Common Conditions

Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel and arch pain. The plantar fascia is the flat band of tissue (ligament) that connects your heel bone to your toes. Most people with plantar fasciitis have pain when they take their first steps after they get out of bed or sit for a long time. It is a very common condition in runners, athletes in sports involving jumping, and for people who have jobs that require standing on hard surfaces for long periods of time.

Chiropractic: We will treat plantar fasciitis in a number of different ways. First, adjust the bones in the foot, knee, hips, and pelvis to make sure every joint is aligned and moving properly. A misaligned joint can cause improper mechanics which can relate to the tightening of the plantar fascia. They will also do soft tissue work to allow the plantar fascia and calf muscle to stretch back to its proper length and remove any adhesions that cause the plantar fascia to tighten up. Taping, stretching/strengthening programs, or custom orthotics may also be an option the Chiropractor may provide.

Physiotherapy: Physiotherapy for plantar fasciitis will usually involve soft tissue release of muscles in the lower leg, ultrasound, and a biomechanical analysis of the hip and knee to address any abnormal stress that may be getting transferred to the feet. Corrective exercises to improve foot and ankle function will be given to prevent symptoms from re-occurring.

Low back pain is extremely common do to the fact that when a patient bends to lift something at home, at work or at the gym, a tremendous amount of force is put into the low back and the discs change shape to absorb the load and allow each vertebra to move. Sometimes the discs or vertebrae can misalign or the muscles in your low back can be strained causing pain in your low back, pelvis, hips, and also shoot into your gluts and/or down your legs.

Upper back pain is becoming more and more common with the increase use of computers and electronic devices. Most of upper back pain comes from the combination of poor posture and stress resulting in a muscular imbalance and misalignment.

Chiropractic: We will use a number of different treatment methods to eliminate your back pain including:

• Joint manipulation by Chiropractic adjustments to ensure proper alignment and joint movement
• Myofascial techniques and cross friction massage to eliminate scar tissue, muscle adhesions, muscle spasms, and forces shortened muscles to return back to their normal length
• Custom stretching/strengthening programs

Physiotherapy: Regardless of the cause of your back pain physiotherapy can help by identifying the cause of your pain and then working with you to help resolve the issues. Physiotherapists will use a number of different hands-on techniques such as traction, soft tissue releases, and joint mobilizations to get your hips and back moving more efficiently. Your Physiotherapist will also work with you on some gentle exercises to restore strength and function in your hips and back to get you back to your everyday activities and prevent your back pain from returning.

Whiplash is a neck injury due to forceful, rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck. Whiplash most often occurs during a rear-end auto accident, but the injury can also result from a sports accident or other trauma. The sudden force stretches and tears the muscles and tendons in your neck. Common signs and symptoms of whiplash include neck pain and tenderness, stiffness and decreased range of motion, and headaches. For whiplash injuries it is vital you get it treated as soon as possible after the initial injury to prevent chronic issues that can be very long lasting.

Chiropractic: We will use a combination of different methods to help with a whiplash injury. First, it is important the joint be mobilized immediately with Chiropractic adjustments to prevent the joint from locking up. It is also important to decrease the swelling and inflammation in the muscles by gentle muscle work. After the tenderness has gone down, more intense muscle work such as Myofascial techniques is important to remove and prevent the build up of scar tissue and get shortened muscles back to their normal length. A custom stretching/strengthening program may also be given to help return the muscles and neck range of motion to pre-injury status.

Physiotherapy: Physiotherapy can help to restore normal movement in the neck, back, and shoulders, decrease pain and headaches, and speed up the overall recovery process. Physiotherapy treatments will be based on your symptoms and tolerance and could include hands on soft tissue techniques, modalities such as ultrasound or TENS, joint mobilizations, and corrective exercises to restore normal movement.

There are more than 100 different types of nerve damage. The various types may have different symptoms and may require different types of treatment. Common injuries involving nerves are sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, herniated discs, and pinched nerves. Some common symptoms you may have an injury involving nerves are:

• Sensitivity
• Numbness
• Tingling or prickling
• Burning
• Weakness
• Twitching
• Shooting/Stabbing Pain
• Bladder Dysfunction

Chiropractic: We can help nerve pain whether it is a joint that is interfering with and irritating a nerve or a muscle that is pinching a nerve. Nerves come from the spinal cord, pass in between the vertebrae, and go to all the different areas of your body. A Chiropractic adjustment is able to restore proper movement of the joint that may be interfering with the nerve or muscle work can be done to release the nerve that is being pinched. Often a combination of muscle work and an adjustment is done to release the nerve completely.

Physiotherapy: If you are experiencing sciatic pain or have noticed tingling and numbness running down into your feet physiotherapy can help to assess the cause of the issue and work with you to decrease pain and restore movement and strength. Physiotherapy treatments will often focus on improving joint movement in your lower back and hips, releasing tight muscles, modalities such as ultrasound and TENS may be used, and corrective exercises to improve overall movement and function will be introduced.

Carpal tunnel is often a 'catch-all' term that people use to describe pain and/or numbness that runs down their arm into their hand. Whether these symptoms are a result of actual compression of a nerve passing through the carpal tunnel or not is something that requires a detailed assessment. A physiotherapist can help to differentiate the cause of your pain and then work with you to resolve the issues. Quite often people with this type of pain will look to have surgery to release the carpal tunnel; however, a lot of times this is not necessary and can be avoided with physiotherapy treatments. Physiotherapy will work to release the tight structures in your elbow, forearm, and wrist, will use techniques to improve mobility of the nerves thereby decreasing compression and adhesions on the nerves, and will provide you with self-management techniques to use at home or work to help keep these structures moving and prevent symptoms from re-occurring.

The most common cause of headaches is prolonged tension or stress. These are called tension headaches or muscle-contraction headaches. Virtually everyone suffers from this at some time. Muscles in your scalp, neck, and face tighten and contract, causing spasms and pain. Factors such as anxiety, and stress as well as mechanical factors such as neck strain (e.g., working on a computer for prolonged periods) or cervical vertebrae being out of place are often the culprits behind a typical tension headache.

The cause of migraine is not known but many trigger factors are recognized. These include hormonal changes, certain foods (e.g., chocolate, aged cheeses), beverages, strong odours, lack of sleep, and even stress. It is not uncommon to experience mixed tension-migraine headaches.

Chiropractic: We can help with headaches by performing adjustments on the spine to ensure the vertebrae are all moving freely without any restrictions and that you have proper spinal alignment. By adjusting the spine, we also make sure there is nothing interfering with the nervous system which can also be the cause of headaches. We will also work on the muscles and soft tissue of the neck and upper back to break up any adhesions that have formed to relax the tight muscles.

Physiotherapy: The common headache that responds well with physiotherapy is known as a cervicogenic headache. This headache develops from muscular tension or an injury to the neck or spine. Cervicogenic headaches can be caused by incorrect posture, a whiplash injury, or from certain diseases. Headaches that begin from the neck (or tension headaches) are also types of pain that physiotherapy can help with. Tension usually starts at the top of the neck and then spreads upwards to the back of the head. The headache can then develop at the temples or forehead and even behind the eyes. Migraines and tension headaches benefit from physiotherapy because relieving tension in the muscles is usually the key to treating the pain.

Physiotherapy will utilize a number of different treatment techniques depending on your specific issue. Treatments often include mobilization of the joints in the back and neck, and soft tissue work on the muscles in the shoulder and neck. Other treatments include modalities such as ultrasound or electrotherapy. The physiotherapist will suggest exercises that will help with muscle function and rehabilitation with the ultimate goal of restoring you to your daily life pain free, and with a plan to prevent a re-occurrence of symptoms.

One of the most common misconceptions patients have is in regards to a diagnosis of arthritis. They come into the clinic and mention they have been told "they have arthritis and there is NOTHING  that can be done". THE CURRENT STATUS OF RESEARCH IS TRENDING OTHERWISE. Dr. Scott Haldeman, a Neurologist says "CHIROPRACTIC is one of the SAFEST therapies to use if you have back or neck pain due to Osteoarthritis". According to Tetsworth and Paley's findings, a 5% misalignment in your knee causes a 70-90 % increase in joint stiffness and will worsen to levels 4X worse in 18 months. Dr. Centeno, a specialist in regenerative medicine says joint instability is the leading cause of cartilage breakdown. Patients with osteoarthritis treated with both manual and PYSIOTHERAPY methods with exercises had 2X the pain relief and improvement of function and the RELIEF LASTED WHEN RECHECKED 1 YEAR LATER. Treatments using ACUPUNCTURE 

LASER THERAPY are impressive in changing cellular responses. Soft tissue therapies employed by our MASSAGE THERAPISTS aid in decreasing fibrous adhesions and scar tissue formation and increasing blood flow delaying arthritic changes. One of the most promising fields of regeneration scientists are researching is natural medicine. Our NATUROPATH can assess your body inflammation state and  prescribe nutritional trajectories to aid in slowing down the degenerative process.

Overall the goal that is essential is MOVEMENT and Dr. Michael Joyner a top medical researcher in human performance from Mayo Clinic says 2 exercises that allow you to stay strong as we age are: BURPEES and JUMPING ROPE.

Call our clinic or book online to make your appointment with our team.

*Chiropractic care for children is utilized internationally and is the most common Complimentary and Integrative Medicine care for children in the USA. The most common reason for seeking treatment is for musculoskeletal complaints. Overall wellness care is another common presentation.

4 signs your baby might need to get adjusted:

1. Colic – This affects up to one third of all new born babies, and includes the baby crying quite often, usually worse in the evenings. Colicky babies look truly uncomfortable. Gentle Chiropractic techniques can reduce pain your baby might be experiencing, eliminate spinal tension and calm their nervous system. They typically respond well following the initial adjustment.

2. Constipation - Chiropractors address the nervous system through an adjustment. If we can alleviate any interference your baby may be experiencing in their spine, he or she will likely become able to have a bowel movement in no time. Another cause of constipation could also be a misaligned pelvis or lumbar spine, in which we would be able to correct that misalignment and allow for proper flow.

3. Difficulty Breastfeeding - If your baby seems uncomfortable during latching, or cannot maintain a latch and releases, it is very likely they are uncomfortable during the process. Most times, babies presenting with difficulty breastfeeding are unable to turn their head appropriately to hold a good latch. This is likely seen with babies who prefer to feed on one side. A Chiropractic adjustment can ensure optimal neck rotation so your baby can feed more comfortably.

4. Arched Back - Comfortable babies are naturally in a bent forward position. When a baby presents with a very rigid or stiff spine, and assumes an extension or back arching position when fussing, this is a good indicator that baby is experiencing pain or spinal tension that can be reduced through an adjustment.

Chiropractic care for infants must be very gentle and specific. Most parents think of an adult Chiropractic adjustment and can’t imagine taking their child to a Chiropractor. Infant adjustments are nothing like adult adjustments. They are adjusted using very soft pressure usually with one finger.

* Ref: Hawk C. Schneider M. Vallone S. (2016) Best Practices for Chiropractic Care of Children. Journal of Manipulative and Physiologic Therapeutics 39(3) pgs 158-168

Research has shown that older adults filter less background sensory information concluding that if we have neck pain this causes greater sensorimotor disturbances and AFFECTS BALANCE and INCREASES FALL FREQUENCY. The paraspinal muscles of the back and importance of neck muscles play a significant role in controlling movement. Having the ability to remain Mobile as we age is of outmost importance to our health. The inability to walk or having joint restriction causes decrease blood flow, sensorimotor brain dysfunction and concomitant cell degradation and degeneration at a surprisingly fast rate. Scientists also note it is important for people to know along with ageing, ankle joint position and step reaction time and position sense decreases and studies involving 12 weeks of Chiropractic care improved significant sensorimotor function and decrease in dizziness, migraines, and hip pain.

Physiotherapy exercises commencing with certain isometric to isotonic in specific progression have shown from studies to aid in retraining dysfunctional muscles and slowing down arthritic changes.

Our team of Physiotherapy, Naturopathy, Massage Therapists, Acupuncturists and Chiropractors can help get you moving in the right direction. Call the Steinbach Chiropractic Health & Wellness Clinic to book your appointment.

During pregnancy, there are several physiological and endocrinological changes that occur in preparation for creating the environment for the developing baby. Hormones get released that loosen up the joints and ligaments to allow the birth process, but also allow the spine, pelvis, and hips to misalign much easier as well.

Establishing pelvic balance and alignment is another reason to obtain chiropractic care during pregnancy. When the pelvis is misaligned it may reduce the amount of room available for the developing baby. This restriction is called intrauterine constraint. A misaligned pelvis may also make it difficult for the baby to get into the best possible position for delivery. This can affect the mother’s ability to have a natural, non-invasive birth.

Chiropractic: For people involved in sports, from hockey to baseball, football to dance, it is important that the spine and extremities be in a fully functional range of motion without any restrictions. To maximize performance and longevity, it is good for people involved in sports to get adjusted. For example, if a hockey players hip is restricted, this can cause tightening of the glut and hamstring muscles. If the muscles are tight and the hip is not allowed to go through its full range of motion, the maximum stride power is greatly decreased. Another example is if a dancer’s knee joint has restrictions, after dancing on it for 3 hours a day, 3-5 days a week, the dancers hip, low back, ankle, etc will all be compromised due to the lack of movement in the knee. These restrictions can compound one another and cause serious or long lasting nagging injuries.

Physiotherapy: To compete at your highest level possible it is essential that your body is operating in an optimal fashion. Whether nagging injuries are slowing you down or you are having trouble reaching your training goals, a physiotherapist will work with you to assess how you are moving, address any lingering issues that may be slowing you down, and work with you to optimize your bodies function to allow you to be able to perform at your highest level.

Tennis elbow, also called lateral epicondylitis, is a discomfort or pain around the outside part of your elbow. Pain often worsens with forearm, wrist and hand movements, such as lifting, writing, or twisting the forearm. The condition can happen in any activity that causes you to overuse your forearm muscles such as typing, construction work, lifting weights, or racquet sports. Physiotherapy for tennis elbow will involve joint mobilizations, soft tissue release of forearm musculature, ultrasound, and a home exercise program to help decrease tension at the elbow and prevent a re-occurrence of pain in the future.

After injury to a muscle, tendon, skin, or ligaments in the body, the inflammatory process starts to heal the injury site. As part of the inflammatory process the body lays down layers of collagen known as scar tissue to help increase the strength of the damaged tissues. While this is part of the natural healing process, if scar tissue is not stressed in an effective manner it can create mobility and strength issues in the effected tissues. This is very common in people who have had re-occurring issues in an area, such as a shoulder or hip, and often will present as a feeling of weakness or restriction when trying to move through normal range of motion.

Chiropractic: Some chiropractors have been trained in a technique called Graston Technique. The technique uses specially-designed stainless steel instruments, along with appropriate therapeutic exercise, to specifically detect and effectively treat areas exhibiting soft tissue fibrosis or chronic inflammation. The instruments also are used diagnostically to follow the kinetic chain, to locate and treat the cause of the symptom as well as the specific area of pain.

Physiotherapy: We can help to breakdown scar tissue and mobilize adhesions through hands on techniques such as tissue releases, frictioning, and joint mobilizations. When dealing with scar tissue buildup issues people will often notice a dramatic increase in their movement and strength within the first couple of treatments.