People usually go to a chiropractor to heal aches and pains in their neck and in their back or spine. But did you know that there are other common ailments a chiropractor can help with, both musculoskeletal and otherwise?

And did you know that you can access all these healing benefits from a chiropractor without the pills or other invasive treatments that come with a lot of other attempted pain relief?

While we are here to help with your neck pain and back pain, Smerglia Chiropractic can use its techniques to help with a wider range of conditions. Being very open about the various ailments you are experiencing can help us use all our chiropractic tools to help you.

Let’s review some of the conditions that we treat most frequently, as well as some of the most common issues people don’t realize we can help with.

What common conditions do chiropractors treat?

The most common conditions seen every day in every chiropractic office include neck pain, back pain, and headaches. When people think about going to the chiropractor, they usually think of something relating to their spine that we can adjust using our chiropractic tools and techniques.

Most people tend to know what we correct the alignment of the spine, and that this can help provide them relief from pain and any other discomfort that they are facing. But chiropractors also routinely treat pain in any joints: elbows, fingers, shoulders, knees, ankles, and any other joints in the body.

Sometimes, these joint pains can make other pains worse; for example, pain in the elbow can trigger lower back pain. Even if your appointment is for back pain, it is a good idea to share any other pain you might be experiencing so that we can determine whether another alignment may also be beneficial in addressing your discomfort.

There are also common ailments like “tennis elbow” with which chiropractors can help. Tennis elbow is not necessarily a joint issue; it’s usually a ligament issue. There are chiropractic tools that can help with ligaments as well beyond adjustments; these can include muscle stimulation, scraping, myofascial work, and even exercises.

The bottom line is that chiropractors can help with a wide range of musculoskeletal disorders—not just back pain and headaches.

What are four uncommon ailments people don’t know a chiropractor can help with?

1. Plantar fasciitis

Chiropractors can assist with common foot problems like plantar fasciitis, which affects the connective tissue that runs from the Achilles tendon to the bottom of the foot. Any issues with normal walking can negatively impact muscles and connective tissue, and so a chiropractor can check and make sure that each step is being made properly. Issues like plantar fasciitis often occur in parallel with other everyday chiropractic issues, like hip problems.

Chiropractic tools RRT (Rapid Release Technology) can provide the level of high vibrations that can loosen up tight fascia. In parallel, a chiropractor can provide guidance on stretching exercises can help reinforce the looser state.

2. Golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow

Both conditions involve the ligament in the elbow. With both of these conditions, a chiropractor can use chiropractic tools like myofascial release, muscle stimulation, and ultrasound to provide relief.

3. Carpal tunnel syndrome

A common complaint that people have is numbness radiating down through the hands. Many times, this is caused by a problem in the wrist, but sometimes it comes from the neck. The first step for any chiropractor is to identify the source of the pain.

If the pain comes from the wrist, a chiropractor can help. Ultrasound therapy can pump inflammation and irritation out of the area. The bones in the wrist can be reset to take some pressure off and provide space for the nervous and muscle tissue to coexist without impacting the other.

4. Knee and shoulder pain

Both knees and shoulder can be very tricky to treat. There are a lot of ligaments and other tissues associated with both body parts, which means there is a lot that could potentially go wrong and require treatment. Often, the problem is not even with the joint itself; often it is other parts—tight hip flexors, hamstrings, tight upper leg muscles, and so forth—that cross the knee joint, for example, and cause tension in these areas.

A chiropractor takes the entire picture into consideration. If you note knee pain, they will examine your entire body to get a strong holistic picture of your health. In many cases, patients come in thinking that they will need surgery for a bad knee, only to discover that the source of their pain is a tight hip flexor muscle that can be loosened up with some simple stretches.

These are some—but not all—of the ailments a chiropractor may treat.

Chiropractors can also help with other conditions; even if they cannot directly diagnose or treat a particular condition—such as an internal issue like digestive problems—chiropractors may be able to help provide local pain relief to any areas that are affected as a result. Again, it is always a good idea to openly communicate with your chiropractor about the issues you are facing so that you can make the most of the treatments they offer.

Why don’t patients realize there is so much more a chiropractor can help with?

Outside of the usual back and neck pain, why don’t more patients consider chiropractors for their health maintenance and concerns?

Most people don’t know the full scope of services a chiropractor can provide. In many ways, the chiropractic field is still in its infancy, at least in terms of integrating with the rest of the medical community. It will likely take a bit more time for awareness to grow further regarding what we can do, so that people can utilize chiropractors for all the services that we can provide.

Chiropractic research is continuing to grow, which will help it become more accepted within the mainstream medical community. Chiropractors are trying to work more closely with physicians and receive more referrals.

Unfortunately, many people are still skeptical regarding how much chiropractors can actually help. This is particularly true when it comes to conditions like knee problems or plantar fasciitis, where there is less scholarly, peer-reviewed research published on the benefits offered by chiropractic services. Again, as research in these directions continues to grow, more people will feel confident receiving chiropractic assistance with these problems.

Why Smerglia Chiropractic?

Smerglia Chiropractic proudly takes a more clinical approach to chiropractic services than many other people assume or have experienced from other chiropractors they have worked with.

We take a holistic view of your health to understand all the factors contributing to the symptoms you face. Together, we develop a treatment approach with which you are comfortable, and we make sure you are familiar with every term that we introduce. Education is empowerment, and we are dedicated to ensuring our patients are empowered to make the best decisions for their health and well-being.

Here at Smerglia Chiropractic, we also draw on peer-reviewed research wherever we can, as well as our extensive breadth of clinical experience. We are passionate about healing back pain, but we can also help you with regular adjustments—and other ailments you might not have realized could be helped with chiropractic adjustments.

If you are experiencing pain or other discomfort, do not hesitate to reach out today.