Correcting Your Alignment

 

1.  Misalignment of a vertebrae (Also called Facet Syndrome or Subluxation)

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The most common cause of back pain is a problem with the facet joints. These are the joints that interlock or connect the vertebrae of the spine together. There are 48 facet joints, any of which can misalign (subluxate) or become 'locked', stiff and dysfunctional. It often feels like something 'just needs to click'. 

 

Manipulation of these joints is by far the most effective form of treatment and is what makes Chiropractic so successful. 

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Problems with these joints are the biggest single cause of spinal pain. When a vertebrae is misaligned and not moving as it should, the patient can experience pain, stiffness, difficulty with movement, discomfort when sitting and sleeping as well as referred symptoms to the leg and foot - numbness, pain, tingling, etc.

 

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2. Muscle tension builds up

Because of the misalignment, local muscles start to work against each other as they seek to protect the spine. In the short term, patients often experience muscle spasms.

 

With long term misalignments, chronic muscle tension leads imbalances in muscle tone and strength, acid build-up in the tissues and ultimately, knots and discomfort.

 

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2. Misalignment of the pelvis

Another common misalignment is that of the pelvis. This often leads to a shortening of muscles on one side of the body leading to the appearance of a short leg. This can lead to feelings of imbalance, as well as back, hip, knee or foot pain. Some patients will experience cramping in the groin, hamstrings or muscles of the calf.

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Treatment 

Depending on your condition, a treatment plan will be recommended. Joints may have been locked and out of alignment for many months will require follow up care after the initial course of treatment. This is because the local muscles and tissues have developed a ‘muscle memory’ pattern that is very likely to repeat itself over and over. To successfully break the pattern, these maintenance visits are of utmost importance.