Derrik Metz, D.C.

When people think of chiropractic, they immediately think of low back pain and are often surprised to find out that chiropractic can benefit many conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, headaches, rotator cuff tears, as well as hip, knee, and ankle conditions. There is also research support for manipulation (a key component of [..]

For many years, Chiropractic has been at the forefront of treating low back pain (LBP) with both greater patient satisfaction and less lost time at work when compared with other non-surgical treatment approaches. There have been many explanations as to why chiropractic manipulation therapy (CMT) works but many of these studies include other treatment modalities [..]

Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine that gives it either a "C" or an "S" shape when looking at the person from behind. I’m sure you’ve noticed when you’re at a beach, at a swimming pool, or walking in an airport, some people have a high shoulder, walk with a bit of a limp [..]

Patient education is a very important aspect of caring for patients. In fact, it can be one of the most important aspects of care. For example, when patients present with a brand new injury and pain levels are off the map, it’s quite common for that acute suffering patient to inappropriately think that, "I’m going [..]

Low back pain can arise from many conditions, one of which is a mouthful: spondylolisthesis. The term was coined in 1854 from the Greek words, "spondylo" for vertebrae and "olisthesis" for slip. These "slips" most commonly occur in the lower back (90% at L5 and 9% at L4). According to experts, the most common type [..]

Low back pain can emanate from many anatomical locations (as well as a combination of locations), which always makes it interesting when a patient asks, "…doc, where in my back is my pain coming from?" In context of an office visit, we take an accurate history and perform our physical exam to try to reproduce [..]

Scoliosis is a term used to describe a curvature of the spine that is not "normal." The normal curves of the spine include an inward curve in the low back and neck and an outward curve in the mid-back when looking at the person from the side ("sagittal plane"). However, there should NOT be any [..]

One unusual cause of low back pain (LBP) involves vitamin D deficiency. Yes, that's right, a VITAMIN DEFICIENCY! One study reported on a 360 patient (90% women, 10% men) group under treatment at spinal and internal medicine clinics over a six-year time frame for LBP of 6 months or greater with no obvious cause. Doctors [..]

This question has plagued all of us, including researchers, for a long time! Could it be because we’re all inherently lazy and don’t exercise enough? Or maybe it’s because we have a job that’s too demanding on our back? To properly address this question, here are some interesting facts: The prevalence of low back pain [..]

It’s been reported that educating the patient about their condition reduces unnecessary anxiety and fear, which in turn, allows a more swift resolution of their condition. The intensity of low back pain (LBP) can sometimes be so severe, the patient can hardly move without getting a sharp, knife-like pain that stops them in their tracks. [..]