Spinal manipulation and adjustments to improve skeletal alignment can relieve acute pain. These techniques can also help reduce chronic inflammation, which is the cause of most lower back pain.
Chiropractors can also treat herniated and bulging discs with various therapies and techniques. Pain management with a chiropractor can increase mobility while boosting the health of your spine and nerves.
Table of Contents
Back Pain
Back pain is a common experience for many individuals. It can manifest as a dull ache or a sharp, stabbing sensation, making it challenging to maintain proper posture. The usual treatment for this condition involves a manual manipulation technique. This method entails moving a joint in the spine to its maximum range, followed by a gentle thrust. This type of therapy can alleviate pressure on nerves, which is one of the common causes of back pain.
Chiropractors also use massage and heat, which can provide immediate relief. However, spinal surgery may be required if a herniated or slipped disc causes the pain. In some cases, chiropractors will refer patients to a spine specialist. This is especially true if the patient has fragile or complex health.
Neck Pain
Neck pain, also called cervicalgia, is a common problem affecting anyone. It usually happens when we do things that strain the neck muscles and bones, like hunching over a computer screen for hours or sleeping awkwardly. Other causes of neck pain include overuse, sports injuries, and car accidents.
The cervical spine, commonly referred to as the neck, is made up of seven square-shaped bones known as vertebrae. These are stacked one on the other and held together by vertebral discs containing a gel-like substance. This helps to maintain proper spinal alignment and cushion the spine. Additionally, the neck contains over 20 muscles that support and allow movement.
If you experience neck pain, you may feel stiff on one side and suffer from headaches. Muscle spasms could also occur, and if a nerve is compressed or pinched, you may feel numbness or tingling in your arms or hands.
Sciatica
Sciatica is a condition in which your spinal nerves become compressed, which leads to pain, numbness, and weakness—a herniated disc or spinal dysfunction, such as spinal stenosis, most commonly cause this painful problem. Sciatica pain typically affects one side of the body.
Chiropractors use gentle manipulations of the spine to realign vertebrae, which reduces pressure on the sciatic nerve and alleviates pain. They also use soft-tissue techniques to reduce tight muscles that pinch the sciatic nerve and cause pain. They may recommend exercises to strengthen weak muscle groups and teach you how to do them at home, making your pain go away faster. They might also use a TENS unit to help reduce pain, stiffness, and swelling.
Headaches
Headaches can be debilitating and have a huge financial impact on society due to lost work days. They also occur frequently and have many symptoms, from pressure to tightness to nausea and dizziness.
Whether you suffer from episodic tension-type headaches (TTH) or chronic migraines, chiropractors can help relieve your symptoms and reduce the number of attacks you experience. They can use techniques such as spinal manipulation to correct misalignments in the spine and soft tissue manual therapy to improve muscle/ligament function.
Chiropractors can also recommend stretches and exercises at home that will help keep the muscles/ligaments in your back and neck healthy and strong, reducing the risk of injury or pain. They can also advise managing underlying triggers, such as diet and stress.
Sports Injuries
Sports injuries often involve the musculoskeletal system, such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones. These types of injuries can be caused by accidents or overuse. Some people visit a chiropractor to manage pain rather than rely on prescription medication or surgery.
The sciatic nerve, the longest and largest nerve in the body, can cause discomfort in the lower back, buttocks, hips, and back of the thigh when the sacroiliac (SI) joint is affected. Chiropractors can help alleviate this pain by adjusting the SI joint.
Headaches can be debilitating and often result from misalignment or tight muscle/tendon groups. Chiropractic can alleviate headaches and reduce symptoms of other conditions, such as thoracic outlet syndrome, which causes nerves or blood vessels to be compressed in your neck/shoulder area, resulting in tingling/numbness, pain, and weakness.
