Workers Compensation

 

Have you been injured on the job? Are you experiencing back pain, neck pain, or headaches resulting from your injury? If you are suffering from physical pain related to a job-based incident, chiropractic care is a holistic, non-invasive modality that can be an effective complementary treatment to help you heal from your injuries. In West Virginia, Workers Compensation insurance pays for medical care due to physical injuries, including repetitive stress injuries, and provides medical services and rehabilitative services as well as coverage for chiropractic care. If you live near Nitro, West Virginia, contact Dr. Jay McClanahan at Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center to learn more about how chiropractic care can help alleviate pain and assist you on your journey to recovery. 

How Can Chiropractic Care Assist My Recovery?

Chiropractic care is a natural systemic approach to assist the body in self-healing and help alleviate painful symptoms. Chiropractors do not use medication to treat the body. Instead, chiropractors engage the natural healing mechanisms of the body so the body can heal itself. If you fell down at work or sustained another type of injury and are experiencing back or neck pain, chiropractic care can provide spinal adjustments known as chiropractic adjustments that will help realign the vertebrae of the spine and reduce inflammation and pressure on the nerves. These chiropractic adjustments also assist in reducing inflammation and helping regulate the nervous system. 

Dr. McClanahan’s office in Nitro, WW also provides chiropractic massage, electrical muscle stimulation, spinal decompression, ultrasound, and therapeutic exercises to foster healing and pain relief. Chiropractic massage therapy has numerous benefits, including reducing stress and depression by improving blood circulation and detoxifying the body. Dr. McClanahan offers deep tissue massage, Swedish massage, and relaxation massage, and will recommend the appropriate massage technique to help relax your body and reduce chronic pain. Electrical muscle stimulation uses small electrical currents directed into the soft tissue to reduce swelling and is an excellent therapy for muscle spasms in the back and neck. Ultrasound uses small sound waves to heat the muscles and relax and massage the body’s soft tissue and muscles.

If you have received Workers Compensation in West Virginia, make an appointment with Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center to assess your injuries. Upon your first visit, Dr. McClanahan will conduct a comprehensive exam of your physical injuries and design an individualized treatment program that will assist in your healing and recovery. Dr. McClanahan is also a certified personal trainer and can recommend a therapeutic exercise program that will help you strengthen your body and improve flexibility and range of motion. Call today for an appointment. (304) 776-1520.

Pain in the Upper Back

 

The upper back, also known as the thoracic spine, connects to the cervical spine, which is responsible for supporting the movement and weight of the head. The cervical spine also protects the nerves that connect to the brain. The upper back is made up of twelve bones that connect the base of the neck to the lower ribcage. Pain in the upper back can be debilitating, and chiropractic care is an excellent holistic treatment modality for addressing and alleviating upper back pain. If you are experiencing upper back pain near Nitro, West Virginia, contact Dr. Jay McClanahan at Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness. Our practice includes a licensed massage therapist who provides Swedish massage, Deep Tissue Massage, Hot Stone Therapy, and Relaxation Massage.

What Causes Upper Back Pain?

Upper back pain can be caused by traumatic injury, overuse of the muscles, poor posture, pinched nerve, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, or a herniated disc. 

• Traumatic injuries can be caused by work-related incidents, car accidents, falls, and incorrect lifting posture.
• Muscular overuse often occurs with repetitive motions that cause tightness and strain in the muscles and can result from high-intensity workouts.
• Poor posture is a deconditioning of the muscles that often relates to a sedentary lifestyle, sitting at the computer, slouching, and weakness of the muscles in the core.
• Pinched nerves are a compression of the nerves that cause numbness and weakness in the arms or legs.
• Myofascial pain relates to issues with the connective tissue in the back.
• Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage protecting the bones wears down and the bones rub together, which can put pressure on the nerves.
• Herniated discs occur when the cushion between the vertebrae moves and places pressure on the spine. 

If you live near Nitro, WV, contact Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness to obtain a comprehensive overview of your upper back pain symptoms. Dr. McClanahan is a compassionate, qualified expert in chiropractic care who can offer a recommended individualized treatment plan to address your pain and assist you on your journey to wellness.

How Chiropractic Care Can Help Relieve Pain

Chiropractic care is a noninvasive form of treatment that centers on the proper alignment of the spine and musculoskeletal system to assist in the body’s natural healing mechanisms. Dr. McClanahan provides spinal manipulation and adjustments, spinal decompression, electrical muscle stimulation, ultrasound, and other proven treatment modalities that improve spinal alignment, reduce inflammation, and foster healing of the nervous system. Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center in Nitro, WV offers a wide variety of holistic chiropractic techniques that can help you achieve a better quality of life. Make an appointment with Dr. McClanahan today. (304) 776-1520

What Does Electric Muscle Stimulation Treat?

 

Electric muscle stimulation (a.k.a. EMS) is a type of healthcare treatment technique that involves the use of electrical currents to stimulate muscle contractions. Electric muscle stimulation, which is often used as a part of many rehabilitation interventions, has various applications in both medical and fitness settings. Dr. Jay McClanahan of Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center in Nitro, WV, provides electrical muscle stimulation to treat a variety of musculoskeletal conditions and disorders.

How Does Electric Muscle Stimulation Work?

EMS, which is also known as neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), involves the use of electrical impulses that stimulate a muscle to contract, which helps to strengthen, rehabilitate, and relax muscles, improve blood circulation, and reduce pain. EMS offers an effective treatment option for the following conditions-

Muscle Spasms

Spasms in muscles can be relaxed by EMS as it improves blood flow and reduces tension and resulting pain.  

Muscle Weakness

Electric muscle stimulation can help to strengthen a weakened muscle as the impulses help to enhance muscle tone and encourage growth.

Pain Control/Management

EMS helps reduce/alleviate pain and discomfort related to a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. EMS assists in the blockage of pain signals and the release of the body's natural pain-relieving chemicals – endorphins.

Injury Rehab

Electric muscle stimulation is a common rehabilitation component, as it helps to prevent the muscle from atrophying, promotes healing, and maintains/improves one's range of motion.  

Sports Injuries

EMS can assist in the treatment of sports-related injuries, including strains, sprains, and muscle tears. It can help reduce swelling, manage pain, and facilitate the healing process.

Nerve-related Conditions

In certain situations, like peripheral neuropathy, EMS may be an effective technique to treat nerve-related conditions by stimulating the affected nerves, which helps to improve nerve functioning.  

The speed at which EMS can potentially help is contingent on various factors, which may include –

• The specific condition.
• The symptom's intensity.
• The duration/frequency of EMS treatments, and more.

For chronic or more serious circumstances,  several EMS sessions over a period of time may be required and combined with other complementary therapies.

Call a Leading Nitro, WV Chiropractor Today

Do you know or love someone who is challenged with musculoskeletal pain, stiffness, and discomfort? To understand how electric muscle stimulation may help treat your condition or better manage ongoing symptoms, contact Dr. McClanahan or a member of our staff at Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center at 304-776-1520. If you prefer, please use our online contact form. We look forward to providing an accurate diagnosis and creating a personalized chiropractic treatment plan.

What is Facet Joint Syndrome?

 

Facet joint syndrome is a medical condition that impacts the spine’s facet joints - the small, paired joints that connect adjacent vertebrae at the back of the spine. Facet joint syndrome happens when these joints become damaged, irritated, or inflamed. If you or someone you know is challenged by spinal joint pains, Dr. Jay McClanahan of Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center in Nitro, WV, offers non-invasive treatments to help manage facet joint syndrome and its symptoms.

Facet Joint Syndrome Causes

Facet joints provide the stability required to allow the spine to move freely, which includes extending, flexing, and rotating. While the most common cause of this spinal condition is joint degeneration as a function of time –i.e., wear and tear, facet joint syndrome, which is also known as facet joint osteoarthritis or facet joint arthropathy, may also be caused by repetitive stress, trauma, injury, or an atypically aligned spine.

Facet Joint Syndrome Symptoms

The primary symptoms of facet joint syndrome include the following-

Localized Pain

The joints affected by this condition usually generate pain and discomfort. While the pain may be sharp, throbbing, or achy, it is generally localized to the area of the spine afflicted, i.e., the cervical spine/neck, upper back/thoracic spine, or lower back/lumbar spine.

Painful Motion/Movements

Those movements or activities that put stress on the impacted joints will heighten or intensify the facet joint pain. In addition, pain may radiate to nearby areas.  

Reduced Flexibility/Stiffness

The range of motion in the affected area may be limited.

Muscle Spasms

Muscles near the affected joints may spasm in response to joint inflammation and related pain. 

Facet Joint Syndrome Treatment Options

Treatment options for this condition seek to reduce pain and inflammation while improving or maintaining mobility and range of motion-

Spinal Manipulations/Adjustments

Spinal adjustments help to restore proper alignment, reduce pain, improve joint function, and prevent nerve irritation.

Mobilization

Mobilization techniques help to improve the mobility of the affected joints.

Soft Tissue/Massage Therapy

Massage and other soft tissue therapies address muscle tension and tightness around the afflicted facet joints. This can help with joint function and the reduction of muscle spasms.

Therapeutic Exercises-Posture Guidance

Exercises are prescribed to strengthen the muscles supporting and stabilizing the spine. They can improve flexibility and help prevent additional degeneration of the joints. Additionally, guidance on posture can help reduce future facet joint pressure and pain.  

Call a Leading Nitro, WV Chiropractor Today

For additional information regarding the treatment of facet joint syndrome, contact Dr. McClanahan of Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center at 304-776-1520 or reach out using our online contact form. We look forward to creating a customized facet joint treatment plan.