Conditions We Treat

Columbia City Chiropractic accepts most insurance plans including auto accidents and work injuries (100%). Just bring your insurance card or information and we will check on your benefits and do the processing and billing. Our intent is to make insurance billing as hassle-free as possible for you.

If you are uncertain as to whether a chiropractor can help you, call Dr. Frederick today to discuss your specific condition. He is available for a complimentary 10-minute phone consultation to guide you and discuss your particular case. Dr. Frederick can be reached at (206) 721-1827.

Headaches

Headaches can be agonizingly painful and may severely limit the normal activities in your daily life. Fortunately, many types of headaches can be relieved or eliminated with care from a chiropractor.

To determine the kind of headache you have, it is a good idea to keep track of the location of the headache, the time of day or month it occurs, how often it appears, if something in particular seems to “trigger” it, and what seems to make it feel better or worse.

Most headache sufferers can be treated at Columbia City Chiropractic through spinal adjustments, physical therapy, and the avoidance of certain trigger foods. We will examine the cervical spine to determine if the pain relates to the spine and/or its surrounding muscles. This examination will determine if a chiropractor can help.

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Lower Back Pain

Back pain is one of the most common complaints treated by chiropractors. First we determine the cause of the problem. This usually involves a thorough examination with complete history, physical, and neurological examination with possible imaging studies needed to make a precise diagnosis.

Once a cause is established, a variety of therapies may be implemented. For back pain that is a result of misalignment of the spine, herniated or bulged disc, or muscular dysfunction; chiropractic adjustments, massage therapy, physical therapy, and specific exercises are often prescribed.

Chiropractic care emphasizes healing your back pain naturally, but sometimes, back pain occurs due to another underlying condition that needs to be co-managed with your medical physician.

If you are experiencing back pain, stiffness, numbness, shooting pain, or any low back discomfort, consult Dr. Frederick for an evaluation.

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Whiplash and Neck Pain

Whiplash results when the head is dramatically thrust forward and backward. Car accidents and falls can cause whiplash injuries.

Symptoms of whiplash include: headaches, visual disturbance, stiffness of the neck, restriction of movement, and shoulder, neck, back, or arm pain. These symptoms may or may not be felt immediately. It is estimated that most whiplash injuries are not felt for several hours, days, and in some cases even months or years following the accident.

Even if you are not in pain following a whiplash incident, it is important to receive prompt attention to your injury, as the structural balance of your neck and spine is important to your health. We can assist in your recovery by correctly adjusting your neck and/or spine so it has the chance to heal properly. In addition, we can recommend physical therapy, stretching and strengthening exercises, and massage therapies to put you back on the road to good health.

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Pinched Nerve

The term “pinched nerve” is commonly used to describe the pain associated with a variety of conditions.

Most of the time, what is called a pinched nerve is actually an irritated or inflamed nerve where the nerve itself is not actually pinched. Nerves become irritated and inflamed when the bones, joints, or muscles of the spine are not in their proper position, or are not moving properly. This condition is called a “subluxation”, the treatment of which is the specialty of a chiropractor.

These are instances when nerves do become “pinched”, such as in carpal tunnel syndrome, sciatica, and thoracic outlet syndrome. In each of these cases, injury, spasm, or inflammation of the surrounding muscles and connective tissue causes the nerve to become compressed, resulting in pain. Chiropractic adjustments combined with exercises and stretching can remove or reduce compression of the vertebrae and help the muscles relax, which can minimize inflammation and reduce or eliminate the associated pain.

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Sciatica and Leg Pain

Who would think that one nerve could cause such severe pain? Pressure on the sciatic nerve can force even the most resilient person to seek treatment.

Sciatica gets its name from the longest and largest nerve in the body, the sciatic nerve, which is as thick as your pinkie. The sciatic nerve is composed of smaller nerves that join together in the pelvis, after they exit the lower spine. The sciatic nerve then travels down the entire length of each leg, dividing again into smaller nerves as it reaches the knees and the lower legs. Sciatica is defined as pain anywhere along the course of the sciatic nerve. This could be from the lower back down to the hips or buttocks, all the way down into our legs, feet and toes.

We will examine the low back to determine if the pain relates to the spine and/or its surrounding muscles. In-depth history and exam can determine what the cause of your discomfort is and how best to treat it.

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Maintenance Treatment

Maintaining your spinal alignment helps prevent future problems and helps decrease recovery time if an injury is sustained. You do not have to be experiencing symptoms to benefit from adjustment. Stay healthy--see Dr. Frederick once a month and see how much better you will feel.

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Subluxation

A subluxation is when one or more of the bones of your spine (vertebrae) move out of position and put pressure on or irritate spinal nerves. Spinal nerves are the nerves that come out from between each of the bones in your spine. This pressure or irritation on the nerves causes the spinal nerves to malfunction and interfere with the signals traveling over those nerves.

Your nervous system controls and coordinates all the functions of your body. If you interfere with the signals traveling over the nerves, parts of your body will not get the proper nerve messages and will not work properly.

Chiropractors look for interferences in the nervous system in the form of subluxations and remove those interferences to allow the nervous system to function at a higher level. When the nervous system functions well, the body will begin to heal itself.

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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition of nerve irritation that is directly linked to repetitive stress injuries. Secretaries, office desk workers, manual laborers, and athletes all use their wrists and hands, and all are susceptible to carpal tunnel syndrome. In the past the only treatment for this painful and irritating condition was surgery. Chiropractic physicians treat carpal tunnel syndrome with great success by means of a conservative approach without the use of drugs or surgery.

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Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a condition in which inflammation results in pain in the joints, caused by wearing of the cartilage that covers and acts as a cushion inside joints. As the bone surfaces become less well protected by cartilage, a patient experiences pain upon weight-bearing activities, including walking and standing. Due to decreased movement because of the pain, muscles may atrophy and ligaments may become more lax. If these joints are exposed to continued trauma such as strenuous exercise, weakened muscles, aging, and heredity, the results can be severe low-back and/or leg pain.

While chiropractic cannot reverse the process of osteoarthritis, we can improve the quality of life while living with the disease. If you are suffering from osteoarthritis, your spine is usually less flexible; therefore, it becomes more vulnerable to injury. Under Dr. Frederick’s care, your treatment may include spinal adjustments, physical therapy, and stretching and strengthening exercises. He can also recommend natural, drug-free ways to control your pain and discomfort.

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Wellness Care

Wellness, simply put, is a way of life.

Health is not just the absence of disease. It is the presence of vitality -- the ability to function with vigor and to live actively, energetically, and fully.

Vitality comes from a state of optimal physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, interpersonal, social, and environmental well-being. People at all ages and levels of physical and mental ability can increase their vitality and wellness.

Today, people have greater control over their health than ever before. They invest in their health by utilizing gym memberships, yoga, organic foods and supplements, personal coaching, positive relationships, and chiropractic treatments that focus on heightening their potential and quality of life.

Being responsible for one’s health means making choices and adopting habits and behaviors that will ensure wellness.

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Stress Management

Physical and environmental stressors surround us. Illness, injuries, and aging can cause tremendous stress. Emotional stress will often manifest itself in a physical way in our bodies, as anything from a low-grade tension to an acutely painful condition.

By developing and maintaining healthy exercise and eating habits, and mastering simple techniques to identify and keep an eye on individual stressors, you can learn to control the stress in your life.

People who manage stress effectively are healthier, and they have more time to enjoy life and accomplish their goals. Regular chiropractic adjustments can help to release tension and allow your body systems to function optimally.

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