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Neck pain and Headaches
What does it feel like?
Neck pain can come in many forms. Often it will be muscle or joint ache in and around
the neck and upper back. Pain sensation can include hot, burning, shooting, or stabbing pain
in your shoulders or into one or both of your arms. Headaches are often associated with neck
pain with research showing 75 percent of headaches are cervicogenic (originating from the
neck)
What causes it?
Poor posture is one of the common causes of neck pain, such as lumping over, looking at
screens or phones, sitting for prolonged periods. Poor sleeping position,
repetition within our workday or high stress levels are also all common reasons.
Back pain and Sciatica
What does it feel like?
Back pain can present in many forms. Generally, an achy, stiff, painful sensation that can be
localised to a region, i.e. your lower back. Symptoms sensation can mild or severe enough to
be debilitating. Generally, muscle pain will feel like a post workout achiness, whereas disc or
nerve involvement will be more intense, acute and involve symptoms like tingling, numbness
or sharp shooting. Sciatica pain can vary widely and present in a mild tingling, dull ache, numb or burning
sensation through the gluteal, hip and/or lower limb. Sciatica can be severe enough to affect
daily activities and hinder an individual from moving. Generally, sciatica presents on one
side.
What causes it?
Back pain is most commonly caused due to three reasons. Repetitive actions often related to
work (e.g. gardening, lifting and twisting, standing), static position for prolonged periods (eg
prolonged sitting at a desk) or stress. At times medical conditions such as disc
compression/injury, nerve entrapment or inflammatory joint diseases can cause back pain.
Very rarely back pain can be a sign of a serious problem such as a broken bone, cancer or an
infection.
Joint pain
What does it feel like?
Joint pain may be constant or intermittent. Joints can feel stiff, achy or sore. At times an
individual can experience burning, throbbing or grinding. Joint pain that is acute may also
present a sharp stabbing pain especially in the mid or lower back.
What causes it?
Joint pain is most commonly caused due to three reasons. Repetitive actions often related to
work (e.g. gardening, lifting and twisting, standing), static position for prolonged periods (eg
prolonged sitting at a desk) or stress.
Pelvic pain
What does it feel like?
Pelvic pain can present in many different ways due to the complexity of the pelvis with
multiple joints, strong muscles and close proximity of pelvic organs.
Generally, neuromusculoskeletal pain associated with the pelvis will present as a dull ache,
sometimes throbbing pain around one or both hips. A band-like pain across the lower back is
a common symptom associated with the posterior pelvic joints (sacroiliac joints). Pain,
achiness or stiffness can also present anteriorly involving the hip flexors and pubic symphysis
joint.
What causes it?
Prolonged sitting and immobility is a common cause of chronic pelvic pain and stiffness,
heavy lifting associated to manual labour is also a common cause of pelvic pain
and dysfunction as well as pregnancy especially in the 2nd to 3rd trimester.
What can we do to help?
A thorough history and examination done by your chiropractor is important to determine
cause and diagnosis. Thereafter if pain and dysfunction is of neuromusculoskeletal origin,
chiropractic treatment and management is incredibly effective form or treatment.
Osteoarthritis
What does it feel like?
Increased pain and stiffness when you have not moved your joints for a while.
Extremity joints appearing inflamed, larger or more 'knobbly' than usual is common. a
grinding, popping or crackling sensation is often associated with osteoarthritis. Spinal joints
affected by osteoarthritis can feel stiff, achy and affect spinal mobility and range of motion.
The symptoms may come and go, which can be related to things like your activity levels or
even the weather. In more severe cases, symptoms can continuous.
What causes it?
Osteoarthritis occurs when cartilage that cushions the ends of your bones in your joints
gradually wears down and deteriorates. Often can be due to age related changes and chronic
repetitive use. Periods of poor mobility and sedentary lifestyle can worsen the symptoms.
