Neck Strain

By looking at our phones every minute of the day, neck strain isn’t hard to develop. A neck strain is not a serious injury, but it can cause discomfort and limit a person’s range of motion. At Carolina Chiropractic Center, Dr. James Huggins, Jr. offers a variety of services to treat neck strain. Some may include spinal manipulation and/or therapeutic exercise.

Neck strain is defined as an injury to the muscles and tendons that support and move the head and neck. Though neck strain isn’t associated with fractures or dislocations, it can be associated with nerve pain if not careful. If you feel a symptom of a pinched nerve, you should contact us immediately for a proper diagnosis and to discuss treatment options. It’s important to visit a chiropractor to treat neck pain to rule out a serious condition.

If you have questions or concerns about neck pain or chiropractic treatment, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our office, visit www.carolinachirocenter.com. To schedule an appointment with Dr. James Huggins, Jr. at Carolina Chiropractic Center in Florence, SC, call 843-665-9192. 

Abnormal Gait and Back Pain

Gait is a medical term for how a person walks. Abnormal gait can stem from certain conditions like whiplash, herniated discs, muscle strain, and/or arthritis. Regardless of the cause, an abnormal gait can lead to pain in the lower extremities such as the lumbar spine, legs, and feet. As a treatment option, Dr. James Huggins, Jr. of Carolina Chiropractic Center may suggest custom foot orthotics.

When a patient's gait is altered and left untreated, it ultimately weakens the muscles and joints, causing pain, arthritis, and increased susceptibility to injury. Foot orthotics are beneficial to help those with walking and alignment issues because they help realign the bones within the foot and ankle to take pressure off of the back, and hips. Additionally, orthotics help distribute weight evenly to take pressure off parts of the foot.

If you have questions or concerns about back pain or chiropractic treatment, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our office, visit www.carolinachirocenter.com. To schedule an appointment with Dr. James Huggins, Jr. at Carolina Chiropractic Center in Florence, SC, call 843-665-9192. 

Spinal Manipulation

If your body feels tense, or if your back feels like it needs to be cracked, you may be a candidate for spinal manipulation. Spinal manipulation is a gentle, hands-on technique used by Dr. James Huggins, Jr. at Carolina Chiropractic Center to remove subluxations. A subluxation occurs when the vertebrae become misaligned. Allow us to explain the benefits of spinal manipulation.

Spinal manipulation therapy combines moving and jolting joints back to their correct position. It’s designed to relieve pressure on joints, reduce inflammation, and to improve nerve function overall. To perform a spinal manipulation, Dr. James Huggins, Jr. will have the patient lay on a table and apply firm pressure on the vertebrae that is causing discomfort. This method is completely safe but is not recommended for those who suffer from severe osteoporosis or an unstable spine.

If you have questions or concerns about spinal manipulation, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our office, visit www.carolinachirocenter.com. To schedule an appointment with Dr. James Huggins, Jr. at Carolina Chiropractic Center in Florence, SC, call 843-665-9192. 

Whiplash

Questions that run through a person’s head after a car accident are typical, “Who is going to fix my car,” and “What will I drive in the meantime?” A substantial amount of people who suffer from an auto accident are more concerned about their vehicle than they are about themselves. Dr. James Huggins Jr. of Carolina Chiropractic Center makes his patients a top priority even when they may not when it comes to auto injury.

One of the most common injuries from an auto accident is Whiplash. Whiplash is a relatively common injury that occurs to a person’s neck following a sudden acceleration-deceleration force that causes unrestrained, rapid forward and backward movement of the head and neck. Fortunately, whiplash is not a life-threatening injury but it can lead to a prolonged period of disability when not treated properly. Whiplash destabilizes the spine and causes severe pain as well as blurred vision, headaches, dizziness, neck stiffness and low back pain.

It is critical that chiropractic care is sought immediately after an automobile accident because allowing the effects of whiplash to go untreated can induce long-term pain. Any body part that is jarred or thrown forward unexpectedly and beyond normal limits can sustain stretched ligaments or even tears. Since Dr. James Huggins, Jr. specializes in the care of bones, muscles, nerves and connective tissue, he is essential to see after an auto injury has occurred.

If you have questions or concerns about spinal manipulation, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our office, visit www.carolinachirocenter.com. To schedule an appointment with Dr. James Huggins, Jr. at Carolina Chiropractic Center in Florence, SC, call 843-665-9192. 

Cupping Therapy

Cupping is one of the oldest methods from traditional Chinese medicine that we utilize at Carolina Chiropractic Center.  Cupping therapy is performed by placing cups on the skin to create suction. The treatment can be used to treat respiratory conditions, arthritis, gastrointestinal disorders, and is recommended for sore muscles. The cups can be made of a variety of materials, and are most commonly glass.

During a cupping treatment, glass cups are warmed using a cotton ball or other flammable substance soaked in alcohol and placed inside the cup. Burning a substance inside the cup uses all the oxygen it contains, which creates a vacuum on the skin. The suction of the cups mobilizes blood flow to promote the healing of a broad range of medical ailments. Cupping therapy helps release rigid soft tissue, lifts connective tissue, and brings blood flow to skin and muscles.  Depending on the patient and their condition, cups can be left in place for between 5 and 10 minutes.

To learn more about cupping therapy and all the services we provide, visit www.carolinachirocenter.com. To schedule an appointment with Dr. James Huggins, Jr. at Carolina Chiropractic Center in Florence, SC, call 843-665-9192. 

Diapulse

Dr. James Huggins, Jr. at Carolina Chiropractic Center has a pain solution for everyone, and diapulse therapy could be the one that’s right for you.  Diapulse is a device that directs pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) to an area of injury.  Injuries interrupt a body’s natural electric current, and this treatment substitutes the electrical component a body needs to function at its best. The treatment improves blood flow, reduces pain and inflammation, and promotes overall healing.

Diapulse is recommended to treat soft tissue injuries because the short intense electromagnetic pulses penetrate into deep tissues.  We also use this therapy for postoperative edema and pain in superficial soft tissue and chronic wounds.  After spinal cord injuries, diapulse is used specifically to enhance blood flow and promote expedited healing.  For each patient, the reason diapulse is recommended may be different.  We understand that even patients with the same condition respond differently to treatments, which is why a plan of care will always be tailored to meet your needs, goals, and your medical and physical condition.

To learn more about diapulse therapy and all the services we provide, visit www.carolinachirocenter.com. To schedule an appointment with Dr. James Huggins, Jr. at Carolina Chiropractic Center in Florence, SC, call 843-665-9192. 

Tailbone Injuries

As part of our practice of providing natural solutions to pain and health problems at the Carolina Chiropractic Center, we’re prepared to help our patients with injured tailbones. Scientifically known as coccydynia, pain in the tailbone is rare but can be severe. In the worst cases, it interferes with patients’ bowel and sexual functions, which makes it all the more important to treat.

The tailbone is actually made up of five different bones. Their position prevents them from getting injured often, but they can suffer blunt force trauma from activities such as bike and horseback riding and childbirth. Of course, it is possible for the tailbone to be the location of spinal stenosis, meaning that the pain is the result of a pinched nerve. This is why our clinic will have to do a thorough diagnostic, possibly including x-rays, before developing a treatment plan.

Fortunately, there are therapeutic exercises for treating tailbone pain. These can involve relaxing the pelvic floor and strengthening the surrounding ligaments. If the tailbone is dislocated, an adjustment may be necessary. Ice is also commonly applied, and the patient may benefit from a specially-shaped cushion to sit on. It may take eight to twelve weeks for a broken tailbone to heal, but it’s more common for the tailbone to merely be bruised.

Dr. James Huggins operates the Carolina Chiropractic Center at 1627 Suite C, South Irby, Florence, South Carolina, 29505. To set up an appointment, call 843-665-9192 or visit CarolinaChiroCenter.com and fill out a contact form.