Chiropractic care is a health care approach that focuses on the manipulation of the spinal cord to relieve pain and is often used for neck and back pain. However, it can still be used to remedy headaches and pain in the legs or arms. Most chiropractic practitioners, known as chiropractors, prefer this option as it is a more natural approach to improving the health of a patient. Often, chiropractic is combined with nutrition, exercises and lifestyle changes to ensure that the patient attains the kind of results they are looking for.
Most chiropractors have had extra training in the area of physical rehabilitation and exercise therapy. At the same time, there are others who choose to incorporate other forms of therapy like acupuncture, herbal therapy, and nutritional analysis to enhance and diversify their healing skills.
1. What Does Chiropractic Care Involve?
This form of treatment often involves the manipulation of the spine. Spinal manipulation is basically where a specialist puts pressure on specific points of the spine. Also known as spinal adjustment, this form of care is used to lessen pain and improve the function and movement of the spine. This manipulation can be accomplished through either the use of the hands or with special devices. The pressure applied has to be carefully controlled to avoid harming or hurting the patient even further and can be slow or rapid, gentle or strong.
There are times when other joints and parts of the body will also be worked on to enhance treatment. The main goal in chiropractic care is to improve spine joint movement and to relax the patient’s muscles. To achieve this, some chiropractors who will use electrical stimulation, ultrasound, or heat to help relax the muscles before they can start spinal manipulation. Other options will include the use of: corsets and braces, biofeedback, strength and conditioning exercises and relaxation therapy.
2. What To Expect When You Visit A Chiropractor
If you have never visited a chiropractor before, there is no need to worry about what happens or takes place. The truth of the matter is that visiting a chiropractic specialist for your low back pain is safe, simple and is often painless. The good thing is that visiting a chiropractic could lead to you actually enjoying relief from your back pain at the end of the day.
So what takes place when you visit a chiropractor?
3. Consultation
The first thing that you will be required to do is to talk with your chiropractor. You will probably be required to provide your health information by filling out forms. The chiropractor may then ask additional questions like if you ever experience migraines, headaches or have trouble sleeping. You also may be required to talk about your activity level and diet.
4. Examination
The next step will be physical examination. The chiropractor may request to check your posture to see if there are any abnormal aspects. Some of the things they may look for include hips or shoulders that are higher than the other. The examination may also include muscle tests (which involve the pressing of the leg or arm against his or her hand to test the strength of your muscles), and walking (so that he or she can study how you walk and the movement of your arms and legs). There are times that the specialist will require an X-ray of your spine for a better picture of its state.
With this information, the chiropractor can then come up with a diagnosis and will advise you on which chiropractic treatment option will suit your situation best.