Chiropractic and Back Pain Treatment
People visit the chiropractic office for a wide array of reasons, from asthma to injury. Perhaps one of the most common, or at least well known, reasons for those chiropractic visits is back pain. And studies show it works: In a survey conducted by Consumer Reports, a whopping sixty-five percent of all people receiving chiropractic care for back pain claimed they experienced “a lot” of relief from their treatment. If you are considering a visit to the chiropractor for your own discomfort, here is a guide to how a chiropractor can help your back pain:
Preparing for the treatment plan. Before a chiropractor will work on your back, a lot of care must go into understanding the cause of your back pain, the current condition of your overall health, and the best way to treat your discomfort. To create a treatment plan suited especially to your specific needs, you will first have to provide the chiropractor with a detailed medical history, and then you will have to submit to a comprehensive health examination. If need be, the chiropractor may even refer you for further lab tests or X-Rays before treating you.
Goals of the treatment plan. Of course, the immediate goal is to relieve your back pain. However, chiropractors are also concerned with maintaining the positive benefits of your chiropractic care long after you experience pain relief. Specific goals are to keep the pain at bay for good, and as well to prevent any further injury that can cause even more, or different types of, pain.
What does the treatment plan involve? The severity and nature of your back pain will determine how frequently you may visit the chiropractor. Once you have established a good base line, you will go into the chiropractor’s office on a regular basis for spinal manipulation. During the vertebral alignment process, the chiropractor will adjust your spine using a variety of manual methods. Many chiropractors also offer deep tissue massage and acupuncture as therapeutic solutions for back pain. Additionally, chiropractors often use a well-rounded approach to treating your condition, including nutritional counseling and guidance for exercises/activities you may do on your own to help ease the pain.
How does chiropractic care work? When a chiropractor manipulates the spine to achieve vertebral alignment, it frees up space between the discs in the vertebrae, which may be cramped due to bulging/herniated discs and/or the swelling in the surrounding tissue. When the discs are properly spaced, tension and pressure between them is often reduced, allowing nerves to communicate more effectively with the rest of the nervous system (and to stop sending those pain signals!).
If you have back pain, you owe it to yourself to explore the possibility of seeking treatment from a chiropractor. Consider these points when determining how chiropractic care may be of help to you.
