Arthritis
Arthritis, or joint pain or joint disease, is the leading cause of disability in America. More than 50 million adults and 300,000 children are suffering from some type of arthritis. Common symptoms include swelling, pain, stiffness, and decreased range of motion. Severe arthritis can result in chronic pain, inability to perform normal day-to-day activities, and has the potential to cause permanent joint damage.
To determine whether or not you may be suffering from arthritis or to determine the severity, your medical professional will perform blood tests and conduct an imaging scan (ie: x-ray, CAT scan or MRI). Eating healthy, staying active, and understanding your type of arthritis and treatment options are crucial to decreasing your discomfort and paving the way for an enjoyable, happy life.
Auto Injuries
Car accidents, lifting heavy objects, falling, or other forms of accidents and personal injuries can wreak havoc on the body. Although symptoms sometimes occur immediately after the incident, many times, pain can linger, even years after the original accident or injury.
Why suffer pain any longer? Our personal injury chiropractor in Ballard, Dr. Mason Greenslade, DC, works to find the root of the problem caused by the accident or injury and uses multiple methods in order to help patients find physical relief. Depending on the individual patient’s personal diagnosis, Dr. Greenslade might use one or a combination of some of the following highlighted methods.
First, instrument adjustment (aka Advanced Certified Activator) is a gentle and safe technique using a small device to manipulate and impact joints—without using manual force. Next, the Sacro Occipital Technique (SOT) removes tension and pain by using pain-preventing padded blocks in pinpointed areas of the body. Finally, Myofascial Release Therapy is another option of treatment that applies direct pressure for targeting specific tissue areas affected by the symptoms of the accident or injury.
What You Should Know About These Other Chiropractic Methods
Many people are uncomfortable with the traditional twisting-and-cracking approach to chiropractic services. For this reason, Dr. Greenslade uses Activator Methods and the Sacro-Occipital Technique to heal our patients. In fact, our clinic has used these new-wave chiropractic methods for so long that we can’t think of any other method that delivers the same positive results for pain related to car accidents and personal injury.
Our alternative chiropractic methods are designed to make your healing process as gentle as it is effective. You’re already suffering from physical pain so we try to make you feel more comfortable by reducing your mental stress when it comes to treatment. A diagnostic consultation with us determines which method you’re likely to respond most positively to.
Why Choose Chiropractic Services for Injury-Related Pain
Consider these reasons to schedule a consultation with our chiropractor:
- We understand the implications of auto-injury accidents.
Whiplash and other auto-injury accidents typically result in inflammation. This means tissue is damaged and your body is trying to immobilize the joint. This leads to swelling and increased temperature, which could then make you feel physically worse.
- We implement the most soothing chiropractic solutions.
Ice helps in reducing the swelling and making the pain more manageable. It’s a temporary solution, however. And because ice lowers the temperature in the swollen area, it hampers your body’s full healing capacity. We don’t compromise on that.
- We use proven technology to help your body heal.
Our chiropractic clinic uses Cold Laser Therapy to reduce the swelling in the affected area, and to increase circulation. This allows damaged tissue to heal on a cellular level. The process reduces your overall healing time as compared to other treatments.
- We want to remedy your pain before it gets worse.
Why wait until the pain becomes intolerable before getting proper treatment? It’s important to take care of accident-related trauma and injuries as soon as possible because the longer you wait, the longer it will take for damaged tissue to heal.
With this mindset, our Ballard clinic finds optimal ways to help you recover from your accident or auto injury.
Feel Good Again with the Help of Our Chiropractor
At MG Chiropractic, Dr. Greenslade works closely with every patient to understand the level and location of pain so that he can diagnose the applicable therapy required. Oftentimes, Dr. Greenslade will incorporate a combination of the aforementioned therapies—in addition to “prescribing” appropriate exercise and nutrition recommendations—to help patients get moving again, decrease pain, increase happiness, and improve their quality of life!
Are you ready to rid yourself of the pain and get back on track after your accident or injury? Feel good again by calling MG Chiropractic, part of Natural Rhythms Integrative Medicine, at (206) 434-1499 or schedule an appointment online.
Back Pain
Back pain is by far the most common reason people seek chiropractic care. Chiropractic for back pain can be highly effective, specifically for certain types of back pain. MG Chiropractic offers comprehensive chiropractic care for back pain in Seattle.
Chiropractic for Back Pain: Types of Back Pain Targeted by a Chiropractor
Chiropractic care can target a full list of types of back pain. Even though the most common type of pain is low back pain, which may be accompanied by sciatica, chiropractors can help with other issues and parts of the spine as well. Pain and stiffness in spinal joints, muscular strain, disc degeneration, bulging discs, and whiplash or neck pain are all good examples.
When Should You Visit a Chiropractor for Back Pain?
Any time you have back pain that is getting in the way of your everyday activities or causing pain, it is a good idea to seek a professional opinion. Back pain is best tended to when it first emerges because this is can help you get an accurate diagnosis. However, it is especially important to seek treatment if you are experiencing:
- Severe, persistent back pain
- Pain that radiates from your back to your limbs or other body parts
- Pain that doesn’t get better with rest
- Recurring episodes of back pain
- Pain that is accompanied by tingling or numbness
What to Expect with Chiropractic Care for Back Pain
Chiropractors take a non-surgical approach to targeting issues with the spine that lead to pain. With a deep understanding of where the pain radiates from, the doctor uses a series of methods to support healing and keep you comfortable in the process. When you initially go in for treatment, the chiropractor will do a thorough assessment, which may include an x-ray. From here, they will create a treatment plan unique to your condition.
Types of Treatment a Chiropractor May Use for Back Pain
While spinal manipulation and adjustments are likely to be a component of treatment, the chiropractor may use a series of methods to help, such as:
- Spinal manipulation
- Stretching adjustments
- Spinal decompression
- Relaxation exercises
- Massage therapy
Find Out More About Chiropractic for Back Pain in Seattle
If you’ve been dealing with back pain, seeing a chiropractor for treatment may help get you out of pain and on your feet. Untreated back pain can go on to create chronic problems, such as degenerative disc disease and muscular atrophy. Reach out to MG Chiropractic to schedule an appointment.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Dealing with ongoing pain in your wrists? Carpal tunnel may be to blame. At MG Chiropractic, we offer advanced carpal tunnel treatment in Seattle.
A Closer Look at Carpal Tunnel
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a painful condition that affects the range of motion in your hands and wrists. The condition is caused by tension or pressure on the median nerve, which moves through the carpal tunnel in the wrist.
Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome can vary from patient to patient. Most of the time, the symptoms emerge slowly. Sometimes, symptoms go away on their own, but then reemerge later and grow more persistent. Typical symptoms include:
- Stabbing pain that radiates through the fingers
- Radiating pain that moves up the forearms and possibly to the shoulders
- Numbness in the hand, wrist, or elbows
- Loss of coordination and range of motion in the hands
- Tingling sensations in the hands, fingers, and arms
Causes of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
The main cause of carpal tunnel syndrome is median nerve irritation or compression. This can come from:
- Certain medical conditions, such as arthritis, diabetes, and obesity
- Repetitive motions of the wrist, such as typing or repetitive lifting
- Genetics or heredity
- An injury that causes swelling of the carpal tunnel pathway
Carpal tunnel can also be related to nerve irritations that stem from other parts of the body, including the spine.
Typical Carpal Tunnel Treatment Options
Carpal tunnel treatment options vary depending on the severity of the condition. In minor cases, patients often find relief by taking frequent breaks to give the wrists and hands a rest and time to recuperate. Hot and cold therapy with an ice pack or heating pad may also soothe the discomfort. Other treatment options may include:
- Bracing the wrist
- Physical therapy to take pressure off the carpal tunnel
- Steroidal injections
- Anti-inflammatory medications
Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative disc disease is when natural changes in the discs of your spine cause pain. The discs between vertebrae act as shock absorbers for your spine, and as you age, they begin to lose flexibility. While this is a normal part of aging, it should not cause pain. If you experience pain due to this, it is classified as degenerative disc disease.
Each disc is composed of a sturdy outer wall and a soft, gel-like inner core. When we are born, these discs are primarily composed of water, but as age advances, the discs lose some of this water content and begin to get thinner. As you might imagine, this means each disc doesn’t absorb the shocks of everyday life as well.
Headaches/ Migraines
Nine out of ten Americans say that they suffer from headaches. Some of these people experience headaches frequently. Some experience constant headaches that are very painful. These can even make a person nauseous. Ninety-five percent of headaches are tension, migraine, or cluster headaches. These types of headaches are not caused from a disease, but from something in your body that is not sitting correctly.
Knee Pain
Knee pain is increasingly becoming a more common problem in society. It is a complaint we see frequently. The most common complaint associated with knee pain is considered the normal “wear and tear.” Another ailment that affects the knee is osteoarthritis. The symptoms and progression of osteoarthritis and knee pain can be reduced through our individualized approach to chiropractic care.
Neck Pain
The neck, also called the cervical spine, begins at the base of the skull and contains seven small vertebrae. The cervical spine supports the full weight of your head which is on average about 12 pounds. While the cervical spine can move your head in nearly every direction, this flexibility makes the neck very susceptible to pain and injury.
Neuropathy
Neuropathy is a medical condition caused by damaged nerve cells and often associated with autoimmune diseases, infections, diabetes, tumors, or hereditary conditions. Peripheral neuropathy currently affects over 20 million people in the United States with symptoms ranging from tingling or burning pain and nausea to muscle spasms, difficulty moving your arms or legs, or atrophy.
Personal Injury
Our goal is to help you receive the proper care after a personal injury, auto accident or fall. Our staff is devoted to helping you obtain the most comprehensive treatments and the care you deserve, so you may maintain your quality of life after an injury and can begin to feel like yourself again.
Too often, individuals involved in an auto injury or wreck have minimal or no symptoms until several weeks after the auto accident. That is where the professionals at MG Chiropractic come in, and can assist you with all aspects of auto accident personal injury recovery.
Pinched Nerve
A pinched nerve can happen in a variety of places throughout the body with some of the most common being the lower spine, wrists, neck, and legs. A pinched nerve occurs when the muscles or tendons around the nerve are inflamed, putting pressure on the nerve and either causing pain or even numbness throughout the extremities related or attached to this affected nerve.
Your pinched nerve may be caused by different physical conditions such as carpal tunnel or a herniated disc. Though pinched nerves can be painful, the majority of patients find that their pinched nerve(s) goes away on its own.
If the pinched nerve does not resolve itself and you have persistent pain that lasts for more than a few days, you should seek medical attention by scheduling an appointment at MG Chiropractic with our chiropractor. This is especially true if you’ve tried at-home treatments but feel like your pain is worsening as time progresses. With pinched nerves, it’s important to seek medical attention in order to identify the underlying cause of the pinched nerve to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Sciatica
Sciatica, a potentially very painful condition, is a common type of pain affecting the sciatic nerve, which is a large nerve that extends from the lower back down the back of each leg. Sciatica occurs when the nerve is irritated or pinched, usually caused by a herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, muscle spasms, and even pregnancy.
Additionally, some actions that patients take could have an effect on the level of pain, such as not exercising regularly, being overweight, sleeping on beds that are too soft, or wearing high heels.
Based on the location of the pinched nerve, pain varies in levels from infrequent to constant to nearly incapacitating. Common symptoms of sciatica include:
- Lower back pain
- Hip pain
- Pain that is worse when sitting
- Burning or tingling down the leg (rather than a dull ache)
- Pain in only one side of the rear or leg (rarely in both legs)
- Weakness, numbness, or difficulty moving the leg, foot, or toes
- Shooting or sharp pain that makes it difficult to stand or walk
Be aware: These types of pain are not normal and must be diagnosed. Chiropractic care has had much success in treating sciatica. In fact, studies have shown that most patients who have not had success with medical management have benefited from chiropractic manipulation.
At MG Chiropractic, Dr. Mason Greenslade incorporates one or both of the following techniques, as applicable to the patient, to begin alleviating sciatica pain:
- Instrument adjustment, or Advanced Certified Activator, is a technique that employs a small device to touch, manipulate, and impact joints and the spine to take pressure off of the sciatic nerve. This seemingly simple tool is able to provide incredible relief.
- The Sacro Occipital Technique (SOT) focuses on removing tension and helping issues related to back pain, hip pain, and sciatica. SOT uses padded blocks placed in strategic locations under the patient’s body to allow a person’s own bodyweight to help adjust and correct the affected area.
Whichever technique is used, patients will begin to feel relief from sciatica pain as quickly as possible!
Shoulder Pain
Shoulder pain is a very common condition and affects almost half of the U.S. Most patients feel some sort of pain, limited range of motion, an inability to engage in activities of daily living (ADL) or something more serious as a permanent disability.
Sports Injury
Sports can be very taxing on your body, no matter what you play. Our trusted staff will work with you to get to the root of your problem and help you feel better again. We help treat and also prevent injuries in the neck, back, shoulders, knees, and ankles. We are able to manually adjust your spine, relieving any pain that you are feeling. This will allow your body to function much better after the injury.
TMJ
TMJ is an abbreviation for the temporomandibular joint which connects the mandibular, or your lower jaw, to the temporal bones of the skull. The TMJ is one of the more unique joints within your body as it allows you to move your jaw forward, backward, and side to side so that you can chew, talk, sing, yawn, and more. This joint can be found just in front of your ears on both sides of your head.
Any problem with the muscles, ligaments, discs, bones, or the joint itself are known as temporomandibular disorders or TMD and refers to the actual disorder, where the jaw joint is misaligned and causing problems such as pain, inflammation, and inability to move or operate the jaw. However, these problems or conditions are often incorrectly called by the joint name of TMJ instead.
Vertigo
Vertigo is the feeling that you are moving when you’re not. This sensation can be triggered by movements such as turning your head too quickly or looking down from a great distance, but it is ultimately caused by problems in the inner ear, brain, or brainstem. There are two different forms of vertigo with each stemming from various medical issues: peripheral vertigo and central vertigo.
Peripheral vertigo results in a problem with your inner ear and thus your balance, while central vertigo occurs when your brain or brainstem are suffering from a disease originating from your central nervous system (CNS). Peripheral vertigo is typically more severe, and central vertigo is more gradual in its onset. Regardless of the type of dizziness you are experiencing, more than likely, your quality of life is suffering because of it.
Whiplash
The neck is made up of a complex system of nerves, muscles, and tissue that surround the cervical spine. This complex system gives you the ability to tilt and turn your head, nod, and maintain an erect posture. However, these tissues can be prone to whiplash injury with over-extension or sudden movements. When this occurs, whiplash treatment may be necessary.
What Is Whiplash Exactly?
Whiplash is simply a neck injury or neck strain caused by sudden neck movement resembling the crack of a whip. Usually, the injury occurs when the neck is bent forcibly in a quick forward and backward direction or vice versa. This may come from a sudden jolt, which is why whiplash is such a common injury after a car accident. The injury itself can vary from patient to patient. However, most often several structures within the neck may be involved, including the muscles, tendons, nerves, and spinal discs.
Beyond automobile accidents, instances of whiplash may also be caused by:
- A fall that forces the whip-like movement of the neck
- Contact sports
- A punch to the jaw or blow to the head
- Any event that causes a sudden jolt to the neck
Common Symptoms of Whiplash
Symptoms that should spur you to seek whiplash treatment include:
- Headaches
- Pain and/or stiffness in the neck
- Pain when moving the neck
- Changes in the range of motion of the neck
While not everyone has the same symptoms, whiplash also commonly leads to tingling in the shoulders, arms, or even the jaws. You may also experience dizziness or fatigue.
Why Whiplash Treatment Is Important
If whiplash goes untreated, it may or may not heal on its own. It is not uncommon for people who have severe whiplash to continue to experience ongoing problems with chronic neck pain, ringing in the ears, and frequent muscle spasms. Treatment helps to take the stress off the affected areas and encourage the tissues to heal.
What to Expect with Chiropractic Whiplash Treatment
When you visit a chiropractor for whiplash treatment, several steps will be taken to aid in your recovery. The chiropractor may use spinal manipulation and adjustments, deep-muscle massage, and neck exercises. These actions in combination encourage circulation to the area, relieve tension in the soft tissue, and encourage healing. Further, the treatment may negate some of the discomfort that comes along with whiplash.
Find Out More About Whiplash Treatment in Seattle, WA
If you suspect that you’ve sustained a whiplash injury, seeking chiropractic attention is always advised. The right treatment plan can keep you comfortable and help your neck recover. Reach out to us at MG Chiropractic to request an appointment today.
Work Injuries
Workplace injuries don’t only occur during traumatic slips and falls at work but are more often than not, the result of repetitive movements, and caused by doing the physical demands required of your job over an extended period of time. These types of workplace injuries are all too common in today’s workforce and are best identified by their symptoms.
- Lower back pain
- Shoulder pain
- Carpal tunnel and hand pain
- Disc injuries
- Sciatica (pain caused by the sciatic nerve in your lower back and legs)
- Joint pain
Being examined by a chiropractor is often the first step in identifying and treating a workplace injury through non-invasive care which is why MG Chiropractic conducts thorough examinations during his first session with new patients in order to better assess their injury. Since workplace injuries usually develop over time, it’s important to share all the symptoms you may be experiencing so we can identify the root cause.
Joint Pain
Forming the connections between bones, joints provide support and help us to move. Pain caused by injury or disease can range from mild discomfort to debilitation and can arise from any part of the joint, such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, or bone. Many conditions can lead to joint pain, such as arthritis, bursitis, and gout, as well as injuries like strains and sprains.
Joint pain is extremely common, and it can prevent us from remaining active in our lives. The more we move, the more we can pump blood to every vital system in our body. As Sir Isaac Newton said, “Objects in motion will stay in motion” and “objects at rest will stay at rest.” These statements very much ring true when applied to the human body. As a result, MG Chiropractic has a program of recommended solutions for patients based on individual needs.
Dr. Mason Greenslade evaluates every patient and makes dietary and nutrition recommendations, such as decreasing or removing inflammatory substances from the diet. Additionally, a Standard Process nutrition supplement regime might need to be created, depending on the individual patient.
Appropriate exercise is of extreme importance to help with joint pain recovery. Exercise helps to give the body the strength it needs to hold together and recover. Chiropractic care will ensure that joints are in proper alignment to prevent movement itself from becoming inflammatory. Using a couple of chiropractic techniques, Dr. Greenslade manipulates and realigns the joints to begin releasing joint pain from the patient’s body.
Bottom line, joint pain can be extremely uncomfortable, and in using applicable techniques, MG Chiropractic will help patients to increase their quality of life!
Ready to say goodbye to joint pain and start enjoying an active life again? Call MG Chiropractic, part of Natural Rhythms Integrative Medicine, at (206) 434-1499 or schedule an appointment online.
Menstruation Support
Hormone levels in women experience a 28-day cycle of peaks and valleys, as the female body goes through changes serving in preparation for potential pregnancy. Although very natural, the menstrual cycle can be quite painful for some women. Painful menstruation is often a sign of such conditions as ovarian cysts, a health concern that should always be ruled out. If ruled out, however, many women are left without a viable path to a solution.
After ruling out any serious medical conditions, a woman experiencing cramping and physical pain during menstruation has a condition known as dysmenorrhea. Physical pain combined with any emotional symptoms is considered PMS. Common symptoms of PMS include cramping, back pain, nausea, headaches, bloating, fatigue, and stress. An imbalance of hormones or nerve flow can often be the culprit for these conditions.
To alleviate symptoms, realign the patient, and help balance nerve flow, chiropractic treatment often helps with painful menstruation symptoms like PMS and dysmenorrhea. By using a safe and very comfortable technique called the Advanced Certified Activator technique, Dr. Mason Greenslade is able to impact and manipulate the joints to help realign the patient.
Additionally, nutritional supplementation can have a tremendous impact in helping to resolve menstruation issues by providing proper nutrients to balance hormones. At MG Chiropractic, Dr. Greenslade creates an individual plan for each patient involving a unique combination of chiropractic care, nutritional supplements, and exercise, as each woman’s symptoms and experiences are individual.
Finding a perfect combination of diet, nutrition, exercise, and chiropractic care is often an amazing solution to helping resolve painful menstruation issues.
Ready to experience pain-free menstruation through improved nerve flow? Call MG Chiropractic, part of Natural Rhythms Integrative Medicine, at (206) 434-1499 or schedule an appointment online.
Depression And Anxiety
Symptoms of depression and anxiety vary from person to person, but in general, depression is a continual feeling of sadness, potentially resulting in crying, excessive sleeping, and insomnia. Anxiety is largely described as stress or worry that is out of proportion to what is currently occurring in an individual’s life. Symptoms of anxiety might include fear, insomnia, and abnormal heartbeat, resulting in racing thoughts and irritability.
Oftentimes, people do not associate or link depression, anxiety, or other mood disorders to how we are physically feeling. As described above, however, depression and anxiety are quite physiologically oriented. Chronic pain can be a direct cause for sadness, for instance. As a positive example, an increase in exercise can lead to reduced depression and anxiety.
Studies have shown that decreasing physical pain in the body leads to stronger brain function. Anatomically speaking, the longer the brain is suffering from pain, the more gray matter is eroded, which specifically leads to an increase in depression and anxiety.
Chiropractic care is a pharmacological-free approach to pain management and relief, providing the body with what it needs to better regulate mood and the psyche. Dr. Mason Greenslade at MG Chiropractic incorporates various types of therapy to help rid patients of depression and anxiety. Physical manipulation, stimulating the tissue, and increasing nutrition and exercise are parts of an individual program that Dr. Greenslade creates to decrease stress and sadness while increasing healthiness and happiness to place patients in balance on the road to a positive and qualitative life.