JOINTS & EXTREMITIES

Your knees bear significant weight and stress with every step you take. Common causes include osteoarthritis causing cartilage breakdown and bone-on-bone friction, meniscus tears from twisting or degeneration, ligament injuries (ACL, MCL, PCL) from sports or accidents, patellar tendonitis from overuse or jumping activities, IT band syndrome causing pain on the outside of the knee, bursitis from inflammation of fluid-filled sacs around the joint, misalignment in hips or pelvis causing compensatory knee stress, and weakness in hip and core muscles failing to stabilize the knee properly.

Many knee problems stem from issues elsewhere in the kinetic chain. Misalignment in your hips can cause your knee to track improperly. Weak hip muscles force your knee to absorb excess stress. We assess your entire lower extremity alignment to identify the root cause—not just treat the symptom.

After determining what's causing your knee pain and any contributing factors from other areas, we create a comprehensive plan that may include chiropractic adjustments to the knee joint, hip, and pelvis to restore proper alignment, physical therapy focusing on strengthening hip and thigh muscles that support the knee, laser therapy to reduce inflammation and promote cartilage healing, bracing or taping for joint support during healing, gait analysis and correction to address walking patterns that stress the knee, and functional exercises to restore normal movement patterns.

Acute knee injuries typically respond within 4-6 weeks. Chronic knee pain from arthritis or long-standing issues may require 8-12 weeks of care. Many patients notice reduced pain and improved stability within the first few weeks of treatment.

The hip is a ball-and-socket joint that supports your body weight and allows for extensive movement. Common causes include osteoarthritis causing cartilage degeneration and bone spurs, bursitis (inflammation of hip bursa) from overuse or injury, hip flexor strains from sports or sudden movements, labral tears in the cartilage ring around the hip socket, IT band syndrome causing pain on the outside of the hip, sacroiliac joint dysfunction causing pain in the back of the hip, referred pain from lumbar spine problems, and muscle imbalances creating abnormal stress on the joint.

Many people think they have hip pain when the problem is actually in their lower back or sacroiliac joint. True hip joint pain is typically felt in the groin, while pain in the buttock or side of the hip often comes from the back, pelvis, or surrounding muscles. Accurate diagnosis is essential for effective treatment.

After identifying the exact source of your hip pain, we create a targeted treatment plan that may include chiropractic adjustments to the hip joint, pelvis, and lumbar spine, soft tissue therapy addressing tight hip flexors, piriformis, and gluteal muscles, strengthening exercises for hip stabilizers and core muscles, laser therapy to reduce joint inflammation and promote healing, gait training to correct walking patterns that stress the hip, and stretching protocols to restore normal hip flexibility.

Hip pain often responds well to conservative care, though treatment may take longer than other conditions due to the hip's weight-bearing role. Most patients notice improvement within 4-6 weeks, with continued gains over 8-12 weeks. Some chronic hip conditions benefit from ongoing maintenance care.

The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway in your wrist where the median nerve and tendons pass through to your hand. It can become compressed due to repetitive hand motions like typing, clicking a mouse, or assembly work, wrist positioning during sleep, inflammation from pregnancy or medical conditions, wrist injuries causing swelling in the tunnel, arthritis or bone spurs in the wrist, fluid retention, and sometimes cervical spine problems causing "double crush" nerve compression.

Sometimes carpal tunnel symptoms are made worse by nerve compression in the neck (cervical spine). When a nerve is compressed in two places—the neck and the wrist—symptoms become more severe. That's why we always examine your neck and spine when treating carpal tunnel syndrome.

We create a comprehensive plan to relieve pressure on the median nerve, which may include wrist and hand adjustments to improve carpal tunnel alignment, cervical spine adjustments if neck nerve compression is contributing, bracing to maintain neutral wrist position especially at night, laser therapy to reduce inflammation within the carpal tunnel, soft tissue therapy for forearm muscles and tendons, ergonomic modifications for workstation and repetitive tasks, and strengthening exercises to support the wrist and improve grip strength.

Many patients with carpal tunnel syndrome can avoid surgery with conservative treatment, especially when caught early. Our approach addresses both the wrist compression and any contributing factors from the neck or poor posture.

Mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome often responds within 6-8 weeks. You should notice reduced nighttime symptoms first, followed by improved daytime function. Severe or long-standing cases may require 12+ weeks and occasionally do need surgical referral if conservative care isn't effective.

The most common type we treat is osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease), caused by age-related "wear and tear" on joint cartilage, previous injuries accelerating joint degeneration, genetics and family history, being overweight increasing stress on weight-bearing joints, repetitive stress from occupation or sports, and poor alignment creating uneven joint wear. We also treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions, though these require medical management in addition to our care.

While we can't cure arthritis, we can help you manage symptoms and maintain function. Your personalized plan may include gentle chiropractic adjustments to improve joint mobility without aggravating inflammation, laser therapy to reduce pain and stimulate cartilage repair, physical therapy focusing on low-impact strengthening exercises, nutritional counseling on anti-inflammatory diet and supplements, joint mobilization techniques to maintain range of motion, heat and cold therapy for pain and swelling management, and activity modifications to protect joints while staying active.

Arthritis is a chronic, progressive condition, but proper management can slow its progression and significantly improve your quality of life. Most patients notice reduced pain and improved mobility within 4-6 weeks of starting treatment. Many benefit from ongoing maintenance care to keep symptoms under control.

Even if you have arthritis in one area, we can help prevent or slow its development in other joints through proper alignment, strengthening, and lifestyle modifications. Regular maintenance care keeps you moving and reduces your reliance on pain medications.