How Can Chiropractic Help Piriformis Syndrome?

Located deep in the buttock, below the gluteus maximus, the piriformis muscle extends from the sacrum to the outer hip bone and is responsible for stabilizing the hip joint and lifting and rotating the thighs away from the body. Often confused with sciatica because it produces a similar pain in the lower back and into the legs, piriformis syndrome is caused when the piriformis muscle becomes shortened or tightened or when the muscle spasms and becomes inflamed. When inflamed, the muscle can put pressure on the sciatic nerve that runs beneath it. If you are experiencing pain, tingling or numbness in your lower back, buttocks and legs, Dr. Christopher Brill can relive your pain and restore you to health in Newport News, VA.

A common factor that leads to the development of piriformis syndrome is the performance of activities with excessive weight bearing, changing direction and running. This means that many athletes, namely runners and weight lifters, suffer from this condition. Externally rotating the hip for extended periods of time is another factor. This is most often seen in ballet dancers and those who walk with their feet turned outward. Misalignment of the pelvis bones can also be involved.

At Therapeutic Solutions, LLC, we can use trigger point therapy, adjustment, stretching and strengthening exercises combined with inferential electo-therapy and electrical muscle stimulation to treat piriformis syndrome. These therapies reduce spasms and tightness and help the muscle heal. If your syndrome is caused by the way you walk, foot orthotics may be necessary.

For more information visit our website at www.therapeutic-solutions-llc.com or feel free to contact Dr. Brill & staff at 757-873-4131.

Ear Infections and Chiropractic

Ear infections are a common affliction, especially in children, and can be either bacterial or viral, often resulting from another illness, such as a cold. Infection can cause ear pain, fever and irritability, and if ear infections become a chronic issue, they can even cause hearing damage and associated speech and developmental problems in children. While ear infections tend to be treated with antibiotics in most cases, if the infections occur regularly, chiropractic can be a more effective and less harmful way to treat the condition, and Dr. Christopher Brill has the skills and experience to effectively help you.

Before you take another round of antibiotics or opt for surgery, schedule an appointment with our practice in Newport News, VA to relieve your pain. Studies have shown that regular chiropractic treatment can decrease the frequency of ear infections by mobilizing drainage of the ear and strengthening the immune system to recover quickly and prevent future infection. A study showed that 80 percent of participants did not contract another ear infection for the six months of the study.

For more information visit our website at www.therapeutic-solutions-llc.com or feel free to contact Dr. Brill & staff at 757-873-4131.

Can Chiropractic Treat Colic?

Defined as a condition where well-fed infants cry inconsolably for more than three hours a day, for more than three days a week, for more than three weeks, colic is a condition with no known common cause. Typically affecting 10 to 20 percent of babies between three weeks and three months old, it could be caused by an intestinal gas or an obstruction in the intestines, reflux, hypersensitivity, an intense temperament or an immature nervous system. If your baby has colic, he or she will often have a piercing cry, flexed legs, tensed muscles and clenched fingers.

While there is not one single cause of colic, research has shown that chiropractic can benefit colicky babies no matter the cause of his or her condition. Chiropractic can have a greater impact than medication, dietary changes and infant positioning. Several studies have established spinal adjustments as an effective method for relieving colic after only a few sessions, and Dr. Christopher Brill is able to help you and your baby find relief in Newport News, VA.

At our office, the chiropractor provides conservative, gentle and successful adjustments that are not only safe but incredibly beneficial for infants with colic. By making sure the spine is properly aligned, the chiropractor is ensuring that the nervous system and immune system can function at peak levels, which helps in colic relief.

For more information visit our website at www.therapeutic-solutions-llc.com or feel free to contact Dr. Brill & staff at 757-873-4131.

Frozen Shoulder

Shoulders are ball-and-sockets joints consisting of three bones—the humerus (upper arm), scapula (shoulder blade) and clavicle (collar bone). The head of the humerus fits into a shallow socket in the shoulder blade and is surrounded and supported by strong connective tissues that make up the shoulder capsule. Frozen shoulder occurs when the shoulder capsule thickens and becomes tight, causing pain and stiffness. This condition develops in three stages:

•  Freezing. Lasting between six weeks to nine months, this first stage involves a gradual increase in pain and stiffness. As the pain increases over time, your shoulder will become difficult to move.
• Frozen. Pain may actually decrease during this stage, but the stiffness will remain for four to six months.
• Thawing. Shoulder motion will slowly improve along with return to normal strength and motion. A full thaw can take anywhere from six months to two years.

Receiving early treatment for frozen shoulder is the best way to prevent stiffness and to stop your condition from becoming more serious, and at Therapeutic Solutions LLC, we use conservative chiropractic treatments to reduce symptoms and restore function to the shoulder joint. By adjusting the spine and then the shoulder, we can alleviate your pain and increase your range of motion. Repeated treatment combined with at-home exercises has proven to be very effective. 

For more information visit our website at www.therapeutic-solutions-llc.com or feel free to contact Dr. Christopher Brill & staff at 757-873-4131.

Spinal Stenosis

If you’re experiencing lower-back pain, loss of feeling in your legs or a limp, you may have spinal stenosis, a degenerative condition that affects the spine. Symptoms are caused by a narrowing of the spinal canal, which can occur for multiple reasons, including thickened ligaments, a spreading infection, abscess, a congenital anomaly, degenerative changes or vertebral dislocations. While the painful and debilitating condition is chronic and without a cure, at Therapeutic Solutions LLC we can help you manage your pain, reduce symptoms and improve your quality of life.

Discomfort caused by stenosis builds gradually, separating the condition from others, such as herniated discs, which can have similar symptoms that appear much more rapidly. The treatment for stenosis usually depends on its cause. While medical doctors recommend pain medications and even surgery to provide pain relief, medication can have strong side effects and surgery only temporarily removes pain.

Conservative chiropractic care, on the other hand, is non-invasive and can lessen pain and discomfort, while maintaining joint mobility and allowing the patient to live a reasonable lifestyle for longer. By using spinal manipulation and other holistic methods, chiropractic can reduce pain and increase mobility, while at home exercises are effective for stretching and strengthening the lower back.

For more information visit our website at www.therapeutic-solutions-llc.com or feel free to contact Dr. Christopher Brill and staff at 757-873-4131.