An ankle can be injured as glamorously as falling off a $400 platform stiletto heel, stepping off a Parisian curb, or as mundanely as tripping over a toy truck, or falling over a rock on your way to the mailbox. No matter the cause, ankle injuries are painful and problematic, and cause recurring problems if left untreated.

  The poor ankle sure has it rough. It supports a person's entire body weight, twists and turns many times a day, and maintains proper balance. This heavy responsibility takes its toll. Emergency rooms treat approximately one million patients ever year for ankle injuries.

  Ankles are technically "the joint where the foot joins the leg." In reality, there are more moving parts involved than that simplified definition allows. Multiple bones and two separate joints actually converge in the ankle area, which increases the chance of an ankle injury.

  More than one injury commonly affects the ankle:

Sprains

  When you roll your ankle outward, the movement damages the ligaments on the outside of the ankle. This is a common sports injury and, unfortunately, once you have sprained your ankle it's more likely to recur. Up to half of the people who suffer from a sprained ankle will sprain it again.

Strains

  There are two tendons in the ankle that are commonly strained, usually overstretching from overuse or trauma.

Fractures

  This injury happens when one or more of the three bones in the ankle is injured. While less common than a sprain or strain, a fractured ankle may also involve damaged ligaments and require surgery.

  Many instances of ankle injuries are avoidable. Be sure to wear proper shoes when exercising or participating in sports, avoid uneven walking surfaces, and keep stairways and floors in your home clear of clutter

  And, ladies, avoid the really high heels. We know, we know, they are just so cute! :-)

  Even with ankle-protecting precautions, you still may end up on your rump in the grass nursing your swollen ankle. What should you do if you injure your ankle? There are several forms of treatment for an ankle injury depending on its severity.

  Rest and ice: For mild injuries, stay off your ankle and use ice packs to reduce the swelling. Rest allows the injured area to heal faster.

  Visit a doctor: If you experience severe pain, swelling, and are unable to put weight on your ankle, see a doctor, as some ankle injuries grow worse without treatment. Injuries may require a brace, cast, or even surgery.

  See a chiropractor: Patients frequently see strongly positive results in ankle injuries from a series of chiropractic treatments. Chiropractors understand the way the ankle is built, and use chiropractic adjustments to reduce pain and inflammation and promote faster healing

  Exercise rehab: Once you are healed, it's vital to build up the ankle's strength to avoid re-injury. Your chiropractor can lay out an exercise routine that you can employ into your regular workouts that will improve your balance and increase mobility. Performing these moves helps dramatically decrease dealing with this again down the road.

  Ankle injuries are common and, whether or not you maintain an active lifestyle, you may end up suffering from one. By visiting a chiropractor on the front end, you can better plan a course of treatment that will heal your ankle quickly, reduce the pain effectively, and minimize the chance of a recurrence.

  How can a body part you have probably never heard of hurt so BAD? This is a common question we hear from individuals suffering from sacroiliac joint pain.

  The joint is formed by the sacrum and the ilium where they meet on either side of the lower back, with the purpose of connecting the spine to the pelvis. This small joint is one of the most durable parts of the human body, and it is responsible for a big job.

  The unassuming little sacroiliac joint withstands the pressure of the upper body's weight pushing down on it, as well as pressure from the pelvis. It's basically the cushion between the torso and the legs. As such, it handles force from pretty much every angle.

  While immensely strong and durable, this joint is not indestructible. Sacroiliac joint pain usually crops up as lower back pain, or pain in the legs or buttocks.

  Weakness in these areas may also be present. The typical culprits in causing the sacroiliac joint to exhibit pain are traumatic injuries to the lower back, but more frequently develops over a longer period of time.

  Sacroiliac joint pain is often misdiagnosed as soft tissue issues instead of the joint itself. Doctors may rule out other medical conditions before settling on a diagnosis that includes a sacroiliac joint problem.

  If you have suffered an injury, a degenerative disease, or otherwise damaged the sacroiliac joint, there are treatments available to help manage pain, promote healing, and lessen the chances of recurrence. Here are a four helpful guidelines to assist in effectively handling sacroiliac joint pain.

  First, rest and ice the area. Avoid exaggerated movements of your lower back in order to relieve some of the body's pressure on the sacroiliac joint. Also apply ice wrapped in a towel periodically to soothe the area and minimize the pain.

  A second way to handle sacroiliac pain is with therapeutic massage. Tightness around the joint is a common cause of discomfort and pain. Professional massage serves to loosen and relax the lower back, buttocks, and leg areas, offering relief from pain.

  Third, consider chiropractic and seeing a chiropractor. Chiropractic treatment, known as adjustments, not only provides great options for pain relief but also helps promote the healing process of this joint.

  A chiropractor is specifically trained to guide you through several phases of care. They don’t focus just on pain relief but are primarily interested in helping you fix the problem.

  They’re also very well trained in rehabilitation of the spine. This approach will help loosen the muscles surrounding the joint as well as strengthen them. This will decrease the risk of pain returning down the road.

  Finally, in very rare cases, doctors will choose to apply an injection to the area to alleviate pain and inflamed tissue. Obviously, the injection won’t fix the problem but may give the patient relief temporarily. Surgery is rarely a viable option.

  If you show symptoms of sacroiliac pain, it's important to see a Doctor of Chiropractic so he or she can perform tests to correctly diagnose your condition. It could very well be another type of lower back problem. So quit suffering and give us a call!

  Our neck is a busy body part. It holds up and turns our head, allowing us to see, hear, and speak in the direction we choose.

  Although the neck is a real "team player" it's a bit of a diva, meaning it's fairly delicate. There are many ways everyday motion injures the neck, ending up causing pain, decreased mobility, and varying degrees of short and long-term misery.

  Whiplash is a common neck injury caused by a sudden movement that jerks the neck forth and then back in a whipping motion. Automobile accidents frequently result in whiplash, as the vehicle is moving and then stopping rapidly.

  This affects the neck's ligaments and joints in various degrees, depending on the speed of the vehicle and the site of the impact. In severe cases, the discs and the nerves may also be damaged.

  Symptoms of whiplash include varying degrees of pain, stiffness in the neck, headaches, and sometimes dizziness, blurred vision, and nausea. Some people only suffer with whiplash a few days, while others experience ongoing issues.

  If you have been injured in an automobile crash, it's in your best interest to immediately schedule an appointment with a chiropractor. There are a myriad of ways chiropractic care assists in managing the pain and minimizing the symptoms of whiplash.

Here are five of the best reasons:

#1: Reduces inflammation to promote healing

  The first order of business for whiplash sufferers is to get the neck's inflammation reduced, as this hinders proper healing. Your chiropractor will utilize chiropractic adjustments, along with other forms of treatment based on your specific injury. It’s essential to undergo this type of treatment as soon after the injury occurs as possible in order to reach optimum results.

#2: Minimizes pain for greater comfort

  Whiplash can be extremely painful, as so many of the neck's components may be involved, and the neck is such a mobile body part. Every neck movement hurting is no way to live! Chiropractic care soothes the pain of whiplash through therapeutic techniques that promote healing of the damaged area.

#3: Returns proper body alignment

  When the inflammation and the pain of whiplash are reduced, the next step is to promote healing and alignment within the body. A chiropractor will perform a series of chiropractic adjustments that includes the neck and spine, but may also incorporate other parts of the body. Whiplash does a number on the body's natural alignment, and it's the chiropractor's job to put it all back together in workable order.

#4: Offers exercises to increase mobility

  Contrary to old movies where the whiplash sufferer wears a cumbersome neck brace, it's vital to the rehabilitation process to keep moving. During chiropractic visits, patients receive a regimen of exercises to perform regularly at home. These, combined with chiropractic care, lessen the time it takes to recover.

#5: Provides an alternative to surgery

  The good news is that a whiplash injury rarely requires surgery. However, it's best to not tempt fate and visit a chiropractor to make certain your injuries are treated and begin healing. A chiropractor monitors improvements and keeps you apprised of your progress, empowering you to get better and back to normal activity faster than simply suffering through the symptoms, hoping they go away.

  If you are involved in a motor vehicle crash and end up with whiplash, don't despair. A chiropractor will map out a treatment regimen that will decrease inflammation and pain, increase mobility, and promote healing. Remember, the sooner you see your chiropractor, the faster the treatment begins, and the sooner you see results. Don't suffer needlessly!