Pain can be incapacitating and frustrating, especially when it does not go away. Above discomfort, pain can make daily tasks more challenging. Rather than live with the discomfort, you should see a chiropractor to help manage and relieve the pain. Chiropractic care uses alternative treatments for pain relief that do not involve medications or surgery.
That said, chiropractors are well-known for treating back pain. But they can also soothe pain in other parts of the body, including the head, neck, shoulder, hips, and joints. Keep reading to find out more about how chiropractic care relieves pain.
What Is Chronic Pain?
Chronic pain is an ache that persists for over 12 weeks and can last months or even years. The pain can be dull or sharp and may come and go or be there continually.
Types Of Chronic Pain That Chiropractic Care Can Treat
Chronic pain can occur in any part of the body. But some types of chronic pain bring patients to chiropractic care. Common conditions that chiropractors can treat include the following.
- Tension headaches.
- Migraines.
- Low back pain.
- Mid-back pain.
- Neck pain.
- Shoulder pain.
- Whiplash.
- Sacroiliac joint pain.
- Knee pain.
It is also possible to get chronic pain from a disorder or disease. For example, many chiropractors relieve chronic pain related to sciatica, spinal osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease, kyphosis, and spondylolisthesis.
For some patients, chronic pain may arise from sports injuries or a car accident.
What Does Chiropractic Care For Chronic Pain Involve?
Before starting chiropractic treatment, your chiropractor will perform a physical exam. The exam will help determine the cause of your pain and the most suitable chiropractic treatment plan.
A physical exam will typically involve various tests. They may include muscle strength tests, assessing reflexes, evaluating muscle strengths, and conducting palpation. The tests may also include orthopedic and neurological evaluations based on your condition.
Following the results from your physical checkup, your treatment plan may include any of the following therapies:
Spinal Manipulation
In spinal manipulation, the doctor uses their hand to massage or apply gentle pressure on the aching joint. You may hear popping sounds, such as when cracking your knuckles. The treatment also involves physical exercises and therapy.
Chiropractors often use spinal manipulation to treat chronic pain symptoms resulting from a health condition or an injury.
Spinal Rehabilitation Exercises
Your chiropractor may recommend exercises to re-educate muscles and stretches that will help improve your body’s flexibility and mobility. These exercises work to lengthen or stretch your muscles and free up the joints to allow you to move with less trouble.
How you sit, stand, or walk can affect your health. Poor postures can cause heartburn, headaches, and back pain. Chiropractors confirm that people who are more mindful of their posture experience less fatigue and aches in their shoulders, stomach, and back.
Ergonomic exercises prescribed by your chiropractor can help restore your body to its proper function.
Nutritional Counseling
Your chiropractor can help you understand how food impacts your mood, energy, and weight through nutritional counseling.
It can help you see how the food you eat affects your spine and what you can do to boost your spine health. This training can help relieve stress and help you attain your health goals.
For more on how chiropractic care can help with chronic pain, visit Healing Hands Center for Integrative Medicine at our office in Montclair, New Jersey. You can call (973) 783-1800 today to schedule an appointment.