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Bone Spurs in the Spine

Do you feel a shooting pain in your limbs or thorax? What about soreness in your back? Either kind of problem could be caused by a spinal spur. These bony growths form in response to inflammation and can compress nearby tissues, causing soreness and dysfunction. We offer a variety of complementary treatments for spinal spurs at ChiroCareLA.com in Glendale, but many of them require patient cooperation and lifestyle changes, so we want them to understand what they’re up against.

Inflammation is an immune system response that restricts the flow of toxin-filled blood and makes tissues more porous to antibodies. Unfortunately, prolonged inflammation can cause problems of its own, including the growth of bone spurs. When a person suffers from osteoarthritis, the cartilage that cushions and lubricates the joints between their vertebrae wears away. As the vertebrae rub against each other, their joint lining becomes inflamed, and spurs form. Likewise, when the spinal discs are herniated, the pr…
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Running and Back Pain

In order to keep your spine supported, you need to get regular exercise. But overuse can also lead to back pain when you aren’t warming up or varying your workout routine enough. If you’re one of the many runners with an aching back, Dr. Jack Alajajian and his staff at ChiroCareLA.com can offer you minimally invasive, non-addictive treatment options. We’ll also work with you to get you running again as soon as possible in a safe manner.

Muscles from our lower backs connect to the pelvis and upper leg. As they get worn out, a person may suffer spasms in their lower back. The spinal discs, which cushion the vertebrae, are also at risk for overuse, particularly in people over the age of fifty or who have suffered previous disc injuries. When a spinal disc is herniated, it may compress a sciatic nerve, which would cause shooting pain or numbness along a patient’s leg. Since the back gets jostled a lot during running, a runner is likelier to wear down their soft tissues. There is also a ris…
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Plantar Fasciitis

You may have known that plantar fasciitis causes a lot of people to suffer heel pain. But you may not have known that your Glendale chiropractor can treat it. At ChiroCareLA.com, Dr. Jack Alajajian and his staff utilize an array of high-tech instruments and techniques to correct musculoskeletal problems. If you’ve been suffering from foot pain, we’d be happy to give you an examination and provide treatment for it and any postural condition you may have developed as a result.

The plantar fascia is the connective tissue on the bottom of the foot that runs from under the heel to the start of the toes. When it’s frayed or overly tight, you may experience a stabbing pain, especially if you’ve been lying down or active for a long time. The plantar fascia is likelier to fray in people who are older or overweight, or who have high or fallen arches or heel spurs. Runners and people who have to stand for long periods are also likelier to develop it.

Plantar fasciitis usually responds well to cons…
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Upper Back Pain

Although lower back pain and neck pain receive a lot of attention, upper back pain is also quite common.If your job requires you to sit in a chair all day, you may be at particular risk for developing a degenerative condition. Dr. Jack Alajajian and his staff at ChiroCareLA.com in Glendale can help you recover quickly and safely, but first, we’ll have to determine the nature of the injury.

The twelve thoracic vertebrae are somewhat better protected than the rest of the spine from acute injuries. They are less mobile due to their connections to the ribs, and the upper thoracic vertebrae are supported by the shoulder muscles. However, the discs between them may degenerate, particularly if a person is older or often dehydrated, and the facet joints between them may develop arthritis. The muscles running between the vertebrae can also be worn down by overuse, or they may shorten from underuse. Nerves branching out of the thoracic vertebrae lead to the chest and abdomen, so a nerve root com…
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Carrying Heavy Objects Safely

If your job requires you to regularly carry heavy objects, you’ve hopefully been trained in doing so safely and follow those instructions. But if you only carry heavy things sporadically, you can easily make a mistake that will result in a back injury. People who have already suffered slipped discs are especially vulnerable, and we at ChiroCareLA.com in Glendale frequently see people with preventable injuries. Therefore, we wanted to provide some guidance on heavy lifting.
Before you pick the heavy thing up, prop open all the doors between it and your destination. If possible, get a dolly, and wear shoes that have good traction. Make sure you’re not wearing anything that could snag, and that there are no upturned carpets or other walking hazards on your path. You may also want to do a short warm-up.
When you pick up the object, get a feel for its center of weight before lifting it, and then use your legs to propel yourself upward from a squat. Keep the object at chest-level and centered…
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Ankylosing Spondylitis

There are many different forms of arthritis we treat at ChiroCareLA.com in Glendale. Although not every treatment is appropriate for every cause of joint pain, we employ a wide variety of therapies, all of which are minimally invasive. One type of arthritis we can care for is ankylosing spondylitis, which primarily affects the spine and hips.
Ankylosing Spondylitis is poorly understood and varies a lot between patients, but it generally causes periodic inflammation on one side of the pelvis. It may become worse with time and spread up the spine and into the joints connecting the jaw to the head. Treatment revolves around keeping the joints mobile so that when inflammation subsides, there is less risk of the joints growing bone spurs that will cause them to fuse together.
Maintaining good posture is crucial for ankylosing spondylitis patients. They are often tempted to hunch over in response to pain, but we can work with them on therapeutic stances and exercises that will reduce soreness…
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Knee Pain

Full health requires that your musculoskeletal system be aligned. But if there’s a problem in your knee, you will not only be in pain, but may also overcompensate by throwing your pelvis and lower back out of alignment. As chiropractors, we at ChiroCareLA.com in Glendale take a holistic approach to health, so we wanted to discuss a bit about what causes knee pain and how we combat it.
The kneecap, or patella, is a sesamoid bone. These means it floats on a bed of cartilage and is anchored down by ligaments and tendons. When those tissues fray and the kneecap moves out of place, the patient is said to have patellofemoral syndrome and their cartilage may be eroded by the dislocated bone. Their knee will become inflamed as a result, causing it to stiffen and become sore.


Patellofemoral syndrome can result from acute or chronic injuries. We can reduce swelling in the knee through methods such as low-level laser therapy delivered through an Echronica laser. This will increase the flow of bloo…
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