Dr. Neill Horton Payne, D.C.

Two simple techniques can show you if you need a neck adjustment. First. Turn your head all the way to the right and left. If you cannot turn as far to one side as the other, you need to be adjusted. You should be able to turn almost 90 degrees in each direction from starting by facing straight ahead. Second. Stand next to a wall. Pick a point on the wall, a spot, the tip of the light switch, etc. Close your eyes and touch that spot. If you open your eyes and you have missed it. You need some adjustments.

If I understand your question is referring to a torn rotator cuff, then the answer is generally no. This term usually refers to a torn labrum. The labrum of the shoulder is the lip of the ligaments that hold the ball of the arm bone [humerus] into the socket of the shoulder joint. It is usually diagnosed by an MRI study using a contrast medium. Exercises to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles can help stabilize the joint if the joint is not too unstable, but typically surgery is required if one has chronic shoulder subluxations or dislocations. One caution though. Surgery is the last thing that one should try. Many people have more trouble after surgery than they had before with about 20 percent needing a second surgery. Get a second or third opinion before agreeing to that procedure. 

Chiropractic treatment is the treatment of choice for sciatica. A proper diagnosis and imaging are necessary for assessing the proper course of treatment.
Quoting from the research on this condition:
A randomized clinical trial by Santilli et al (n = 102) assessed chiropractic SMT versus sham manipulation for patients with acute sciatica and confirmed disc herniation[33]. Significant differences were observed between groups in both back and leg pain in favor of the active SMT group at the 6 month follow-up period. The percentage of cases becoming pain-free was 28% vs. 6% for local pain (p < .005) and 55% vs. 20% for radiating pain (p < .0001). Importantly, no adverse events were observed. This study offers the most compelling evidence to date regarding the efficacy of chiropractic SMT for BRLP, specifically in acute cases. The evidence is not clear, however, regarding efficacy for patients with sub-acute and chronic BRLP.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3072925/
So, yes chiropractic is safe and effective for sciatica.

This is possibly a hernia. It may take surgery to fix but it sounds like a case for a surgeon.

There is no evidence that daily popping of any joint will cause arthritis. Most people who do that or who have enjoyed chiropractic adjustments know that they get a wonderful feeling from the joint being popped. That is because popping a joint (called joint cavitation) causes a release of pain relieving and mood enhancing chemicals that positively affect the nervous system. The more important question is why one feels a need to crack one's back every day. Except for those who are being treated for an acute neck or back injury, no one gets daily chiropractic adjustments. Furthermore, those daily adjustments for acute injuries will only be given for up to two or three weeks. If one is popping his neck or back daily, it means that there is an underlying spinal issue that is not being fixed. That person is basically giving himself a manipulation aspirin that covers the symptoms and does not actually fix the problem. 
A problem at one spinal level will cause the joints of the spine around that problem to shift to compensate for the vertebra that is malfunctioning. Popping one's own back will often pop those compensations without actually moving the joint that is causing the problem. That might be why that person would feel a need to do it every day. It would be better to get a chiropractor to examine the spine, determine where the real problem is, and to initiate a treatment regimen that will actually fix the problem. While chronic daily spine popping may feel good, it is my experience that it can lead to over stretched ligaments. That can cause joint instability and it makes it more difficult to fix the problem once one begins chiropractic care.

Cheers,

Dr. Neill H. Payne

There are two likely causes of a clicking wrist. It would help to know what caused it to start. A fall where one braces or catches oneself using his hands can either cause a slight displacement of one or more small bones in the hand or it can cause damage to the cartilages and ligaments of the wrist. If it is the first option (what we call a subluxation) any chiropractor who does extremity adjusting (i.e. adjusting the joints of the arms and legs) can probably help you. If it is a damaged cartilage there may be future degeneration of the wrist joint and at worst it may require surgery.

There are no known contraindications to adjusting someone who is diabetic. Chiropractic is a very safe and effective treatment.

Most chiropractors, and especially those who like to do sport chiropractic prescribe exercises. Studies show that the combination of chiropractic adjustments and exercise are superior to either of those interventions alone. I tell my patients that the exercises that I recommend help to set the adjustment and cause it hold better.

Dr. Neill H. Payne

Very likely that you are suffering from an un-healed neck injury or spinal degeneration due to an old injury. Posture and muscle imbalance can also be contributing factors. It sounds like you need to see a chiropractor.

Regards, 

Dr. Neill H. Payne

Several things come to mind. Shoulder pain with radiation down the arm could be caused by a subluxation. This is a spinal condition that causes irritation to the nerve that exits the spinal cord. A similar condition is caused by a bulging disk, which puts direct pressure on the nerve. The nerves in the neck go to the arms. Thus, you will feel pain in the arm related to the nerve or nerves that are injured. Sometimes these symptoms are caused by a muscle trigger point or an injury to the shoulder joint itself. The history of this condition along with a physical and X-ray exam should reveal which of these is the cause. Chiropractic care is very good at handling this kind of problem or referring you to someone who can help you if we cannot.

Dr. Neill H. Payne

Misalignment that causes nerve interference is what we call a subluxation. There are some simple tests that will demonstrate if your body and brain are in harmony or if there is interference in the flow of nerve information. Stand on one leg without touching the other leg and close your eyes. If you immediately lose balance, you need to be adjusted. Lie on your back and let your legs relax then without letting your feet move to see if your feet form the same angle. For instance, if the right foot makes a 45-degree angle, the left foot should mirror the right. If not, your hips or low back are out of alignment. Finally, pick out a point on the wall (a light switch or something) and close your eyes then attempt to touch it. If you are on it, your hand and brain are communicating. If not, go see your chiropractor.

Dr. Neill H.Payne

Sciatic pain which is the name for a shooting pain that goes down the back of the leg, is usually caused by disc pressure on the lower back nerve roots. The cure is to relieve that pressure. The best treatment according to research for disc herniation is the chiropractic adjustment. If the disc is the cause of the pain, McKenzie low back exercises and stretches can significantly reduce the leg pain. There is another type of condition that mimics sciatica called pseudo-sciatica. The effect is pain down the back of the leg but the cause is the piriformis muscle in spasm. It is a muscle deep in the gluteal muscles. Stretches can help relieve this but getting to the cause of the spasm is the key to curing this problem.

Dr. Neill H. Payne

I have helped many patients with scoliosis to live either without pain or with less pain naturally. I am even seeing a patient who years ago had Harrington rods implanted in her spine. She has told me that with chiropractic care she lives with much less pain and can exercise and do the things she wants to do.
I hope that you can find good chiropractor to help you. It is the best choice for your leg pain.

Dr. Neill H. Payne

There are varying degrees of herniation and for the most severe form where the gel-like nucleus has completely ruptured and is entrapped against a nerve or is dissecting the spinal ligament from the body of the spine, then surgery is usually necessary. However, the good news is that most disc herniations are not at that level of severity. Research has shown that: 
90% of Herniated Discs Improve with Chiropractic

Dr. Neill H. Payne

Chiropractic is probably the best, if not the only real solution for this problem. I know that I have helped infants with reflux. What is absolutely bad for them is Prilosec and other similar drugs. Please find a chiropractor with some experience in adjusting infants. 

All the best,

Dr. Neill H.Payne

I have been very successful in treating TMJ. One patient suffered with TMJ for 40 years. He had seen other chiropractors, MD's, and he even went to the UCLA TMJ clinic to no avail. The first visit was the first time he had had relief in 40 years. Over a course of several visits he was 100% better with only occasional flare ups. Find a chiropractor who has experience and success in treating this problem.

All the best,

Dr. Neill H.Payne

Scientific studies show that a combination of chiropractic and targeted exercises are the best treatment for all kinds of spinal pain. People usually do better with chiropractic care than with medical treatment, p.t. or other forms of treatment. They get better in half the time, use half the pain meds, and have twice the level of satisfaction with the care they receive. 

Cheers,

Dr. Neill H.Payne

Many people do this occasionally and they don't have any problem doing it. However, doing this all the time will cause the ligaments of the neck to stretch and become unstable allowing the neck to go out of alignment more easily. It is possible to create a subluxation or misalignment by doing this. If you have a need to crack your own neck all the time it is likely that there is any underlying subluxation that you are not able to fix yourself. The cracking you do feels good but it doesn't get to bottom of why you feel like you need to keep doing this. I would recommend seeing a chiropractor.

Dr. Neill H. Payne

I have helped several pregnant patients and some of them with sciatica. Chiropractic is the best solution for a healthier pregnancy and speedier delivery. There are many medical options that are not available to a pregnant women while she is carrying a baby. Fortunately, chiropractic is safe, will not harm the baby and has been proven to be effective. 

Dr. Neill H.Payne

Chiropractic treatment is probably the safest non-medical form of health care that exists. Of course, there is always some amount of risk with any health procedure. However no health care practitioner pays less for malpractice insurance than do chiropractors. Get a reference from a reliable source. If anything makes you uncomfortable, talk to your doctor about it. Mainly, just relax. The deeper you can relax, the easier and more enjoyable the adjustment. It is the best thing that you can do for your body.

Dr. Neill H.Payne