Chiropractors are trained to adjust all joints in the body, include the ankle, wrist or shoulder. I tell patients, if it’s a joint that moves, I can adjust it. Chiropractic is not just about the spine, it is about proper movement in all parts of the body.

Patient Example

I have a long time practice member that mentioned during her routine visit that she sprained her ankle 2 weeks prior and it had really been bothering her. I told her I would check it out and found that, due to the stress of the sprain, her talus (ankle) bone was restricted. We gave it a specific adjustment and almost instantly she was walking and feeling better!

I do a lot of extremity work with my patients that are athletes, new moms, and those that have physically demanding jobs.

New moms for example spend a lot of time holding and cradling their new baby, carrying car seats, nursing, etc… These are all positions that create a lot of strain on the wrists and elbows. As a new mom you have so much to concern yourself with, you don’t want wrist or elbow pain to be on that list too.

Athletes that participate in demanding sports are more prone to extremity injuries as well. Each sport has different stresses on the body. Some examples of common things are see are ankle injuries in basketball, arm and shoulder injuries in baseball/softball, knee pain from biking, running and snow sports.

Having a body that is feeling and functioning good from head to toe is an important aspect of health and performance.

Referred Pain

On the flip side of this coin, though, is something we call referred pain. Often times people will come in with pain in an extremity joint (knee, ankle, shoulder, wrist) that is actually coming from their spine. This can often be confusing for people because their back feels totally fine and all the pain may be in their hand or wrist let’s say for example.

It is important that we find the exact cause of your pain and not just chase symptoms. If you feared you were having a heart attack because of left arm or jaw pain that you were experiencing you’d likely make a visit to the ER. If the ER only examined your left arm and left jaw you would be in serious TROUBLE!

The same is true in our office. If you having lower extremity pain we will examine your lower back and if you having upper extremity pain we will examine your neck and upper back to make sure we are getting a complete picture of possible causes.

Your Turn

Did you know that Chiropractors can adjust other body parts besides the spine? If so, have you ever received an adjustment to a shoulder, wrist, ankle, etc.?