Hips, Knees, Shoulders and Extremities
Many people think that chiropractors only work with backs, necks, and spines. This common misconception is largely driven by the fact that spinal problems are so common and that chiropractic is so well known for providing excellent relief of spinal pain.
But chiropractors do so much more!
Your chiropractor can help with just about any type of pain or problem that affects the human body. This includes all of the extremity joints, from hips, knees, ankles and feet, to shoulders, elbows, wrists and hands.
At GB Chiropractic, our chiropractors work extensively with extremities and have advanced expertise in the treatment and resolution of common pains and injuries affecting these joints.
Call today or book an appointment to see how we can help.
More on Hips, Knees, Shoulders, and Extremities
The chiropractic approach looks at the entire joint system and evaluates all of its key elements. This includes the joint; its muscles, tendons, ligaments and any discs; and its alignment, biomechanics and neurological control.
With a clear focus on function, chiropractors go looking for the cause of your pain. While this may sometimes be at the site of pain itself, in many cases the problem can involve one or more neighbouring joints, the entire extremity, or sometimes the whole body.
To provide examples, here are a few interesting observations about some of the most common extremity issues we see:
Hip problems
Most hip problems involve the pelvis. The pelvic problem is often primary (the main cause) but not necessarily most painful. Misalignment and functional imbalance of the pelvis is probably the most common cause of one-sided hip pain. Longstanding misalignment of the pelvis can often wear down one hip - or knee - faster than the other leading to chronic pain and the eventual need for hip replacement surgery.
Knee problems
Aside from trauma and sports injuries, “mechanical” knee pain is the most common form of knee pain. It has a biomechanical cause that is often linked to misalignment and imbalance of the pelvis. Occasionally, though less commonly, it can be caused by a problem at the foot and ankle. There are 3 common patterns of mechanical knee pain: inside (medial), outside (lateral), and patellar (under the kneecap). All three are treatable and often resolvable through chiropractic.
Shoulder problems
Aside from traumatic injuries and sudden strains, most types of shoulder pain are due to postural problems and often involve the neck or upper back. This includes rotator cuff problems, tendinitis, bursitis, impingement, and some forms of frozen shoulder. In many cases, the postural problem will silently weaken an area in the shoulder, which is subsequently injured while during a fairly routine activity.
Foot and ankle problems
As a rule, about half of all foot and ankle problems come from the foot and ankle itself, while the other half are caused by a functional problem that originates higher up. In many cases, there can also be an underlying postural cause that needs to be addressed in order for the pain or problem to resolve completely.
Have questions? Get in touch to find out how we can help.