Common Conditions - NeuroBalance Chiropractic

Common Conditions

Common Conditions we can help with:

Sciatica refers to pain, weakness, pins and needles or burning into specific areas of the leg. It is caused by injury to the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is a large nerve that starts in the back and travels down the leg. Symptoms can be felt anywhere from the lower back down the toes. There are a number of different causes of sciatica; this cause needs to be identified so that appropriate therapy can be advised.

Sciatica is quite common in pregnancy and chiropractic care has been shown to help with this condition.

Research: Sixty percent of patients with sciatica who had failed other medical management benefited from spinal manipulation.

J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2010 Oct;33(8):576-84. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2010.08.013.

Lower Back Pain is one of the most common complaints. It is estimated that about 60% of the population is experiencing lower back pain of varying degrees. People with lower back pain can be experiencing varying degrees of sharpness, dull aches, burning, tingling or weakness. You chiropractor will do a number of different tests, physical, orthopaedic and neurological, to asses your lower back and musculoskeletal system integrity and to try to find out the underlying cause of the pain.

Research: The results of this trial suggest that Chiropractic manipulative therapy in conjunction with standard medical care offers a significant advantage for decreasing pain and improving physical functioning when compared with only standard care, for men and women between 18 and 35 years of age with acute LBP.


Leg/Knee/ Foot pain can be due to a problem locally at that area or can be due to a problem up stream in the back or down stream from another location in the leg. Leg, knee or foot pain can be referred from other area’s, so it is vitally important to have a thorough examination looking at things like gait, balance, reflexes, muscle strength and coordination and joint alignment and function.

Research: The Literature on the chiropractic management of lower extremity conditions has a large number of case studies and a smaller number of higher-level publications. The management available in the peer-reviewed literature is predominantly multimodal and contains combined spinal and peripheral treatment options.

J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2006 Oct;29(8):658-71.

Headaches there are varying types of headaches; tension, cluster, sinus or migraine. The pain may be dull, throbbing, tight, compressive or pulsating. The pain is generally felt in the head, but pain can also be felt in the shoulders, neck, and jaw or behind the eyes. Serious causes of headaches are rare, but a thorough examination needs to be made to identify the cause. Stress, poor diet, dehydration, poor sleeping positions and work postures can be contributing factors to a headache.

Research: Spinal Manipulative Therapy (SMT) appears to have a better effect than massage for cervicogenic (neck originating) headaches. It also appears that SMT has an effect comparable to commonly used first-line prophylactic prescription medications for tension-type headache and migraine headache.

J Manipulative Physiol Ther.Â 2001 Sep;24(7):457-66.

Migraines are no ordinary headache! Migraines are extremely debilitating. Nausea, vomiting, noise and light sensitivity are very often associated with a migraine in varying degrees. Some people have specific auras also associated with their migraines. Research has identified some causes of migraines include hereditary factors, hormonal imbalances, certain medications, stress, diet, cervicogenic (coming from the cervical spine) and many more. Chiropractic can help you to identify the underlying cause for your migraine and give you ways to best manage and improve them.

Research: A relevant case study shows a patient’s range of motion, flexibility, and strength improved following a regimen of spinal manipulationÂ and active and passive therapeutic care. After 12 weeks of treatment, the duration, frequency, and intensity of her migraines decreased.

J Chiropr Med. 2005 Winter;4(1):25-31. doi: 10.1016/S0899-3467(07)60109-8.

Neck Pain is a common problem especially with office/computer workers. If the neck pain involves irritation nerves of the neck then you may experience headaches, shoulder tension and arm pain. People can get neck pain from poor posture, repetitive strain, whiplash and many more. When your neck is sore you may have problems moving it in certain directions. Many people describe this as stiffness.Â  Research has shown that neck pain can be helped through chiropractic care.

Research:Â Manual and exercise therapies are common and effective therapies for the general lower back pain and neck pain populations.

BMC Musculoskelet Disord.Â 2007 Sep 18;8:94.

Ear infections in each ear a eustachian tube runs from the middle ear to the back of the throat to aid in drainage of the middle ear. In infants the Eustachian tube is more horizontal, whilst in adults it is angled more downward, and this can be one factor that increases the chances of infants getting ear infections due to the physiological structure allowing more static fluid accumulation. Chronic ear infections are of concern, especially in infants due to the fact that their hearing and balance systems are not fully developed yet, and that long term, recurrent ear infections can have a negative effect these systems. Treatment with antibiotics is one of the treatments that is offered to parents for their child, however, most parents that have kids with recurrent ear infections will tell you that their kids have been on multiple courses with very limited results. Chiropractic is a natural alternative to antibiotics for ear infections. Chiropractic can help improve the body’s natural ability to drain the eustachion tube, limiting the chance of recurrent infections.

Research: this study’s data indicate that limitation of medical intervention and the addition ofÂ chiropracticÂ care may decrease the symptoms of ear infection in young children.


Vertigo/Dizziness is the sense of motion. People can feel that they are spinning on a merry-go-round or that the world around them is spinning. There are two main types of vertigo: peripheral or central. Peripheral involves a problem with the inner ear that controls balance or with the nerve that travels to the inner ear.Â  Central Vertigo involves areas of the brain; these can be functional, non-pathological causes or more serious problems. A thorough neurological, musculoskeletal and other tests need to be perform in order to narrow down the possible causes of the vertigo. Chiropractic has been shown to improve some causes vertigo and improving balance.

Research: The purpose of this case series is to describe the management of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in a chiropractic clinical setting. The research concluded that the patients in this case series demonstrated reduction in symptoms with chiropractic management.

J Manipulative Physiol Ther.Â 2013 Feb;36(2):119-26. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2012.12.011

Shoulder Pain is any pain around the shoulder joint and can include areas at the base of the neck and down to the shoulder blade. The shoulder is a very mobile joint and any tendon strain/tear, swelling, degeneration and referred pain from neck can lead to a limitation of movement of the joint. The shoulder girdle is made up of four different joints: sternoclavicular, acromioclavicular, scapulohumeral and glenohumeral joints. These four joints need to work in coordination with one another to create strength, good posture and smoothness in movement of the shoulder. Chiropractic care can help you to improve the function of the shoulder joint and reduce your shoulder pain.

Research: Rotator cuff tear is one of the most common shoulder diseases. Conservative treatment often works. Patients with well-preserved function of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus are the best candidates for conservative treatment.

J Orthop Sci.2013 Mar;18(2):197-204. doi: 10.1007/s00776-012-0345-2. Epub 2013 Jan 12.

Tennis Elbow is inflammation of the outside part of the elbow. It is often associated with pain, limitation of movement and muscular compensation within the shoulder girdle. As the name implies, tennis elbow was commonly due to a repetitive strain injury playing tennis, however computer work, other sports and gardening have all been common causes of tennis elbow. Chiropractic can help address the alignment of the elbow, shoulder and hand to reduce the strain on the muscles and tendons at the elbow joint.

Research: Although there is evidence supporting the use of several different physical modalities and conservative treatments for upper extremity musculoskeletal conditions, there is a strong need for larger, higher quality randomized controlled trials.

Curr Opin Rheumatol 2010 Mar;22(2):194-204. doi: 10.1097/BOR.0b013e328335a851.

Golfers Elbow is inflammation and pain associated with the inside of the elbow. It can be due to poor alignment of the elbow joint leading to an increase in friction at the elbow of the tendons and muscles. Chiropractic can help improve the function of the elbow joint and help to relieve the pain associated with golfers elbow.

Research: Advances in understanding of the anatomy and pathophysiology of epicondylitis have shaped current treatment practices. Conservative measures are undertaken initially, because symptoms in most patients improve with time and rest and rehabilitation.

Radiographics. 2010 Jan;30(1):167-84. doi: 10.1148/rg.301095078.

Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) is generally described as an overuse syndrome. Poor postures at work, computer/mouse work, musical instruments and certain sports can contribute to RSI. The strain is generally within the ligament and tendons, commonly at the elbow, wrist or hand. It is caused by repetitive use of the joint(s) causing inflammation, pain, weakness and swelling. Chiropractic can improve joint alignment and any muscular imbalances and reducing the problem with RSI.

Research: The general conclusion from this research is thatÂ little is known about the effectiveness of conservative treatment options for repetitive strain injury and that there is a need to establish stronger evidence and more high-quality trials are needed.

Scand J Work Environ Health. 2001 Oct;27(5):299-310.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) True carpal tunnel syndrome is compression the median nerve as it enters under the ligament of the wrist. It is uncommon to have CTS in both hands, more often, if present in both hands, the origin of the nerve compression is at the neck rather than the wrist. CTS give very specific pins and needles into areas of the hand and fingers and is commonly worse at night. There are a number of tests that your chiropractor can do to ascertain if the pins and needles into the hand is due to compression of the nerve at the wrist, elbow, shoulder or neck area and can help to improve alignment of the joints to help reduce the irritation of the median nerve.

Research: this study indicates that there were improvements to nerve conduction latencies, wrist strength, and wrist motion. The improvements detected by our subjective evaluations of the signs and symptoms of CTS and patient satisfaction with the treatment outcomes provided additional evidence for the clinical efficacy of these 2 manual therapies for carpal tunnel syndrome.

J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2007 Jan;30(1):50-61.