Don’t you just treat backs?
Dr Jess Milsom It’s a misconception that chiropractors should only be sought after when you have back pain, neck pain or a headache. It’s commonly believed that if you suffer from an injury to your upper or lower limb, then you should see a physiotherapist. While there is nothing wrong with seeing a physiotherapist, chiropractors have spent the same amount of time studying upper and lower limb injuries. Also, they have been taught how to effectively assess, diagnose, and treat these limb injuries. Some common conditions we’ve treated here at Pittwater Chiro include (but are not limited to): Chiropractors are taught university-level anatomy and physiology for all parts of the body. To become a chiropractor in Australia, you must complete a bachelor’s degree in health sciences and a Master of Chiropractic. Anatomy – the structure of humans – and physiology – normal functions of the living organism – units are required as part of the undergraduate degree. Chiropractic students are taught in the same classes as physiotherapy students. Alongside those units, chiropractic students complete ‘chiropractic’ classes, which are held around three times a week for the entire degree. Chiropractors are thoroughly taught in the assessment, diagnosis, and management of upper and lower limb injuries. For an entire year and a half at Macquarie University, classes focus solely on the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of upper and lower limb injuries. Furthermore, these injuries are then further studied in the final two years of the postgraduate degree with a sport’s specific focus. To graduate and become a qualified chiropractor, a student will have learnt, and assessed on, key orthopedic, neurological, and functional testing of the entire body. Also, we are taught and assessed on our ability to incorporate the findings of the testing and form an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan. Alongside all those units, we are required to complete research units as part of our postgraduate degree. This unit further develops our ability to treat in an evidence-based manner. Essentially, the degree teaches us how to access the best quality of research and evidence. This means weeding out studies and information which is perhaps biased or untrue. This means the way we assess, diagnose, and treat is in tune with the best clinical guidelines and recommendations. Chiropractors can perform manipulations and mobilizations for upper and lower limb injuries. Part of your treatment with a chiropractor can include joint manipulations and mobilizations of the upper or lower limb. Alongside this, we are taught various soft tissue techniques, including active release, post-isometric relaxation, and simple massage techniques. At Pittwater Chiro, all our chiropractors are qualified in dry needling. In addition, we also offer shockwave and cupping. We have a lot of tools in our kit when approaching the treatment of an upper or lower limb injury. Chiropractors can create safe and effective rehabilitation and exercise programs. Chiropractors can create tailored rehabilitation programs to safely increase your range of motion, endurance, load tolerance and/or power generation. This is a crucial part of returning from an injury to ensure you don’t reinjure the area. Chiropractors can refer and point you in the right direction. We’re also well-versed in recognizing if your condition needs co-management with another health professional, such as an orthopedic specialist. Chiropractors possess the expertise and knowledge to treat injuries in both the upper and lower limbs effectively. Their holistic approach, extensive training in anatomy and physiology, targeted adjustments, and focus on rehabilitation make them valuable healthcare partners in helping patients recover from musculoskeletal injuries. By considering chiropractic as a viable treatment option, individuals can find a non-invasive and drug-free path to healing.
Back to Basics
“When back pain suddenly shows up, we are tempted to blame it on the last minor stressor that affected it, such as a soft bed in a hotel. This is like blaming your bankruptcy on the last latte you bought before your account finally went into the red.” – Todd Hargrove. When pain occurs it’s not uncommon for us to try to find a triggering event. Sometimes, this can leave us stumped as there wasn’t a clear change from our normal activities, it kind of just came on, or we must have just slept funny. Pain and our body’s physiology are not simple, most of the time it isn’t caused by just one event (unless your injury was a result of direct trauma). Research suggests that pain is complex and can occur from physical factors, lifestyle factors, and mental factors. Put simply, pain tolerance levels are closely linked to our entire well-being. Homeostasis Think about how complex the balance of nature is. Extinction of one species can influence the population of other species, or altered weather patterns can affect the growth of plants and animals. Like the intricate balance of nature, our pain symptoms can rely on the stability and good functioning of our body systems. This is what we refer to as the body’s homeostasis. The self-regulating process of the cells in our body to maintain stability and adapt to conditions. When there is an accumulation of small and subtle changes to these cells – a constant and steady increase in cortisol (a natural stress hormone) – it affects the functioning of other cells. The effects of cortisol When perceived with a threat, a natural stress response is triggered. Cortisol increases your blood sugar levels, which increases brain activity and increases the available substances needed for tissue repair. It also dulls non-essential functions of a fight or flight situation. These include your immune system, digestive system, and growth processes. It lowers testosterone, which is a vital growth hormone for men and women. This is optimal for short-term survival in stressful situations, however, if cortisol levels remain elevated things can start to go haywire. When we experience prolonged stress, our bodies have reduced pain tolerance and heightened pain. This is a process known as ‘sensitization’. We may struggle to maintain or grow muscle mass due to the dampening effect cortisol has on our growth hormones, and we might find ourselves getting struck down by the common cold often due to our weakened immune response. This ultimately leads to a change in the function of your whole well-being. So, the next time you notice a flare-up of symptoms, or a new unexplained injury occurs, let’s take it back to health basics. Ask yourself, am I: We’ve all heard the saying “you can’t pour from an empty cup”, well this extends to pain and injury too. If your body is already fighting to maintain homeostasis, then how can you expect it to repair damaged tissues and cells at a quick rate?
