Pinched nerve

What causes a pinched nerve?

A pinched nerve is usually a result of an obstruction to the nerves known as a subluxation. A subluxation is a vertebrae shifted out of its normal alignment that can result in swelling, muscle tightness, or nerve irritation.  This nerve interference (the “pinched” nerve) renders the nervous system unable to perform its function of transmitting messages from the brain to the rest of the body.  This can cause a number of different symptoms including pain, numbness and tingling – just to name a few.  Just like most other conditions the pinched nerve will get worse over time if it is not properly handled. 

Chiropractic seeks to restore the body to optimal working order by removing subluxation.  Removing subluxations (or “unpinching” the nerve) gives your body the best chance to heal and return to its normal function.  Chiropractic adjustments remove subluxations, as opposed to drugs which just cover their symptoms.

If you or a family member would like to know more, call Wilson Family Chiropractic at (651) 797-4238 for a free consultation. 

Auto Accidents

At Wilson Family Chiropractic, we treat many patients who have been injured in auto accidents. These injuries can include whiplash, neck pain, headaches, upper back pain, low back pain, and pain in the extremities. Often people only seek medical attention for injuries that are very evident such as broken bones or cuts. Neck and back injuries are usually not treated at the emergency room or by your medical doctor, and they may not be evident right away. At Wilson Family Chiropractic we have the latest imaging techniques to help identify and treat neck and back injuries. Often the full extent of soft tissue injuries is not present or evident for days to weeks after an accident. Scar tissue can form from untreated injuries, leading to long-term pain and a longer recovery process.  Auto insurance is responsible for paying your medical bills (including chiropractic services) regardless of who is at fault. If you wait too long after your accident and your insurance claim is closed, you may be responsible for paying for all or a portion of your treatments.  When you get off the phone with your insurance company following an auto accident, give Wilson Family Chiropractic a call and set up a consultation with Dr. Cliff. It’s never too late to get chiropractic treatment for your car accident injuries. But keep in mind – the sooner they are treated, the faster and easier it is to get you on the road to recovery.

Chiropractic and Extremity issues.

As a chiropractor, I often hear people asking me about issues involving their neck and back.  These are issues I love to help patients with, but often they do not realize we can help with many different issues and areas of the body as well. In this post, I am going to focus in on extremity.  The two main issues I hear people complaining of are pain in the joints or radiating pain that affects the joint and joints down stream in changes in pain or sensation.  The pain in the joints can be coming from several different issues, but often is coming form misalignment or reduced movement of the bones that make up that joint.  Just like in the spine those joints can be adjusted and through doing so restore motion and function and thus reduce pain.  Almost any where there are two bones touching there can be issues and they can often be adjusted.   The radiating symptoms are most often a result irritation on nerves.  If you have ever hit your funny bone you know you can hit a nerve in your elbow and have symptoms in  your hand.  This just demonstrates how nerves can transmit sensations but also that the sight of the symptom is not always the source of the issue. It is important to find the exact spot of nerve irritation to correct the issue.   The nerve interference can be occurring at the the joint, at the muscles before the joint, or what is the cause in many cases the spine.  At Wilson Family Chiropractic we are experts at finding the the exact cause and have technique for dealing with the issue no matter where the interference is.  We have specialized muscle techniques along with adjustments for the spine and extremities. 

Pregnancy and Chiropractic

Is chiropractic care safe during pregnancy?

Chiropractic care during pregnancy is safe for both mother and baby. Spinal adjustments are especially gentle during pregnancy as far less force is required to correct subluxations (misalignment of the spine). During pregnancy, most women experience a number of neuromuscular and biochemical problems which result in an increased stress on the body, leading to pain and discomfort.  The mechanical stress on the body alone from change in size and center of gravity is tremendous on a woman's body. Since all medications taken by the mother cross into the developing baby’s blood system, chiropractic is a much safer option to reduce pain and discomfort.

Regular chiropractic care is an integral part of the prenatal and postpartum care during pregnancy. It helps keep mom feeling good and assists her in coping with the physical stresses of an ever changing body.

e-mail your questions to: wilsonfamilychiropracticmn@gmail.com

How can chiropractic help ear infections?

Many parents grow understandably frustrated over the chronic nature of their children’s ear infections.  Middle ear infections (otitis media) are frequently treated by medical doctors with antibiotics.  After round upon round of antibioitics, children are then scheduled for ear tube surgery.  Recent research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, British Journal of Medicine, and the New England Journal of Medicine have all shown that antibiotics for ear infections are no more effective than placebo (sugar pill).

For kids with chronic ear infections, chiropractic should be considered.  The Eustachian tube helps drain the inner ear.  In children, the Eustachian tube is more horizontal than it is in an adult.  As a result, the ear does not drain as well.  Further, kids can have subtle misalignments of their upper neck, which disrupt nerve signals sent by the brain to help the ear to function and drain properly.  Gentle adjustments to the upper neck free up communication in the nerves and help the ear drain properly.

I know that if a parent has never been to a chiropractor, the thought of bringing a child to a chiropractor can be scary, but I would be happy to answer any questions or concerns that you might have, as a free consultation. 

I look forward to helping out your family with all their chiropractic needs!