Conditions We Treated | True Chiropractic Portland
Our Chiropractors treat hundreds of conditions related to the spine, symptoms for which are evident in most areas of the body. These categories relate to the most common conditions for which patients seek care.
Back Pain
Back pain can come from old injuries or habits that build up over time. Most often, it comes down to how the back moves and how well it stabilizes during everyday activities. When the body goes through stressful positions again and again, that repetitive strain leads to pain. Dr. Parham Harati diagnoses back pain through orthopedic testing, muscle testing, and range of motion testing to find out if it’s coming from a disc, a joint, or overworked and underworked muscles. X-rays help show how the spine is positioned and how it absorbs force, while also ruling out anything serious. Treatment includes adjustments, soft tissue work, and exercises to build strength and stability. Most patients start seeing results within the first two weeks.
Neck Pain
The onset of neck pain is also associated with poor posture in the workplace, particularly among those who sit for long hours while working at their desks. Working with a monitor at a low position, sitting at an incorrect chair height, or not taking any breaks are some of the factors that result in muscle stiffness over time. The diagnosis done by Dr. Parham Harati begins with the history of the patient’s condition, followed by an assessment of the range and orthopedic tests to identify if the cause of the pain is related to a disc, muscle, joint, or poor posture.
Headaches and Migraines
Most headaches have their source in the upper neck, specifically the areas where the bones of the head join the neck bones. In cases where the joints are not moving normally, it leads to tightness of muscles, and this results in pain referred directly to the head. Factors such as stress, lack of adequate rest, and reduced physical activity may complicate the condition. Dr. Harati will find out if the headache is linked to neck motion and then conduct an examination of the neck, its muscles, and even the jaw, since jaw problems are known to cause headaches. The therapy involves the manipulation of the neck, massaging of the muscles around the base of the skull, and exercise of the neck.
Sciatica
The sciatic nerve forms from nerve roots in the lower back region. When that nerve is irritated or pinched between muscles, it can cause numbness, tingling, or sharp pain running down the back of the leg, sometimes clear down to the foot. A disc injury in the low back can make the condition worse by irritating those same nerve roots. Sitting too long, bending, or lifting can all set it off.
Dr. Parham Harati works on restoring the motion of the low back, hips, and knees. Treatment includes adjustments, mobilization, and soft tissue techniques such as active release and cupping. Exercises are also prescribed for building strength while keeping the area moving so the nerve has room to glide the way it’s supposed to.
Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a sideways curve in the spine, and it doesn’t affect everyone the same way. Some people barely notice it. Others deal with stiffness, uneven muscle tension, or pain as the curve pushes more weight onto one side of the back than the other.
During your physical exam, Dr. Harati looks at posture, range of motion, and how the whole spine moves together, not just the curve itself, to see how it’s affecting daily life.
Care isn’t about straightening the curve. It’s about keeping things moving well, easing tension on the tighter side, and building strength where the body needs it, so the spine works as well as it can.
Herniated Disc
A herniated disc develops when the soft material inside a spinal disc pushes out and can put pressure on nearby nerves, often causing pain that radiates down an arm or leg along with numbness or tingling. Sitting, bending, or lifting can make symptoms worse. We diagnose this through a detailed history, range of motion, and orthopedic testing. X-rays are used to check the structure of the spine, and an MRI is ordered when more detail is needed. Treatment focuses on relieving pressure on the affected nerve through adjustments and techniques like Mackenzie therapy, along with soft tissue work and stabilization exercises that build support around the area so it can heal and stay pain-free.
Auto Accident and Whiplash
Whiplash occurs when the neck moves suddenly back and forth, which is common in car accidents. This can strain muscles and ligaments in the neck and upper back, leading to pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion that sometimes takes a day or two to show up. Dr. Parham Harati starts with a detailed history of the accident and the symptoms since, followed by range of motion and orthopedic testing to see which structures were affected. X-rays help rule out anything more serious. Treatment includes gentle adjustments or mobilization depending on how much the area can tolerate, soft tissue work to ease tight muscles, and exercises to rebuild strength and motion so the neck recovers fully.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome happens when a nerve in the wrist gets compressed, often from repetitive hand and wrist motions like typing or gripping tools for long periods. This can cause numbness, tingling, or weakness in the hand and fingers. Dr. Parham Harati checks the wrist, forearm, and neck together, since nerve irritation in the neck can sometimes contribute to symptoms lower down the arm. Orthopedic testing and range-of-motion checks help pinpoint where the compression is coming from. Treatment includes soft tissue work to release tight muscles in the forearm, mobilization of the wrist, and exercises to build strength and improve movement patterns, helping take pressure off the nerve so symptoms ease.
Knee Pain
Many individuals experience knee pain without any direct injury. Sometimes the hip or ankle isn’t moving right, so the knee ends up compensating, doing more work than it’s really built for. You may notice difficulty or pain while running or going up and down stairs.
Dr. Parham Harati looks at the whole chain, hip, knee, and ankle together, to find where the problem actually starts. Treatment brings in mobilization and adjustments to get proper motion back. Stabilization and activation exercises are also prescribed so the knee isn’t carrying everything on its own. Patients also get pointers on technique, small adjustments to how they move during activity or training, so the pain doesn’t just come right back.
Vertigo
For patients suffering from vertigo, the upper neck is often part of the picture. When the joints in the cervical spine aren’t moving well, they can send mixed signals to the brain about balance and position. This shows up as dizziness, spinning, or just feeling unsteady on your feet.
Dr. Parham Harati starts with a detailed history: when it happens, what brings it on. He will thoroughly examine how the neck moves to see if that’s feeding into it.
From there, treatment centers on getting proper motion back into the upper neck, with gentle adjustments or mobilization depending on what the patient can tolerate. Soft tissue work and exercises round it out, building back balance and stability over time.
Pediatric Chiropractic Care
Kids come into our clinic for all kinds of reasons, from posture issues related to phones and screens to younger babies who cry a lot, don’t like being held for long, or seem to have growing pains. Chiropractic care for kids uses much lighter force than adult care, since children’s joints and bones are still developing and move more freely. Dr. Harati uses very gentle mobilizations instead of the normal spinal adjustments used for adults. He spends time explaining things in a way kids can understand, so they’re not afraid of the process. Treatment often includes stabilization and activation exercises, along with guidance for parents on posture and movement habits at home.
Massage Therapy
Massage therapy works alongside chiropractic care to help release tight, overworked muscles and reduce tension that builds up around the spine and joints. It’s often used together with adjustments and mobilization, since loosening tight muscles first can help the body respond better to treatment and hold onto those improvements longer. Dr. Parham Harati uses massage as part of a bigger treatment plan for conditions like back pain, neck pain, and sciatica, targeting the specific muscles contributing to the problem. Combined with soft tissue techniques like active release and cupping, massage therapy helps patients feel relief faster and supports the exercises and adjustments, doing the rest of the work.