Seeing a chiropractor may yield benefits that can significantly improve one’s physical and mental well-being. You can think of a chiropractor as a doctor offering care that complements traditional medical solutions.
Unlike doctors, however, chiropractors don’t prescribe medication, so they’re always thinking outside of the box in order to address their clients’ concerns. They also use special instruments as well as their hands to manipulate the joints in the body, which is called joint or spinal manipulation. This process helps in reducing pain, correcting the alignment of the body, and improving one’s overall physical function.
More and more people are turning to these practitioners since chiropractic care is a natural approach to wellness. There’s even an organization known as the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) that empowers and inspires its members to elevate their communities’ wellness and health. Thus, you can be certain that the practitioner you’re working with is trustworthy if they’re part of the ACA.
But what do chiropractors treat? Keep reading to learn more about some of the common conditions they can help you with.
1. Whiplash
Whiplash is a kind of neck sprain often resulting from car accidents. This condition causes stiffness as well as pain in the neck. When you try to turn your head, the sensation may worsen. In fact, you may even feel sick to your stomach or dizzy.
For this condition, a chiropractor can show you how to properly use ice or heat to lessen swelling and muscle spasms. They’ll also advise you to do stretches and certain exercises at home.
2. Fibromyalgia
This is a condition that involves sensitivity and extreme discomfort throughout the musculoskeletal system. Often, it’s quite hard for patients to seek solutions to all the symptoms they’re dealing with, such as disturbed mood and sleep and long-term fatigue. Fortunately, a chiropractor can help ease the discomfort they’re experiencing.
This particular health care professional is trained as a neuromusculoskeletal specialist, and one significant expertise of chiropractic care is the positive effect on the nervous system. Having said that, a chiropractic adjustment can improve the nervous system of the patients and offer them a better chance of recovery.
Additionally, a chiropractor can reduce overall pain with a spinal adjustment that increases the movement between spinal vertebrae that have slightly moved out of the right position or have become restricted or locked, thus increasing the lumbar and cervical range of motion.
3. Sacroiliac Pain
The sacroiliac joint is the big joint located at the bottom of the spine. Problems related to it may result in a different kind of low backache. This sensation can be felt in the back of your thigh or your buttock.
Fortunately, chiropractors can treat this common condition with a chiropractic adjustment. Aside from that, those specialists can teach you how to prevent straining your sacroiliac joint. They might also give you exercises to strengthen the core muscles that support this joint.
4. Arthritis
Many people experience arthritis, which causes joint swelling. With inflamed and aching joints, your range of motion becomes limited, and you might have a hard time going about your day-to-day activities.
Rheumatoid arthritis usually results from immune system disorders, whereas osteoarthritis is the outcome of tissue degeneration because of hormonal problems, vitamin deficiencies, and aging. However, a chiropractor can treat both kinds of arthritis by working to restore mobility and manipulate the joints.
The practitioner can use trigger point therapy, wherein a chiropractic device or massaging is used to adjust arthritic joints to offer temporary relief. Cold laser therapy may also be used. Here, your chiropractor can apply low-level wavelengths of light to the affected area to reduce swelling.
5. Neck Pain
Typically, this ranges from trifling discomfort to serious chronic pain that can be disabling. One main services of chiropractors is treating the underlying causes of neck pain as well as headaches.
Reliable and experienced chiropractors can effectively determine and treat this issue through physical therapy, exercise, and adjustment. Such methods can affect the ligaments, nerves, and the flow of blood to the shoulder and head regions. By realigning the vertebrae in the shoulders and neck, the proper functioning of the vertebra can be restored, thus eliminating muscle spasms.
6. Tennis Elbow
This condition is characterized by a sore elbow caused by overuse, for instance, while playing a racket sport like tennis. A repetitive motion and overuse injury will cause inflammation of the forearm muscles as well as the tendons. This may result in tenderness and an aching sensation in the outer part of the elbow.
Additionally, the tennis elbow may weaken the muscles and prevent you from doing even the simplest tasks. This is where chiropractors come in. These practitioners can help patients perform the activities they usually do through physical therapy, mechanical correction, and adjustments.
7. Asthma
Those who are dealing with asthma can also receive proper and safe care from a chiropractor. While asthmatics shouldn’t change any kind of medicinal regimen that their doctors have prescribed, chiropractic therapy may alleviate some effects of the said condition.
For instance, a regular chiropractic visit may improve the immune system, and that’ll reduce the chance of respiratory infections and colds that can aggravate an asthma attack. This shows that the advantages of chiropractic care are vast. The reason chiropractic care can boost the immune system is that chiropractic adjustment has to do with the role of the nervous system in the ability of the body to fight off illness.
Chiropractic care, on the other hand, can realign the spine and even the associated nerves. Those nerves play an essential part in almost all of the functions the body carries out, like breathing. When the body of the patient is restored to the normal state of function, the organs and nerves they serve, such as the lungs, tend to perform a lot better.
But aside from that, chiropractic adjustments can address the alignment issues in the spine and ribcage that occurred from several years of living with asthma. In due course, this’ll allow the thoracic cavity to expand the way it should, and it’ll ease one’s breathing.
8. Scoliosis
This refers to spinal deformities where a sideways curvature may develop in the spine. Most commonly, this condition affects girls during their development spurt before puberty between ages eight and 18.
Scoliosis can predispose someone to premature arthritis, respiratory problems, and back pain. One of the major goals of chiropractors is to determine scoliosis and ease discomfort related to it using structural strengthening exercises, physical therapy, and spinal manipulation. Chiropractic care can boost spinal function while providing back pain relief, but take note that it can’t correct the spine’s twisted curvature.
9. Shoulder Pain
When people think about chiropractors or chiropractic care, the first thing that likely comes to mind is neck and back pain. But chiropractors can also help you if you’re dealing with a stiff, aching shoulder. This condition is known as frozen shoulder syndrome.
Those with this syndrome may experience less discomfort and, most importantly, more movement after getting chiropractic care. The chiropractor will stretch the muscles that surround the shoulder. Additionally, they’ll teach you how to correctly and carefully perform more stretches at your home.
10. Plantar Fasciitis
This involves the irritation and inflammation of thin tissues located at the bottom of your foot. The symptoms usually include pain in the heels while walking that’s linked to numbness and swelling.
Generally, bone spurs may result in muscle tightness and irritation, causing plantar fasciitis. One way to ease this problem is to seek help from chiropractors. These practitioners may help relieve this common condition using custom orthotics, restoration of correct biomechanics, and soft tissue therapy.
11. Temporomandibular Joint Problem
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problem is categorized into three different conditions: inflammatory disease of the temporomandibular joint, displaced disc, and discomfort or pain in the muscles and jaw joints. What’s more, there could be a clicking sound or pain when chewing food or closing and opening the mouth with this condition.
Treatment offered by chiropractors is quite effective in relieving TMJ-related pain. It’s because it can help relax the muscles, adjust the joints, and reposition the jaw accurately through trigger point therapy. With such treatments, the motion of the jaw joint will be improved and symptoms like jaw locking, headaches, neck discomfort, and earaches can be relieved.
How To Find A Chiropractor
Are you experiencing any of the abovementioned conditions and want to seek help from reliable chiropractors? The National Chiropractors Association can be a good place to start.
But aside from that, you can ask your primary care doctor for referrals. You can also get recommendations from friends, family members, or colleagues, especially those who’ve already tried chiropractic care.
Take your time in researching the experience and credentials of the chiropractors you’re considering. As you narrow down your list, call every chiropractic office to check if they accept new patients. If so, book an appointment and interview the practitioner. Remember: it’s crucial to feel comfortable with your chosen chiropractor since you’ll need to give them your personal information and talk to them about your condition.
Conclusion
Bear in mind that chiropractors often use holistic approaches to treat a client’s pain or discomfort and may not completely get rid of the symptoms with a single visit. Their methods aren’t quick fixes, but most of the time, a chiropractor can determine the underlying causes of what you’re going through. The most effective solution will then be provided to give you the most relief.
Reply