Chiropractic Care: How Chiropractic Treatment Helps Common Conditions
Chiropractic care is a great alternative treatment for a variety of health conditions; in fact, chiropractic treatments are often used to address things like chronic pain, migraine headaches, reduced mobility, osteoarthritis, sprains and more.
Let’s take a deeper dive into some common conditions that benefit from chiropractic care:
Musculoskeletal Conditions
Many musculoskeletal conditions benefit from chiropractic care. (These diagnoses are a result of disorders in the muscles, bones joints, and ligaments, and some are caused by injury, stress, or poor posture.)
Chiropractic care can reduce pain and restore function to joints through gentle adjustments to the spine. Examples of common musculoskeletal conditions include the following:
- Tension-type and migraine headaches
- Sciatica (pain shooting down one leg)
- Neck pain; back pain; shoulder pain; hip/knee/ankle/foot joint problems
- Scoliosis
Low Back Pain
The most common cause of chronic pain in the United States is low back pain. Chiropractic care can help relieve low back pain and decrease the need for medications by addressing the underlying causes of pain.
Chiropractors can also help their patients regain their range of motion, flexibility and strength through spinal adjustments, muscle strengthening exercises, posture education and core stabilization exercises.
According to the American Chiropractic Association, when patients seek out chiropractic treatment and physical therapy early on for low back pain (LBP), they are 90% less likely to utilize opioids.
Neck Pain
Chiropractic care can help relieve neck pain and improve range of motion in your neck. Neck pain is very common, and can be caused by muscle strain, muscle spasms, arthritis, pinched nerves, herniated discs and other common problems. It can also result from injury, such as whiplash.
Chiropractors utilize spinal manipulation of the neck to address neck dysfunction. If you experience regular neck pain, it’s important to see a doctor right away to determine the underlying cause and get necessary treatment.
Headaches and Migraines
Headaches and migraines are common conditions that benefit from chiropractic care. A headache is generally described as pain in the head, neck and shoulders. It may be caused by stress, eye strain, poor posture or muscle tension. Migraines are severe, recurring headaches that usually involve additional symptoms like nausea and sensitivity to light or sound.
Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to ease both tension headaches and migraine pain by decreasing muscle tension throughout the whole body. Chiropractors can also focus on specific problem areas that are contributing to your pain, such as the cervical vertebrae of the neck or shoulders, if they suspect those might be contributing factors.
Leg and Arm Pain
Chiropractic care is a great alternative to traditional medicine for leg and arm pain.
Chiropractors treat these conditions by identifying the source of pain in the spine or pelvis and putting it back into alignment. Chiropractic adjustments then relieve pressure on nerve roots, which restores balance to the body’s nervous system.
Safe, Effective Treatment Through Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic care is a safe and effective treatment for many common conditions. If you’re suffering from issues like lower back pain, neck pain, headaches or sciatica, chiropractic care can help you get back to your normal life. In fact, chiropractic care might also help you avoid surgery or unwanted medication!
Chiropractors are highly trained specialists who use gentle manual application of precise movements to alleviate misalignment of the spine and joints, which in turn eliminates interference with the body’s nervous system for pain management. (Learn more about the extensive chiropractic education and licensure requirements by visiting the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.)
The result of chiropractic care can mean quicker recovery and the avoidance of long-term drug use like unwanted side effects or dependency.
Additional Medication-Free Pain Management
Those seeking chiropractic care should consider complementary treatment like acupuncture to fully involve the body’s immune system in the pain relief process. Talk to your health care provider to see if this type of alternative medicine can/should be included in your medical care.
Experience the Benefits of Chiropractic Care
Many muscle system issues can be addressed by chiropractic care.
Chiropractors are experts in musculoskeletal conditions and can help determine the root cause of your pain. If you’re suffering from back pain, neck pain, headaches, migraines, sciatica or leg and arm pain, contact Meridian HealthCare today. Our chiropractic professionals are ready to work with you to develop a medication-free treatment plan for your chronic pain.
