In recent years, chiropractic care has been gaining recognition and popularity among patients and medical professionals. It isn’t for everyone, but many people reap the benefits of chiropractic adjustment, such as pain relief, improved mobility and help in recovering from certain kinds of injuries. Here’s how chiropractic care can help you improve or maintain your health.
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Additional Or Alternative Treatment for Minor Injuries
Sometimes, pain is the result of tension or joint misalignment known as subluxation. In the case of various injuries, such as sprains, strains and pulled muscles, pain may continue after the initial injury heals. In situations such as these, chiropractic adjustment can be used as a treatment or supplemental treatment of this pain. Your chiropractor can examine injured joints and determine which ones may need realignment or provide soft tissue therapy and suggested stretches to do to relieve pain from injured muscles.
Pain Relief And Reduction
One of the main reasons people seek chiropractic care is for pain relief and reduction. You may only get an adjustment once or twice or you may return to the chiropractor regularly. Your decision depends on the type of pain you’re experiencing, how severe it is, and its cause. For example, someone who needs pain relief from whiplash may only need a few appointments while someone who sits at a desk every day may desire regular adjustments for back pain management.
Symptom Management for Chronic Conditions
Some people have chronic conditions, such as arthritis, that cause or contribute to chronic pain. If you have such an issue, you may be a good candidate for chiropractic care. While chiropractic adjustments cannot cure or treat chronic conditions, they are a useful alternative to managing pain and certain symptoms without the use of medications. For example, if you have osteoarthritis, you could choose to get regular adjustments on your affected joints to reduce the amount of pain medication you need to take.
Improved Posture And Range of Motion
People also seek chiropractic care if they are unhappy with their posture or range of motion. A chiropractor can help you with your posture if it’s the result of daily activities, such as looking down at your phone or carrying a bag over one shoulder repeatedly. However, a chiropractic adjustment isn’t a viable treatment for a medical issue, such as scoliosis. Your chiropractor may also be able to help you improve your range of motion. If you have a stiff neck or back, realignment may be a good option. If you’re dealing with tight muscles or tendons, your chiropractor can perform soft tissue therapy and teach you how to stretch or work the muscles and tendons to move better and more smoothly.
Reduction of Muscle Stiffness
Soft tissue therapy is also a good option for muscle stiffness, which can be just as painful as joint stiffness and misalignment. At your initial appointment, your chiropractor will talk to you about your pain and where it seems to stem from. If you’ve made an appointment regarding muscle stiffness, describe how much or how little pain you’re in and any other discomfort the stiffness brings. This knowledge will inform how the chiropractor approaches your treatment. He or she may perform soft tissue therapy, prescribe stretches and exercises or refer you to a musculoskeletal specialist.
Treatment for Head And Jaw Pain
Not all chiropractic treatment is meant for whole-body relief. Some people have very localized pain and discomfort. One of the most common areas of localized pain is the head, due to how much tension people can carry in their necks and jaws. Your chiropractor may be able to help you relieve TMJ pain from jaw clenching, tension headaches and migraines or sinus pain from allergies or an illness.
If you’re thinking of making an appointment with a chiropractor, speak to your doctor first. He or she should be able to help you determine whether chiropractic adjustment is right for you.