Shoemaker Chiropractic

Torticollis is a condition where a joint or disk is injured and you can't move your neck. Sometimes the head is bent or turned a little to one side, and sometimes it's straight but can barely move in any direction. This type of problem is usually caused by a disk injury. Whiplash can cause this [..]

Getting your health back after a spinal injury can be problematic if you do not approach it holistically. What is meant by the term holistic? In general, it is caring for the person as a whole vs. individual parts, and using techniques that assist different bodily systems. When dealing with a mechanical spinal problem, the [..]

Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve, which starts at the neck and runs from the forearm into the hand, becomes compressed or squeezed at the wrist. In some cases, there may also be compression at other anatomical locations along the course of the nerve, like the neck.The median nerve controls sensations to the [..]

Syndrome X is called the lifestyle disease or metabolic syndrome. Patients with this disorder are overweight, have high "bad" cholesterol (i.e. LDLs) levels, and high blood pressure. They may also have insulin resistance or even be diabetic. This syndrome leads to heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and even certain types of cancer. Most of [..]

It's remarkable to consider how many different types of pain relievers there are for headaches—not just  at the corner drug stores but also supermarkets, convenience stores, and gas stations. Drugs like aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen are consumed daily in America by the truckloads.Have you ever thought about how we approach a health problem or symptom? [..]

Whiplash involves the over-stretching of nerves, muscles, and ligaments. The forces are so great during even low speed collisions that the muscles cannot resist the forces. The injury of whiplash produces inflammation to repair the damaged tissues. During this time, fast movements of your head and neck will result in pain, so most patients become [..]

Losing weight is important to your health for a variety of reasons. Your heart health is especially affected by excess weight. Diabetes, stroke, and back pain are also more common in persons with excess weight. However, most of us do not have enough lean body mass and need to do something about changing our nutrition [..]

Fibromyagia is a debilitating disease that affects millions of Americans, with most sufferers being female. Research has explored a lot of different possibilities, but fibromyalgia remains a poorly understood disorder with no known single cause.Fibromyalgia can be more thought of as a global disease with likely many different factors coming together to create the painful [..]

Most head pains are caused by problems outside the head: too little sleep, too much alcohol, or too much stress. Rarely is there a trauma in the head or a stroke causing the pain. More commonly, neck injuries from whiplash or sporting accidents can cause headaches. This is because the spinal joints have been sprained [..]

For most of us, when we hurt the low back while lifting, the pain starts at the lower spine. It’s usually not a difficult connection to make—that if it’s the low back that is strained, it is the low back that is injured. But in some cases, back pain seems to creep up or come [..]

Life is stressful enough during the day that it seems truly heartbreaking that many us cannot get the restorative sleep we need each night. Insomnia is an epidemic in the United States and many people wake up with actual pain and stiffness each morning. What a way to start the day!Sleep posture is critical to [..]

Most patients with carpal tunnel syndrome will put up with their symptoms for days and weeks until they're troubling enough to bring to a doctor's attention. Their doctor should rule out certain causes for the hand pain (such as diabetes) and focus the examination on the wrist and other anatomic sites where nerve compression may [..]