pelvic instability, osteoarthritis, etc.
  • Plantar tears, plantar rupture, and plantar fibromatosis are some of the consequences.

How many shockwave therapy sessions are required to treat plantar fasciitis? How long does it take to cure this?

The number of sessions and duration required for treatment varies from person to person. It is also dependent on the intensity of the pain. But average, three to four weekly sessions/sittings are necessary for complete healing.

Some people start feeling relief immediately after the session, while others feel it 2 to 4 hours after the session. There is no downtime required. Patients can join back their routine activities after the sessions.

Exercises for plantar fasciitis:

We have already understood that this disorder requires rest and not significant activity. So there is no need for any rigorous exercises for this treatment. Only some stretching exercises are sufficient and helpful for relief. They are as follows-

  • Calf stretches.
  • Rolling stretches.
  • Seated foot stretches.
  • Towel curls.
  • Marble pickups.

With the help of these exercises and proper rest, the patient will feel relief very soon.

Are you dealing with a sharp pain at the heel after a walk, running session, or early in the morning when you get out of bed? You are most probably suffering from Plantar Fasciitis. Shockwave therapy has a success rate of around 60-80%.

To get to the root cause of pain and discomfort and experience the healing power of sound, schedule an initial consultation, including a comprehensive evaluation and first treatment.

Chiropractic Benefits for Parkinson’s Disease

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Home » painfree

What is Parkinson’s Disease?

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive movement disorder in which the symptoms continually worsen over time.

PD involves the malfunction and death of neurons, specifically in an area of the brain called the substantia nigra. As PD progresses, dopamine—the chemical that controls muscle movement and coordination—decreases leaving a person unable to control their movements as they normally would.

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