After 10 years of suffering with chronic pain, Matt* finally decided to seek out help from a Pembroke Pines chiropractor.
What started as relatively manageable headaches and knee pain had worsened into frequent headaches, neck pain, low back pain, pain down his right leg and knee pain. Over the years, Matt had used up many sick days from work to travel to Ft. Lauderdale for appointments with neurologists.
He Almost gave Up Finding the Right Back Pain Solution
He had also visited his primary care physician and received multiple MRIs of the brain, but he still wasn’t finding answers about what was causing his pain.
When nothing else had worked and Matt had almost given up on finding something that would help alleviate his pain long-term, Matt decided to make an appointment with Rush Chiropractic and Rehab.
If you are suffering from chronic pain like Matt was, Dr. Rush may be able to help.
We will work with you to understand the source of the pain you’re experiencing through a comprehensive exam. Then, we can create a specific, tailored for you treatment plan that can help you find long-term pain relief and also prevent future injuries.
What To Expect At Your First Chiropractic Exam
We also understand that it can be intimidating to make an appointment with a local chiropractor for the first time. To help you understand what you can expect if you choose to visit a Pembroke Pines chiropractor, here’s an overview of some of the treatments we used to help Matt find greater mobility and less pain.
Your Consultation
When you make your first appointment at Rush Chiropractic and Rehab, we’ll start out by walking you through a consultation to help understand what your concerns are and what treatment options may be most effective for you.
Many chiropractors tend to overuse x-rays, but we are committed to only using x-rays when they are absolutely necessary. If we do feel that an x-ray will help us understand your situation, we take care to perform it safely and concentrate only on the specific areas we need to know more about.
In Matt’s case, we did decide to take some isolated x-rays to help us identify which areas of his neck and back would most benefit from spinal manipulation. These provided us with the information we needed to proceed with his treatment.
A Chiropractic Adjustment
Chiropractic adjustment, also known as spinal manipulation, is the most common procedure we offer at Rush Chiropractic and Rehab. With spinal manipulation, we apply a controlled force to joints that are hypomobile, or tight because of a tissue injury.
Many individuals can benefit from spinal manipulation, because tissue injuries are extremely common. They can come from a single traumatic event like a car accident or lifting something improperly, or they can be caused by repetitive stresses that happen in daily life, such as sitting with poor posture for long periods of time. Tissue injuries can cause inflammation, pain and decreased mobility, but adjustment can help address those problems.
When working with Matt, we realized that hypomobility in the cervical spine and the lumbar spine were decreasing his range of motion and causing some of his pain. Through spinal manipulation, we were able to improve the range of motion in those areas.
Electrical Muscle Stimulation
When trying to understand Matt’s headaches, other doctors had looked for neurological problems and failed to find any answers. But since 70 percent of all headaches originate from the upper neck area, we took a different approach and concentrated on reducing the tension in Matt’s muscles, especially in his lower back and trapezius regions.
To help achieve this, we used a technique called electrical muscle stimulation. With electrical muscle stimulation, we send mild electrical pulses into specific areas of the body to help loosen up the muscles, reduce pain and speed up the overall healing process.
Healing Joint Fixations
A joint fixation occurs when two vertebrae get “stuck” together and the joint is unable to move in the way it’s supposed to. This can cause pain and limited range of motion, and it can lead to more serious health problems down the road. With adjustment and muscle therapy, we are often able to separate a joint fixation so that the joint can move correctly once again.
A Wide Range of Chiropractic Services to Help Reduce Your Pain
While the treatments mentioned above played integral roles in helping Matt experience pain relief, we understand that every person is different.
When you choose Rush Chiropractic and Rehab, we will work with you to create a custom treatment plan that will meet your specific health needs, and we can even refer you to other healthcare providers if you need care that we are not able to give.
Other treatments we provide include:
- Carpal tunnel treatment
- Exercise and nutritional advice
- Physical therapy
- Instrument soft tissue release treatment
- Car accident pain relief
Finding Freedom from Chronic Pain
Six months after his first visit to Rush Chiropractic, Matt was feeling significantly better than he had in over 10 years. The only pain he continued to experience was intermittent neck pain and occasional headaches, but they are much more rare, and it’s manageable when they do flare up.
Matt learned that it’s never too late to seek out chiropractic treatment, but it’s also better to get help as soon as possible. Don’t spend years suffering from pain that may very well be treatable.
Whether you have been dealing with chronic pain for years or want to heal a recent injury in order to prevent future problems, Rush Chiropractic may be able to help. Whereas a general practitioner will often just prescribe medication to help alleviate your pain, we will work with you to find a long-term solution, and we will help you understand your body better so that you can prevent future injuries before they happen.
Give us a call at 954-432-5006 to schedule a consultation and start your journey to healing today!
*To protect the privacy of our patients, we have anonymized this article.
Dr. Rush is a 1994 graduate of the University of Florida where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Exercise Sports Science and Wellness.
Dr. Rush earned his Doctor of Chiropractic Degree at Life University in 2000 where he was honored with magna cum laude. Dr. Rush was born and raised in South Florida where he returned after graduation. He currently practices in Pembroke Pines where he owns and operates Rush Chiropractic and Rehab.