Back pain is the most common physical complaint among American adults and is a leading cause of lost job time.  Total costs of back pain are larger than for any other disease for which economic analysis is available (Maniadakis & Gray 2000).  Studies have shown that 50-80% of the adult population will experience back pain at some point in their life.  

Research has shown that chiropractic care is a safe, clinically effective conservative care approach to acute and chronic back pain.   

Symptoms of back pain may include: 

• Muscle ache
• Shooting or stabbing pain
• Pain that radiates down your leg
• Limited flexibility or range of motion of the back
• Inability to stand up straight

Consult a Doctor if the Following Occur:

• Shooting or electrical pain down the legs
• Numbness, tingling, or the sensation of weakness
• Bowel or bladder problems
• Stiffness or tightness with waking up in the morning
• Increased pain with sitting or rising from a seated position

What are Common Treatments for Lower Back Pain?

Treatment for low back pain depends on the tissue damaged and lack of motion or excessive motion elsewhere in the body. Often, the low back is painful due to other areas of the body not moving efficiently such as the feet, hips, and thoracic spine (middle back). Mobilization of restricted areas of the low back and structures listed above often help reduce or eliminate pain and the dysfunction driving the pain. When overuse syndromes occur, the soft tissue structures supporting the body become irritated and painful. Techniques such as Active Release, Myofascial Release, Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization and Dry Needling are fantastic at restoring the proper tone within the injured tissue. 

New Patients are Always Welcome!

Dr. Stephens is here to help lessen and relieve your lower back pain. Do not hesitate, contact us today at 785-730-8555 for the  most evidence-based assessments and treatments for your musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction. 

The knee is a joint which has three parts. The thigh bone (femur) meets the large shin bone (tibia) forming the main knee joint. This joint has an inner (medial) and an outer (lateral) compartment. The kneecap (also known as the patella) joins the femur to form a third joint, called the patellofemoral joint. When joint dysfunction occurs knee pain is the result.  

The knee joint is composed of a capsule, various ligaments, bursa, menisci and muscles.  Injury to any of these tissues can affect the joint mechanics and cause pain.  The complexity of the design of the knee joint and the fact that it is an active weight-bearing joint are factors in making the knee one of the most commonly injured joints in the body.  

Common Causes of knee pain:

• Arthritis
• IT Band Syndrome
• Patellofemoral pain syndrom (PFPS)
• Mechanical Dysfunction at the hip or foot
• Patellar Tendonitis (Jumpers Knee)
• Torn Meniscus

There are large muscles of the thigh move the knee. In the front of the thigh, the quadriceps muscles extend the knee joint. In the back of the thigh, the hamstring muscles flex the knee.  Many runners and athletes often have knee pain due to the excessive shortening of the 1 and 2 joint hip flexors causing the kneecap to rub onto the underlying bones.   

At Topeka Sports & Family Chiropractic, a patient with knee pain does not just have a knee evaluation, we conduct a thorough movement screen on your initial visit to get an overview of your general mobility.  Specifically, when dealing with knee pain, if you are lacking mobility in your ankle or hip, those excess forces will be transmitted through your knee joint.  So correcting mobility concerns above and below the knee joint often times improves knee pain. 

Knee pain impacts almost every activity a person does. If you are having any type of discomfort, call our clinic at 785-730-8555 or schedule a consultation online to see how we can help.

Shoulder and Arm Pain:

Your shoulder (or Glenohumeral joint) is the most moveable joint in the body.  With all this range of motion occurring in the GH joint it is often the site of dysfunction and pain.  The shoulder is composed of four rotator cuff muscles, which when working in harmony help keep the shoulder centrated in the socket.  Any muscle imbalance in one of these four muscles causes abnormal joint motion and stress/strain to the soft tissues in the area often resulting in pain down the arm/into the hand, and trouble moving your arm overhead.

Abnormal motion of the shoulder/dysfunction causes forces and motion to be compensated for elsewhere in the body.  This is often the cause of neck pain.  

Causes of shoulder pain and/or arm that we treat pain can be:

• Strains from overuse
• Tendonitis from overuse
• Shoulder joint instability
• Carpal tunnel
• Dislocation
• Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
• Frozen shoulder
• Pinched nerves (also called radiculopathy)

At Topeka Sports & Family Chiropractic we conduct a complete assessment of your shoulder and neck utilizing movement based tests as well as orthopedic tests to determine the cause of your pain.  Our services include soft tissue therapies, corrective exercise and manipulations.  The combined therapy of the three have been researched and proven to resolve issues related to musculoskeletal disorders.  Our clinic prides itself in correcting the problem causing the pain and having the patient be an active participant in their treatments.

Topeka Sports & Family Chiropractic is accepting new patients, if you or anyone you know is suffering from shoulder pain and/or arm pain please don’t hesitate to give us a call and schedule an appointment.

The wrist is the joint where the lower arm meets the hand. But what we refer to as one joint is actually comprised of many joints (two arm bones meeting four hand bones and 8 bones specifically in the wrist) so there are many factors that need to be considered when diagnosing a wrist injury. Pain in the wrist is often the result of repetitive stress injuries. Compression of nerves in the neck (cervical spine) can also cause pain that radiates into the wrist and hand. It is imperative to get proper treatment for wrist injuries promptly as the development of scar tissue and injuries left untreated can lead to chronic, painful conditions that are less responsive to treatment

Finger, hand, or wrist problems may be caused by an injury. If you think an injury caused your problem, see the topic Finger, Hand, and Wrist Injuries. But there are many other causes of finger, hand, or wrist problems:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by pressure on a nerve (median nerve) in the wrist. The symptoms include tingling, numbness, weakness, or pain of the fingers and hand.
• Tendon pain is actually a symptom of tendinosis, a series of very small tears (microtears) in the tissue in or around the tendon. In addition to pain and tenderness, common symptoms of tendon injury include decreased strength and movement in the affected area.
• De Quervain’s disease can occur in the hand and wrist when tendons and the tendon covering (sheath) on the thumb side of the wrist swell and become inflamed. 
• Repetitive motion syndrome is a term used to describe symptoms such as pain, swelling, or tenderness that occur from repeating the same motion over and over.
• Trigger finger or trigger thumb occurs when the flexor tendon and its sheath in a finger or thumb thicken or swell.
• Dupuytren’s disease is an abnormal thickening of tissue beneath the skin in the palm of the hand or hands and occasionally the soles of the feet. The thickened skin and tendons (palmar fascia) may eventually limit movement or cause the fingers to bend so that they can’t be straightened. See a picture of Dupuytren’s contracture.

• Ganglion cysts are small sacs (cysts) filled with clear, jellylike fluid that often appear as bumps on the hands and wrists but can also develop on feet, ankles, knees, or shoulders. 

The foot is a very complicated area, that is made up of 28 bones. These bones and joints have to move as demands on the foot change. An intricate system of muscles and ligaments controls the position of the foot and stabilizes the joints of the foot and ankle. Many of these muscles are located on the back of the calf and are attached to long tendons that cross the ankle and foot and affect the foot and toes.

The first examination of your foot/heel pain begins with a full analysis of your gait.  How you foot transmits the forces up your body will provide the doctor with the best treatment plan to not only relieve your foot pain but to correct the problem.

Common Causes of Foot/Heel Pain:

• Achilles Tendonitis
• Plantar Fasciitis
• Bursitis
• Fat Pad Syndrome
• Baxter Neuropathy
• Morton’s Neuroma
• Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
• Mechanical Dysfunction 
• Pes Planus (Flat Feet)
• Pes Cavus (High Arches)

If you experience pain in your heel or the bottom of your foot with walking, prolonged standing, or when first getting out of bed in the morning, you may be suffering from a foot condition commonly diagnosed as Plantar Fasciitis.  This condition often causes months and sometimes years of discomfort, and limits normal activities. It commonly interferes with their work, sports, and recreational activities. Traditional treatment methods for this type of foot pain are often slow to provide relief and often do not address the true source of the problem, leading to incomplete relief and a high rate of recurrence.

At Topeka Sports & Family Chiropractic, Dr. Stephens is Active Release Technique (ART) certified and this treatment has been shown to help suffers of plantar fasciitis faster and more efficiently than traditional passive treatments.  Combining soft tissue therapies with rehabilitation exercises and Chiropractic Manipulations help correct the dysfunction and relieve pain in the foot. 

If you are suffering from pain in your feet. or heel, please don’t hesitate to give us a call