A chiropractor will carefully examine your neck to diagnose what is causing your neck pain. The problem may involve the neck bones ('cervical vertebrae'), intervertebral discs, muscles, nerves, ligaments and tendons.

Neck problems can also be experienced as

• tension headaches
• migraine
• torticollis ('wry neck')
• pins and needles
• trapped or pinched nerves
• weakness of shoulder/arm muscles

Whiplash injuries of the neck are also common and can continue to give problems for many years after the accident.

Arm, hand and shoulder pain symptoms can be caused by irritation or damage to the nerves that exit the spine in the neck.

The Chiropractic approach to arm and shoulder pain is to treat the cause rather than the effect. Careful examination may reveal spinal misalignments (known as Vertebral Subluxations) which, when corrected, reduce the pressure on the spine and nerves providing pain relief and restoring the normal flow of communication between the brain and the affected area.

Chiropractor treatment of the following conditions is successful and well documented:

• Frozen shoulder
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Tennis elbow
• Nerve root entrapment
• Pinched nerves
• Disc injury

Government studies from the US, UK, Canada and NZ have reaffirmed the evidence: a visit to the Chiropractor is a highly effective treatment for lower back pain.

Chiropractic spinal care is designed to correct Vertebral Subluxation Complex (VSC) by releasing pressure on the nerves giving low back pain relief to conditions such as:

• Lumbago
• Herniated disc / Slipped disc / Bulging discs
• Sciatica
• Spinal stenosis
• Trapped or pinched nerves

Hip pain is often misdiagnosed. Careful examination is necessary to rule out causes other than an actual hip problem - eg a pinched nerve in the spine can cause pain in the hip area.

Symptoms of hip problems include 'clicking' when walking, hip pain, groin pain, buttock pain or the feeling that one leg is shorter than the other.

Chiropractor treatments are gentle, safe and effective for patients with:

• Hip arthritis
• Hip replacement, hip prosthesis
• Trapped / pinched nerves

The Sciatic nerve extends down the back of the thigh and calf of both legs. It is made up of numerous nerve roots from the lower back.

Sciatica is a severe pain extending down the back of the leg which is caused by pressure on the nerves that make up the Sciatic Nerve.

A Chiropractor can diagnose if there is pressure on the Sciatic Nerve and can use gentle manual pressure to relieve leg pain which is caused by pressure on the inflamed nerve.

Sciatica is not the only cause of leg pain, however. The following conditions are also treatable by a doctor of chiropractic:

• Muscle pulls
• Ligament sprains
• Knee arthritis / Hip arthritis
• Knee pain
• Twisted ankle / Sprained ankle
• Fallen arches (Flat foot)

Chiropractor treatment provides natural arthritis pain relief. While there is no 'cure' for arthritis, its symptoms can be effectively reduced with chiropractor treatment which is also a drug-free approach.

Arthritis (osteoarthritis) is a wear and tear process which causes progressive joint damage and can result in joint pain, stiffness and eventually disability. It can be caused by direct trauma to the joint involved or can gradually build up due to poorly functioning joints.

Gentle joint mobilization of the joints involved can reduce the pain, restore mobility and allow the arthritis sufferer to return to normal activity.

Like all joints, the small joints in the feet are prone to wear and tear and can become quite painful. Sometimes foot pain can be caused by nerve entrapment in the spine.

Careful examination is needed to determine the exact cause of foot pain and the most effective treatment options.

Here at Riverside Chiropractor Clinic, Cork, we also use hi-tech Gaitscan technology to analyse specific foot problems that will respond to the use of orthotics - a prescription insole that is built according to a scan of your foot and your 'gait' - ie, how you walk. Custom foot orthotics are designed to alleviate foot pain and help correct your walking gait.