Cold Laser Therapy San Diego, CA

Cold Laser Therapy

Laser therapy is a treatment that utilizes specific wavelengths of light to interact with tissue and help accelerate your healing process. Laser treatment can be used on people suffering from acute and chronic conditions in order to eliminate pain and swelling, increase functionality, and reduce spasms.

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chiropractic services San Diego, CA

Corrective Exercises

Corrective exercises are the use of bodily movements and/or postures to restore desirable changes in diseased or injured tissues. The corrective exercises are movement strategies that minimize or eliminate compensation. Corrective exercises should precede more integrated exercises, because they can cue the patient’s motor system to respond in a more desirable way and assist in removing or improving biomechanical constraints.

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Cupping San Diego, CA

Cupping

Cupping is an ancient practice and can be found in Egyptian texts as far back as 1550 B.C. It was practiced in ancient Chinese and Middle Eastern cultures as well. Within modern medicine, cupping has been adopted by practitioners across many different fields, including chiropractors.

Dr. Caruso performs cupping therapy by placing specialized cups on your skin for several minutes to create suction. You can think of it as the opposite of a massage – pulling your tissue up rather than massing your tissue down. Depending on your needs, cupping can also be combined with acupuncture.

Dr. Caruso utilizes cupping to treat a wide range of health issues including, but not limited to:

  • Inflammation
  • Injury
  • Neck, shoulder, and back pain
  • Joint problems
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Asthma
  • Headaches
  • Cramps
  • Digestive issues
  • Arthritis
  • Eczema
  • Acne
  • Allergies
  • High blood pressure
  • Anxiety

Your practitioner will create the suction in the cups through the use of a small handheld vacuum device. This causes the skin and underlying tissue within the cups to lift, allowing for greater circulation and relief of pain. In most cases, these cups are left in place for a few minutes and then gently removed.

Benefits of cupping include reduced pain and inflammation, a greater sense of well-being, decreased pain and irritation caused by skin, joint, and muscle issues, improved digestion, and lowered blood pressure.

Side effects are generally mild and may include bruising where the cups were placed and minor discomfort. Bruising and marks left from the therapy typically last a few days, but may take more than a week to fade.

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Diversified Technique San Diego, CA

Diversified Technique

The goal of the Diversified Technique is to reduce nerve interference. There are no special or unique procedures needed. Patients are assessed using these various mechanisms: history and basic examination (orthopedic and neurologic), palpation, x-ray, leg checks and reflex procedures as well as others.

The procedure involves analyzing the full spine and extremities. The majority of adjustments used in Diversified are manual adjustments, HVLA (high velocity, low amplitude), or long lever manipulations aimed at cavitating the joint and creating an audible release. This sound is known by patients as the “popping” or “cracking” sound associated with adjustments. Some chiropractors utilize specialized equipment such as drop tables or pelvic blocks.

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Electrical Stimulation San Diego, CA

Electrical Stimulation

Electrotherapy is an alternative pain management treatment option that involves the use of mild electromagnetic pulses to provide relief for the patient. This treatment option can dull pain, repair tissue, strengthen muscles, and even improve your blood circulation.

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Functional Medicine San Diego, CA

Functional Medicine

Functional medicine is a personalized and integrative approach to healthcare which involves understanding the prevention, management, and root causes of complex chronic disease. It has evolved integrative, holistic, conventional and naturopathic models to offer the most comprehensive and effective approach to healthcare in the 21st century.

Dr. Caruso will spend time with his patients, listen to their health history, and examine the interactions between genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. These factors contribute to long term health issues and complex, chronic diseases.
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Graston Technique San Diego, CA

Graston Technique

The Graston Technique® (GT) is an innovative, evidence-based form of therapy that utilizes an instrument to assist in soft tissue mobilization. This enables clinicians to effectively and efficiently break down scar tissue and fascial restrictions. GT utilizes specially designed stainless steel instruments to detect and effectively treat areas exhibiting soft tissue fibrosis or chronic inflammation. The use of GT instruments along with therapeutic exercises helps restore pain-free movement and function. The Graston Technique® was originally developed by athletes to treat soft tissue injuries. It has grown in popularity as an alternative approach in treating acute and chronic soft tissue injuries.

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Kinesio Taping San Diego, CA

Kinesio Taping

Kinesiology Taping is a precise rehabilitative taping technique that is designed to facilitate the body’s natural healing process while providing support and stability to muscles and joints. This technique allows the body’s normal range of motion as well as providing extending soft tissue manipulation to prolong the benefits of manual therapy administered within the clinical setting. Kinesio tape is latex-free and hypoallergenic which makes it “skin friendly” for patients with sensitive or fragile skin; such as, patients with diabetes, fibromyalgia or rheumatoid arthritis.

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Massage Therapy San Diego, CA

Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is the manual manipulation of soft body tissues (muscle, connective tissue, tendons and ligaments) to enhance a person’s health and well-being. There are many types of massage therapy methods (also called modalities). People seek massage therapy for a variety of reasons; for example, to reduce stress and anxiety, to relax muscles, to rehabilitate injuries, to reduce pain and to promote overall health and wellness.

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Myofascial Release San Diego, CA

Myofascial Release

Myofascial release is an intervention administered to various patients to alleviate pain or restrictive tissue problems. The release treatment usually involves the application of gentle or moderate pressure on the connective tissues and leads to relaxation and eventual elongation of the fascia therein. These restrictions are often caused by traumatic accidents or inflammations of the soft tissue. Some patients get them as an after-effect of surgery. They always result in muscular tension and spasm of sharp pain. They cannot be detected through standard diagnosis tests like the x-ray scan. It is essential for a patient to visit a doctor or physiotherapy expert once they notice restriction of movement in the hip area or shoulder. Painful backs can also be a sign of the restriction and can only be treated through the Myofascial Release procedures.

What to expect during therapy
If you have never undergone a Myofascial Release procedure before, you might wonder what will be done. There is no need to panic any way, since it is a minor therapy intervention meant to alleviate any pain that could be as a result of fascia muscle pain and restriction. Here is what you can expect if you visit a standard therapist for your myofascial pain treatment.

  • The therapist might have to interview you about what you think the cause of the pain could be. They may also palpitate the affected area to identify the particular fascia that needs to be massaged and given due attention during the procedure.
  • A standard treatment should last anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour, but should not last longer than that as that may lead to soreness and fatigue.
  • You may experience considerable relief, but if the case is severe, you may need to go for another session or two in the subsequent days.
  • The treatment does not require the use of any equipment and creams or gels. The therapist will only need their hands to manipulate and apply slight pressure to the trigger points and affected muscles.
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Physiotherapy San Diego, CA

Physiotherapy

It is important to understand that often times where the pain presents is not the area that needs to be treated. The pain may be due to that area compensating and being over-worked from another area not pulling its weight. Our rehabilitation program includes strength, flexibility and agility training as well as training focused on coordination of body parts and motion to prepare the individual to return to full participation.

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Spinal Decompression San Diego, CA

Spinal Decompression

Spinal decompression is a non-invasive mechanical procedure performed within our office to help alleviate back pain. It involves gently stretching the spine to take pressure off the spinal discs (the cushions that separate the vertebrae in the spine). By relieving this pressure, bulging discs can retract back into place which takes pressure off the nerves in the spine. By decompressing the spine, it permits water, oxygen and other fluids to work their way back into the discs allowing them to heal naturally. Spinal decompression is an excellent option for anyone with chronic back pain who wants to get back to living a pain-free life as quickly as possible.

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Ultrasound San Diego, CA

Ultrasound

Ultrasound therapy is a chiropractic treatment used to help reduce muscle pain and increase range of motion. By using sound waves, we are able to stimulate deep inside the tissue. This minimizes stiffness, swelling, and pain while also promoting circulation, and pain-free movement.

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Weight Loss San Diego, CA

Weight Loss

Weight loss is something with which millions of people struggle. As you know, your weight doesn’t just contribute to your physical appearance. Your weight and the amount of fat in your body can help or hurt your body by contributing to either a healthy physique or lead to medical issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. Weight loss is not just about restricting calories, which is what most people try to do. Weight loss is really about correcting your nutrition, managing your stress, and for some, working with or around chronic diseases and medical conditions.

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Auto Injuries San Diego, CA

Auto Injuries

Even a “minor” crash can result in serious injuries like ligament sprains. This can lead to chronic pain and disability if not treated properly. In fact, research shows that early treatment is the best way to prevent long-term symptoms. Chiropractic adjustments are effective because they help restore the healthy, normal function of your nervous system without the use of drugs or surgery.

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Back Pain San Diego, CA

Back Pain

Since back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide, it is vital to know how to prevent the cause of back pain. By maintaining a healthy diet and weight, remaining active and avoiding prolonged inactivity or bed rest are all important ways to avoid back pain. Before doing exercises or any physical activity, it is recommended to warm up and/or stretch.

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headaches migraines San Diego, CA

Headaches/ Migraines

Nine out of ten Americans say that they suffer from headaches. Some of these people experience headaches frequently. Some experience constant headaches that are very painful. These can even make a person nauseous. Ninety-five percent of headaches are tension, migraine, or cluster headaches. These types of headaches are not caused from a disease, but from something in your body that is not sitting correctly.

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Hip Pain San Diego, CA

Hip Pain

Here at Caruso Family Chiropractic, we specialize in helping others find out what is causing their hip pain and correcting it so that they feel like themselves again, or even better than before! Our hips are such an important part of our body. They ensure that we stand up straight, control the entire bottom half of us, and allow us to walk, run, kick, and play.

In many cases, hip pain is simply caused by osteoarthritis, though it can also be a result of an injury.

If you come into our office, our friendly and qualified staff will assist you in relieving your pain by getting to the root of the issue. Instead of covering up the problem, we want to ensure that the pain goes away and stays away.

We will put together a treatment plan to make sure that this happens. Depending on the severity of your condition, we may treat you by adjusting your hips though we also do exercise therapy, stretching, massage, and other solutions.

In a recent study, 60% of chiropractic patients had their symptoms improve so much that they no longer required surgery. That is our goal. If you do have osteoporosis, you will still benefit from chiropractic care to relieve your hip pain.

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Joint Pain San Diego, CA

Joint Pain

What is the cause of joint pain?
Acute joint pain is typically the result of an injury or direct trauma while chronic joint pain can be caused by rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis. Chronic joint pain can also develop as a result of an underlying medical condition such as dislocation, infection, osteoporosis, cancer, or fibromyalgia.

When should I seek medical care?
Joint pain can occur in any joint of the body, but most patients who experience joint pain do so in the knees, hips, shoulders, or spine. Persistent and severe pain that prohibits your ability to complete everyday tasks should be evaluated by a doctor as soon as possible. If you notice redness, joint deformity, swelling, or reduced range of motion, please contact our office to schedule an appointment.

What treatments are recommended for joint pain?
If over-the-counter medications prove unable to relieve your pain, we may then proceed with other treatments such as prescription medications, epidural steroid injections, or nerve blocks.

Strengthening the muscles surrounding the joint is important to healing and preventing future flare ups, so we may recommend at-home exercises or physical therapy as well.

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Knee Pain San Diego, CA

Knee Pain

Knee pain is increasingly becoming a more common problem in society. It is a complaint we see frequently. The most common complaint associated with knee pain is considered the normal “wear and tear.” Another ailment that affects the knee is osteoarthritis. The symptoms and progression of osteoarthritis and knee pain can be reduced through our individualized approach to chiropractic care.

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neck pain San Diego, CA

Neck Pain

The neck, also called the cervical spine, begins at the base of the skull and contains seven small vertebrae. The cervical spine supports the full weight of your head which is on average about 12 pounds. While the cervical spine can move your head in nearly every direction, this flexibility makes the neck very susceptible to pain and injury.

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Neuropathy San Diego, CA

Neuropathy

Neuropathy is a medical condition caused by damaged nerve cells and often associated with autoimmune diseases, infections, diabetes, tumors, or hereditary conditions. Peripheral neuropathy currently affects over 20 million people in the United States with symptoms ranging from tingling or burning pain and nausea to muscle spasms, difficulty moving your arms or legs, or atrophy.

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Sciatica San Diego, CA

Sciatica

Sciatica is characterized by pain in the lower back that radiates down one or both legs. The pain is described as dull, achy, sharp, like “pins and needles” or similar to electric shocks. Other symptoms associated with sciatica include burning, numbness and tingling sensations. Sciatic nerve pain varies in intensity from mild to severe, and frequency may range from occasional to constant. The onset is generally gradual and not necessarily associated with a previous event. Sciatica is also known as radiating or referred pain, neuropathy, or neuralgia.

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shoulder pain San Diego, CA

Shoulder Pain

Shoulder pain is a very common condition and affects almost half of the U.S. Most patients feel some sort of pain, limited range of motion, an inability to engage in activities of daily living (ADL) or something more serious as a permanent disability.

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tmj San Diego, CA

TMJ

TMJ is an abbreviation for the temporomandibular joint which connects the mandibular, or your lower jaw, to the temporal bones of the skull. The TMJ is one of the more unique joints within your body as it allows you to move your jaw forward, backward, and side to side so that you can chew, talk, sing, yawn, and more. This joint can be found just in front of your ears on both sides of your head.

Any problem with the muscles, ligaments, discs, bones, or the joint itself are known as temporomandibular disorders or TMD and refers to the actual disorder, where the jaw joint is misaligned and causing problems such as pain, inflammation, and inability to move or operate the jaw. However, these problems or conditions are often incorrectly called by the joint name of TMJ instead.

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Whiplash San Diego, CA

Whiplash

According to the American Chiropractic Association, one of the most common causes of neck pain is whiplash resulting from a car accident. A sudden forced movement of the head or neck in any direction and the resulting “rebound” in the opposite direction is known as whiplash. The sudden “whipping” motion injures the surrounding and supporting tissues of the neck and head. Muscles react by tightening and contracting, creating muscle fatigue, which can result in pain and stiffness. Severe whiplash can also be associated with injury to the intervertebral joints, discs, ligaments, muscles, and nerve roots.

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