Keep extreme pain out of your lower extremities

Connect Chiropractic does more than just take care of your spine.

"We actually assess every joint in the body," said Dr. Jane Peterson. Complaints about knees, elbows, and shoulders, among other joints, are frequently brought to the attention of Peterson and Dr. Trevor Clark.

Particularly when it comes to lower extremities, keeping an eye on the spine and pelvis are key considerations for treating injuries throughout the rest of the body.

Joints in the knee or ankle, for example, can be directly affected by unequal weight distribution on the pelvis.

This assessment begins with looking for a history of trauma in the ankle, hip, or knee, as well as examining for that extra impact on the pelvis of up to 20 or 25 lbs.

Examining the knee or ankle for trauma is particularly important, says Clark. "If your ankle is bad, that's going to cause more wear-and-tear on your hip."

Wonderful ice in Manitoba can certainly make ankle difficulties more apparent, the chiropractor also notes. "Even if they just mildly sprain it, the ankle is never the same."

Clark himself experienced this situation after a severe sprain during his university years.

"I never regained full range of motion until I started seeing a chiropractor about five years later, and lo and behold, the motion came back."

Hip problems, while often associated with older patients, is not limited to those higher on the age spectrum. That's because, as Peterson points out, even elderly people display only one side of their hip experiencing degenerative changes. If age was the only factor affecting their hips, both hips would be out of alignment.

When it comes to treatment, Connect Chiropractic has a direct course of action ready to assist patients in regaining the best use of their lower extremities.

"We're going to adjust that joint that's fixated and get it moving through its full range of motion again," explained Clark, noting that the process for this is often painless and extremely gentle.

Then an activator instrument is used to help apply force through the joint in a gentle but specific way.

As well, the Graston Technique, something that Peterson is particularly familiar with, can be an effective means of treatment.

"Definitely looking at the soft tissue around those joints as well is something that we do," said Peterson.

"Especially if it's more of a chronic fixation, then there's most likely a lot of scar tissue or muscle adhesions around that joint. We'll want to get rid of those to then have the joint be able to move properly."