CHIROCARELA.COM: Blog

If you’ve ever had pain in your leg, you may have tried adjusting your posture in a way that also put strain on your lower back. But the connections between our legs and the lumbar region go deeper than that. ChiroCareLA.com in Glendale offers a variety of complementary therapies for reducing pain in a holistic, safe manner, so to help our patients understand why we use them, we wanted to take some time to discuss some of the ways in which the back and legs are connected.   The nerves that lead to our legs emerge from the spinal cord in the lower back. They exit the lumbar vertebrae through small holes called foramina and weave through the muscles and bones of the pelvis. Compression in these nerves could cause a shooting pain, tingling, or numbness down the leg, which are the symptoms of sciatica, but the pressure causing the pinch could have several origins. Swelling from a dislocated facet joint or herniated disc, or a back muscle stretching over a spinal spur, could compress nerves...

Good posture depends on a solid base. If there’s a problem in the foot, a person may throw off their whole musculoskeletal alignment trying to compensate for it. At ChiroCareLA.com, our chiropractic practitioners offer a variety of soft tissue treatments for plantar fasciitis, which is swelling in the connective tissue at the bottom of the foot. But sometimes, foot pain has a simpler explanation, which is why we want to talk about avoiding foot cramps.   Foot cramps occur when the muscles in the feet tighten suddenly, usually while a person is lying down. They often occur when the muscle is fatigued from overuse or getting inadequate nutrition. While staying hydrated and getting plenty of potassium are important for preventing muscle cramps, if the foot has inadequate blood supply, necessary nutrients may not be reaching it. A patient may be able to correct this by wearing shoes that aren’t as tight and that don’t force their foot forward.   In the moment a cramp occurs, a person may b...

As experts in musculoskeletal care, we at ChiroCareLA.com offer complementary, non-addictive, fast-acting treatments for stingers and other shoulder pain. You may be wondering what chiropractic has to do with the shoulder. The field of chiropractic is concerned with every part of the body, and with shoulder pain, it is worth examining whether the problem is related to nerves in the neck.   Several nerves emerge from the spinal cord in the neck and branch out to the upper body. The ones going to the arm bundle together in the shoulder in a structure called the brachial plexus. When a person’s head is pushed away from their shoulder and their shoulder is pushed down, as often happens in contact sports, the brachial plexus is briefly pinched. This would cause a shooting pain along the shoulder and arm, which is what is called a stinger. Usually, stingers go away as quickly as they came. But if a person is subjected to repeated blows, or their brachial plexus is compressed by swelling, the...

Have you recently been in a motor vehicle accident or otherwise had your head snapped back and forth? Don’t delay seeking a clinical examination. The symptoms of whiplash don’t always appear immediately, but they can be painful and debilitating when not treated early. At ChiroCareLA.com, we offer a variety of safe therapies that account for the individual needs of each patient, designed to not only alleviate symptoms, but aid the healing process.   Whiplash is sometimes referred to as Cervical Acceleration-Deceleration Syndrome or CAD, in reference to how it develops in the neck bones or “cervical spine.” When a person’s head is snapped back and forth, they may develop microtears in their neck tissues and the connecting tissue in their head and shoulders. This can cause a wide variety of symptoms, including soreness, shooting pain, instability, and swelling. The ligaments of the neck may be stretched, and swelling may compress the nerves exiting the cervical spine and traveling to the ...

Bursae are a crucial part of the musculoskeletal system. These small sacs of fluid provide the lubrication that allows our tendons to glide easily. But bursae can become inflamed, and when they do, a person is likely to experience pain or dysfunction in nearby tissues. At ChiroCareLA.com in Glendale, we’ll work with patients suffering from bursitis to return them to activity as quickly as possible, while putting them in the best position to maintain their health in the future. This week, we’re taking a closer look at how bursitis relates to pain in the hips, specifically.   There are hundreds of bursae throughout the body, including some large ones on the front of the pelvis. But when a person experiences bursitis-related hip pain, the problem is most likely related to a trochanteric bursa. These bursae, one on each side, are located in a notch on the outward-facing side of the top of the femur. A connective tissue called the iliotibial band stretches from the hip to the knee over the ...

You are probably familiar with icing a freshly sprained ankle or busted shin to reduce swelling and pain. Cryotherapy, or “cold therapy,” works in the same way to reduce inflammation and pain, but on injuries suffered long ago. Start your road to recovery with Dr. Alajajian and his staff today! There are many benefits associated with ice pack cryotherapy that it’s become a popular treatment option in the Glendale, CA, area.    Ice pack cryotherapy is also an effective way to help with muscle spasms. Benefits can be obtained from just one session of cryotherapy, but it is most effective when used regularly. Commonly used in treatment for sports injuries, some athletes use cryotherapy twice a day, while others may go once a day for ten days and switch to once a month after that time. Listen to what your body says as it reacts to the treatment, as well as any advice given to you by your trusted chiropractor.    Other benefits of cryotherapy include:   - Reduces pain attributed to arthrit...

We at ChiroCareLA in Glendale, CA, understand that accidents happen. A slip, bump, fall, or another sudden trauma has the ability to cause subluxation, a misalignment in your spine. When or if an accident occurs, Dr. Alajajian and his staff are readily available to get you on a personalized treatment plan. While the main goal is to correct the misalignment of your vertebrae and alleviate discomfort, we also work to prevent future subluxations by building up your spinal health.   If you are experiencing subluxation, symptoms include:   - Swelling - Numbness and tingling - Limited mobility - Pain or discomfort - Degeneration of surrounding muscles, nerves, and bones   Did you know that subluxation is a partial dislocation of the spinal cord? You can probably guess that the pain is no walk in the park. Subluxations are identified through a chiropractic exam, which consists of manual palpation and x-rays. During the manual exam, Dr. Alajajian will check the alignment of your pelvis, join...