The causes are often poor sitting posture, spinal misalignment, or abnormal curvature of the spine, leading to excessive compensatory strain. Like low back pain, it can also be classified as acute, subacute, or chronic. With modern office setups primarily involving computer use, many companies lack ergonomic solutions, resulting in muscle and joint strain, including shoulder and neck pain, making it a common urban ailment.
Commonly known as "frozen shoulder" or "50 shoulder," it was mistakenly thought to only affect those over 50. However, prolonged poor posture can lead to stiffness and pain in younger individuals as well. Many initially experience mild shoulder pain, but neglecting early discomfort can worsen the condition into frozen shoulder, limiting arm mobility. Patients may find it difficult to lift their arms or reach behind their backs. The condition is characterized by severe shoulder pain and significant stiffness, with symptoms lasting 1-3 years and progressing through three stages: pain phase, adhesive phase, and recovery phase.
Elbow pain is often caused by chronic repetitive strain on forearm tendons and muscles. Lateral elbow pain (commonly known as tennis elbow) results from inflammation of the forearm tendons that stabilize the wrist, leading to pain on the outer elbow. This condition typically arises from overuse of the wrist and arm, causing joint injury and inflammation. Pain is primarily located where the forearm muscle tendons connect to the outer bony protrusion of the elbow, often radiating to the forearm, wrist, and fingers, potentially causing wrist weakness.
Low back pain usually arises from tissues in the lumbar region, such as muscles, tendons, intervertebral discs, and vertebrae. It is categorized by the duration of symptoms into acute, subacute, and chronic, with chronic low back pain being the most common and troublesome, significantly affecting daily life. Common non-pathological causes include prolonged heavy lifting, muscle fatigue, or poor sitting/standing posture, leading to repetitive strain and injury, spinal misalignment, and long-term stress on peripheral muscles. In older adults, back pain often results from skeletal degeneration, such as intervertebral disc degeneration and joint aging.
Sciatica is pain caused by compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve, leading to symptoms such as pain, numbness, or inflammation. Patients may experience low back pain and sharp, burning, or stabbing sensations along the low back extending to the buttocks, legs, and even feet. Common causes include disc herniation and bony spurs due to joint degeneration. Ignoring early symptoms can lead to muscle atrophy, ankle weakness, and impairments in walking and bowel function. In severe cases, it may result in low limb paralysis or require surgical intervention.
Knee pain significantly impacts quality of life and has been trending younger in recent years. The knee joint is the largest joint in the body, primarily bearing weight during standing or walking. While age-related degeneration is commonly believed to cause knee pain, osteoarthritis is the leading cause, along with overuse or tendon issues. Patients often struggle to stand or walk for extended periods and may find climbing stairs particularly strenuous, which can affect sleep quality.
Plantar fasciitis is inflammation caused by excessive pulling on the plantar fascia, which connects the heel bone to the toes. Patients typically experience heel or sole pain, especially with the first steps taken after getting out of bed or after resting. Individuals at high risk include middle-aged people with fascia degeneration, overexerted runners, those who stand for long periods, frequently lift heavy objects, are obese, wear high heels, or have flat feet. Clinically, over 80% of plantar fasciitis patients can improve their condition through lifestyle changes and treatment, such as custom insoles and appropriate manual therapy. In severe cases, shockwave therapy can effectively treat inflammation.
Many schoolchildren carry backpacks weighing over 20 pounds, which can lead to flat feet, scoliosis, and hunchbacks in children with immature skeletal development. Poor sitting, sleeping, and walking habits are primary causes of foot problems. Many children prefer to sit in a "W" position, which can lead to inwardly turned feet or knock-knees. For instance, those with flat feet often feel fatigued after short walks, and their walking posture may be unappealing. Lack of proper treatment can lead to various health issues, including plantar fasciitis, achilles tendonitis, patellar tendonitis, back pain, and even neck pain.
Golden Treatment Period
Ages 4-13 are critical for the growth of foot arches and the best time to correct foot issues. Children with foot problems should first visit a spinal treatment center for a foot health check and may benefit from custom insoles to improve foot ergonomics and provide adequate arch support. For foot pain, knee pain, and back pain caused by these issues, rehabilitation exercises and chiropractic adjustments can improve symptoms and prevent missing the golden treatment period.矯正足患的黃金期。患有足患的學童，應先到脊骨治療中心進行足部健康檢查，亦可訂做合適的鞋墊來改善腳部的人體工學，為足部提供足夠的足弓支撐。至於足患所引起的腳痛、膝痛、腰痛，則可藉復健運動及脊椎矯正治療，以改善其症狀，免得錯過治療黃金期