Relief Plus Journal
Understand your pain. Know your options.
Find answers about symptoms, everyday movement, and treatment choices. Browse by topic or start with a question that sounds like yours. These articles can help you prepare for a visit; they cannot diagnose your symptoms.
How Relief Plus creates and reviews health information →Featured reading
Spine & Nerve
September 8, 2026
Is Your Sciatica Really Coming From Your Back?
Burning, tingling, and pain down your leg can start outside the spine. Three nerve problems deserve attention, even when an MRI shows a disc bulge.
Read article →Shoulder & Upper Extremity
September 5, 2026
Bowhunting Without the Shrug: Better Shoulder Mechanics for Acadiana Hunters
Learn how shoulder-blade stability, lower-trap coordination and core control support your bow draw, plus a movement check for Acadiana hunters.
Read article →Spine & Nerve
September 3, 2026
When Does an Epidural Steroid Injection Work Best for Sciatica?
Dr. Shawn Johnston explains when lumbar epidural steroid injections tend to help sciatica, how inflammation differs from mechanical nerve compression, and why therapy before an injection can matter.
Read article →TMJ & Headache
August 4, 2026
Why Your Jaw Hurts: A Practical Guide to TMJ Pain
Learn common reasons for jaw pain, clicking, tightness, and facial discomfort, plus conservative first steps and when to seek an evaluation.
Read article →TMJ & Headache
March 19, 2024
Conservative Care for Temporomandibular Disorders
Understand conservative, reversible options for TMD, how care may be sequenced, and why treatment should match the individual examination.
Read article →Browse the journal
Articles organized around patient questions.
Back, Neck & Spine
Is Your Sciatica Really Coming From Your Back?Burning, tingling, and pain down your leg can start outside the spine. Three nerve problems deserve attention, even when an MRI shows a disc bulge.Read article →When Does an Epidural Steroid Injection Work Best for Sciatica?Dr. Shawn Johnston explains when lumbar epidural steroid injections tend to help sciatica, how inflammation differs from mechanical nerve compression, and why therapy before an injection can matter.Read article →Why Your Neck May Hurt When You Wake UpExplore why neck pain can feel worse after sleep, how position and daily load may contribute, and when persistent morning symptoms deserve evaluation.Read article →Why Your Hands May Go Numb at NightLearn how wrist, elbow, neck, and sleeping positions can contribute to nighttime hand numbness and which symptoms warrant prompt evaluation.Read article →Cervical Manipulation: Benefits, Risks, and Clinical JudgmentA balanced explanation of cervical manipulation, expected benefits, uncommon but serious risks, screening limits, alternatives, and shared decisions.Read article →Cervical Traction: When It May Fit Neck and Arm CareLearn what cervical traction does, where evidence is most relevant, why response varies, and how it may fit alongside exercise and rehabilitation.Read article →Why Your Lower Back May Hurt When SittingUnderstand why sitting can aggravate some lower-back pain, why posture is only one factor, and how movement and load experiments guide care.Read article →Lumbar Disc-Related Pain: More Than a Tight BackLearn how disc-related back symptoms may behave, why imaging is not the whole diagnosis, and how neurological findings and movement guide care.Read article →Facet-Related Back Pain: What Examination Can—and Cannot—Tell UsLearn why facet-related pain is a clinical hypothesis, how movement and neurological findings guide care, and where manual care or dry needling may fit.Read article →When a Back Brace May—and May Not—Help Disc-Related PainLearn when short-term back-brace use may be reasonable, its limitations, and why active rehabilitation remains important for disc-related symptoms.Read article →Why Your Back May Hurt When You Stand Too LongLearn why prolonged standing can aggravate back pain, how movement variability and load tolerance matter, and when symptoms need evaluation.Read article →Piriformis-Like Pain vs. Lumbar Nerve-Root SymptomsLearn how buttock and leg symptoms may differ between deep-gluteal irritation and lumbar nerve-root problems—and why symptom maps or MRI alone are insufficient.Read article →Arm Numbness: Why Distribution Alone Is Not a DiagnosisUnderstand cervical radiculopathy, peripheral nerve entrapment, task and position effects, vascular concerns, and urgent signs associated with arm numbness.Read article →Disc-Related Radicular Pain: Traction, Manual Care, and Active RecoveryA balanced guide to disc findings, radicular symptoms, neurological screening, traction evidence, manual care, rehabilitation, imaging, and referral.Read article →Back to Basics: Trunk Endurance for Lower-Back PainLearn how trunk endurance, graded exercise, symptom response, and task-specific progression may support lower-back recovery.Read article →
Headache & TMJ
Why Your Jaw Hurts: A Practical Guide to TMJ PainLearn common reasons for jaw pain, clicking, tightness, and facial discomfort, plus conservative first steps and when to seek an evaluation.Read article →Conservative Care for Temporomandibular DisordersUnderstand conservative, reversible options for TMD, how care may be sequenced, and why treatment should match the individual examination.Read article →When a Headache May Be Related to the NeckUnderstand cervicogenic headache clues, why neck pain does not prove the diagnosis, and how examination guides conservative care and referral.Read article →Tension-Type Headache vs. Migraine: Useful DifferencesCompare common tension-type headache and migraine features, understand overlap, and learn when a new headache pattern needs medical attention.Read article →When Headaches Keep Returning: Classification Before AssumptionLearn why persistent headaches require classification, how migraine, tension-type, cervicogenic, TMJ, and medication-overuse patterns differ, and when to seek care.Read article →
Shoulder, Elbow & Hand
Bowhunting Without the Shrug: Better Shoulder Mechanics for Acadiana HuntersLearn how shoulder-blade stability, lower-trap coordination and core control support your bow draw, plus a movement check for Acadiana hunters.Read article →Frozen Shoulder Exercises: Matching Movement to the StageLearn how frozen shoulder exercise may change with pain and stiffness, why forcing motion can backfire, and when an assessment is appropriate.Read article →Scapular Dyskinesis: A Finding, Not a VerdictUnderstand scapular dyskinesis, why altered shoulder-blade motion can occur with or without pain, and how rehabilitation focuses on useful function.Read article →De Quervain Tenosynovitis: Understanding Thumb-Side Wrist PainUnderstand de Quervain tenosynovitis, load-related thumb-side wrist pain, assessment, rehabilitation, and when medical options may be discussed.Read article →Why Your Elbow May Hurt When You LiftExplore common lifting-related elbow pain patterns, load tolerance, neck and nerve contributions, and practical rehabilitation principles.Read article →Why Shoulder Pain Can Feel Worse at NightUnderstand why shoulder symptoms may worsen at night, how positioning and daytime load interact, and when weakness or trauma needs evaluation.Read article →
Hip, Knee & Foot
Shockwave and Dry Needling for Runner’s Knee: Where They May FitLearn why runner’s knee requires load and movement assessment and how shockwave or dry needling may—or may not—fit beside active rehabilitation.Read article →Why Your Hip May Hurt When You WalkExplore common hip-pain patterns during walking, neighboring-joint contributions, load tolerance, and signs that warrant medical evaluation.Read article →Why Your Foot May Hurt on the First Steps of the DayLearn why first-step heel or foot pain occurs, what else can resemble plantar fasciitis, and how progressive loading supports recovery.Read article →Why Your Knee May Hurt When Going Up StairsUnderstand stair-related knee pain, patellofemoral load, hip and ankle contributions, and how strength and task progression guide recovery.Read article →Morton’s Neuroma: Understanding Burning Forefoot PainUnderstand interdigital nerve irritation, forefoot loading, footwear considerations, differential diagnoses, and when specialist evaluation may help.Read article →
Treatments & Advanced Options
PRP for Tennis Elbow: Evidence, Candidacy, and AlternativesA balanced guide to PRP for tennis elbow, including evidence limits, candidacy, alternatives, risks, and questions to discuss before treatment.Read article →Dry Needling for Tennis Elbow: Where It May FitLearn how dry needling may fit into tennis elbow care, what research suggests, what it does not prove, and why progressive loading still matters.Read article →Ozone Injections for Knee Osteoarthritis: What the Evidence SaysA balanced review of ozone injections for knee osteoarthritis, including possible short-term benefits, evidence limitations, candidacy, and alternatives.Read article →PRP and Dry Needling for Muscle Injuries: Different RolesLearn how PRP and dry needling differ, where each may fit in selected muscle injuries, and why diagnosis and progressive rehabilitation remain central.Read article →Dry Needling for Plantar Heel Pain: Evidence and ContextExplore dry needling evidence for plantar heel pain, how it may complement loading, and why the legacy URL does not establish individual authorship.Read article →Trigger-Point Injections: A Focused Option for Myofascial PainLearn where trigger-point injections may fit for selected muscular pain, what they do not treat, and why candidacy and rehabilitation matter.Read article →
Injury, Work & Recovery
Why Symptoms Can Change After a Car AccidentLearn why pain, stiffness, headache, or dizziness may evolve after a collision and which changes require urgent or routine evaluation.Read article →When Should You Seek Care After a Car Accident?A calm guide to urgent signs, early evaluation, symptom monitoring, and where chiropractic or rehabilitation may fit after a collision.Read article →The Carencro Commute and Building Capacity for Physical WorkPractical guidance for Acadiana workers balancing driving, lifting, reaching, repetition, recovery, and a progressive return to job demands.Read article →A Carencro Worker’s Guide to Back Capacity and RecoveryPractical guidance for building back capacity, varying work demands, responding to symptoms, and returning to work across Acadiana.Read article →
Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation
Three Ways to Explore Low-Back Stability—Without a One-Size-Fits-All ProgramLearn what trunk stability means and how breathing, coordination, graded exercise, and symptom response guide safe low-back training.Read article →Musculoskeletal Pain During Pregnancy: What Deserves AttentionA conservative guide to pregnancy-related back and pelvic discomfort, movement, sleep, activity tolerance, and when obstetric evaluation comes first.Read article →Natural Movement: Useful Variety, Capacity, and ContextExplore what natural movement can reasonably mean, why movement variety matters, and how individualized progression supports function.Read article →Mobility and Stability: Using Movement Models Without OverdiagnosisLearn how mobility and stability models can organize an examination without turning movement differences into fixed diagnoses.Read article →Developmental Movement Concepts in Everyday RehabilitationUnderstand how rolling, reaching, crawling, breathing, and transitions may be adapted as rehabilitation tools without universal claims.Read article →Breathing and Posture: Adaptability Over PerfectionA balanced guide to breathing, posture, position changes, and why no single posture guarantees pain relief or optimal health.Read article →How Chiropractic and Physical Therapy May Work TogetherLearn when chiropractic and physical therapy may complement one another—and why every patient does not need both.Read article →Manual Therapy and Soft-Tissue Techniques: A Measured RoleUnderstand what manual therapy may offer, its limits, and why movement and progressive loading remain central to recovery.Read article →
Local & Acadiana
Explore by topic
Start with the question that matters to you.
Spine & Chiropractic
Back, neck, nerve, and movement education.
Explore topic →Rehabilitation & Function
Ways to rebuild movement and strength for daily life.
Explore topic →Shoulder, Elbow & Hand
Shoulder, elbow, and tendon concerns.
Explore topic →Hip, Knee & Foot
Pain with walking, stairs, running, or standing.
Explore topic →TMJ & Headache
Jaw function, head pain, and conservative care.
Explore topic →Advanced Treatment Education
Who a treatment may suit, what evidence shows, and other options.
Explore topic →Injury & Recovery
Education for returning to function after an injury.
Explore topic →Treatments
Browse the current Relief Plus treatment options.
Explore topic →All Conditions
Browse the musculoskeletal concerns evaluated at Relief Plus.
Explore topic →Latest articles
Recently published.
Dates reflect original publication. Substantively updated articles also show an updated date on the article page.
Is Your Sciatica Really Coming From Your Back?Read article →Bowhunting Without the Shrug: Better Shoulder Mechanics for Acadiana HuntersRead article →When Does an Epidural Steroid Injection Work Best for Sciatica?Read article →Why Your Jaw Hurts: A Practical Guide to TMJ PainRead article →Why Your Hands May Go Numb at NightRead article →Why Your Elbow May Hurt When You LiftRead article →
Individualized care
Education is the beginning of a good decision.
If symptoms are affecting daily life, an examination can help clarify reasonable next steps and alternatives.