Meralgia paresthetica is a sensations of numbness and tingling after pressure from either a belt around the waist or long periods of sitting. At times this can cause nerve irritation and in turn cause these sensations to be long lasting needing treatment to help alleviate the symptoms. Meralgia paresthetica can also be easily misdiagnosed as it is something that can be closely related to more severe cases of sciatic nerve pain / disc bulges.
Reasons for diagnosis:
Complaint of numbness and tingling in the lateral thigh
Restricted hip and thigh range of motion after wearing a tight belt / trousers or having heavy pockets
Aggravated “like” pain when lateral thigh is compressed
Affected ADL’s and/or decrease concentration due to pain
Factors that could be contributing to the problem:
Trauma
Overuse of gluteal muscles or erector spinae
Obesity
Tight or heavy belt pockets
Long periods of sitting
Therapies For Meralgia Parasthetica
Advice on daily living activities/diet – This enables advice on how to change to make healthy actions into habits and may offer a valuable alternative with potential for long-term impact.
Spinal manipulation/activator/drop piece techniques – adjustive techniques have been shown to decrease pain and increase range of motion.
Trigger point therapy/handheld massager – have shown to decrease pain/tenderness, enhance both range of motion and quality of life and influence flexibility.
Prescribed stretching – Stretching has shown to reduce pain, improve functionality and overall wellbeing in patients in both long- and short-term outcomes.
Prescribed exercises – produce more beneficial outcomes in terms of increased strength, improved function and reduced pain scores.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a pain in the wrist and hand that aggravates both grappling and holding positions involving the affected hand.
Localized pain at the wrist with numbness and/or tingling
Aggravated by movements involving the wrist in flexion
Due to trauma or overuse on the affected side causing possible weakness and clumsiness when gripping objects
Affected ADL’s and/or decrease concentration due to pain
What will be done during these visits –
Physical examination upon consult including an assessment of finger and thumb range of motion
Pain scales/questionnaires to be done on the 1st visit and reviewed after the end of the 4 treatments
Advice on daily living activities/diet/general exercise/Ice protocol (if inflammation present)
Trigger point therapy and/or Handheld Massage Device to hypertonic muscles
PIR stretching to hand and forearm musculature (depending on pain tolerance)
Activator and/or spinal manipulation techniques to other areas that may be problematic (depending on many varying factors)
Reasoning behind therapies/assessments –
Physical examinations/assessments – These are all done as a precaution so that misdiagnosis does not occur. This also allows for better treatment outcomes which can be lifesaving.
Pain scales/questionnaires – these screening tools are used to support the diagnosis of neuropathic/mechanical pain and are crucial for both effective management and to reduce the risks of chronicity.
Advice on daily living activities/diet – This enables advice on how to change to make healthy actions into habits and may offer a valuable alternative with potential for long-term impact.
Trigger point therapy/handheld massager – have shown to decrease pain/tenderness, enhance both range of motion and quality of life and influence flexibility.
PNF/PIR/prescribed stretching – Stretching has been shown to reduce pain and improving functionality and overall wellbeing in patients in both long- and short-term outcomes.
Prescribed exercises – produce more beneficial outcomes in terms of increased strength, improved function and reduced pain scores.
Thoracic outlet syndrome is an issue which causes not only pain but shooting like symptoms down the arms. It can be mistaken for a cervical nerve impingement and can be intermittent depending on the severity.
Our chiropractors are trained professionals when it comes to musculoskeletal complaints. The goals of treatment intertwine with treatment modalities and exercise rehabilitation. Due to the fact thoracic outlet syndrome is directly correlated with the thoracic spine (upper back), it is obvious that adjustments and soft tissue therapies will be focused in that area.
If you are someone that is currently suffering from thoracic outlet syndrome and are feeling the tingles down the arms, be sure to get one of our chiropractors to examine and assess your condition.
Back pain is known as the most common cause of bodily pain in Australia. It affects up to 90% of the population at least once throughout their life. There are many different forms of back pain ranging from acute to chronic with various symptoms associated with it. They may include radiating pain down the legs or pins and needles in lower body regions.
Our Chiropractor will assess the areas that are restricted within the spine in both the upper and lower sections to ensure they correct the dysfunctions identified. This will help improve function in the area by reducing tension and alleviating the pain causing the issue. Surrounding areas will also be assessed to ensure that they are not pulling or twisting the area in an unnatural position causing what we think to be the “main” cause of back pain.
Low Back Stretches and Exercises
Low Back exercises and Low Back Stretches may be implemented to help assist with building strength and maintaining flexibility throughout the area of concern. The exercises will be tailored towards what areas of the body need exercise and stretches although general exercises will be given aswell to ensure that the patient has a variety to choose from to suit their needs.
If needed our chiropractors may refer you to our remedial massage therapists or even implement other modalities such as Dry Needling or Cupping to help decrease muscle tightness, especially for people suffering with low back pain.
Our Chiropractors at The Melbourne Chiropractor understand that different modalities should be used to help alleviate pain and discomfort. there is not one recipe that works for every patient hence why our clinic has various practitioners performing different types of chiropractic care. Posture for low back pain can be a big problem and this is why our chiropractors will check for instability within the hips, changes to toe in and toe out of the foot and changes to upper back and lower back curvature. It is common to find underlying postural related issues that can have an impact long term on recovering from back pain hence why our team take a holistic approach to chiropractic care to ensure everything gets done the right way from the beginning.
Our Broadmeadows Chiropractor especially has worked with patients of surgeons who have had spinal fusions or surgeries related to previous low back pain. What we find is patients who have had surgery before have a limitation in low back movement hence why we try to alleviate the tension associated with the area that has been fused. At times we also may refer patients out to surgeons to get a second set of eyes to look at the situation although most of the time we will refer to a doctor to get the right information to proceed. Most times our team of chiropractors will refer for an X-ray and create a report before sending a patient of to a GP for further testing.
