These days, alternative medicines are all the rage. It’s only natural, given how often modern medicine wants to pump someone full of drugs and call it a day. People don’t always want to take drugs, and they especially don’t want to take drugs that may have untested side effects. Amongst the slew of alternative medicines comes the practice of chiropractic medicine. But what is it, and when is it worthwhile?
There are some people that claim visiting a chiropractor can fix just about any problem from having a head cold to curing cancer. Those people are generally misinformed, so if you’re hoping that a chiropractor can fix some major disease, you’re going to be disappointed.
However, that doesn’t mean going to a chiropractor is pointless! Far from it! A chiropractor works on the human spine in minor ways that aren’t quite severe enough to require surgery.
How it works is that the human spine is made up of a number of small discs that are all held together by cartilage and membranes. That gives the spin its flexibility, but it also means that individual discs can move without the rest of the spine. Normally, this isn’t a problem. The spine will correct itself during normal, every day motion.
However, on occasion, the discs don’t quite pop back into place the way they’re supposed to. This can cause the muscles around the discs to become bunched up, which in turn causes them to become tight and sore. Under extreme circumstances, it could cause enough pain to make it difficult to perform every day activities.
However, in many cases the disc isn’t out of place in such a severe way as to require surgery. Or, more specifically, the act of cutting open the back to mess with the spine would cause more problems than having the discs out of place. If that’s the case, then it’s time to visit the chiropractor.
A good chiropractor can figure out what areas of the spine are out of whack, and use a variety of techniques to help knock them back into place. In many ways, they’re not doing anything a normal, medical doctor couldn’t do. However, chiropractors often cost a good deal less, and they won’t prescribe medications.
Instead, they’ll simply utilize their knowledge of the human skeletal system and the human body to help put your spine back the way it belongs. This can help unbunch the muscles around the discs, and thus allow you a great deal of pain relief.
A chiropractor isn’t a good idea for every situation. If you’re experiencing such severe pain that every day activities are difficult, it may be better to go to a medical doctor. However, if you’re simply having slight pain, or a continuous pain that you can work through, going to a chiropractor may be the right idea. It will be cheaper than going to a medical doctor, and you’ll likely be able to get an appointment much more easily.