Explore the body.
Follow the connections.
Pick a spot on the body and we’ll show you the conditions that show up there, in plain language, with the published research behind each one.
Where does it hurt?
Select a label or a point to explore
Lower Back
Back pain is a location. Sciatica is a symptom pattern. A disc is one structure that may be involved. Knowing the difference helps.
Explore lower backFind a condition guide
18 guides
Plain-language guides for patients, with the published sources linked for anyone who wants to go deeper.
Ankle sprains
Getting it checked early, rebuilding balance and confidence, and when a rolled ankle may be a fracture.
Understand this conditionArm & leg pain
Pain, tingling or numbness running down an arm or leg from a nerve in the neck or low back, and the signs that point somewhere else.
Understand this conditionBack pain
What we look for at a back-pain exam, the care we use, what the research shows, and the warning signs.
Understand this conditionCarpal tunnel syndrome
Numb, tingling fingers at night: how we examine the wrist, arm and neck, the care we use, and when hand weakness needs a medical referral.
Understand this conditionDisc injury
Herniated, bulging and degenerative discs: the first visit, the decompression and other care we use, what the research shows, and the emergency signs.
Understand this conditionElbow tendinopathy
Pain when you grip or lift, often called tennis elbow: what a first visit involves, the care we use and what the research shows.
Understand this conditionHeadaches & migraines
Headaches that start in the neck, tension-type headache and migraine: the exam, the care we use, what the research shows, and when it's urgent.
Understand this conditionHip pain
Groin, outer-hip and buttock pain can point to different structures and different next steps.
Understand this conditionJaw pain & TMD
TMD and the other causes of jaw pain, what a first visit involves, what helps, and when jaw pain is urgent.
Understand this conditionKnee pain
What we look for at a knee-pain exam, the care we use, what the research shows, and the warning signs.
Understand this conditionNeck pain
What our exam looks for in a stiff or painful neck, the care we use, what the research shows, and the warning signs.
Understand this conditionPlantar heel pain
Pain under the heel that's often worst on the first steps: the foot exam, and the StemWave, laser, dry needling, stretching and orthotics we use for it.
Understand this conditionSciatica
Leg pain from an irritated nerve: what a first visit is like, the care we use, what the research shows, and when to get help.
Understand this conditionScoliosis
Scoliosis care for adults and kids: the exam, care for the pain and stiffness a curve can bring, and when a curve needs a specialist.
Understand this conditionShoulder pain
Pain when you reach, lift or sleep on your side, how we examine the shoulder and neck, and the care we use for it.
Understand this conditionVertigo
Dizziness that comes with a sore or stiff neck: what our exam looks for, the care we use, the research, and the warning signs that need a doctor first.
Understand this conditionWhiplash
What we do after a car accident: the neck exam, the care we use, what the research shows, and the signs that need the ER first.
Understand this conditionWork-related pain
Back, neck and shoulder pain from a lift, a fall or a repeated task: the exam, the care we use, the research, and how workers' comp works in Tennessee.
Understand this condition
No guide matches that. Try another word, browse by body area, or tell us what's going on.
Our condition guides are listed by the name of the problem. If you already know what a treatment is called, Services lists those instead, and the new patient page covers what happens at a first visit.
Why do some of these conditions overlap?
Three of these guides look at the same territory from different directions. Sciatica names a pattern of pain, a disc injury names one structure that can produce it, and back pain covers the region they both sit in.
Arm and leg pain, carpal tunnel and neck pain overlap for a different reason. You feel pain and numbness where a nerve ends, which isn't always where it's compressed. So a nerve root irritated in the neck can cause symptoms in the hand that look like carpal tunnel syndrome, which is a compression at the wrist. Telling them apart takes an examination, and signs of an irritated nerve are one of the things ours looks for.
Which symptoms need an emergency room?
A few symptoms in these guides belong to a medical emergency, not a chiropractic visit, and that outranks everything else on this page.
Loss of bladder or bowel control along with back or leg symptoms, new difficulty passing urine, a change in the sensation of passing urine, or numbness through the saddle area can each be a sign of cauda equina syndrome, a surgical emergency. Go to an emergency room. Please don't wait for an appointment with us.
Dizziness that comes on with new neurological symptoms, such as double vision, slurred speech, trouble swallowing or weakness on one side, needs urgent medical assessment. It's also the presentation in which neck manipulation is contraindicated, meaning it shouldn't be done.
What if it's something we don't treat?
If the exam suggests your symptoms aren't coming from muscles and joints, we'll tell you and refer you for the right medical evaluation.
If we are not able to help you with your problem or are unable to reduce your pain levels, we will make sure to give you a recommendation to another experienced provider.
How we use the research.
Every research note names the study, who was in it, and what it can’t tell us. If one raises a question about your own care, that’s a good thing to bring up at your visit. If you want the methods, the publication is linked.
A study on one condition or treatment tells us about that condition or treatment, and we don’t stretch it to cover every service we offer. In each guide you can tell which part is our explanation, which part is an option, and which part is what a specific study actually found.