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 John's Island, 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.
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.
If you’re looking to experience a different side of quintessential Charleston, consider visiting the Johns Island area for the day to spend time surrounded by nature and reset as the new year begins.Johns Island, the largest island in South Carolina, rests between Charleston and the Kiawah and Seabrook island communities. The area evokes a rural, off-the-beaten-path feel that’s ideal for outdoorsy folks, but it’s also got a few artsy hidden gems, including a community Art Walk.Here are some spots to check ...
If you’re looking to experience a different side of quintessential Charleston, consider visiting the Johns Island area for the day to spend time surrounded by nature and reset as the new year begins.
Johns Island, the largest island in South Carolina, rests between Charleston and the Kiawah and Seabrook island communities. The area evokes a rural, off-the-beaten-path feel that’s ideal for outdoorsy folks, but it’s also got a few artsy hidden gems, including a community Art Walk.
Here are some spots to check out in the John’s Island area:
Freshfields Village stands at the crossroads of Kiawah, Seabrook and Johns islands and hosts family oriented, pet-friendly community events throughout the year. This year the annual Art Walk takes place from 4-7 p.m. on Feb. 14, gathering art lovers and artists together for an evening of live art and live music. Attendees can see live art demonstrations, view works from local and visiting artists and browse the surrounding art shops.
There are a variety of free outdoor concerts coming up on the village green, including Blues by the Sea, which takes place 3-7 p.m. April 13 featuring blues bands from Mississippi, Florida and Houston, and Spring Music on the Green, which takes place 6-9 p.m. April 18 and features a four-piece party band.
Fun fact: One of the oldest independent bookstores in the Charleston area, Indigo Books, is tucked away in Freshfields Village.
Brewery and coffee roastery Estuary Beans & Barley is laid back and pet-friendly, with regular food trucks and live music from Charleston artists. For those who enjoy dancing, there’s the Swing n’ Brew event taking place 6:30-8:30 p.m. Jan. 22. Starting Feb. 2, the Sunday Sessions are back from 3-6 p.m. featuring music, poetry and comedy.
With high season about to kick back in, a handful of other hangouts on Johns Island will regularly host local live music including Tattooed Moose, Seanachai Whiskey and Cocktail Bar and Low Tide Brewing. Check out their social media pages to stay updated.
The iconic, ethereal Angel Oak Park should be at the top of any nature lovers list. The Angel Oak, which is 400-500 years old and known as the “Lowcountry Treasure,” stands at 65 feet high. It’s a holistic experience to stand beneath this ancient tree that has withstood centuries.
Johns Island County Park has beautiful walking trails as well as a disc golf course and a six-target archery range course. With the Mullet Hall Equestrian Center on site, it’s not unusual to see people riding horses, too. When the weather warms, Toast Under the Oaks live music series starts back up from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on March 6 and April 3.
Stono River County Park off of Main Road also has gorgeous walking trails with views of the marshland along the Stono River. This park is also the trailhead for the West Ashley Greenway.
While Folly Beach is the go-to, for those looking for an alternative beach-day experience when the weather warms up, it could be fun to post up at Kiawah Beachwalker Park before checking out a new place on Johns Island before heading back home.
JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Our Lady of Mercy Community Outreach on Johns Island is making sure adults know it is never too late to further their education with their GED program.The South Carolina Revenue and Fiscal Affairs office estimates over 315,000 adults in the state between 18 and 65 have less than a high school diploma from 2018 to 2022. Charleston County alone tallies just over 1...
JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Our Lady of Mercy Community Outreach on Johns Island is making sure adults know it is never too late to further their education with their GED program.
The South Carolina Revenue and Fiscal Affairs office estimates over 315,000 adults in the state between 18 and 65 have less than a high school diploma from 2018 to 2022. Charleston County alone tallies just over 18,000 in those numbers.
Adults 21 and older can sign up on the first day of the organization’s 14-week GED program starting Tuesday from 9 a.m. to noon.
The second day of registration takes place Jan. 21. Leaders say it is required for interested students to participate during the entire session to register. Registration will take place at the Johns Island branch at 1684 Brownswood Road.
Education Coordinator for Our Lady of Mercy Community Outreach, Lara Vo, says parents and older adults typically join the course. The education coordinator says older adults want to qualify for jobs with less physical labor. Vo says she finds the push for higher education inspiring.
“That self-determination and that empowerment within themselves to reach this goal because they feel like they deserve it, is something that I think is really inspiring and fairly common with a lot of our students,” Vo says. “We also have a lot of folks that are trying to get it because they want to improve their lifestyles.”
The organization partners with Charleston County School District’s Adult Education program. The program pays for testing fees for students which can run between $150 to $174 dollars in total depending on in-person or online testing.
Students also receive help through the organization’s career services.
“Once you get your GED, if you want, or even before you get your GED, we can meet with you and talk to you about resumes, interviews, things that you can do right now to improve your life if it’s coming for a job,” Vo says.
Other requirements for class registration include being 250% below the federal poverty line. The annual income for a family of four in this range is $78,000.
Leaders with the organization’s education outreach center have other programs available to the younger community. Volunteers participate in an after school academic support program in partnership with Angel Oak Elementary school. The program uses mentors to support 16 children from second to fifth grade on homework help and behavioral help.
Information on getting involved with the organization is on their website.
Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.
JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD) – City of Charleston council members approved Tuesday night nearly $12 million for a new fire station located on Johns Island.Station 23 is expected to have one engine and one ladder with eight people on staff. This comes as the city acquired the land several years ago and now have the final cost and contract. Station 17 is the only one operated by Charleston right now.“It allows us to start expanding ...
JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD) – City of Charleston council members approved Tuesday night nearly $12 million for a new fire station located on Johns Island.
Station 23 is expected to have one engine and one ladder with eight people on staff. This comes as the city acquired the land several years ago and now have the final cost and contract. Station 17 is the only one operated by Charleston right now.
“It allows us to start expanding in the future,” Forrest Cockcroft, deputy chief of the Charleston Fire Department, said. “We have more plans for more stations as we go forward in years, but right now this is a big piece to get us more closely aligned with where we need to be with our response packages.”
As the second station comes in, the Johns Island area isn’t reliant on just Station 17. With the large service area, the city has been working with St. John’s Fire District to respond to calls through an auto-aide agreement.
“There are seven departments that are working in the auto aide group right now. We all respond under the ability to have the closest engine respond,” Cockcroft said. “So, on Johns Island that would be us and St. John’s Fire District, and we are able to not only to improve our coverage by sharing resources and sharing personnel – we’ve also been able to improve our response times through that.”
St. John’s Fire District is working on expanding as well. Both agencies are addressing the population growth on Johns Island by adding more stations.
“So with new fire stations comes new units and more firefighters. With one unit you can have several firefighters on scene within 5-10 minutes of every single fire and we’re trying to beat a national standard,” Ryan Kunitzer, fire chief of St. John’s Fire District, said. “We feel like we’re going in the right direction with that.”
The fire district is able to funded by Charleston County and has plans to get one new station and replace old stations.
“As the population grows, the fire district needs to grow along with it. Every year is our busiest year, so we need to effectively respond to everyone on Johns Island. We work with the city of Charleston in regard to that. So, we’re expanding on the southern end of Johns Island. We got some large neighborhoods going up so we’re adding fire stations there and some of our fire stations are getting old and need to replaced too,” Kunitzer said.
|Updated: Dec. 18, 2024 at 4:39 AM ESTJOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Construction of a multi-million-dollar fire station on Johns Island that has been talked about for years is officially moving forward.This project took a significant step after the City of Charleston approved a construction manager at risk, or CMAR, contract during Tuesday night’s council meeting.A CMAR is when a construction manager agrees to take on a project and complete it within a set guaranteed maximum price, or GMP, and if construction service...
|Updated: Dec. 18, 2024 at 4:39 AM EST
JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Construction of a multi-million-dollar fire station on Johns Island that has been talked about for years is officially moving forward.
This project took a significant step after the City of Charleston approved a construction manager at risk, or CMAR, contract during Tuesday night’s council meeting.
A CMAR is when a construction manager agrees to take on a project and complete it within a set guaranteed maximum price, or GMP, and if construction services end up exceeding the GMP that was agreed upon, the construction manager is responsible for those costs.
The set GMP that City officials approved for the CMAR contract Tuesday night is $12.4 million.
Fire Station number 23 is planned to sit on Maybank Highway at Wildts Battery Boulevard. Plans call for it to include a training room, three bays and two units: an engine company and a ladder company. Officials say there would be four personnel working on each unit.
“To have enough apparatus and units to respond when we need it, so this will provide for growth as we go forward as well as we continue to plan for future growth beyond this,” Deputy Chief Forrest Cockcroft says. “But right now this will give us another engine and a ladder to really beef up that initial first response that we get on most of our fires, especially on our commercial fires.”
The Charleston Fire Department only has one station on Johns Island, which is Fire Station 17 located on Bohicket Road.
Cockcroft says that they currently have coverage of all of Johns Island between the Charleston Fire Department and St. Johns Fire Department, but they are looking ahead to meet the demand as the population grows by adding this new fire station.
“One of the things we try to look to is to make sure that we have the appropriate amount of personnel on scene for a structure fire or different type of call types, so we have some benchmarks that we try to meet with that and this will allow us to meet those benchmarks much more quickly because we’ve got much more density of stations going in and additional firefighters on the road,” Cockcroft says.
City of Charleston council member, Jim McBride, who represents Johns Island says that this new fire station will also help out other stations in the surrounding areas.
“Sometimes fire stations from James Island and West Ashley have to come augment us if there is a big fire, so getting this station on there on Maybank will actually free them up to focus more on their areas, so it impacts not just Johns Island, but also James Island and West Ashley,” McBride says.
McBride says that the City of Charleston Fire Chief, Dan Curia, has been working ahead and training two fire teams that will occupy the new fire station once it is built.
He says that they expect shovels in the ground for this project in early 2025 with it expected to be finished by the end of the year.
Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.
A family homestead along River Road. A wooded tract near Main Road once used to train horses. An old cattle farm recently considered as a possible county burn site. These three medium-size tracts on Johns Island have different pasts but now share a common future, as their owners successfully worked with the Lowcountry Land Trust and Charleston County's Greenbelt Program to ensure they will remain in a largely undeveloped state.Each is worth celebrating on its own merits, but the combined effect of these three — along with two ot...
A family homestead along River Road. A wooded tract near Main Road once used to train horses. An old cattle farm recently considered as a possible county burn site. These three medium-size tracts on Johns Island have different pasts but now share a common future, as their owners successfully worked with the Lowcountry Land Trust and Charleston County's Greenbelt Program to ensure they will remain in a largely undeveloped state.
Each is worth celebrating on its own merits, but the combined effect of these three — along with two other recent greenbelt deals on Johns Island — show there's important momentum continuing to build to ensure that this Sea Island continues to retain part of its traditional, rural flavor, even as more new homes are built there every day.
And it's a sign that keeping Johns Island's character cannot be done by government alone, though zoning, urban growth boundaries and policies limiting infrastructure's spread are certainly important and vital tools. No, success also will require the support and cooperation of the landowners themselves, who should consider doing something similar to what the owners of the three properties mentioned above just did: value conservation work along with what financial return their property might bring them.
In two cases, the Johns Island conservation outcome was aided by owners willing to sell their land for somewhat less than what an appraisal said. In another, the owners retained the property and their two homes but agreed to a conservation easement to prevent any further development on their acreage in exchange for a $380,000 payment, less than half of what the concession is deemed to be worth.
The Lowcountry Land Trust took some risk on the front side assembling these deals, which not only will prevent development but also create new parks and walking trails for the island's growing population, according to Natalie Olson, the trust's Sea Islands program director. "My role is specifically focused on the Sea Islands, and it's been long recognized we need to increase the number of parks and outdoor recreational areas, especially on Johns Island, with the population growth there," she tells us. "Our goal is to protect the island's rural character by balancing growth with conservation."
Each project has its own story. The Barrier Islands Little League approached the trust a few years ago, noting it had too few ballfields to meet demand, and the organizations agreed to work together on a rural park the league could own and maintain in the long term. They found a 40-acre parcel on Main Road with a home and 13 nearby acres used for horses. The trust bought the land for $1.67 million, which the county's greenbelt program provided. The landowner discounted the price by $280,000, and the league agreed to use the farm area for about three to five new ballfields, while the house will provide restroom, office and concession space. Two thirds of the property will be left in its wooded state with new walking trails.
Just kitty-corner across Main Road, the trust worked with the owners of the 94-acre Grayson Oaks tract, a former cattle farm that the county had considered for a burn site a few years ago but met strong opposition. The trust was granted $2.9 million from the greenbelt program, and the S.C. Conservation Bank granted $600,000. Still, the $3.5 million purchase price was $500,000 below the appraised value. The trust plans to restrict its future use to farming, and create walking trails in the wooded portion of the property.
The 49-acre property known as Oscar's Place sits along River Road and includes two parcels with one home apiece, the owners of which wanted to maintain ownership but place restrictions on their property to ensure its forests and fields don't see any future development. The trust's conservation easement will do that, and we encourage the S.C. Conservation Bank to look favorably next month on chipping in to cover a portion of the easement cost, which also will protect the Johns Island park known as Mullet Hall next door.
The most exciting element is how these three deals just happened to come together at the same time, and we hope it spurs further interest in conservation on the Sea Island. "It's been really inspiring to see the response from the community because it's almost like there's a sense of hope and momentum toward the balance of growth and conservation we're seeing out here," Ms. Olson says.
These deals — and the many diverse benefits they offer — also underscore why Charleston County Council should include more money for greenbelts, parks and land conservation in its widely expected 2026 referendum to continue an existing half-percent sales tax.
And these three deals also illustrate that conservation should be valued not only for wildlife and protecting forests and farms and an area's traditional feel, but it also should be valued just as much for how it can improve our quality of life.
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