When most people think of chiropractic treatment, they think about pain relief for the neck and back. But did you know a chiropractor can treat almost any area of the body? They use non-invasive, holistic treatments to help relieve pain in the shoulder, knee, ankle, foot, wrist, leg, head, neck, back. Basically, the entire body. Here are 3 common types of pain or injuries you might not know that the chiropractor can treat.

1. Planter Fasciitis

Plantar Fasciitis is a common condition that many experience. Plantar Fasciitis is inflammation of a fibrous tissue along the bottom of your foot. This can cause heel and arch pain.⁣⁣ The inflammation causes the connected tissue in the arch of the foot to become irritated. Someone with plantar fasciitis may feel a sharp pain at the front of the heel where the heel meets the arch.

Chiropractic treatment for planter fasciitis can include manual adjustments to the affected area to help stretch and alleviate pressure on the bottom of the foot. Joint manipulations can also be used on the legs, ankles and feet to help relieve pressure and ensure proper alignment is in place.

Most importantly, a chiropractor can use rehabilitative exercises to help relieve pain, stretch and strengthen the foot. Some of our favorite exercises to relief foot pain include:

• Lacrosse Ball Massage

• Short Foot Exercise

• Plantar Fascia Wall Stretch

We recommend using a ball such as this one to help perform these stretches at home. You can also freeze a water bottle or a golf ball for the foot massage! ⠀

2. Shin Splints

Shin splints are when someone has sharp pain in the front of their shins. They are caused by inflammation of the muscles on the front side of the lower leg, called the anterior tibial muscle.

Shin splints can cause extreme pain while walking, running or participating in various sports or activity.

Chiropractic treatment options for shin splints include compression therapy, IATSM, taping, massage gun therapy, dry needling and foam rolling.

In addition, a chiropractor can recommend rehabilitative exercises along with running form corrections to help prevent shin splints in the future.

3. Frozen Shoulder 

Frozen shoulder is a condition when you have stiffness or pain in your shoulder joint. This is most likely caused by lack of movement in the shoulder for extended periods of time (such as post-surgery, post injury, etc).

In order to help relieve pain, you need to mobilize the shoulder joints.

Non-invasive chiropractic treatments such as joint mobilizations, manual therapy, soft tissue work, cupping and dry needling can all be used to help restore blood and oxygen to the should joints and muscles.

In addition, rehabilitative exercises are extremely important in helping regain range of motion and decrease pain.

The amount of time it will take to re-mobilize the shoulder depends on if you are recovering from an injury or surgery. Practicing daily rehab exercises for this condition can give you results within weeks to months depending on the severity.

The longer your shoulder is immobilized, the higher chance it will “freeze” up and the harder it will become to “thaw” it out. Frozen shoulder can be prevented, or at least minimize it. The key to preventing frozen shoulder is range of motion. Never exercise beyond the point of pain but try to keep the joints and muscles mobile as much as possible. This can be very beneficial in the long run.

As mentioned, the chiropractor can treat almost any area of the body. They can use a variety of different treatment options that are safe and effective. Chiropractic treatments work with your body to promote its natural ability to heal itself. In addition, by adding rehabilitative exercises you can build strength to prevent further injury from happening in the future and fix any movement imbalances you might have.

Ditch the expensive medications and surgeries! If you have a pain or injury and you’re not sure how to treat it, call a chiropractor first to see what natural, holistic, effective options are available for you.

Get Treated at Kaizo Health  

Our goal at Kaizo Health is to always get you back to feeling 100%. Our doctors provide treatment to help you be pain-free. We also have a dedicated team that will work with you and your insurance. We want to make sure you get the most from your benefits. You should experience relief for as little cost to you as possible. If you are ready to experience relief from the pain, make an appointment to see us now.       

Kaizo Health offers locations in Rockville, MD; Landover, MD; Fort Washington, MD; and Fairfax, VA. Our doctors an evidence-based approach by combining chiropractic care and individualized rehabilitative exercises. We provide the treatment and resources you need to recover your health. We are here to help! If you’d like more information, check out our blog. You can also take our free virtual self-assessment on app here.