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Fibromyalgia: Symptoms, Causes, Pain Management


Do You Have Fibromyalgia? Learn About Your Pain Management Options Do you have chronic muscle pain, especially abdominal and back pain? What about overwhelming fatigue? Numbness or tingling in your extremities? Stiffness? Insomnia? Headaches? Anxiety? Do these symptoms constantly shift Read more

7 Negative Effects of Poor Posture


Poor posture is more than just a pain in the neck. Poor posture can affect the body in a number of odd and unexpected ways. Other than the well-known cases of backaches and the serious unnatural spinal curvature, here Read more

What Different Kinds of Back Pain Are There?


Back pain seems like it should be a fairly simple concept—your back hurts, you want it to not hurt, you go to a professional where they fix you up and send you on your way. Except, like with most Read more

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Do I Have Sciatica?

September 20, 2016 Dr. Leo Potetti Infographic , , , , ,

Between the ages of 30 and 50 years old we spend most of our time working. It’s no coincidence that these are the years we are most likely to develop back pain and conditions like sciatica. Whether we are on our feet 12 hours a day or we spend that time sitting in a chair, we are likely to fight the battle of back pain and or nerve damage.

As sciatica is generally self-diagnosable, “Back in Shape Chiropractic” would like to save you the initial trip to the physician by telling you everything you need to know along with the symptoms and causes.

Symptoms

Sciatica pain can affect the lower back, hip and extends through one leg and sometimes down to the toes. Sciatica generally does not affect both sides of the body at the same time.

Common Types of Sciatica Pain

The type of pain or discomfort you feel may vary from mild to severe, radiating, jolting or sharp.

Sometimes you may feel a tingling or numbness throughout one of your legs. Other times you may feel a quick, sharp or burning sensation with an intense discomfort.

Some sciatica patients describe it as an “electric pulse” or “searing pain” from the lower back down through the thigh of one leg.

Other Signs you may have Sciatica

  1. Lower back pain
  2. Weakness or numbness in one leg, knee or foot
  3. Hip pain
  4. Shooting pain down one leg
  5. Pain on one side of buttocks when sitting
  6. In severe cases, loss of bladder control

Causes

Sciatica may be the result of the degeneration of an intervertebral disc which are the cushion between vertebrae. However it is most commonly caused by compression of spinal nerves in the roots of the lower lumbar spine. In other words, a pinched nerve. This may be caused by either a herniated or slipped disc or as a result of an injury.

Things that may worsen sciatica

  1. Being overweight
  2. Lack of exercise
  3. Using a mattress that is not stiff enough
  4. Wearing high heels

Treatment

While you may have heard that sciatica requires surgery, it doesn’t. Chiropractors are trained to help your body heal itself without any medication or surgery, even for sciatica. With a non-invasive and drug-free treatment you can get your back in shape in no time. Depending on the severity of your sciatica, you may require one of the following treatments:

Types of Chiropractic Treatments

  1. Ice/Cold Therapy
  2. Ultrasound
  3. TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation)
  4. Spinal Adjustment
Do I Have Sciatica by Back in Shape Chiropractic

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First Chiropractor Visit

April 4, 2016 Dr. Leo Potetti Chiropractic Care , , ,

If you have never seen a chiropractor before, it can be scary to not know what to expect. There are many problems people turn to chiropractic care for:

  • Back Pain
  • Neck Pain
  • Stress
  • Headaches/Migraines
  • Injuries
  • General Pain, tingling, numbness
  • Chronic stiffness/soreness
  • Reducing the use of painkillers
  • Improving flexibility and overall physical performance
  • Issues from pregnancy
  • Relief from Menstrual problems
  • Overall improvement of mental and physical health

Back Pain First Chiropractor Visit by Back in Shape Chiropractic

Here’s a general idea of what someone can expect from a first time visit.

As an example, let’s say a man – John Bakpayne – has been experiencing stiffness, soreness and a varying degree of pain in his lower back for nearly a year. John is convinced by his friends and family to see a chiropractor.

The best way to find  good chiropractic care is to talk to people who have used one they would recommend. If John doesn’t know anyone that has been to a chiropractor he can go online to search for one. Once John picks a chiropractor he should contact him or her to schedule a consultation.

The chiropractor will want to meet and evaluate John to get as much information about his condition before deciding on a style of treatment. John meets his chiropractor and is asked questions about his family history, past injuries, daily routines, and other facts that will help better assess John’s problem.

John’s chiropractor believes the source of his back pain is due to his sedentary lifestyle, poor posture, stress, and a past injury John suffered after moving heavy boxes and furniture into his new house. Fortunately, a consumer report shows that the number one most successful cure for back pain is through chiropractic visits.

The chiropractor and John develop a schedule for routine appointments. During the scheduled visits, John will be administered hands-on manual adjustments to his spine that will help relieve pain, restore range of motion, reduce nerve irritability, and improve overall functionality and may also incorporate different types of physiotherapy modalities to further improve his healing and overall health.

Over the course of a couple months John has seen the chiropractor multiple times and was treated with chiropractic adjustments. John has seen a drastic improvement to his back pain and has learned daily stretching techniques along with tips on maintaining good posture and other positive day to day lifestyle adjustments.

If you are experiencing any type of pain, swelling, soreness, stiffness or discomfort, you should not hesitate to schedule a consultation with a Chiropractor. Delaying the issue can increase the amount of visits and treatments you may need.

If you’re in the area and area looking for a chiropractor, look no further than one of the highest recommended chiropractors in the area – Dr. Leo Potetti of Back in Shape Chiropractic. Give us a call at (847) 249-2225 or stop by the office if you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment.

Back in Shape Chiropractic
4673 Old Grand Ave
Gurnee, IL 60031
backinshapechiro.com