Chiropractic care for construction and trades workers in St. Thomas
/St. Thomas has been under some form of construction since Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, and the work has not really stopped since: roofs, homes, hotels, and roads have kept crews of framers, roofers, masons, electricians, plumbers, and laborers busy for years. Dr. Keys has practiced on St. Thomas since 2015 and was on the island through Irma and Maria. Tradewinds opened in April 2018, in the recovery that followed, and a good number of the people who rebuilt this island have ended up in our office with a back or a shoulder that finally said enough.
Tradewinds Chiropractic & Wellness is in the VI Medical Foundation Building, Suite 202, 9150 Estate Thomas, just east of Charlotte Amalie. We treat residents, tradespeople, and crews working island-wide. Dr. Keys is the Chair of the Virgin Islands Board of Chiropractic Examiners, a member of the Virgin Islands Chiropractic Society, and the International Chiropractors Association representative for the U.S. Virgin Islands.
What the work does to a body
- Low back. Lifting bags of concrete, lumber, and tile from awkward angles, and years of bending over the same way. See our lower back pain page.
- Shoulders. Overhead work: framing, drywall, electrical conduit, and roofing. Rotator cuff irritation is common in anyone who spends the day with their arms up. See our shoulder pain page.
- Knees. Kneeling for flooring, tile, and finish work, and climbing ladders and scaffolding all day. See our knee pain page.
- Neck. Looking up at ceiling work, soffits, and overhead electrical for hours at a time. See our neck pain page.
- Elbows. Repetitive tool use, hammering, and gripping wear on the tendons at the elbow the same way a racquet sport does. See our tennis elbow and golfer's elbow page.
How we treat it at Tradewinds
The first visit is a history and an exam of how you move, with digital x-rays when something needs a closer look. Dr. Keys adjusts the spine and the extremities, shoulders, elbows, and knees included, using Gonstead and Diversified techniques, with flexion-distraction or the drop table for a low back that has been loaded hard for years. Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization works on the thick, scarred tissue that builds up in a forearm or a shoulder over a career of manual work.
For tendon pain that has hung on for months, an elbow, a shoulder, or a knee, we offer extracorporeal shockwave therapy, a short series of visits with no downtime. You leave every visit with a written rehab plan built around what your job actually asks of your body, not a generic exercise sheet.
Getting back to work
Most strains and locked-up joints improve over a few weeks with treatment and a sensible approach to lifting and posture on the job. Tendon problems, elbows and shoulders that have been building for years, take longer, often six to twelve weeks. We will tell you honestly what that timeline looks like and what you can keep doing on the job while you heal, rather than tell you to sit out work you do not need to sit out.
We do not bill workers' compensation. We do write return-to-work and work-restriction notes, so your employer has in writing what you can and cannot do while you heal. Self-pay rates are $120 for the initial exam, $40 for a chiropractic adjustment, and $20 for each therapy.
When to see someone else
Go to the nearest hospital emergency room, or call 911, for any of these:
- A fall from height, a serious blow to the head, or a possible fracture
- A joint that dislocates, or a knee or shoulder that gives way
- Numbness in the saddle area, loss of bowel or bladder control, or weakness in an arm or leg that is getting worse
- Fever with back pain
- A deep laceration, a crush injury, or anything with heavy bleeding
If the exam points to a torn rotator cuff, a disc pressing on a nerve, or something that needs surgical evaluation, Dr. Keys will tell you and refer you to an orthopedist or for imaging rather than adjust around it.
Getting seen
Call (340) 690-4994 or email info@tradewindschiropractic.com. Tuesday and Friday we open at 7:00 am, early enough to be seen before a job site start. Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday we run evenings to 7:00 pm, after a shift. We take walk-ins and same-day appointments. We are in the VI Medical Foundation Building, Suite 202, 9150 Estate Thomas, St. Thomas, USVI 00802. Hours are Mon, Wed, Thu: 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm; Tue, Fri: 7:00 am to 2:00 pm; closed Sat and Sun. Our full list of services is on the services page. We have more than 180 five-star Google reviews.
Questions patients ask
Is there a chiropractor for construction workers in St. Thomas?
Yes. Tradewinds Chiropractic & Wellness in Charlotte Amalie treats framers, roofers, masons, electricians, plumbers, and laborers for the back, shoulder, knee, and elbow strain that comes with the trade. Call (340) 690-4994.
My shoulder or elbow has hurt for years from tool work. Can you help?
Often, yes. Long-running tendon pain from overhead work or repetitive tool use is common in the trades. We treat it with adjusting, soft tissue work, a job-specific rehab plan, and shockwave therapy for stubborn cases. If the exam suggests a tear, we refer you for imaging instead.
Do you accept workers' compensation for a job site injury?
No. We do not bill workers' compensation. We do write return-to-work and work-restriction notes for job site injuries. Self-pay rates are $120 for the initial exam, $40 for a chiropractic adjustment, and $20 for each therapy.
Can I get an appointment before or after my shift?
Yes. We open at 7:00 am on Tuesday and Friday, which works before an early job site start, and stay open to 7:00 pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, which works after a shift. We take walk-ins and same-day appointments.
My knees hurt from kneeling all day on tile or flooring work. Is that something you treat?
Yes. We examine the knee and the hip and ankle above and below it, since kneeling work often loads all three the same way. Treatment usually includes adjusting, soft tissue work around the kneecap, and a plan for pads or work positioning that takes some of the load off.
