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 chronic 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 Charleston, 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 Charleston, SC, 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 in Charleston, SC, 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.
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.
Listen to this articleAmid the federal funding suspensions for electric vehicle charging stations, South Carolina lamakers have passed legislation to create a “free market” for businesses still looking to invest in the charging industry.Though South Carolina did not participate in the federal National Electric Vehic...
Listen to this article
Amid the federal funding suspensions for electric vehicle charging stations, South Carolina lamakers have passed legislation to create a “free market” for businesses still looking to invest in the charging industry.
Though South Carolina did not participate in the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program, the biggest concern from businesses hoping to add EV chargers came from fear of larger electric companies being able to sell the same charge for cheaper rates.
“We should never ask the public to fund something the private sector is willing to invest in,” state Rep. Bill Herbkersman, R-Beaufort, said in a news release from Charge Ahead Partnership. “This legislation will attract private investment and bring the free-market competition that comes with it.”
Senate Bill 275, which was passed May 8, restricts electric utilities from using ratepayer funds to build, own and operate charging stations, aiming to alleviate the potential uneven playing field for small businesses, according to the release.
“South Carolina has been a leader in many aspects of EV manufacturing, attracting billions of investment dollars with free market policies,” Jay Smith, Charge Ahead Partnership executive director, said in the release. “This legislation establishes the state as a policy leader as well. S. 275 lays the groundwork for a competitive EV charging marketplace, where businesses and entrepreneurs can invest with confidence.”
Charge Ahead Partnership is a coalition of businesses, associations and individuals that share a goal of efficiently and effectively developing a charging network for electric vehicles across the United States.
“As EVs become more common on South Carolina roads, I want the best charging providers to emerge. The only way that will happen is through free-market competition,” state Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Moncks Corner, said in the release. “The liquid fuel industry is among the most competitive marketplaces in America, with transparent pricing and retailers furiously trying to outdo their competition. There is no reason EV charging should be any different.”
(NewsNation) — A deal has been signed by Qatar Airways to purchase betweeen 160 and 200 Boeing jets, according to the White House.“This historic agreement will support 154,000 U.S. jobs annually, t...
(NewsNation) — A deal has been signed by Qatar Airways to purchase betweeen 160 and 200 Boeing jets, according to the White House.
“This historic agreement will support 154,000 U.S. jobs annually, totaling over 1 million jobs in the United States during the course of production and delivery of this deal,” the White House said.
The jets will be produced and delivered over a seven-year period, from 2029 to 2036.
Boeing has not yet confirmed or commented on details of the agreement.
The deal, which includes Boeing 777 and 787 Dreamliner jets, could give one South Carolina city a major job spike at its Boeing manufacturing plant.
The North Charleston plant is where all 787 Dreamliners are assembled, said Scott Stocker, who is the vice president and general manager . It currently employs more than 8,000 workers.
Mayor Reggie Burgess said while he’s not sure exactly how many jobs the Qatari deal could bring, his city will “fill them all.”
“We’re talking about thousands and thousands of jobs,” he added.
Local business owners told NewsNation the deal would be a game-changer.
“Most of our business, our contractors, they are truck drivers, they’re just working-class people. And if it can bring more of those in here, then it would definitely, definitely improve everything for us,” said Li Farmer, a restaurant manager in North Charleston.
Korean Air recently agreed to purchase up to 50 Boeing planes, some of which will be assembled in North Charleston.
It’s a big boost for Boeing after a tough year, production problems and worker strikes.
Though the company has seen some layoffs in recent months, Boeing announced a plan in December to invest $1 billion in North Charleston’s plant, with a goal of adding 500 jobs in the next five years.
Editor's note: This article has been amended to note the Mark Clark project was not part of the 2016 tax referendum that county voters passed. Though the official death of the Mark Clark Extension came this week, it had languished in purgatory since voters last fall soundly rejected a tax referendum to help pay for the $2.3 billion ...
Editor's note: This article has been amended to note the Mark Clark project was not part of the 2016 tax referendum that county voters passed.
Though the official death of the Mark Clark Extension came this week, it had languished in purgatory since voters last fall soundly rejected a tax referendum to help pay for the $2.3 billion project.
Plenty of road projects funded by a previous transportation tax referendum in Charleston County are underway or soon should be.
Here is a look at the road projects tied to the 2016 transportation sales tax passed by county voters.
The widening of Glenn McConnell Parkway is the only completed road project from the 2016 tax.
A $364 million project to remake the interchange of U.S. Highway 17 and Main Road in West Ashley to alleviate traffic heading to and from Johns Island and other communities such as Kiawah, Seabrook and Wadmalaw islands. Crews have broken ground with major construction to get underway soon.
The project encompasses a number of improvements to help with traffic including construction of flyovers at the intersection; an interchange at Main Road and Highway 17 for drivers who want to avoid the intersection; a bridge over CSX Railroad; a roundabout at the intersection of Main, Chisholm and River roads; and a widening of Main Road from River and Chisholm roads to the interchange ramps.
The improvements were originally part of a bigger project for Main Road, from Bees Ferry Road to Betsy Kerrison Parkway. The project was later split into three parts, with the work getting underway having been estimated to cost $130 million in 2020. It has now ballooned to the largest infrastructure project in Charleston County history.
Work is expected to be completed in the fall of 2028.
Three projects to make intersection improvement along Savannah Highway are in the works.
The city is leading the right-of-way acquisition for the Avondale Avenue project, which includes realigning Avondale Avenue, adding a right turn lane to Nicholson Street across from it and adding a landscaped median to U.S. 17. The county this year plans to seek bids for work at the highway's intersections with Wappoo Road and at Dupont Road and Stinson Drive.
Improvements to the Palmetto Commerce Interchange in the area near the Charleston International Airport is expected to be done next February.
As part of another airport-area project — Airport Connector Road — the county started right-of-way acquisition in April and expects to start construction in the third quarter of 2026.
The third phase of the Palmetto Commerce Parkway is still in the permitting phase. County officials are meeting with Joint Base Charleston officials biweekly to get agreements in place. Construction is expected to start in 2028 or later.
On James Island, county public works director Eric Adams said the county is going to combine two projects into one to make bids for contractors more competitive: the installation of turn lanes and a traffic signal at the intersection of Fort Johnson Road and Secessionville Road, and the installation of a roundabout at the intersection of Fort Johnson and Camp roads. County officials plan on putting out bids in the next few weeks, and expect construction to start in the third or fourth quarter of 2025.
The county is still working on improvements at the intersection of Central Park Road and Riverland Drive, Adams said. Plans are in place for a right turn lane from Central Park Road onto Riverland Drive, and the county is working with the community on right-of-way acquisition. Advertising for contractors should happen by the end of the year.
The county’s portion of the Folly Road Bike & Ped Project includes variable width sidewalk from Ellis Creek to George Griffith Boulevard and road restriping to reduce median width and provide dedicated bike lanes. One bid that exceeded the available budget was submitted in March. The county has made some minor plan modifications in conjunction with SCDOT. The project will be put back out to bid in mid-2025.
COLUMBIA — South Carolina drivers will be banned from talking or scrolling on a cellphone while behind the wheel starting Sept. 1, and could even face fines if a device is in your lap.Gov. Henry McMaster on May 12 signed the Statehouse's Hands-Free Driving Act lawmakers passed during the last days of the 2025 session that ended May 8.Texting while driving is already banned in the state, but the new law prohibits physical cellphone use for any reason while driving, which includes having it in your lap while talking or sear...
COLUMBIA — South Carolina drivers will be banned from talking or scrolling on a cellphone while behind the wheel starting Sept. 1, and could even face fines if a device is in your lap.
Gov. Henry McMaster on May 12 signed the Statehouse's Hands-Free Driving Act lawmakers passed during the last days of the 2025 session that ended May 8.
Texting while driving is already banned in the state, but the new law prohibits physical cellphone use for any reason while driving, which includes having it in your lap while talking or searching for directions.
Drivers can still use Bluetooth features or other hands-free measures to send messages or call when driving.
McMaster's office said the measure will significantly reduce preventable accidents caused by distracted driving, thus "helping more South Carolinians make it home safely to their loved ones," spokesman Brandon Charochak said. "Gov. McMaster was proud to sign it into law."
The legislation was championed by state Rep. Bill Taylor, R-Aiken, for years, though lawmakers repeatedly sidestepped action for more than two decades. He has been a strong voice in platforming the dangers of using cellphones while driving.
"It's terrifying," Taylor said of distracted drivers. "You watch them, they slow down, they get in the left lane, they (can) run off the road."
Anyone caught violating the law would be ticketed $100 on a first offense and $200 for each additional violation in a three-year span. A second offense would add two points to a driver's license, which then impacts a person's car insurance rates.
The bill's passage also comes on the heels of a letter sent to McMaster and the state Department of Motor Vehicles last year from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requiring them to pass legislation or risk losing $40 million to $80 million in annual federal highway funding.
The letter sent late last year said 4 percent of federal highway grant funds would be cut if a law wasn't passed by July 2025. It would go up to 8 percent for every year after that if a law wasn't put in place.
The letter was in light of a 2011 federal rule that required all states to pass laws prohibiting handheld cellphone use for commercial drivers.
South Carolina was supposed to pass legislation by 2015 under the 2011 federal ruling. The U.S. Department of Transportation put South Carolina on notice in 2020, telling officials to make a compliance plan.
But with no bill passed in 2024, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration told McMaster and the state DMV time was up, and funds would start to be taken if they didn't move on passing a bill.
"I refer to it as federal extortion," Taylor said. "But if that's what it takes to get the legislature to vote for hands-free."
Taylor said since the state complied with the request under the bill, the use of the funds should be no problem in the future.
Master Trooper William Bennett from the S.C. Highway Patrol said distracted driving has been a known problem across the state for years. Distracted driving is not just cellphone usage, he said, listing off habits such as eating, personal grooming, car play and even other people in the car as dangerous.
There are three types of distractions when on the road, Bennett said: visual, manual and cognitive.
"A cellphone is so dangerous because you're doing all three (distractions) at the same time," he said.
While details have not been released addressing how the law will be rolled out, Bennett said the effort will be another layer of protection for drivers in the state.
CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCIV) — Explore Charleston released Tuesday its 2024 Economic Impact of Tourism report showing the Holy City saw another record-breaking year in the tourism industry.The report, from research conducted by the College of Charleston's Office of Tourism Analysis, revealed the greater Charleston area saw a total economic impact of $14.03 billion in 2024, up 7% from the previous year.Additionally, Charleston saw a 1.2% increase in total visitors and a 5.5% increase in average visitor expenditure. Per a...
CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCIV) — Explore Charleston released Tuesday its 2024 Economic Impact of Tourism report showing the Holy City saw another record-breaking year in the tourism industry.
The report, from research conducted by the College of Charleston's Office of Tourism Analysis, revealed the greater Charleston area saw a total economic impact of $14.03 billion in 2024, up 7% from the previous year.
Additionally, Charleston saw a 1.2% increase in total visitors and a 5.5% increase in average visitor expenditure. Per adult, per trip, an average of $1,105 was spent in 2024, compared to $1,048 in 2023, according to the data.
A total of 23.5% of all sales in the region can be attributed to the tourism industry, while the industry employed 54,900 people, which is the highest number of people ever employed, the data showed.
Charleston tourism's economic impact has grown by 32% since 2021, while the total number of visitors grew by only 9%, illustrating the increase in average expenditure. The estimated number of visitors in the region last year was a total of 7,890,000.
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Hotels in the Holy City saw a new record set in 4,940,000 hotel room nights sold in 2024, and an average hotel occupancy of 70.6%. The hotel average daily rate saw a slight tick up with an average of $186 compared to $185 in 2022 and 2023.
The top origin states of visitors to Charleston (outside of South Carolina) were:
The top origin cities of visitors to Charleston (outside of South Carolina) were:
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Charleston International Airport also saw a record-breaking year in 2024, with an estimated 6,290,000 passengers flying into Chucktown.
Chairman of Explore Charleston, Dan Blumenstock, said the increase at the airport, as well as the many events Charleston has to offer, contributes to the tourism growth seen over the last year.
We have over 60 direct flights from Charleston now. . . Some of the events that we have in town. If you look at Spoleto or Southeastern Wildlife, that's just two or even food and wine. Uh, if you look at those events, those are things that we, the local community get to participate in because they're here in our backyard. We don't have to travel. The other people do come in to travel for those," Blumenstock said.
As far as what attracts visitors to the Holy City, the most attractive assets for tourists are:
Editor's Note: All of the data above was provided by Explore Charleston through research conducted by the College of Charleston's Office of Tourism Analysis.