Your Trusted Neighbor in Healing
Welcome to Cavanaugh Chiropractic, where your journey to wellness begins with a personalized touch and a smile! Nestled in the heart of our vibrant community, directly in the center of Lafayette Parish, we’re not just any chiropractic office; we’re your neighbors, dedicated to bringing comfort and healing right to you. Our mission is to empower every individual from our beloved surrounding towns, like Breaux Bridge, LA and beyond, with the care and knowledge to lead a life free of pain. Every visit tells a story of transformation and healing. Now, let me share with you one of those stories, a testament to the strength and resilience of our community members, and a reflection of our commitment to health and wellness for all.
Please note, to respect the privacy and protect the confidentiality of our patients, names and any identifying health information in the following story has been changed. Our commitment to patient confidentiality is paramount, as we share this transformative journey with you.
A Common Celebration Misstep
We recently received a phone call from one of our patients from Breaux Bridge, LA that has been seeing us on and off for a few years. He will come in for a handful of adjustments, start feeling better, do his home exercises, start feeling good, forget to do his exercises, begins to think he is 20 years younger, does something he shouldn’t, and ends up back at our office.
This time, he was celebrating his son’s birthday with a BBQ and a bounce house. The party was going great. All of his friends with kids showed up and everyone was having a great time. As is a common occurrence in Breaux Bridge, LA when family and friends gather, our patient, Mr. Breaux , had his fair share of beers. Feeling a bit of liquid courage and a bloated sense of confidence, Mr. Breaux was told that there was no way he could do a backflip in the bounce house. It was then that Mr. Breaux said the famous last words, “I got this,” and handed his beer to his wife and started walking toward the bounce house.
Mr. Breaux took a couple of practice jumps before, to everyone’s surprise, performing a perfect backflip complete with landing on his feet. He hopped off from the bounce house, took his bow, and felt a severe shooting pain in his lower back. He tried to play the pain off a minor injury. As he got back to his seat, he began thinking, he probably should not have done that and that he was going to need to call his chiropractor who grew up just down the road from Breaux Bridge to help him. Over the next couple of hours of rest, the pain seemed to subside enough so that he could finish the party with just a bit of pain and discomfort. However, the next morning was a different story. His back must had tightened up throughout the night. He was standing crooked and he was also having pain shoot down his right leg. These were not the same symptoms that he had experienced the day before. These symptoms had gotten worse. Mr. Breaux was afraid he may have pinched nerves.
That was when he decided to contact his chiropractic doctor. He was hoping to schedule a priority appointment for the same day. He was in luck. We were able to get him a chiropractic visit that day.
Mapping the Road from random Chronic Pain to Excellent Care
When he showed up at our office, he had a pronounced limp because he was struggling to put weight on his right leg and he had what is called an antalgic posture. This was really frightening Mr. Breaux because no matter how hard he tried to straighten up, he couldn’t. An antalgic posture can indicate many things so I didn’t want to jump to conclusions too soon. After verfifying his insurance and taking a thorough history, he began explaining what happened a few days before and how he woke up with new symptoms of standing crooked and the pain shooting down his right leg, I was pretty confident that we were dealing with an injury similar to a herniated disc. Mr. Breaux stated that his main goal was to be able to stand straight up. Mr. Breaux is a local salesman who would often stand in front of a small group when presenting a pitch. He was worried that no one would pay attention to his presentation because they’d be too busy staring at his posture.
Diagnosing the Problem with your Chiropractor Near Breaux Bridge LA
Understanding Mr. Breaux’s Symptoms
X-rays were negative for breaks, fractures, and dislocations. They were completely normal and showed minimal signs of degenerative changes. This is what we want to see on X-rays. Next we moved to the physical exam part of his visit. To begin, I had him bend forward and flex his lower back until he felt pain. I then had him repeat this process in all of the different ways that a lower back can move. Every plane that Mr. Breaux moved in was severely limited and certain movements even caused him to have the pain shoot down his right leg again. After through these ranges of motion, I began to perform orthopedic and neurological tests to confirm my suspicions. I suspected that Mr. Breaux was suffering from radicular pain, possibly stemming from a disc injury like a disc herniation. The first test I performed was called the straight leg raise test. I began by testing his left leg before testing his right leg. When I lifted his right leg to about 50 degrees, Mr. Breaux experienced a sharp radiating pain down the back of his leg. I then backed off a few degrees until his pain subsided and he was comfortable and told him that I would like to know what he feels when I stretched his calf muscles. This procedure is a complementary test that’s usually performed when I get a positive straight leg raise. It is called the bragard test and it caused Mr. Breaux to experience the same sensation as before. He did not have any muscle weakness or diminished reflexes. Despite the negative neurological findings, I still suspected nerve root irritation.
Tailored Chiropractic Care for Lasting Relief
Our Approach to Chiropractic care
After ruling out red flags and performing my exam, I determined that he would benefit from a course of chiropractic care. I laid out our treatment options we have at our office and he thought it sounded good so we began. First, I had Mr. Breaux lay face down on my chiropractic table. I gently palpated his thoracic and lumbar spine and the surrounding musculature. I felt tight muscles along with muscle spasms. There was some tenderness as well, especially in his mid to lower lumbar spine. Diversified adjusting techniques were performed to specific segments in his mid and lower backs. TFD was performed gently to his lumbar spine and we finished up with some muscle work to his hips and lower extremity stretching. We moved to the therapy department where IST and muscle stimulation was utilized to help decrease spasms and increase ROM.
Progress and Recovery
A Journey to Full Recovery
Mr. Breaux did not feel good when he left that first day. He had mild relief but he was hoping for more. I explained that injuries like the one he was dealing with take time to heal. Discs are considered avascular, meaning that they do not have a blood supply which may be it takes people a long time to recover from disc injuries. I explained that if like to see him three times this week and next. I also made it clear that if he didn’t get any relief in the next two weeks or if his symptoms worsened that we would order a MRI and make appropriate referrals for medical evaluations. Mr. Breaux showed up for every appointment over the next two weeks and felt better at each visit. By the end of the two weeks, he was standing straight up and only had moderate pain radiating down his right leg. After 6 weeks, he was feeling like his old self again and was completely symptom free.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Mr. Breaux’s journey back to health at Cavanaugh Chiropractic is a shining example of the power and effectiveness of chiropractic care. His story, from the initial injury to complete recovery, highlights the importance of professional intervention, especially when dealing with complex issues like nerve root injuries and potential disc herniations. Our dedicated team, leveraging a comprehensive approach that includes thorough examinations, personalized treatment plans, and patient education, ensures that each patient walks out feeling better and more empowered to take care of their health. Our commitment to the well-being of our patients, rooted in our community and expertise, is what makes Cavanaugh Chiropractic a beacon of healing for our patients traveling from Breaux Bridge, LA.
We understand the challenges that come with musculoskeletal issues, and we’re here to support your journey to a pain-free life. If you or someone you know is struggling with pain, discomfort, or just looking to improve overall health and wellness, remember that Cavanaugh Chiropractic is here to help.
Schedule Your Appointment Today
Don’t let pain hold you back any longer. Take the first step towards a healthier, happier you by scheduling your visit with Cavanaugh Chiropractic today. We treat all ages with back or neck pain. Visit our website or give us a call to learn more about how we can create a treatment plan to meet your specific needs. Let us be part of your story of transformation and healing, just like Mr. Breaux. Your journey to wellness starts here, with us.
