Among those finding back pain relief alternatives, most prefer chiropractic medicine. About 22 million Americans visited chiropractors last year. Of these, 7.7 million, or 35%, are seeking treatment for back problems from different causes. They include injuries, athletic injuries, and muscle strains. Other complaints include pain in the stomach, arms, and legs, and headache.
What Is Chiropractic Medicine?
Hands-on spinal manipulation and other complementary treatments are used by chiropractors. The idea is that proper alignment of the body’s musculoskeletal structure, specifically the spine, would make it easier for the body to repair itself without surgery or medicine. Manipulation is used to regain joint movement restricted by tissue damage. The tissue damage may be caused by a traumatic accident, such as falling or excessive stress.
Chiropractic therapy is widely used to relieve pain in nerves, joints, bones. It can also ease pain in connective tissues, such as cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.
Initials “DC” identifies a chiropractor whose education requires an undergraduate degree with four years of chiropractic college.
What You Should Know About Chiropractic Medicine
Chiropractic treatment is a type of therapy that treats spinal and musculoskeletal disorders. It does this by manual manipulation, allowing the body to recover naturally without medications or surgery. If this treatment is new to you, here are 10 facts that will tell you more before you try it:
1. Chiropractic Medicine Is for All Ages
Many people associate chiropractic therapy with older patients. But the fact is that chiropractic may be the ideal treatment for people of all ages. Elderly patients usually choose chiropractic medication for pain relief. In contrast, younger people may choose therapy to improve various factors, such as:
- Motion, balance, and coordination
- Reduce joint degeneration
Chiropractic treatment in children is a safe way to stimulate the healthy brain and nervous system growth in the early years.
2. Chiropractic Medicine Is Not for Everyone
Although chiropractic medicine may help the body recover naturally. But in some cases, it is not the ideal method. Manual manipulation is not acceptable for people:
- Having spinal cord compression, inflammatory arthritis, or osteoporosis
- Taking blood-thinning drugs
- Who have a history of cancer
3. Properly Maintain The Body’s Nervous System
What do you think controls every aspect of the body? That’s right-the it’s the brain. Now to give the correct signals to the necessary body part, the brain needs the nervous system’s help.
If the brain is a connector for every aspect of the body, then the spinal cord is the router that will be the gateway for messages to be sent and received to and from the brain. And hence the brain and spinal cord make up the central nervous system of the body.
Any pain or disruption in the central nervous system may cause imbalances and other illnesses. Chiropractors may help restore the balance.
4. Chiropractic Medicine Is found Worldwide
Chiropractic therapy is popular all over the world. China invented spinal manipulation long before therapy was popular in the US in 1895. Chiropractic therapy was extended to Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and Australia in the 1960s.
5. Chiropractic Medicine Are Not Magic
Many people tend to believe that chiropractors and their services are like magic. These individuals claim that chiropractic therapies are a type of “heal all” medicine.
Yeah, chiropractic medicine can help treat a wide variety of physical and mental illnesses. But it can’t fix broken bones. They will, however, allow the improved spinal motion to allow for greater flexibility and stability. Chiropractors may also help relieve any stress found on the spinal cord. It can also help other central nervous system parts.
These professionals may also help to improve the functioning of the muscles of the body. If you believe chiropractors can treat various diseases and symptoms, that’s not how their services work.
6. Chiropractors Use Other Diagnostic Tests
Before agreeing to take chiropractic treatment, chiropractors make patients undergo physical examinations. They may even do some laboratory testing. They will use the “triage” concept to check if lower back problems are potentially serious. Or whether there is a nerve problem. They will use this diagnosis to determine if the procedure is appropriate.
7. Chiropractic Medicine Is Not Just for The Body
Chiropractic therapies are based on the body. But not just on the physical aspect of the human makeup.
Chiropractors are well trained to provide people with better health in a variety of aspects of their lives. They know how to provide physical therapy treatments. They also offer useful tips to give patients a better quality of life.
The chiropractor can also provide tips and advice on fitness and nutrition. The treatment they offer to the body will help cure many mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. Adjusting the central nervous system will lead to a healthier lifestyle than before.
As such, you will bring an end to those discomforts and problems that might have existed before you visited your nearest chiropractor. Chiropractors can not only aid with the treatment of various illnesses and conditions. But they will also help prevent them.
8. Side Effects After Treatment
Patients can suffer side effects during treatment. The most frequent side effect is discomfort or soreness in the spinal joints or muscles. But it may only occur within a few hours after treatment and not last more than 24 hours of chiropractic adjustment. The most effective method of mitigating such pain is to use an ice pack to alleviate symptoms.
9. Chiropractic Medicine Has Other Benefits
Chiropractic medicine is used to treat back and neck problems and pain elsewhere in the body: in the head and chin, hands, elbows and wrists, hips and pelvis, and knees and ankles. The theory is that every section of your spine will repair a specific area when manipulated.
10. Chiropractic Medicine Has Risks
Chiropractic therapy is usually considered safe and successful. But, in some cases, patients have experienced herniated or slipped disk or spine manipulation, which can cause spinal cord injury. Strong evidence shows that chiropractic treatment is successful in relieving pain. However, please consult with the doctor to make sure to be safe. Ask if chiropractic treatment or other pain relief options are appropriate for you.
The Bottom Line
Your chiropractor will speak to you about your lifestyle choices. He will help you figure out and identify unhealthy health habits and give you practical strategies to handle them. As you will see, chiropractic is more than just spinal manipulation. Chiropractors use various recovery techniques to help the body recover itself and get the patient back to a healthy, pain-free life.
