Arthritis
Arthritis, or joint pain or joint disease, is the leading cause of disability in America. More than 50 million adults and 300,000 children are suffering from some type of arthritis. Common symptoms include swelling, pain, stiffness, and decreased range of motion. Severe arthritis can result in chronic pain, inability to perform normal day-to-day activities, and has the potential to cause permanent joint damage.
To determine whether or not you may be suffering from arthritis or to determine the severity, your medical professional will perform blood tests and conduct an imaging scan (ie: x-ray, CAT scan or MRI). Eating healthy, staying active, and understanding your type of arthritis and treatment options are crucial to decreasing your discomfort and paving the way for an enjoyable, happy life.
Auto Injuries
Are you looking for pain relief from an auto injury in Orinda CA? Our team at Orinda Chiropractic & Laser Center can help you today!
DISC HERNIATION, SUBLUXATION AND WHIPLASH TREATMENT IN ORINDA CA
Automobile accidents in Orinda CA are an unfortunate fact of life in today’s world of rush-hour commuting, night driving, and weekend/holiday car trips. Many people, however, do not understand how little speed is required to create an auto accident injury. Low-speed rear impacts are common — and of the 6 million Americans involved in such accidents each year, half of them will likely sustain whiplash, neck pain, back pain, and other musculoskeletal complaints. Here at Orinda Chiropractic Center, our chiropractic care techniques can help you recover from these painful issues without surgery or drugs.
Many auto accident injury victims seek whiplash treatment. Whiplash is a painful condition that occurs when the neck is thrown forward and backward from an impact. (Your neck receives “g-forces” up to 12 times greater than normal even from a mild 5-mph impact.) These violent motions can push your cervical discs out of alignment, allowing the discs between them to bulge onto sensitive nerve roots. Back pain from misalignments and disc herniation can also result from automobile impacts.
BRING YOUR BACK OR NECK PAIN TO ORINDA CHIROPRACTIC CENTER
If you have experienced an auto accident, we urge you to have your spinal column evaluated at Orinda Chiropractic Center — even if you don’t feel hurt. Some injuries tend to show delayed symptoms, encouraging accident victims to go for weeks or months without a spinal screening. By the time the back pain or neck pain strikes, scar tissue may have formed within the tissues, inhibiting healing and recovery. If we can detect an auto accident injury and take steps to correct any imbalances right away, you might be able to avoid debilitating discomfort and loss of function.
If you have back pain, neck pain or other symptoms, rest assured that Orinda Chiropractic Center can help. Our natural methods provide genuine, long-lasting solutions with a minimum of inconvenience for patients. Conventional whiplash treatment, for instance, may force you to wear a cervical collar. This collar might relieve the worst of the pain, but it also deprives your neck muscles of the ability to heal themselves properly. Pain relieving drugs only numb the pain temporarily without offering any actual healing benefits. Major surgery for back pain or neck pain introduces a new wound into the equation and may force you to miss critical days at work.
By contrast, chiropractic care and whiplash treatment can restore your normal spinal balance naturally so that your body can heal itself. Spinal adjustment can help your discs heal and move them away from major nerve roots, eliminating the cause of your pain. In addition to spinal adjustment, the most common form of chiropractic care, we may also prescribe cranial sacral therapy, an effective technique for headache relief that complements whiplash treatment. We also offer cold laser therapy, which soothes strained muscles and helps them heal more quickly. Contact our chiropractic care center today for an evaluation of your auto accident injury.
Back Pain
Since back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide, it is vital to know how to prevent the cause of back pain. By maintaining a healthy diet and weight, remaining active and avoiding prolonged inactivity or bed rest are all important ways to avoid back pain. Before doing exercises or any physical activity, it is recommended to warm up and/or stretch.
WHAT CAUSES BACK PAIN IN?
There are many causes of back pain. Sports injuries, overuse incidents, and accidents are common and obvious causes of pain. Stretching, straining, and lifting can lead to back pain in many cases. Poor posture and obesity can also cause back pain. While highly rare, medical conditions such as arthritis, kidney stones, or cancer can lead to back pain. Many women experience more back pain while pregnant.
HOW CAN I LIMIT BACK PAIN?
There are many simple actions that can limit or help prevent your back pain. These include losing weight if you are overweight, using proper form when lifting objects, improving your posture, making ergonomic improvements to your workstation, and stretching before working out. If you are a smoker, quitting smoking can reduce your pain by providing more oxygen and nutrients to the spine. During chiropractic treatment for back pain, our staff will demonstrate stretching and strengthening exercises that can help limit back pain.
SHOULD I SEE MY PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN IF I HAVE BACK PAIN?
If you have back pain plus any of the following symptoms, you should make an appointment with your primary care physician: Severe pain that does not improve with rest, numbness, tingling, fever, weak leg muscles, or trouble urinating. If your back pain becomes common or gets more severe in intensity, consult your doctor.
HOW CAN A CHIROPRACTOR HELP WITH BACK PAIN?
Chiropractors perform gentle, non-invasive spinal manipulation using hands, tools, bolsters, and other special equipment. Through a series of appointments, chiropractors can realign muscles, joints and ligaments to alleviate pressure causing back pain. Individuals will feel less pain during daily activities, will enjoy a greater range of motion, and may not have to resort to over-the-counter pain medication to alleviate suffering caused by back pain.
IS CHIROPRACTIC CARE SAFE FOR BACK PAIN?
Chiropractic care is very safe for back pain. It is a drugless and non-invasive form of treatment that can alleviate back pain and strengthen and realign the muscles to prevent a recurrence.
COULD MY BACK PAIN JUST GET BETTER ON ITS OWN?
In some cases, back pain can get better on its own, provided that you rest the muscles. If back pain recurs or does not get better, or if you regularly experience back pain, chiropractic can be a safe, lasting treatment.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
CTS is a problem of the median nerve which runs from the forearm into the hand. When there is excessive pressure in the wrist, it causes swelling of the median nerve. This small area called the carpal tunnel is a narrow tunnel at the wrist made up of bones, soft tissues, nerves, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels. When the median nerve which runs through this tunnel gets compressed it causes pain, weakness, numbness or tingling in the hand and wrist which radiates into the forearm. The carpal tunnel is the most common area that gets compressed in both the hands and feet.
CTS should be diagnosed and treated early. During your consultation, you will receive a standard physical examination of the hands, arms, shoulders and neck to help determine if your symptoms are related to daily activities or to an underlying disorder. Our highly skilled chiropractor will also utilize other orthopedic tests to try to produce the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. Laboratory tests and x-rays can reveal diabetes, arthritis, fractures, and other common causes of wrist and hand pain.
Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative disc disease is when natural changes in the discs of your spine cause pain. The discs between vertebrae act as shock absorbers for your spine, and as you age, they begin to lose flexibility. While this is a normal part of aging, it should not cause pain. If you experience pain due to this, it is classified as degenerative disc disease.
Each disc is composed of a sturdy outer wall and a soft, gel-like inner core. When we are born, these discs are primarily composed of water, but as age advances, the discs lose some of this water content and begin to get thinner. As you might imagine, this means each disc doesn’t absorb the shocks of everyday life as well.
Headaches/ Migraines
Headaches and migraines interrupt the lives of millions in Orinda CA each day. Here at Orinda Chiropractic Center, we want to help anyone struggling with these episodes to find lasting pain relief, no matter the cause of the distress. In fact, finding the cause behind your headache or migraine problem is Dr. Wong’s goal. Instead of giving you painkillers just to cover up the outward symptoms, he will help you discover the true source of the pain and then work to resolve it through chiropractic care, massage therapy and also acupuncture so that you can truly find long-term pain relief.
HOW CHIROPRACTIC TREATMENT HELPS WITH HEADACHE AND MIGRAINE PAIN RELIEF IN ORINDA CA
There are several root causes that can bring about headache and migraine episodes. Stress and tension are common instigators for tension headaches. Many migraine sufferers have learned to avoid triggers such as certain kinds of food, smells or loud noises. These all aggravate headaches and migraines, but there are usually deeper, biomechanical causes as well. We find that many headache and migraine sufferers have a spinal misalignment called a “subluxation” somewhere in the cervical spine (neck region). These misalignments may be the result of years of slouching over a computer or sleeping on the wrong kind of pillow. Very frequently, they are the result of undiagnosed cases of whiplash that went untreated. All of these instigators cause vertebral misalignments that can pinch and do damage to the nerves that travel between the vertebrae. They also lead to soft tissue strains that can worsen headaches and migraines. And this is why chiropractic treatment can be a huge pain reliever.
Dr. Wong will carefully examine your posture and your medical history to get to the root of your headaches and migraines. Upon discovering a subluxation, he can provide several types of gentle, precise spinal adjustments that can bring the vertebrae back into correct alignment to relieve pinched nerves and pain. Chiropractic treatment is very safe and effective against headache and migraine pain and usually leads to long-term relief.
For people who also struggle with stress, nutritional imbalances or other problems that may be making matters worse, we also offer massage therapy and acupuncture. Massage therapy helps on several levels. It relieves musculoskeletal tensions, mental stress and releases endorphins into the body for natural pain relief. It is very helpful for accelerating healing of soft tissue strains in the neck that can lead to headache problems. Acupuncture is also effective at correcting biochemical imbalances in the body and relieving pain on that level. Again, the goal with all of Dr. Wong’s treatments is to bring the body back into complete balance, both structurally and biochemically. This multi-pronged approach goes much further and is far more effective for long-term pain relief.
If you suffer from headaches or migraines, call Dr. Wong at Orinda Chiropractic Center today to schedule an appointment to find the pain relief you deserve.
Knee Pain
Knee pain is increasingly becoming a more common problem in society. It is a complaint we see frequently. The most common complaint associated with knee pain is considered the normal “wear and tear.” Another ailment that affects the knee is osteoarthritis. The symptoms and progression of osteoarthritis and knee pain can be reduced through our individualized approach to chiropractic care.
Neck Pain
If you need to find a chiropractor in Orinda CA who provides advanced chiropractic for neck pain relief, then you have come to the right place. Our chiropractor has substantial experience providing advanced chiropractic care, including hands-on cervical spinal adjustments, which promotes pain management and improves wellness.
LOOK NO FURTHER TO FIND A CHIROPRACTOR FOR YOUR NECK PAIN IN ORINDA CA
There are two primary causes for neck pain: poor posture and whiplash injuries. A whiplash injury occurs when the force of a rear-impact car accident “whips” the cervical spine backwards and forwards. This abrupt, unnatural movement triggers not only a spinal misalignment, but also strains the muscles and soft tissues in the neck.
Whiplash injuries are very common. They can occur at speeds as slow as 5mph and most fender bender victims sustain a whiplash injury. Unfortunately, since it can be several weeks or even a month before symptoms are evident, many victims settle prematurely with their insurance companies and lose out on their rightful compensation. If you have recently been in a car accident injury, we recommend visiting our chiropractor for a full diagnostic exam. A diagnostic exam will help determine the extent of your injuries and ensure you receive all the care to which you are entitled.
Poor posture is also a leading trigger for neck pain. For example, if you spend long hours hunched over your computer at work, this poor posture can strain the ligaments in the neck, which causes pain to develop slowly over time. One day you may feel only a slight numbness in your neck, and the following day, the pain may be so intense that it is difficult to turn your head from side to side, look up and down, or even sleep comfortably at night.
If you are suffering from neck pain, traditional medical care focuses solely on managing your pain symptoms. This means that a doctor may prescribe medication for your neck pain or insist on placing your neck in a cervical collar. Unfortunately, both approaches are misguided and not fully effective as treatment options. For example, medication, while it provides temporary relief, works by numbing pain sensations. Once this wears off, your pain will return. A cervical collar can also do more harm than good. Immobilizing the neck for extended periods will ultimately slow the body’s natural healing process, rather than supporting it.
Advanced chiropractic care is different. Chiropractic adjustments bring proper alignment back to the cervical spine, relieving pressure on nearby nerves for natural, drug-free pain relief. With chiropractic care, there is no need to depend on drugs for pain relief. Additionally, chiropractic care is a safe and effective way to bring mobility back to the cervical spine. Corrective exercises, for example, promote a natural range of movement without increasing the risk for additional injury.
If you have sustained a neck injury, then chiropractic care can make a significant difference for your overall health. Contact us today to find a chiropractor in Orinda and start healing right away!
Neuropathy
Neuropathy is a medical condition caused by damaged nerve cells and often associated with autoimmune diseases, infections, diabetes, tumors, or hereditary conditions. Peripheral neuropathy currently affects over 20 million people in the United States with symptoms ranging from tingling or burning pain and nausea to muscle spasms, difficulty moving your arms or legs, or atrophy.
Personal Injury
Our goal is to help you receive the proper care after a personal injury, auto accident or fall. Our staff is devoted to helping you obtain the most comprehensive treatments and the care you deserve, so you may maintain your quality of life after an injury and can begin to feel like yourself again.
Too often, individuals involved in an auto injury or wreck have minimal or no symptoms until several weeks after the auto accident. That is where the professionals at Orinda Chiropractic and Laser come in, and can assist you with all aspects of auto accident personal injury recovery.
Pinched Nerve
A pinched nerve can happen in a variety of places throughout the body with some of the most common being the lower spine, wrists, neck, and legs. A pinched nerve occurs when the muscles or tendons around the nerve are inflamed, putting pressure on the nerve and either causing pain or even numbness throughout the extremities related or attached to this affected nerve.
Your pinched nerve may be caused by different physical conditions such as carpal tunnel or a herniated disc. Though pinched nerves can be painful, the majority of patients find that their pinched nerve(s) goes away on its own.
If the pinched nerve does not resolve itself and you have persistent pain that lasts for more than a few days, you should seek medical attention by scheduling an appointment at Orinda Chiropractic and Laser with our chiropractor. This is especially true if you’ve tried at-home treatments but feel like your pain is worsening as time progresses. With pinched nerves, it’s important to seek medical attention in order to identify the underlying cause of the pinched nerve to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Sciatica
Sciatica is characterized by pain in the lower back that radiates down one or both legs. The pain is described as dull, achy, sharp, like “pins and needles” or similar to electric shocks. Other symptoms associated with sciatica include burning, numbness and tingling sensations. Sciatic nerve pain varies in intensity from mild to severe, and frequency may range from occasional to constant. The onset is generally gradual and not necessarily associated with a previous event. Sciatica is also known as radiating or referred pain, neuropathy, or neuralgia.
Shoulder Pain
Shoulder pain is a very common condition and affects almost half of the U.S. Most patients feel some sort of pain, limited range of motion, an inability to engage in activities of daily living (ADL) or something more serious as a permanent disability.
Sports Injury
Sports can be very taxing on your body, no matter what you play. Our trusted staff will work with you to get to the root of your problem and help you feel better again. We help treat and also prevent injuries in the neck, back, shoulders, knees, and ankles. We are able to manually adjust your spine, relieving any pain that you are feeling. This will allow your body to function much better after the injury.
TMJ
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ) affects about 1 in 10 adults in Orinda CA. This disorder involves chronic pain in the face and jaw, and requires pain management care. Typical symptoms of TMJ include discomfort or pain around the jaw and in the face, swelling, problems chewing or talking, the inability to move the jaw, loud popping, headaches and earaches, dizziness, and hearing impairment.
Numerous ailments can cause TMJ, including teeth grinding, stress (jaw clenching) and arthritis in the joints of the jaw. It can also be caused by whiplash, a head or neck injury or strains and sprains to the neck. Thankfully, chiropractic care received from a TMJ specialist can lessen the pain of this condition.
CHIROPRACTIC CARE WITH A TMJ SPECIALIST
Many people suffer with TMJ and try various treatments suggested by their dentists and family doctors, while these treatments may offer some relief, they do not necessarily offer well rounded pain management. We recommend combining traditional treatment options with chiropractic care from a TMJ specialist for more complete pain relief.
At our clinic, we offer adjustments with a TMJ specialist. Our chiropractor has more than 17 years of experience helping individuals with TMJ, and many patients have reported substantial relief from their jaw pain after receiving treatment at our clinic.
CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS FOR TMJ PAIN MANAGEMENT
Both manual and instrument chiropractic adjustments can be used for TMJ pain management, and they both work by realigning the bones in the neck and jaw and releasing the tension on the muscles, which reduces the pain associated with TMJ. Dr. Kevin Wong specializes in manipulating the cervical and cranial bones and jaw bone to achieve proper alignment and reduce jaw pain.
MANUAL MANIPULATIONS
Chiropractic care that uses manual manipulation of the cervical and jaw bones involves our chiropractor using his hands to apply pressure to misaligned joints and bones in order to realign them. This releases the tension on those areas and drastically reduces pain and allows you to eat, yawn and open your jaw with less pain and discomfort.
ACTIVATOR ADJUSTMENTS
Actuator adjustments are performed with a medical instrument called an Activator, and we have two activators available, including the Activator V and the Impulse IQ. Both of these hand-held medical devices are designed to deliver chiropractic adjustments at very specific points along the back and neck. These devices have no side effects and can be used on individuals of every age for jaw pain and pain management.
Here at our Orinda chiropractic center, we understand that your TMJ is affecting your daily life. It causes chronic pain in the face and jaw, and it makes chewing and talking difficult. We can provide chiropractic care with a TMJ specialist so that you can better control your pain and lead a more active lifestyle.
Vertigo
Vertigo is the feeling that you are moving when you’re not. This sensation can be triggered by movements such as turning your head too quickly or looking down from a great distance, but it is ultimately caused by problems in the inner ear, brain, or brainstem. There are two different forms of vertigo with each stemming from various medical issues: peripheral vertigo and central vertigo.
Peripheral vertigo results in a problem with your inner ear and thus your balance, while central vertigo occurs when your brain or brainstem are suffering from a disease originating from your central nervous system (CNS). Peripheral vertigo is typically more severe, and central vertigo is more gradual in its onset. Regardless of the type of dizziness you are experiencing, more than likely, your quality of life is suffering because of it.
Whiplash
According to the American Chiropractic Association, one of the most common causes of neck pain is whiplash resulting from a car accident. A sudden forced movement of the head or neck in any direction and the resulting “rebound” in the opposite direction is known as whiplash. The sudden “whipping” motion injures the surrounding and supporting tissues of the neck and head. Muscles react by tightening and contracting, creating muscle fatigue, which can result in pain and stiffness. Severe whiplash can also be associated with injury to the intervertebral joints, discs, ligaments, muscles, and nerve roots.
Work Injuries
Workplace injuries don’t only occur during traumatic slips and falls at work but are more often than not, the result of repetitive movements, and caused by doing the physical demands required of your job over an extended period of time. These types of workplace injuries are all too common in today’s workforce and are best identified by their symptoms.
- Lower back pain
- Shoulder pain
- Carpal tunnel and hand pain
- Disc injuries
- Sciatica (pain caused by the sciatic nerve in your lower back and legs)
- Joint pain
Being examined by a chiropractor is often the first step in identifying and treating a workplace injury through non-invasive care which is why Orinda Chiropractic and Laser conducts thorough examinations during his first session with new patients in order to better assess their injury. Since workplace injuries usually develop over time, it’s important to share all the symptoms you may be experiencing so we can identify the root cause.
Joint Pain
Joint pain is one of the most common reasons patients arrange appointments with our Orinda CA chiropractic clinic. Orinda pain sufferers may be contending with pinched nerves, muscle strain, or some other musculoskeletal problem. Here at our Orinda chiropractic clinic, you can find relief via orthotics, spinal adjustments, and laser pain relief through laser therapy. We encourage our patients use our methods for every day wellness to keep feeling good; by following best practices for maintaining wellness, Orinda pain sufferers can enjoy renewed comfort and mobility.
Some joint pain causes are less obvious than others, especially when referred pain is involved. In many cases, impingement of spinal nerve roots may cause pain in the arms or legs. Chronic back pain may stem from faulty arch support in the feet. We diagnose a wide range of conditions at our chiropractic clinic; Orinda chiropractor Dr. Kevin Wong has 17 years of experience in evaluating joint-related symptoms.
LASER PAIN RELIEF AND OTHER OPTIONS
Once we have found the underlying problem, we can use a variety of non-surgical methods to correct it, including instrument adjusting, laser pain relief through laser therapy, kinesio taping and orthotics. Chiropractic adjustment can also relieve pressure from nerves so that they function correctly. Our advanced Activator instruments are able to deliver minute adjustments with pinpoint accuracy. If your feet need some extra help supporting the rest of your body without causing pain, we can prescribe and make customized orthotics to keep you standing, walking and enjoying an active, comfortable lifestyle.
If your joint pain involves soft tissue strain or damage, we may be able to treat you using cold laser therapy. Thanks to this technique, many of our Orinda area patients often enjoy speedier healing. Laser pain relief occurs when our low-level beam penetrates the skin to stimulate circulation and cellular repair. In addition to laser pain relief via laser therapy, joint pain sufferers can gain relief through kinesio taping. Our Rock Tape can support strained or fatigued tissues to relieve stress on joints and help injuries heal more efficiently.
We believe in preventing future joint pain by paying attention to wellness. Orinda patients seeking to maintain their ongoing wellness will find that our services can help them maintain their overall wellbeing. Periodic evaluations enable us to detect any small problems that might lead to future joint pain, subluxations or other barriers to wellness. Our patients can also have their orthotics or other natural treatments tweaked to accommodate their evolving needs. A little preventative maintenance can do wonders for your ongoing health; wellness seekers are therefore invited to contact us for more information from our chiropractic clinic. Orinda health and wellness starts here!
Foot Pain
Patients who suffer from acute or chronic foot pain in Orinda CA know all too well how easily we take our feet for granted until something goes wrong. With 26 bones, several bands of connective tissue and numerous articulated joints, the feet are complex mechanical systems that must support your weight equally and constantly to give the entire body stability for standing, walking or running.
Pain, stiffness or inflammation in any part of either foot can suddenly render you unable to work, perform simple household chores or enjoy your favorite recreational activities. Fortunately, you do not have to live with the discomfort and loss of function. Our chiropractor at Orinda Chiropractic Center, Dr. Kevin Wong, specializes in injuries and diseases of several parts of the body, including the feet He can help determine the underlying cause of your pain and recommend chiropractic treatments to help you free yourself of it.
A wide range of problems can afflict the feet. One of the more common ailments, plantar fasciitis, occurs when the band of tissue that makes up the primary arch of the foot becomes inflamed due to overuse, congenital or acquired deformities, non-supportive footwear or all of the above. Unequal weight distribution can also lead to metatarsalgia, a painful inflammation of the ball of the foot. Osteoarthritis in the foot’s many joints can occur as a natural result of aging, or it may be triggered by a sports injury or personal injury. Your problem might even originate in the spine if a spinal misalignment has thrown you off balance or sciatica is sending pain signals to the foot.
NATURAL PAIN MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS AT OUR CHIROPRACTIC CLINIC
By studying your spinal alignment, posture and gait, we can see whether biomechanical issues are causing your discomfort or vice-versa. If your arches are “fallen” or require better support than ordinary shoes can provide, we may fit you for orthotic footwear to relieve plantar fasciitis and other strain-related issues. Our FootLevelers Custom Orthotics make use of cutting-edge digital scanning that shows us exactly how your feet make contact with the ground. This enables us to produce customized orthotics, including Pelvic Spine Stabilizers that support proper vertical alignment of the body, relieving pain not only in the feet but throughout the musculoskeletal system.
If a degenerative joint condition or joint misalignment within the foot is the source of your trouble, we can perform careful, gentle manual adjustments to these joints to improve function and aid in pain management. Additionally, chiropractic treatments can correct misalignments throughout the spinal column that may be shifting your weight distribution and causing or aggravating foot pain. Other supportive therapies such as cold laser therapy are also useful for soothing painful joints, reducing inflammation and boosting the circulation in the feet.
Contact our chiropractic clinic today for more information or to schedule an initial consultation about your foot condition.