DON'T LET PAIN
GET IN YOUR WAY

When people come to us they arrive with different goals in mind. Our goal, as chiropractors, is to find out what the problems or concerns of the new patient’s are and then find out whether we have the best treatment and advice to help.

Some come in for pain reduction. We see people with:

Headaches Shoulder tension Low back pain Neck pain Arm pain Leg pain Sciatica

We see people who wish to maintain their spinal health and optimise the benefits that a well functioning and aligned spine brings. These people may be:

Mothers dealing with young children Athletes looking for the extra edge in their sports performance Office workers & business owners Labourers Retirees wishing to stay active for as long as possible

Another area of care that we focus on is paediatrics and pregnancy care. Our chiropractors have undertaken extensive further studies in these areas and often our reception area will reflect that - there may be a pregnant lady, a baby in a pram or children in the practice. Some of the reasons parents bring their baby or child to us include:

Difficult or long births may cause undue stress on the neck of a baby Baby has trouble turning their head one way Plagiocephaly (flat spot on the skull) Unsettled baby Falls as babies and children Scoliosis screening Learning delays Uneven crawling pattern

What ever the reason someone comes to us with we will let them know if they are a chiropractic case and what treatment will involve. We answer all your questions and make sure you are 100% clear on what care will look like at Errol Street Chiropractic, guiding you through each step and doing regular checks to ensure that your progress in on track. Lots of our patients are referrals from other patients, so most people that come in are aware of the great results we often achieve.

Sciatica is a term that describes pain that is generated by the irritation of the sciatic nerve in the lower back and pelvis. If anyone has suffered from sciatica, they understand how severe the pain can be and how disruptive it can be to the daily life.

The sciatic nerve starts in the lower back and goes down the back of the leg to the foot. In fact, it is the longest nerve in the body and hence, when it is irritated, it can give you severe pain. Here is a list of some the symptoms that people may be experiencing with sciatica:

sharp, shooting pain down the back of the leg pins and needles down the thighs and leg numbness in the leg or foot weakness in leg muscles burning, prickling sensations sharp pain in low back and leg

What causes the sciatic nerve to get irritated?

1.Often where leg pain is worse than the low back pain then disc involvement may be the cause. Disc disease. When disc damage, such as disc bulging, disc herniation or sequestration occurs, this can place direct pressure on the nerves exiting the spine and cause sciatica Disc degeneration. In these cases the narrowed disc, with associated degenerative spur development can cause pressure on the nerves or inflame the nerves, leading to sciatica. In these cases the chiropractor may find that nerve tests are positive, such as reflexes, muscle strength skin sensation. Depending on the severity of the case, the chiropractor may need to refer out for MRI or CT imaging to assist in the diagnosis.

2.When low back pain is present and leg pain is more painful and there are less sensations such ‘pins and needles’ and numbness then the problem may be due to altered spinal/pelvic joint function. Nerve tests are less likely to be positive and chiropractors can often help by improving the spinal function and neuromuscular control of the area.

The video goes through:

1. Postures to avoid
2. A stretch to help relieve the symptoms
3. Mindful meditation

Our chiropractors are trained to detect scoliosis in children and adults. We understand which cases need referring our and which cases we can help with Chiropractic BioPhysics. Our goal is to get the best outcome for our patients.

If you suffer from scoliosis, the team at Errol Street Chiropractic Centre can help you with scoliosis pain treatment.

Scoliosis is a condition that involves the unwanted curvature of the straight spine, when looking at the spine from front to back. It usually begins formation during adolescence and is more common in females than males. As we age, the condition can lead to severe and ongoing back pain if it is left untreated.

While scoliosis is not always painful, it can lead to pain. Here are a few indicators that scoliosis may be present:

• One leg seems to be longer than the other • Pain in the lower back • Discomfort in standing for long periods of time • Crooked shoulders • A visible curve in the spine • Uneven hips

It is recommended that parents check their child’s spine using these indicators above as soon as they can stand up and keep still. The best time to check a child is before they start going into their pubescent years. As girls mature earlier than boys and are more prone to scoliosis, then late primary school age is an ideal time. If you are not sure if your child has a scoliosis, then a visit to a chiropractor is advised.

Adults suffer from scoliosis too and are often present because their childhood scoliosis has not been corrected.

The prevalence of Scoliosis increases with age....

• 0.3% – 0.5% in children
• 2% – 4% above the age of 18 years
• 9% in over 40 year olds
• 30%+ in over 60 year olds
• 50%+ in over 90 year olds


Ref:2010 Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery - British Volume, Vol 92-B, Issue 7, 980-983 Spine 2011 Apr 20;36(9):731-6.

The goal of the initial consultation is for the chiropractor to determine whether you are in the right place. We need to go through an evaluation to determine if your health concern is within our scope of practice and if we feel we can help.

During the first visit we will:

- Let you know exactly what the visit will entail - Take a full medical history. Understanding if and what are past and current stressors. Past injuries may have an impact on your current spinal health. - Posture Screen Analysis® with results emailed to you. - Orhopaedic, neurological, functional spinal assessment. - Referral for further testing may occur

You need to allow approximately 45minutes for the initial visit. Once we have determined that you are a chiropractic case we will do one of two things. If we have gathered all the information about your case on the first visit, we will start some care. If we have referred out for X-rays, we need to wait for those results and do our X-ray analysis before we can start care.

Our treatment will begin once:

All relevant information is gathered You have a thorough understanding of what is going on You are 100% clear on what treatment will involve and all times frames around that

We always find that when someone is 100% committed to their care, they get the best results. There is always a component of care that needs to occur at home or work each day. This may be corrective mirror image exercises, postural advice, home tractions or specific spinal strengthening work. Patients achieve the best results when they follow through with the recommendations of care.