1300 Hospital Dr #220
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
Could you imagine going through life every day with near-debilitating, chronic back pain? Back pain is one of the most common ailments in America - it's estimated that 8% of all adults, or 16 million people, suffer from chronic back pain in the U.S. every year. If you've never experienced a back injury or pain, be thankful. Chronic back pain affects every aspect of a person's life, from participating in sports to limitations with everyday activities, like cooking dinner. In fact, many people with chronic back pain can't even make a reliable living and put food on the table. Almost 83 million workdays are lost every year due to choric back pain.
The inability to work and provide isn't just a physical issue - it can become an emotional one too. Many people suffering from chronic back pain also suffer from depression and anxiety. Unfortunately, in the past, chronic back pain sufferers wanting to avoid addictive medications and invasive surgeries had few viable relief options. However, if you're suffering from a chronic back issue like sciatica, a pinched nerve, or a bulging disc, pain relief may be closer than you think.
Modern chiropractic care and, more specifically, a spinal decompression chiropractor in Awendaw, SC, may be the long-term solution you need for chronic back pain.
A common misconception is that chiropractors only adjust your back and neck when, in fact, they treat the whole body with all-natural treatments. Here at Elite Healthcare, our doctors focus on your overall health, not just pain. We want to find and address the underlying causes of your symptoms. If you're unfamiliar with an integrative approach to medicine, this strategy may seem new. Our chiropractic care is less about putting a band-aid on the problem and more about finding a natural, long-term solution to your pain.
Fortunately, our experienced chiropractors provide the best in natural pain relief. Prescription and over-the-counter pain medications mask the symptoms you're experiencing versus getting to the cause of your pain. Pain is often the result of your spine being out of alignment, which leads to nerve issues. Once your spine is back in alignment, the nerves function correctly again.
Because our chiropractic center offers a combination of different therapies and non-surgical treatments, we provide a comprehensive approach to healing. Depending on the extent of your back problems, spinal decompression therapy may be the answer to your chronic pain problems.
Initially developed in 1985 by Dr. Allan Dyer, spinal decompression has been used by chiropractors for years. Unfortunately, spinal decompression is often passed over as a viable treatment, despite its numerous benefits.
In the past, patients suffering from chronic back pain issues like herniated discs were usually prescribed powerful medications. They were instructed to refrain from physical activities, referred to a physical therapist, and sent on their way. While physical therapy has an important role in back pain recovery, some back conditions need a more comprehensive treatment approach. For those patients, surgery seemed like the only option.
Today, patients with chronic back pain have many more options to consider. One of the most effective treatments for serious back pain is spinal decompression. This proven therapy, provided by Elite Healthcare, has been shown to significantly reduce pain and help patients live a normal, even active lifestyle once again.
Spinal decompression, also called Lumbar Cervical Decompression Therapy (LCD Therapy), is a very effective non-surgical solution to chronic back pain problems. If you're like most patients, your back pain is caused by disc issues related to your spine. This type of therapy uses computer technology and a spinal decompression machine in cityname, state, to stretch your spinal column slowly and gently, relieving abnormal pressure on the discs in your back, which sit in between your vertebrae.
This precise stretching action causes negative pressure to form inside the discs in your back, making them retract. With time, this negative pressure causes a reverse vacuum of sorts that actually draws your protruding discs into place. When pressure is removed from the disc segments in your spine, you experience much-needed pain relief.
The primary purpose of spinal decompression therapy is to provide you with immediate pain relief while creating a healthy environment to heal your spinal disc condition. Some of the most common conditions that spinal decompression therapy treats include:
This happens when spinal discs in your back are pushed outside of the spinal canal. When pushed outside of their usual space, these discs can put pressure on the nerves in your spine, resulting in localized pain and pain throughout your body. If a bulging disc is left untreated, it has a high chance of rupturing, which can necessitate surgery and longer recovery time.
Herniated discs are discs in your back that fracture or crack and leak fluid. The fluid or gel that leaks from a herniated disc may irritate the nerves in your back. When this happens, you may experience an intense burning sensation that shoots up and down your lower back and legs.
As you grow older, joints in your body, like your knees and hips, begin to wear away with time. The same thing can happen to the discs in your back. Often caused by heavy lifting or a family history of spine problems, degenerative discs are painful and can lead to serious situations. In advanced cases, bone spurs can form and affect the nerves of your spine.
When a herniated disc or bone spur begins to put pressure on the nerves in your back, it often causes sciatica. Sciatica is a common back problem that causes pain to radiate from your lower back down your legs via your sciatic nerve. Sometimes, this pain is only felt in one of your legs.
This condition is similar to arthritis of your spine, where the cartilage inside your facet joint breaks down and becomes inflamed. The result is often intense neck and back pain. It's most often caused by degenerative changes in the joints located between the bones of your spine.
This painful condition manifests when the space in your backbone is too small. When this happens, pressure impacts your spinal cord and the nerves that travel through it. Like other conditions treated by a spinal decompression therapy cityname, state, stenosis is caused by wear-and-tear in your back, which forms arthritis.
This term is often used to classify a range of back problems, most often caused by a pinched nerve root in your spinal column. This pinched nerve root may occur in different locations down your spine, like the lumbar or thoracic areas. Usually caused by a narrowing of the space where your nerve root leaves the spine, symptoms of this condition include pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness.
If you're looking for a safe way to relieve your chronic back pain, spinal decompression should be on your list of treatments to consider. This painless procedure is backed by research showing higher success rates in many patients when compared to spinal surgery. Unlike many medications, spinal decompression from Elite Healthcare Physical Medicine is designed to correct the condition you're facing while also minimizing costs and eliminating recovery and downtime.
Some of the most popular reasons why patients choose spinal decompression over surgery and other treatments include:
Invasive procedures, like back surgeries, often leave the patient racked with pain, long recovery times, and complications. Sometimes, the surgery doesn't work as intended, leaving the patient responsible for a therapy that didn't work correctly. As a non-invasive treatment, spinal decompression therapy can treat back and neck pain without needles, incisions, or harmful manipulations of the spine.
Getting back pain relief from surgery is far from guaranteed. However, because spinal decompression targets the underlying causes of your back pain, it's a much more effective long-term treatment. Spinal decompression is not a quick fix. When coupled with positive lifestyle changes like losing weight, you can maximize the pain-relieving benefits of spinal decompression.
Surgery of the back and spine requires the patient to be bedridden and uncomfortable for days and even weeks. Recovering from back surgery is no easy feat and often requires strong pain medications to help. Sometimes, back surgeries don't go as planned, causing complications and worse scenarios. Spinal decompression, on the other hand, is very effective and doesn't require much recovery time at all. Once your spinal decompression session is over, you'll probably be able to drive yourself home from our office.
One of the least talked about issues with back pain medications is that they only treat the pain, not the underlying causes. For many patients, relying on meds to relieve back pain fosters dependency on pain pills. Pain pill addiction is a very serious issue in the U.S., often leading patients down a dark path. With spinal decompression, you won't have to worry about taking pills for pain relief. That's because the root causes of your back pain are addressed, not just the symptoms.
If you were to look at the cost of surgery and subsequent years of prescription medication, you might be shocked. When compared to spinal decompression, surgery is a much more expensive treatment to consider. You've got to take the cost of surgery into account, but also the fact that you'll be forced to take time off work. By choosing spinal decompression therapy, you're choosing a safe, non-surgical treatment that doesn't require any time off work.
Spinal decompression relieves pressure on disrupted discs, causing them to retract back into place. This revolutionary treatment also lets oxygen, fluids, and nutrients re-enter your spinal discs, which provides additional healing.
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By now, you probably have a better idea of how spinal decompression can help rid your life of back pain. But spinal decompression treatment does more than help with bulging discs, herniated discs, arthritis, and more. It has also been shown to provide patients with important quality-of-life benefits.
As mentioned above, harsh surgeries leave you bedridden and unable to work for long periods of time. Spinal decompression allows you to jump right back into the workforce, so you can continue providing for your family. Plus, reducing your back pain naturally increases your mobility since you won't be stressing about hurting yourself while moving. Instead, you'll be living in the moment.
One of the worst symptoms affecting people with back pain is the inability to sleep well. Sleeping with back pain can be horrible, causing you to toss and turn to find a comfortable spot. As soon as you find one and get settled, your back starts to hurt again. It's a vicious cycle, but adjusting your spine and relieving pressure with spinal decompression will help you get a good night's rest.
Did you know that when your spine is decompressed, it helps fluids circulate throughout your body? These fluids actually flush your lymphatic system, which helps support your overall immune system. Better circulation also benefits your brain and can help boost concentration and memory. The improved circulation from spinal decompression may also distribute oxygen and nutrients to your skin, creating a multi-benefit effect.
We are happy to answer your questions, and help you find the services you need. Please message us to get started.
At Elite Healthcare Physical Medicine, we practice an integrated approach to pain relief and chiropractic care. Our goal is to restore your spine to its proper alignment, which speeds up your recovery time and prevents additional injuries. If chronic back pain has taken over your life, it's time to visit our chiropractic office for a thorough evaluation.
Ask yourself this: Have you been suffering from headaches and sleepless nights due to muscle strain? Is your ability to work and put food on the table compromised due to a pinched nerve? No amount of over-the-counter pain medication can provide a long-term fix for such an issue. Thankfully, our chiropractors have years of experience providing relief to patients just like yourself.
After a comprehensive exam, our doctor will create an individualized treatment plan tailored to your body. That way, we can address the full scope of your symptoms by correcting any root causes of your back pain.
From minor chiropractic adjustments to spinal decompression treatment, we'll find the solution that your back and body need to heal correctly. If you're ready to get back on the road to better health, we're here to help every step of the way. Contact our Elite Healthcare Physical Medicine today to get started.
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A $5 million federal investment will soon add 446 acres of land along the South Carolina shoreline.CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - A $5 million federal investment will soon add 446 acres of land along the South Carolina shoreline.Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge is currently made up of 22 miles of barrier islands. Sarah Dawsey, the refuge manager, has been working with nature preservation since she was in high school and joined the Youth Conservation Corps.“This has been a lifelong goal for me. I mean, I can&r...
A $5 million federal investment will soon add 446 acres of land along the South Carolina shoreline.
CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - A $5 million federal investment will soon add 446 acres of land along the South Carolina shoreline.
Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge is currently made up of 22 miles of barrier islands. Sarah Dawsey, the refuge manager, has been working with nature preservation since she was in high school and joined the Youth Conservation Corps.
“This has been a lifelong goal for me. I mean, I can’t tell you how ecstatic I am to get this money. We have barrier islands, the refuge is barrier islands, and they’re only accessible by boat,” Dawsey says.
Coastal Expeditions does run a ferry to Bulls Island for a fee so those interested can visit for the day. There is a public dock on the island for those with boats to use as well.
“This money will allow us to have a tract on the mainland, where we can have trails, we can have hunting, fishing, environmental education, everything that we do on the islands, but to a greater extent and you don’t have to have a boat so it’s really exciting,” Dawsey says.
She also notes that a mainland tract is a step toward a future corridor connecting the refuge to the Francis Marion National Forest.
Durwin Carter is the project leader for Cape Romain, Ace Basin, Santee and Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuges. He says any addition of land is a huge win for conservation efforts, wildlife and the people nearby who can enjoy it.
“It ties directly into what our mission is. Our mission is essentially working with other partners to conserve these lands and habitats and the critters that use it, for the public to enjoy,” Carter says.
Dawsey and Carter pointed out how erosion from storms and sea level rise are threatening the barrier islands and, in their time at the refuge, they have seen the saltwater breach into ponds on Bulls Island and encroach further into the land each year.
“With the threats happening with development and habitat fragmentation and sea level rise, any additional lands that we can conserve are going to be beneficial. We do what we do for the wildlife, for the habitats and for people to enjoy. But we also do it for future generations to enjoy,” Carter says.
The funding comes from the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund. The fund is made up from the sale of Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps, commonly known as Duck Stamps, and import taxes.
The refuge has a visitors center located off Highway 17 where people can learn more about the conservation work and migratory bird protection the islands offer. Dawsey says people are always welcome to visit Bulls Island as long as they come with respect for the wildlife and leave it as they found it.
“If you see birds flying around or acting unusual or dive bombing you, that’s a signal that you’re close to their nest and they’re just trying to protect their babies,” Dawsey says.
Cape Romain is home to more than 290 bird species that migrate through the area as well as other animals like alligators, deer and sea turtles.
“We are just winding up our field season, so we have a really big loggerhead sea turtle project, it’s seven days a week. We do a lot of posting for birds and stewarding to keep people out of the bird areas and educating people on why it’s important,” Dawsey says.
Carter says his staff and volunteers are grateful for the land the refuge currently gets to take care of. They are looking forward to the expansion once the sale is finalized and eventually to hosting wildlife and visitors on the new mainland tracts.
“We’re really lucky to have the jobs that we have because they really enjoy their time out on the water of Cape Romain; really enjoy their times out on the trails, enjoy their times out appreciating the refuge, doing birdwatching, fishing, hunting, whatever it is, we’re constantly reminded of how great our jobs are because we get a chance to see this every day,” Carter says.
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AWENDAW, S.C. (WCIV) — For the past three years, two months, and 17 days, Middleton & Maker Village Barbeque has been providing good food for a good cause, and has provided a safe space for customers.“It’s a backyard family reunion type of effect," said Eliot Middleton, one of the co-owners of the popular business....
AWENDAW, S.C. (WCIV) — For the past three years, two months, and 17 days, Middleton & Maker Village Barbeque has been providing good food for a good cause, and has provided a safe space for customers.
“It’s a backyard family reunion type of effect," said Eliot Middleton, one of the co-owners of the popular business.
This family reunion started back in 2016 as a mobile business bringing barbeque to different areas throughout the Lowcountry, but once those wheels parked, the business began to grow.
"From that opportunity coming into this opportunity with this restaurant being available and getting this literally two days before Covid start, so it’s just been a very strong strong battle for the last four years," Middleton said.
Middleton's passion didn't stop there. After realizing transportation was hard to come by for some people, his love to help the community kicked in.
“On the Middleton side, whatever profits I get from the restaurant, it all went back into the cars and making sure I could fix and develop cars that needed," Middleton said.
Unfortunately, the popular BBQ spot, located on 5105 N HWY 17 in Awendaw, will be closing due to new development plans moving into the area. But the business is now going back to its roots.
“We’re going back mobile. It’s going to be Middleton’s Village Mobile Barbeque LLC, and we’re going to be in all of the other areas and counties, and we’re going to do more community-oriented events," Middleton said.
Despite the change in locations, the passion remains, and the village will only grow.
"And they say if you build it they will come, and that’s what we did here—we built it, and people are coming," said Charles Maker, co-owner of Middleton & Maker Village BBQ.
Middleton and Maker will also start having village field days throughout the community for people of all ages to come out, play games and get some good food.
Middleton's service to his community dates back years. In October 2020, he was recognized with the Jefferson Award after he started fixing up old cars and giving them out to people in need of reliable transportation.
Birders, photographers, and Flamingo enthusiasts join Coastal Expeditions on Tuesday, September 5th, 2023 at the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge on Bulls Island. (Sam Griswold/WCIV)Awendaw, S.C. (WCIV) — “If you come out here enough, you’re going to find something really, really crazy, eventually.”That's exactly what happened for Coastal Expeditions' Naturalist Annie Owen on Friday at the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge on Bulls Island.Boat is the only way to the South Carolina coastal i...
Birders, photographers, and Flamingo enthusiasts join Coastal Expeditions on Tuesday, September 5th, 2023 at the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge on Bulls Island. (Sam Griswold/WCIV)
Awendaw, S.C. (WCIV) — “If you come out here enough, you’re going to find something really, really crazy, eventually.”
That's exactly what happened for Coastal Expeditions' Naturalist Annie Owen on Friday at the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge on Bulls Island.
Boat is the only way to the South Carolina coastal island near Awendaw, and the charter company is the federally designated concessionaire to the refuge. Friday, Owen was surveying parts of the island after Hurricane Idalia had passed through earlier in the week. That's when she spotted the pair of pink birds she knew weren't the "usual suspects."
"There are pink birds that we expect to see on Bulls Island and in South Carolina this time of year – which would be the Roseate Spoonbill. And, right off the bat it was very clear that those were not two Roseate Spoonbills, that they were actually Flamingos," says Owen. She conferred later in the day with two others who had made the sightings independently.
Over the course of the weekend, social media "blew up" with reports of Flamingos - not just in South Carolina - but across the Eastern U.S., from Florida to Ohio. The consensus? These birds - that normally make their home in places in the Caribbean like Cuba, Mexico and the Yucatan peninsula - were displaced due to the effects of Hurricane Idalia.
“I heard about it on social media, and I found out that they were here. And, I was like, 'Mom, we got to go,'” says Amanda Vargo, a Flamingo enthusiast from Folly Beach.
Vargo elected to close her artisan boutique Folly Sol on Tuesday so she could join the crowd on Coastal Expedition's ferry excursion to the island.
Vargo developed her love for the pink-feathered fliers when friends threw her a Flamingo-themed birthday party. "I’ve got flamingo artwork. And, I’ve seen them in zoos, but never in the wild,” says Vargo.
Expert birders, enthusiasts, and photographers filled the ferry Tuesday morning hoping at least one of the two birds remained. The group's first stop on the island garnered success - with a look at the bird about a 1/2 mile away, but another vantage point gave way to some closer looks.
Owen says while this week's sightings of the American Flamingos stands out - the rewards Bulls Island has to offer are liable to make a "birder" out of anyone who loves nature.
“In a place like this you have no option but to be. Once you start learning about it you just can’t stop." Owen continues," You see your first - not even Flamingo level stuff - this is really cool for anybody. But, you see your first Painted Bunting - which is colors you didn’t even know existed. It’s just really spectacular.”
AWENDAW, S.C. (WCIV) — Many Awendaw residents are calling it a "win" after the town's Zoning Commission denied a request Monday evening to rezone 66 acres for a possible development.The land in question is in the vicinity of Boomstraw Hill Road and Sewee Road and was recently annexed into the town limits from Charleston County.Developer David Weekley Homes recently acquired the neighboring Awendaw Village development, and made a brief presentation at Monday's meeting answering questions from board members and th...
AWENDAW, S.C. (WCIV) — Many Awendaw residents are calling it a "win" after the town's Zoning Commission denied a request Monday evening to rezone 66 acres for a possible development.
The land in question is in the vicinity of Boomstraw Hill Road and Sewee Road and was recently annexed into the town limits from Charleston County.
Developer David Weekley Homes recently acquired the neighboring Awendaw Village development, and made a brief presentation at Monday's meeting answering questions from board members and the public.
Read More: Proposed plan to build 72-home subdivision in Awendaw
Their proposal included creating lot sizes of 20,000 square-feet per home with a little more than 60 homes planned. But the current Agricultural zoning designation only provides for a minimum 30,000 square-foot lots. A change to Residential zoning would have decreased that limit to 12,500.
Allen Rioux serves on Awendaw's Board of Zoning Appeals and said the consensus from citizens is a desire to keep development density low.
"We're certainly not anti-development or anti-developer. We understand that this is a desirable place to be, and - in fact - we think that development is important for our community, for our tax base," Rioux said. "But, what the community is against is high-density development. We need to be reasonable. We have great resources here and we need to be careful that we don't negatively impact them."
Read More: Environmentalists fear impacts of 200 new homes near Awendaw wildlife refuge
Others at Monday's meeting called the request premature.
David Weekley Homes faces some challenges with the land. First and foremost, access.
The parcels are currently land-locked, meaning there's no road legal road access. However, a phase to development of their recently acquired Awendaw Village off Highway 17 would provide an adjacent connection to the 66-acres.
Read More: People still concerned after hearing developer's redevelopment plan for Union Pier
A few residents from Awendaw Village were at the zoning meeting and voiced their concerns over unfulfilled promises from their original developer.
David Weekley Homes will likely need to return before town council or the Zoning Commission with an updated development proposal.
Grits are a classic Southern dish of hominy meal boiled into a rich, creamy, savory foundation for a comforting breakfast, lunch, or dinner. While shrimp and grits, cheese grits, or just a simple bowl of ...
Grits are a classic Southern dish of hominy meal boiled into a rich, creamy, savory foundation for a comforting breakfast, lunch, or dinner. While shrimp and grits, cheese grits, or just a simple bowl of classic creamy grits are popular recipes, Awendaw soufflé is a unique and elegant grits dish you have to try.
Often described as a cross between spoon bread and soufflé, Awendaw soufflé possesses both cooked grits and yellow cornmeal. Egg whites give Awendaw its dainty, fluffiness, while milk, cornmeal, and buttery grits bestow creaminess and an utterly comforting savory flavor. Modern twists add cheese, aromatics, chiles, or fresh herbs to the basic recipe for even more depth of flavor.
While Awendaw is a popular Charleston tradition, it gets its name from the tribal lands of the Sewee Indians, encompassing a large swath of current-day South Carolina. Consequently, the name also honors the culinary exchange between Native Americans and southern settlers; hominy is a crop native to the Americas, and the Sewee taught arriving colonists how to harvest and prepare it.
The first documented recipe for Awendaw appeared in Charleston native Sarah Rutledge's 1847 cookbook, "The Carolina Housewife," as Awendaw cornbread. Rutledge describes the recipe as having the texture of a baked custard or pudding. Awendaw remains a staple side dish in households around Charleston, served alongside fried chicken or as a foundation for shrimp or sausage gravy. Even if you're not in Charleston, you can easily make this tasty soufflé at home.
Awendaw soufflé takes a few more steps than plain grits, but the result is a far more complex and impressive side dish. You can make Awendaw as a soufflé in individual ramekins or as a casserole in a standard rectangular baking dish. You'll need a cup of warm, freshly prepared grits. If you're making individual soufflés, you'll need more eggs than a casserole; both methods require more egg whites than egg yolks. While the grits cool, separate the egg whites from the yolks and whisk them into a fluffy white foam.
Pour the warm grits into a mixing bowl along with egg yolks, yellow cornmeal, and equal parts milk and buttermilk for the casserole. You could also swap out the milk and buttermilk for three-fourths of a cup of grated cheese. Then you'll fold in the egg whites in batches to create an aerated batter that will fluff up nicely in the oven. After transferring the batter to buttered ramekins or a casserole dish, you'll bake it in the oven.
You can add more ingredients to the batter, from chives and corn kernels to green chiles, diced jalapeños, and crispy bacon bits. If baked in a casserole dish, the finished product is denser like spoon bread, while soufflés baked in ramekins will be lighter and puffier.
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