Chiropractic Care Isn’t Just for the Spine
When most people think of chiropractic care, they think of the neck and back. But the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, ankles and feet can also affect how you move, work, exercise and perform everyday activities.
At 1 Body 1 Life Chiropractic, Dr. Michael Wohlmaker provides extremity chiropractic care for patients experiencing joint discomfort, restricted movement, recurring injuries and mechanical problems involving the arms and legs.
Rather than simply focusing on the area that hurts, we look at how the joint is moving and how it relates to the rest of the body.
A Whole-Body Approach to Extremity Problems
Your joints don’t function independently. A foot or ankle problem can influence the knee and hip. Hip mechanics can affect the pelvis and lower back. Shoulder function can be influenced by the shoulder blade, rib cage, posture and cervical spine.
That’s why an extremity evaluation may include more than examining the painful joint.
Depending on your condition, Dr. Wohlmaker may evaluate:
- Joint motion and function
- Muscle strength and flexibility
- Posture and movement patterns
- The relationship between the extremity and the spine
- Previous injuries or repetitive stresses
- Foot mechanics and weight bearing when appropriate
The goal is to identify what may be contributing to the problem rather than assuming that the location of the pain is necessarily the source.
Certified Chiropractic Extremity Practitioner
Dr. Wohlmaker is a Certified Chiropractic Extremity Practitioner (CCEP), with advanced postgraduate training focused specifically on the evaluation and chiropractic treatment of the extremities.
This training expands beyond the spine to include the biomechanics and function of the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands, hips, knees, ankles and feet. It also emphasizes how problems in one area of the body can influence movement and function elsewhere.
For patients, this means an extremity complaint isn’t approached as simply “find the painful joint and adjust it.” The examination considers the joint itself, the surrounding tissues and the mechanical relationships that may be contributing to the problem.