Lower back pain is the major reason patients present to our practice. A thorough understanding of anatomy, physiology and biomechanics is the key reason why we can treat this problem effectively. Knowing the current research on back pain and the structures that are likely to be causing your pain allows us to target treatment to the right area. While other practitioners might get caught up in ‘stuck joints’, a ‘twisted pelvis’ or ‘weak glutes’ it is unlikely that these are the reason for your pain. Very often these problems only come about because your body is adapting because you are in pain. A detailed history, accurate examination and a high level of understanding allow us to quickly determine if it is a disc injury, nerve irritation, joint or muscle problem and apply treatment accordingly or refer out if necessary.

Neck pain and headaches are the second major reason why people attend our practice. Again it is important to know the current research when treating for these conditions. Like lower back pain, neck pain and headaches can have many different causes. Some headache symptoms will respond very well to manual treatment and others not so well. Our priority is to determine the cause of your headaches and whether or not treatment will be effective to save you time and money.

Sciatica is a general term for pain that can be anywhere from the glutes all the way down to the foot. Using nerve tension tests and palpation, we aim to determine the cause of your sciatica which often involves locating adhesion between the nerve and muscles. Once identified, we use shockwave and manual therapy to break down the adhesion and improve the function of the nerve.

Shoulder problems like rotator cuff injuries, bursitis, supraspinatus or bicep tendon tears are common not only in athletes, but also in people who sit in front of a computer all day every day. Knowing how each of the muscles work together is important in helping with these problems. It is also important to correct the functional problems before you try to just stretch or strengthen the shoulder so you don’t add to the problem.

Hip pain is a very common problem and in many cases can actually be the cause of lower back pain. We can effectively manage problems such as a catch or a pinch in the joint itself, pain down the side when laying in bed, hip bursitis and ITB pain.

Knee pain can be a very frustrating problem to have. Simple stretch and strengthening exercises for the knee can play a part in management, but shouldn’t be used until normal range has been restored with proper treatment.

Scars are a natural part of the body’s healing process and can result from multiple factors including surgery, trauma, injury, acne, inflammation.

Because the body works so quickly to repair the damaged tissue, quite often the collagen that is laid down is disorganised and random which can impact the underlying blood vessels, nerves, and lymph vessels.

This can result in pain in or around the scar, a lack of mobility in the area, ridging or pitting in surrounding skin, as well as altered or weird sensations.

Dr. Elyssa has undergone further to become MSTR® certified, allowing her to be able to treat these scars that may be causing you discomfort.