Neck Pain

Your neck is made up of vertebrae’s and between each vertebrae are nerves and discs (gel-like pillows that provide a cushion between each vertebrae). If one or more of your vertebrae shift out of alignment, they crowd or “pinch” the nerves that run between them causing neck pain. Through chiropractic adjustments doctor can release the nerves and take pressure off the vertebrae, alleviating the neck pain.

Frequent symptoms:

• Headaches
• Shoulder and arm pain
• Upper back pain
• Blurred vision
• Pain when turning your head
• Inability to move or turn head fully
• Dizziness
• Tiredness
• Numbness or tingling

Whiplash

Whiplash is one of the most common injuries to the neck. It occurs when the neck experiences a sudden movement forward and backward or from side to side. This sudden movement overstretches and tears the tendons and ligaments in the neck.

Frequent symptoms:

• Neck Pain
• Shoulder and arm pain
• Upper back pain  
• Headaches
• Blurred vision
• Pain when turning your head
• Inability to move or turn head fully
• Dizziness
• Tiredness
• Numbness or tingling

Headaches

If you have a headache, you’re not alone. Nine out of ten Americans suffer from headaches. Some are occasional, some frequent, some are dull and throbbing and some cause debilitating pain and nausea. What do you do when you suffer from a pounding headache? Do you grit your teeth and carry on? Lie down? Pop a pill and hope the pain goes away? There is a better alternative.

Performing spinal manipulation or chiropractic adjustments improves spinal function and alleviates the stress on your system. Chiropractic and headaches connect through issues such as decrease in blood flow to part of the head, and also problems with the nerves running into the back of the head being irritated. Chiropractic can alleviate the nerve flow and muscle spasms around the base of the neck thereby relieving headaches and joint pain. By restoring function to the cervical spine, the problems associated with the dysfunction will go away!

Bulging Discs and Herniated Discs

Disc bulges and herniations are conditions in which the outer edges of the discs, located between the vertebrae are damaged. This causes the jelly-like center to bulge or be pushed out. This is a surprisingly common issue and is very painful. The quality and intensity of it depends on the type and position of the herniation. If the damaged disc is irritating a surrounding nerve, shooting and stabbing pain along with weakness in the legs is often severe.

It is important that this issue is properly identified and promptly treated to avoid further damage. Dr. Ivanov will thoroughly assess your back to determine the extent of the issue and the appropriate treatment plan to prevent worsening of the herniation and provide relief from the associated pain.  

Lower Back Pain

If you are living with chronic back pain then chiropractic is a good treatment option. Almost everyone will experience some form of back pain, ranging from slightly irritating to completely crippling, in their lifetime. Whatever the degree of pain you are experiencing and whether it is acute or has become chronic, at the very least you would probably rather live without it. In the most extreme cases it can be difficult to go on living with it.  By using spinal manipulations to correct any subluxations (pinched nerve) in the lower back, the doctor can release the nerve causing the pain. With the combination of the spinal manipulation and all our other therapies (each one is designed to relax, stimulate, and help hold the adjustment), we will get you better as fast and efficiently as possible.  

Sciatica

The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body. It starts in your lower back and splits to run through your hips, buttocks, legs and feet on both sides. The most distinctive sign of sciatica is pain that radiates from your lower back into the back or side of your of your legs. It can range from a mild ache to sharp, severe pain. You can also get numbness, tingling, and weakness in your leg or foot. Sometimes it can feel like a jolt or electric shock. It can be worse when you cough or sneeze, and prolonged sitting can aggravate symptoms.

Many factors can cause sciatica pain. A job that requires you to twist your back, carry heavy loads or drive a motor vehicle for long periods of time might play a role in sciatica. Another factor is people who sit for prolonged periods or have a sedentary lifestyle are more likely to develop sciatica.

How Can A Chiropractor Help With Sciatica?

Chiropractors are extensively trained to diagnose, find and treat sciatica by locating what is causing the irritation to the sciatic nerve and relieving that pressure. Chiropractors use a variety of techniques and therapies in order to do this. Most common sciatica treatment includes spinal manipulations (adjustments). A gentle chiropractic adjustment is administered to gain motion in the restricted joints in order to restore misaligned vertebrae to their proper position in the spine. Chiropractors also use a spinal decompression technique in order to gently stretch the spine to take pressure off of the spinal discs. The spinal discs are gel-like cushions between bones in your spine that help with shock absorption. Over time, the spinal discs absorb a lot of wear and tear causing them to degenerate or dehydrate, resulting in a bulging

What types of chiropractic treatments do you offer?

I primarily work with patients using manual manipulation. That means I’m using my hands to try to improve mobility. If I can improve joint mobility in a certain area — the spine, neck, middle back, lower back, pelvis — then I may be able to reduce muscle tightness or the irritation of nerves that travel down the arm or leg, causing numbness or tingling, pain, or even changes in strength. I use other therapies as well, but the main mode of care I use is manual manipulation. 

Are there risks or pain associated with spinal manipulation?

It’s the same as any procedure: It may be a little uncomfortable. But I try to push as gently as possible; I won’t push beyond your limits. You may get a little sore afterward, but as time passes, you should notice that less and less.