Low back pain is very prevalent in North America . It is estimated that 80% of the population will suffer from debilitating back pain during their lifetime. It is the second leading reason for people to seek care from their family medical doctor behind flues and colds.

There are many causes of low back pain ranging from the most serious (cancer) to the least serious (muscle strain). The pain experienced in the low back may come from muscle, bone, ligament, disc, joint, or a referred pain from the organs of the abdomen. Because the causes of low-back pain are so varied, it is critical the cause of the pain be determined in order to receive the appropriate care. Chiropractors are qualified by education, experience and scope of practice to diagnose the problem and direct the appropriate care.

For low back pain caused by muscle strain or joint misalignment or dysfunction, chiropractic care has been shown to be the most effective form of care. Where it is helpful in achieving your recovery goals, our integrated approach in treating the cause of back pain also draws on the specialties of massage therapy, exercise rehabilitation and work with our personal trainer.

The care can be directed through the three stages of healing: acute care (pain control), corrective care (rehabilitation) and supportive care (prevention/maintenance care). It is important that care be followed through to completion in order to achieve maximum benefit.

Neck pain can be so mild that it is merely annoying and distracting; or it can be so severe that it is unbearable and incapacitating.

Most instances of neck pain (and stiffness) are minor and commonly caused by something you did. That is, if you keep your head in an awkward position for too long the joints in your neck can "lock" and the neck muscles can become painfully fatigued. A pain in the neck is the price you pay for carelessness in how you position your head and neck (say, while working, watching TV, using a computer, reading a book, or talking on the phone with the receiver held against your shoulder and under your chin).

You may be one of the many unfortunates who has "harmlessly" fallen asleep in a chair or in bed with your head propped up, only to awake with a stiff and painful neck. Fortunately, most minor, posture-induced neck pain episodes clear up on their own and can be prevented by avoiding the offending stresses on the neck.

But neck pain that just won't go away after a day or so is a more serious matter.

Neck pain that lasts for many days or keeps coming back is a signal that something isn't right. Examination, diagnosis and treatment by a doctor of chiropractic may quickly relieve your pain.

Headache is the second most common symptom treated by a chiropractor. (Lower back pain is first). Approximately 70% of men and 80% of women get headaches in one form or another. Over 90 % of headaches can be classified into 3 categories:

• Tension-type

• Migraine

• Cervicogenic

Tension-type headache - If you have mild to moderate pain on both sides of the head often described as tight, stiff, constricting - like having something wrapped around your head and pressing tightly, you probably have a tension-type headache.

Migraines - they are periodically severe, throbbing headaches that afflict far fewer people (and more women than men), usually hurt on one side of the head, can cause loss of appetite, nausea and even vomiting, and may involve a visual change called an aura.

Cervicogenic headache ("cervico" - neck, "genic" - originating from) - a musculoskeletal form of tension-type headache (which may also be related to migraines). Many times, cervicogenic headache goes undiagnosed as such due to the relative newness of this classification.

Most headaches are not signs of serious underlying conditions, but they can be very distracting, debilitating and account for significant amounts of time lost from work.

Chiropractic is a safe and effective drug free treatment for headaches

Chiropractors have had considerable success relieving the cause of headache pain and releasing headache sufferers from the dangerous vicious circle of taking ever-larger doses of ever-stronger painkillers that may even be causing new and worse headaches.

Chiropractic adjustments have shown to be as effective and even more effective than medications in reducing the severity and frequency of headaches. Chiropractic is particularly successful dealing with cervicogenic headache. Even though cervicogenic and other tension-type headaches may not actually involve stress or muscle tension, chiropractic's ability to adjust spinal abnormalities seems to lessen or remove the forces contributing to many individual's headache pain.

Chiropractic care is considerably safer than taking nonsteroidal anti inflammatories, or NSAIDS (over the counter drugs such as aspirin, Ibuprofen and Motrin). You are 200 times more likely to experience a serious complication from taking NSAIDS daily or almost daily (>2-3 times per week) for headache pain relief, than from chiropractic treatment for the same problem.

Accidents cause spinal misalignments in the body, a serious condition that distorts your structure, irritates nerves, bones, ligaments and discs and can damage your overall health. Any accident, no matter how mild, can create nerve-damaging misalignments.

It is for that reason that if you have ever been in an accident or fall, no matter how minor, you need a chiropractic spinal checkup to ensure that your spine is free from these health-destroying abnormalities. Only a chiropractor is trained to analyze your spine for the vertebral subluxation complex.

Is chiropractic care helpful in serious accidents? Absolutely! But in such situations it is necessary to first attend to any life-threatening emergency such as bleeding or hemorrhage, stoppage of breath, loss of fluid electrolytes, internal organ damage, broken bones, serious contusions or abrasions, shock and the like. This is the specialty of the medical profession: dealing with trauma.

Long-term damage to the spine and head is especially common in auto accidents. Doctors of chiropractic have for years recognized that most victims of automobile injuries do not fully recover under medical care - they may continue to have problems for years after the accident because their structure is often ignored.

All people who have been in an accident or trauma should see a chiropractor to have their spinal columns checked for nerve pressure caused by vertebral subluxations or spinal stress. A chiropractic adjustment can make the difference between a life with pain, disability and sickness and a life of true recovery, activity and accomplishment.

Whiplash!

Nearly one third of all motor vehicle accidents are rear end collisions, and it is this type of accident that is responsible for most whiplash injuries.

Biomechanics, the study of how mechanical forces affect living organisms, is useful in explaining how even a "minor" rear end collision can result in a serious injury. The biomechanics of a common rear end collision can be understood as a sequence of events, one following the other.

In this common scenario of whiplash-type injuries, your car is propelled forward, and as you sit in your seat with your torso supported by the car seat, it too goes forward. What doesn't go forward in that split second is your head. It generally stays where it is, but relative to your torso, it travels backward as your car travels forward.

Have you ever had someone come from behind you and push you between your shoulder blades, and felt your head go backwards? Whiplash biomechanics are just like that, only much more severe.

Hyperextension or the abrupt movement of the head backwards, usually causes the most damage in a whiplash injury, since there are no anatomical restrictions to the range of motion. As a result of this sudden forceful movement of the head backward, numerous types of injuries can occur.

Tearing of the front muscles and ligaments of the neck is common. (Muscles move bones, and ligaments hold bones together.) Disc herniations are also possible, and fractures are also of great concern.

When the vehicle finally stops as a result of braking or hitting another object, your body is propelled forward, sometimes hitting the steering wheel, windshield, or airbag. If you are wearing a shoulder restraint, your head will fly forward, with a twisting motion, resulting in hyperflexion of the neck.

If you would like any more information on whiplash and the symptoms it can cause, please feel free to contact us.

What is scoliosis? Scoliosis is defined as a lateral curvature of the spine (in the side to side direction). There are two main types of scoliosis, functional and structural.

A functional scoliosis refers to a sideways curvature that usually moves symmetrically when bending from side to side. A structural scoliosis is one that stays curved during movement. Idiopathic scoliosis comprises 80% of the structural scoliosis. This is the type which can progress during adolescence and can lead to serious health consequences. It is found in 2 to 5 % of the population and occurs mostly during adolescence. Girls are 5 to 8 times more likely for the scoliosis to increase in severity.

Is it serious?

Functional curvatures in the spine might contribute to or cause spinal pain and a reduction of flexibility later in life due to wear and tear of the dysfunctional joints and unequal biomechanical stresses. But generally this type of scoliosis is not usually associated with any serious disability.

However, idiopathic scoliosis can be quite serious. A child may not exhibit pain early on since it is a slow progressive disorder. If the spinal curvature progresses to the point that it compromises the lungs and heart, surgery may be necessary to fuse the vertebra into place. Fortunately this doesn't occur very often, but children need to be examined periodically. The screening tests are quite simple and should be done on every child up until the age of maturity.

What are the signs of scoliosis?

1. One shoulder may be higher than the other.

2. One shoulder blade may be higher or more prominent than the other.

3. There may be more space between the arm and the body on one side, when the arms are hanging loosely at the side.

4. One hip may appear more prominent or higher than the other.

5. The head is not centered over the pelvis.

6. When a person is viewed from behind while they bend forward one side of the back may appear higher than the other.

What causes scoliosis?

Functional scoliosis can occur at any age and is most often related to overdevelopment of muscles on one side of the spine, poor posture, an inequality in leg length or poorly moving joints in the spine. Addressing the cause usually results in fairly rapid improvement in the curvature. This might involve strength and stretch exercises, posture improvements, or a heel lift combined with chiropractic adjustments.

Structural curvatures can be due to abnormally shaped, fused or misaligned vertebrae. The cause of idiopathic scoliosis by definition is unknown. There are some genetic and heredity correlations and there is some research that correlates to handedness (right vs. left) which indicates a muscle weakness correlation. There is also some research that shows a nutritional component, and there may even be a hormonal component since this type of scoliosis is primarily found in adolescent girls. Whatever the reason, the treatment approach should consider as many of the causes as possible.

What should you do if you suspect your child has scoliosis?

If your child shows any of the signs of scoliosis, seek professional help from a chiropractor or an orthopaedic surgeon. Either of these professionals can evaluate the need for x-rays and recommend various treatment options. If it progresses to a large degree, it may be necessary for mechanical bracing or even surgery.

If you've found this page it’s probably because you think you may have sciatica but aren't sure. What you DO know is that you literally have a pain in the butt! You're wondering if its sciatica and what you should do about it.

Technically speaking, sciatica is a symptom not a diagnosis. Although it is mistakenly used to describe any types of leg pain, true sciatica means an irritation of the sciatica nerve along its pathway giving rise to symptoms of pain radiating from the buttock down the back of the upper leg and then continues down the back or side of the lower leg. Symptoms can vary from extreme pain to a mild sensation in the leg or buttock.

Typically, sciatic pain increases on exertion or bending forward. There may be numbness in the area of pain or weakness in the leg, especially when standing on the toes or heels. Pain may be triggered by coughing or straining while on the toilet and can be so severe that the lower back becomes locked in sideways bending position. Alternatively, it may only come on when sitting, standing in a certain positions or when you walk.

The location and character of the pain, aggravating and relieving factors and clinical tests are all clues to the source of the problem. For example, a disc herniation pressing on the nerve might give quite a different pattern of pain as compared to the leg pain coming from a nerve entrapped in a muscle or an irritated joint referring pain down the leg. Depending on the cause, the treatment might be quite different.

Discs separate the vertebrae from one another and act as shock absorbers and are one of the of four primary pain generators in the spine (the others are joints, soft tissues- muscle and ligaments- and the nerve itself). Fortunately, surgical treatment is rarely necessary.

Lumbar Disc Disease

Degenerative disc disease refers to a syndrome in which a painful disc causes chronic low back pain. The condition generally starts with a torsional (twisting) injury to the disc space. The injury weakens the disc and creates excessive micro-motion at the corresponding vertebral level because the disc cannot hold the vertebral segment together as well as it used to. The excessive micro-motion, combined with the inflammatory proteins inside the disc that become exposed and irritate the local area, produces low back pain.

Unlike the muscles and joints in the back, the disc does not have a blood supply and therefore cannot heal itself and the painful symptoms of degenerative disc disease can become chronic. While it is rare that low back pain from degenerative disc disease will progress or increase, the pain will tend to fluctuate and at times may become significantly worse.

It is important to note that disc degeneration is part of the natural process of aging and does not necessarily lead to low back pain. MRI scans have documented that approximately 30% of 30 year olds have signs of disc degeneration on MRI scans even though they have no back pain symptoms. It must therefore be stressed that not all degenerated discs that are seen on MRI scans are pain generators.

Lumbar Disc Herniation

As a disc degenerates, it can herniate (the inner core extrudes) back into the spinal canal. The weak spot in a disc is directly under the nerve root, and a herniation in this area puts direct pressure on the nerve, which in turn can cause pain to radiate all the way down the patient's leg to the foot (sciatica).

Approximately 90% of disc herniations will occur at L4- L5 (lumbar segments 4 and 5) or L5- S1 (lumbar segment 5 and sacral segment 1), which causes pain in the L5 nerve or S1 nerve, respectively.

L5 nerve impingement can cause weakness in extension of the big toe and potentially in the ankle (foot drop). Numbness and pain can be felt on top of the foot, and the pain may also radiate into the buttocks.

S1 nerve impingement may cause loss of the ankle reflex and/or weakness in ankle push off (e.g. patients cannot do toe rises). Numbness and pain can radiate down to the sole or outside of the foot.

Cervical Disc Disease

Injury, poor posture, muscle imbalance or abnormality of joint motion can cause or contribute to "wear and tear" to the tissues of the cervical spine. The cervical discs may become worn out and abnormal growths (bone spurs) may form as a result of repetitive movement of the disc. Bone spurs may narrow the spinal canal through which the spinal cord runs or the small openings (foramina) through which spinal nerves exit, a condition called "stenosis".

What problems might you experience?

Initially, the symptoms of cervical disc disease may be limited to neck pain. Arm pain, weakness or numbness may also occur and require special investigation through x-ray, CT or MRI studies. Pressure on a nerve by a herniated or budging disc or a bone spur may irritate the nerve resulting in pain in the neck and arm, incoordination, or numbness or weakness in the arm, forearm or fingers. Pressure on the spinal cord in the neck (cervical) region can be a very serious problem because virtually all of the nerves to the rest of the body have to pass through the neck to reach their final destination (arms, chest, abdomen, legs); therefore, the function of many important organs is potentially at risk.

Cervical Disc Herniation

Cervical disc herniations are far less common than lumbar disc herniations for two reasons:

1. There is far less disc material in the cervical spine

2. There is substantially less force across the cervical spine

When they do occur, most cervical disc herniations will extrude out to the side of the spinal canal and impinge on the exiting nerve root at the lower level (e.g. C6 at C5-C6).

Treatment for Disc Disease and Degeneration

Most research shows that, in the majority of cases, non-surgical treatment is very successful in reducing dealing with the symptoms related to the disc. Dr. Labelle ,is able to use our integrated approach to move from the acute painful stage through to rehabilitation and restored function and prevention. Chiropractic manipulation, cervical and lumbar traction, massage and exercise therapy are all available on site. In cases where there are progressive neurological sign or symptoms, we can arrange for further investigation and consultations.

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Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJ)

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The "rotator cuff" is comprised of four muscles: subscapularis, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor and their attachments to the bone. These muscles attach the humerus (the upper arm bone) into the socket of the shoulder blade and serve to hold it tight in the joint. These 4 muscles counteract the motion of the larger and often more powerful deltoid muscle. The deltoid is the major muscle that serves to raise your arm from your side, over your head. The four rotator cuff muscles keep the humerus in the socket and allow the head of the humerus to glide smoothly in its socket as you lift your arm. When these muscles are weak, due to an injury or when they are being overpowered by a strong deltoid muscle, they can't effectively do their job. The head of the humerus rides up as the arm is lifted and it pinches against another bone at the top of the shoulder socket, causing pain and increasing the injury. This is called an "impingement syndrome", and is one of the most common causes of pain with rotator cuff injuries. Other conditions such as shoulder tendonitis (long-term) or rotator cuff tears (immediate pain due to injury) can result from overusing weak rotator cuff muscles.

Over training your deltoid muscle or overusing weak rotator cuff muscles can cause significant shoulder problems. Most commonly, the rotator cuff is overused in tennis-like or golf-like sports, including squash and baseball. Body builders or weight lifters who commonly focus on only large muscle groups can be predisposed to rotator cuff problems if they only focus on strengthening the deltoid muscles and not the rotator cuff.

It is important to get your shoulder pain checked out because the longer it is present the more complicated the injury becomes and the longer it takes to get better. Chiropractic can evaluate your shoulder problem and recommend some treatment options. Treatment for short-term or acute injuries will most likely include chiropractic and massage therapy. With early care you will likely be able to return to your regular recreational activities with a few days. For chronic or long standing shoulder problems, x-rays or MRI studies are helpful in determining the presence of degenerative conditions of the shoulder or neck which, if present, means a slower recovery. In either case, once your shoulder has healed significantly, our exercise specialist or personal trainer are available to show you how to effectively and safely strengthen and balance shoulder motion so the problem does not reoccur.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is becoming more of a problem especially for those whose job requires repetitive movement of the hands and wrists.

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

The "carpal tunnel" is a structure on the inside of the wrist through which the median nerve and tendons of some of the wrist and finger flexor muscles pass. It is formed by bones of the wrist on three sides covered with a fibrous structure called the flexor retinaculum. The median nerve controls the thumb, index, and parts of the middle and ring fingers, but not the little finger. This is an important fact to keep in mind when determining if the pain and numbness in the hand is caused by CTS.

Do you have it?

Here are some common early warning signs:

1. Numbing, tingling and burning in thumb and index, middle and ring fingers but not the little finger.

2. Symptoms first appear or worsen at night.

3. Relief is achieved by moving the fingers, shaking or rubbing the hands.

4. Decrease in grip strength.

Since other conditions may mimic CTS, it is important to have the diagnosis made by a qualified practitioner in order to treat your condition properly.

Treatment

Options for treatment would include:

• Conservative treatment such as rest, ice and immobilizing with a splint.

• Chiropractic treatment to correct misalignment of the wrist bones

• Acupuncture

• Massage therapy on the affected hand and forearm muscles

• Vitamin B complex with extra Vitamin B6

• Anti-inflammatory drugs

• Cortisone injection

• Surgery

The knee is a very complicated joint and consequently knee pain is quite difficult to diagnose without a proper examination by a trained professional. The following are the diagnostic categories most commonly related to knee pain.

Categories of Knee Pain:

• Trauma

• Arthritis

• Patellar-femoral syndrome (chondromalacia patella)

• Myofascial (muscle) referral

• Sclerodermal (spinal joint) referral

• Tendonitis

• Bursitis

• Infection

• Tumor

• Cysts

Each of these conditions requires different treatment protocols and may best be treated by more than one health care provider. Chiropractic offers chiropractic care, massage therapy, soft tissue therapy and exercise rehabilitation. We also have a number of electric modalities such as ultrasound and micro current which may be helpful in the care of your knee pain. If the diagnosis of your condition warrants a medical referral or diagnostic imaging (x-ray, MRI) this will be arranged.

Your feet are extremely complex structures composed of bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, tendons, nerves, blood vessels, and skin. They may develop certain disorders, some of which originate in other parts of the body. They are also subject to injuries and other problems caused by normal wear and tear over years of supporting the weight of your body and making it possible for you to stand, walk, run, and jump.

The most obvious symptoms of foot trouble are pain and dysfunction (limping, favoring one foot or the other, inability to put weight on the heel and/or the toes). Foot pain can be due to ill-fitting, inappropriate footwear that cramps your feet; injuries that keep you from walking well--or at all; sprains which stretch or tear ligaments (which connect bones); and stress fractures of bones in the foot, which can result from accidents or overuse while engaging in sports or exercise. Just as foot disorders may originate elsewhere in the body, problems experienced in the feet can cause difficulties in other parts of the body.

Sports Injuries

Helping Athletes Create a Competitive Edge.

If you're like most athletes, you'll want to be at the "top of your game" for as long as you can. An increasing number of professional athletes, as well as professional and Olympic coaches agree, chiropractic is an important part of their teams "competitive edge." Athletes such as Jerry Rice, Chris Carter, Barry Bonds, Evander Holyfield, Tiger Woods, Al Unser Jr. and Joe Montana realize the importance of chiropractic care in increasing athletic performance and preventing injuries.

How does chiropractic create a "competitive edge?"

Much like a high performance race car, the human body must be in proper alignment to operate at it's peak performance. Regular chiropractic care keeps the body functioning at optimal capacity by maintaining proper spinal alignment which helps to eliminate the biomechanical and musculoskeletal factors that often lead to injury.

Many sports-related injuries involve the spine.

Spinal injuries can restrict range of motion, reduce strength, slow reflexes, shorten endurance and decrease performance. Chiropractic care for these types of injuries has become increasingly popular. Professional sports teams, Olympic trainers, and competitive athletes are employing chiropractic doctors - because they demand results.

Chiropractic care helps restore function to the spinal joints that are "locked up", fixated, and not moving properly. Besides helping to relieve pain chiropractic care can also help reduce inflammation. Muscles, tendons, and ligaments depend on proper joint movement and nerve supply for peak performance. Injuries to these tissues can reduce range of motion, affect delicate nerves, decrease blood supply, and take you out of the game. Normalizing spinal function helps speed up the healing of these soft tissues and reduce the deconditioning effect of being on the sidelines. Proper spinal function is essential for peak performance at work or play.

An aerobics exercise program or a plan of brisk walking can improve muscle tone and help you avoid strains, sprains and other activity restricting health problems.

Whether you golf, play tennis, or walk the best treatment for sports injuries is prevention!

We'll give you a care plan based on your age, condition, and health objectives. Find out if chiropractic care can restore your health, improve your performance, and increase your competitive edge.

Work Injuries

Eighty-five percent of the population will experience disabling lower back pain at least once during their lives! Millions of people are suffering from all types of job injuries ranging from the stress of working in a bad position to improper lifting or carrying to falls and other trauma.

The standard medical approach to back pain varies depending on the severity of the condition. Usually muscle relaxers, pain killers and rest are prescribed, sometimes in conjunction with traction, diathermy, ultrasound, hot packs, cold packs, and other procedures.

Surgery may be resorted to if all else fails. The medical approach is at times necessary. Surgery, however, has its attendant problems. According to some studies, more than half of all spinal surgery for lower back problems should never have been performed.

Chiropractic has been a blessing to millions with back problems, often saving them from pain, disability, drugs and surgery. And yet chiropractic is not a treatment for back problems. The chiropractor's job is to make the spine healthier by correcting and relieving spinal nerve damage. This may make the difference between health and disability, comfort and pain.