Headaches
- Occipital Neuralgia: Pain in the back of the head that is often burning or sharp caused by problems with the Greater Occipital Nerve- may be associated with neck pain or other headache symptoms.
- Tension Headaches: Headache is accompanied by tightness in the muscles of the neck or scalp.
- Chronic Daily Headaches: Headache present daily.
Facial Pain
- Trigeminal Neuralgia/Tic del a roux: Pain usually present along the cheek but may be above the eye or along the jaw. Often has a stabbing component and/or a constant pain that has sudden attacks of more severe or different pain.
- Persistent Idiopathic Facial Pain: Facial pain that may be constant or may vary in intensity.
- Post Herpetic Neuralgia/Shingles: Pain due to an outbreak of shingles- caused by a virus and associated with a rash. The pain often continues long after the rash has healed.
- TMJ: Pain in the joint between the jawbone and the skull. Often associated with ‘popping’ of the jaw. Makes it hard to open the mouth. Associated with painful eating, headaches and tooth grinding.
- Chronic arthritis: Leads to pain and stiffness and loss of ability to move the neck fully- caused by inflammation and changes in the joints of the neck.
- Degenerative Disc Disease: Changes in the disc of the neck can lead to pain, herniated or bulging disc with symptoms that radiate into the shoulders or arms.
- Trigger Points/Muscle Pain: Caused by inflammation and chronic muscle spasm in small sections of the muscle which leads to tightness and pain in the muscle overall-often associated with arthritis and degenerative disc disease- Trigger Points can cause referred pain that mimics a pinched nerve or herniated disc.
Neck and Arm Symptoms
- Degenerative Disc Disease: Changes in the disc of the neck can lead to pain, herniated or bulging disc with symptoms that radiate into the shoulders or arms.
- Radicular symptoms & Nerve entrapment/pinched nerves: Symptoms of burning aching numbness or weakness into the shoulders, arms, forearms or hands that are caused by irritation or damage to the nerves where they exit the spinal column.
- Persistent Pain after surgery: Continuation of pain or return of pain after surgery has been done. Inflammation or adhesions around the nerves can cause symptoms to remain even after a technically successful surgery.
Thoracic/Upper and Middle Back Pain
- Muscle spasm/trigger points: Caused by inflammation and chronic muscle spasm in small sections of the muscle which leads to tightness and pain in the muscle overall-often associated with arthritis and degenerative disc disease- Trigger Points can cause referred pain that mimics a pinched nerve or herniated disc.
- Intercostal neuralgia/pain between the ribs: Pain along the chest wall can be due to herniated disc, arthritis, previous surgery/scar formation or shingles/PHN.
- Costochondritis/chest joint pain: Pain at the junction between the ribs and the cartilage or breastbone- can be due to injury or inflammation.
- Degenerative Disc Disease Thoracic: Changes in the disc of the thoracic spine can lead to pain, herniated or bulging disc with symptoms that radiate into the chest wall, abdomen or shoulders and arms.
- Arthritis- Thoracic: Leads to pain and stiffness and loss of ability to move fully- caused by inflammation and changes in the joints of the spine- may lead to neck and low back pain or symptoms in the shoulders or chest wall/back.
- Compression Fractures of the Thoracic Spine: A collapse of the vertebra due to osteoporosis or malignancy- often causes a ‘belt’ of pain at the level of fracture.
- Shingles/Post Herpetic Neuralgia: Burning pain that can be very severe. Usually associated with a rash that may be severe as well. Due to infection of the nerve by a virus. This infection can cause permanent damage to the nerve or even the spinal cord.
Shoulder Pain
- Arthritis: Leads to pain and stiffness and loss of ability to move fully- caused by inflammation and changes in the joints of the shoulder. May be associated with neck pain or upper back and arm pain.
- Bursitis: Due to inflammation of a bursa- a tissue that helps cushion movement around a joint/tendon/ligament- Causes pain that can be severe and is usually worse with movement.
- Muscle pain: May be due to trigger points or arthritis or the muscle itself- Often the pain is aching and persistent. May be relieved by certain positions and stretching.
- Tendonitis: Due to inflammation of a tendon-the tissue that connects muscles to bone- Causes pain that can be severe and is usually worse with movement.
Elbow/Forearm/Wrist and Hand Pain
- Tennis Elbow/Lateral Epicondylitis: Pain in the lateral elbow- due to inflammation, joint changes and overuse at the elbow joint.
- Trigger Points/Muscle Spasm/Nerve Entrapment: Caused by inflammation and chronic muscle spasm in small sections of the muscle which leads to tightness and pain in the muscle overall-often associated with arthritis and degenerative disc disease- Trigger Points can cause referred pain that mimics a pinched nerve or herniated disc. Muscle spasm in the arm can cause symptoms of nerve entrapment into the hand and wrist.
- Tendonitis: Due to inflammation of a tendon-the tissue that connects muscles to bone- Causes pain that can be severe and is usually worse with movement.
- Joint Pain/Arthritis: Leads to pain and stiffness and loss of ability to move fully- caused by inflammation and changes in the joints of elbow- may lead to symptoms in the wrist, hand or shoulder as well.
Low Back Pain
- Chronic Arthritis: Leads to pain and stiffness and loss of ability to move fully- caused by inflammation and changes in the joints of the spine- may lead to neck and low back pain or symptoms in the middle back, legs and or buttocks/hips.
- Degenerative Disc Disease: Changes in the disc of the neck can lead to pain, herniated or bulging disc with symptoms that radiate into buttocks/hips, legs all the way down to the toes.
Low Back/Buttocks and Leg Symptoms
- Degenerative Disc Disease: Changes in the disc of the lower back can lead to pain, herniated or bulging disc with symptoms that radiate into buttocks/hips, legs all the way down to the toes.
- Radicular Symptoms: Symptoms of burning aching numbness or weakness into the lower back, buttocks/hips, legs and can go all the way to the feet and toes caused by irritation or damage to the nerves where they exit the spinal column.
- Nerve Entrapment/Pinched Nerves: Symptoms of burning aching numbness or weakness into the lower back, buttocks/hips, legs and can go all the way to the feet and toes caused by irritation or damage to the nerves where they exit the spinal column.
- Persistent Pain after Surgery: Continuation of pain or return of pain after surgery has been done. Inflammation or adhesions around the nerves can cause symptoms to remain even after a technically successful surgery.
- Trigger Points/Muscle Pain: Caused by inflammation and chronic muscle spasm in small sections of the muscle which leads to tightness and pain in the muscle overall-often associated with arthritis and degenerative disc disease- Trigger Points can cause referred pain that mimics a pinched nerve or herniated disc.
- Shingles/Post Herpetic Neuralgia: Burning pain that can be very severe. Usually associated with a rash that may be severe as well. Due to infection of the nerve by a virus. This infection can cause permanent damage to the nerve or even the spinal cord.
- Sciatica: Symptoms of burning aching numbness or weakness that can extend from the lower back, buttocks/hips, legs and can go all the way to the feet and toes caused by irritation or damage to the nerves where they exit the spinal column or by entrapment of the nerve anywhere along its path – especially at the piriformis muscle in the buttocks region.
- Piriformis Syndrome: Symptoms of burning aching numbness or weakness that can extend from the lower back, buttocks/hips, legs and can go all the way to the feet and toes caused by entrapment and pressure on the sciatic nerve by the piriformis muscle in the buttocks region.
Tail Bone Pain-Coccyx Pain
Pain and tenderness at the tailbone/coccyx that is worse with sitting and may be aggravated activity.
Testicular Pain
Pain in the testicle – may occur after an infection or trauma.
Pelvic Pain
Pain in the lower pelvis or genital area.
Hip Pain/Arthritis
- Bursitis: Due to inflammation of a bursa- a tissue that helps cushion movement around a joint/tendon/ligament- Causes pain that can be severe and is usually worse with movement- In the hip bursitis makes it difficult or impossible to lay on the side that hurts.
- Joint Pain/Arthritis: Leads to pain and stiffness and loss of ability to move fully- caused by inflammation and changes in the joints itself or its capsule-that mimic a pinched nerve or herniated disc.
- Tendonitis: Due to inflammation of a tendon-the tissue that connects muscles to bone- Causes pain that can be severe and is usually worse with movement.
Knee Pain/Arthritis
- Bursitis: Due to inflammation of a bursa- a tissue that helps cushion movement around a joint/tendon/ligament- Causes pain that can be severe and is usually worse with movement-this type of pain can still be present even after joint replacement surgery.
- Joint Pain/Arthritis: Leads to pain and stiffness and loss of ability to move fully- caused by inflammation and changes in the joints itself or its capsule.
- Tendonitis: Due to inflammation of a tendon-the tissue that connects muscles to bone- Causes pain that can be severe and is usually worse with movement.
Calf Pain
- Trigger Points/Muscle Spasm
- Achilles Tendon Pain: Due to inflammation of a tendon-the tissue that connects muscles to bone- Causes pain that can be severe and is usually worse with movement. In the Achilles region may be associated with foot pain/heal pain or calf pain.
Chronic Abdominal Pain
Pain in the abdomen may be due to chronic disease such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, pancreatic cancer, ulcers or any number of illness. It may be idiopathic or of unknown cause.
Chronic Pancreatitis
Pain in the abdomen may be due to chronic disease of the pancreas.