Contact

➤ LOCATION

129 Locust St.
Elizabethville, PA 17023

☎ CONTACT

bellischiro1@yahoo.com
(717) 362-1288

Top Areas of Practice

Low Back Pain

By far the most commonly treated condition in our office. Most common type is a sprain of the pelvis or Sacroiliac Joints. Pelvic muscular imbalances which occur over a long period of time will eventually show up as pain in the lower back. We use muscle compression to loosen the tight muscles and then adjust the lumbar spine and pelvis. Tight Iliopsoas (hip flexor) muscles are most common but usually involves knots in the gluteal muscles and IT bands as well. Complaints of Sciatica are often the result of a sprained SI joint. Pain, numbness or tingling can radiate through the hip and down the affected leg, although the discomfort usually stops around the knee. If the patient complains of numbness below the knee or into the foot, there's a chance that the patient is experiencing true Sciatica from another lesion (herniated disk, stenosis, enlarged ligaments, etc..). As a side note, it is very common for someone to experience knee pain with a sprained pelvis. When there's rotation in the pelvis, it can cause rotation in the femur (leg) bone, which in turn places greater stress on the knee. Dr. Bellis has seen countless examples of "fixing" patient's knee pain without ever touching the knee itself;  simply by adjusting the pelvis.

Foot and Ankle Pain

When a patient presents with foot and/or ankle pain, we first look to the gastrocnemius (calve) muscles. By releasing knots in the calves through trigger point therapy or stretching, most patients experience instant relief when walking. Tight muscles can shorten ligaments and compress the ankles and other joints.  Like most joints, ankles and feet can be adjusted to restore proper alignment. The patient can also be fitted for orthotics to maintain support if warranted. Stretching, rolling the foot with a golf ball, "scrunching" a towel, and ice are all effective ways to treat plantar fasciitis and other foot ailments.

Neck Pain and/or Headache

The second most common complaint we treat at Bellis Chiropractic is neck pain and headaches. Both usually result from muscle knots and spasm of the muscles that connect the neck and shoulders. Muscle tension caused by chronic stress, poor posture and repetitive motions lead to fixations in the spine.  Headaches can oftentimes be resolved by identifying a knot's (trigger point) "referral pattern". For example, if a patient complains of pain that radiates "up the back of my head and settles into my eye", the patient most likely has a knot in the Trapezius muscle. If a patient has a headache in the "forehead" that can be reproduced by pressing on the muscles directly underneath the skull (suboccipital muscles), the patient most likely has a tension headache from suboccipital trigger points. 

Shoulder Pain

Most shoulder conditions are the result of imbalances in the rotator cuff. These 4 muscles plus a few accessory muscles must work in sync for proper shoulder movement. Poor posture, repetitive movements or acute trauma can cause certain muscles to shorten; thereby causing imbalance and leading to pain and instability. The offending muscle(s) must be identified and treated. Home stretching and exercises will be prescribed in order to restore balance and relieve pain in the shoulder.

Numbness in Arms and Hands

When a patient presents with numbness in the extremities, it is often the result of arteries or nerves being compressed by tight muscles in the neck, shoulder, upper or lower arms. We first try to reproduce the numbness by compressing the usual entrapment sites. If the symptoms cannot be reproduced during the exam, other causes must be considered and the patient will be referred out of the office for further testing. Dr. Bellis has helped numerous cases of pain in the wrist, carpal tunnel syndrome, tingling in the fingers, etc... simply by stretching out tight muscles in the forearm.