Do you wake up each morning feeling stiff and sore? Are you finding it harder than usual to pick something up from the floor or get comfortable sitting down? If your body seems to protect every movement, it may be because you may need a chiropractic adjustment. Use this guide to help you learn more about why you may need an adjustment and how chiropractic care can help, then contact Chiro Approach for an appointment.
Situations That May Lead You To Chiropractic Care
While many people know about chiropractic care, many also falsely equate it with a massage. While massage is a healthy technique for various situations and is sometimes included in chiropractic care, the methods used are also much more technical. Following are some of the common types of injuries and health conditions that one should consider and chiropractic care.
1. You Were Injured in a Car Accident
Car accidents are one of the most common reasons someone visits a chiropractor. When you’re in a crash, even one that occurs at a slow speed, the sudden stopping of your vehicle does not stop the movement of your body. This causes you to strain your neck and back until you hit the steering wheel and are tossed back into the seat.
Even if you don’t feel any pain right away, you’ll likely develop at least some soreness within a few hours to days. A particularly rough accident can cause lifelong pain. Allowing a chiropractor to work on your neck and back at regular intervals after an accident can help to provide pain relief and get you back on track.
2. You Were Hurt on the Job
Hurting yourself on the job is another common reason that you may find yourself in our chiropractic office. Work injuries commonly occur when someone slips and falls or lifts something the wrong way and injures their back. However, car accidents while on company time also fall into work-related accidents for most insurance purposes. Regardless of how you were hurt at work, a chiropractor can use targeted alignment techniques to improve your range of motion and help to ease your pain.
3. You Injured Yourself at Home
It doesn’t take a car accident or a work-related incident to find yourself needing a chiropractic adjustment. Maybe you were playing darts with the guys and threw one too hard. Perhaps the kids wanted to pretend you were a horse one Saturday afternoon, and you found yourself groaning in pain. There are so many ways to injure yourself at home, and seeing a chiropractor can help you ease the pain and get back to hanging with friends or playing with the kids on the weekends.
4. You Deal With Chronic Pain
Chiropractors are essential for treating several sudden injuries, but not all injuries are sudden. Seeing a chiropractor can often help with chronic pain caused by other medical conditions. A good chiropractor will listen to your description of the pain, verify your medical history, and help you come up with a chiropractic plan that works for you. The care can ease the symptoms of various ailments, including stiffness, aches, numbness, spasms, and more.
5. You Have a Genetic Condition
People seek out chiropractic services for various genetic conditions, including degenerative disc disorders, scoliosis and others. Each of these disorders can cause ongoing back pain, but regularly working with a chiropractic care team can maybe help ease the symptoms and ensure you have a higher quality of life.
6 Benefits of Visiting a Chiropractor
Whether you’ve been in a car accident and need to alleviate pain related to your injuries or you simply feel as if you’re wound a little tighter than usual, visiting a chiropractor has a wide variety of benefits for your body.
1. Chiropractic Care Leads To Better Sleep Quality
When your spine is misaligned, it may or may not create pain. If you are in pain throughout the day, the chances are that it keeps you up at night. Even if you don’t feel any pain, the misalignment can interfere with how well you sleep. A chiropractor can adjust your spine to realign the nervous system and keep your body more relaxed when you sleep. In addition, our team can coach you on the best sleeping positions and the best types of pillows and mattresses to use to ensure you feel more rested when you wake up each morning.
2. Chiropractic Care Improves the Digestive System
Nerve pain even causes you to have digestion problems. The nerves that run through your spine also lead to your stomach and control how it functions. If you have been experiencing frequent heartburn, gas, or acid reflux issues, it may be because the nerves to your stomach are misaligned. Once realigned, you may see a reduction in symptoms. It may even improve more severe ailments such as irritable bowel syndrome or chronic diarrhea.
3. Chiropractic Care Gives You More Energy
A sore body causes your muscles and joints to tense up even further, creating additional inflammation. When the different inflammation causes more pain, it leaves you feeling as if you’re unable to do anything. Lethargy sets in, and you could find it hard to leave the couch, let alone work or handle other responsibilities. Seeing a chiropractor can reduce inflammation and ease the pain in joints and muscles so that you have the energy you need to live your life.
4. Chiropractic Care Improves the Immune System
The nervous system is responsible for regulating how your cells function. When it is out of alignment, even by a little bit, the regulation can be interrupted. When cells aren’t working properly, they harm your immune system, making it harder for your body to fight off viruses or bacterial infections. Chiropractic manipulation helps realign the nervous system, restoring cell function and creating a healthier immune system.
5. Chiropractic Care Increases Range of Motion
You don’t need to be in pain to experience a loss of your range of motion. Over time, the connective tissue, ligaments, and joints in your body begin to deteriorate. When a chiropractor uses manipulation techniques to improve how your body moves, it may even reduce how much cartilage deterioration you experience later in life. It also enhances muscle strength, which loosens tightness throughout the body and makes it easier for you to move comfortably.
6. Chiropractic Care Reduces the Use of Opioids
The opioid epidemic is an ongoing one, but chiropractic care helps to lessen the blows of it. If someone has a history of addiction or addiction runs in the family, chiropractic care combined with non-narcotic pain medication may be a healthier option. Studies show that those who visit chiropractors have fewer opioid prescriptions written by their primary care providers.
Chiropractors Use a Variety of Techniques
People tend to think that chiropractors only thrust into the back or forcibly put necks or shoulders back “on track.” The reality is that there are a wide variety of methods, techniques, and chiropractic instruments used to provide relief for chiropractic care patients.
1. Activator Method
Used for back pain and pain in the arms and legs, the Activator Method uses a specific instrument that pinpoints the areas of pain and “zaps” it with a low-force pulse at short intervals. The speed of the vibrations keeps the body from becoming tense, and because it is such a localized treatment, it keeps the chiropractor from having to put pressure on or bend other joints, which ensures they don’t begin to feel pain during the treatment.
2. Drop Technique
Sometimes referred to as the Thompson Technique, the Drop Technique uses hands-on methods and a unique table to achieve its goal. The table drops by tiny increments at a time while the chiropractor thrusts pressure into your spine or extremities. The drop is very subtle and feels more like a vibration to the patient, which helps to reduce the chance of feeling pain during the treatment.
3. Flexion-Distraction
One of the most common techniques used by chiropractors is the flexion-distraction technique. It’s helpful for patients suffering from lower back pain related to sciatica, hernias, or disc bulges. The chiropractor uses a unique moving table and manual techniques combined with changing the position of the spine. The table’s motion also helps nutrients make their way into the spine and reduces pressure on the nerves.
4. Gonstead Technique
Named after the person who created the technique, the Gonstead Technique is used to realign the spine. Considered one of the most effective and most precise methods in the industry, it helps relieve pain. The manual technique is done with the patient lying on their side and is a significant part of every chiropractor education course.
5. Spinal Manipulation or Mobilization
When most people imagine what chiropractors do, they imagine spinal manipulation therapy. If you suffer from back or neck pain, this is one of the most common treatments and works well with other techniques to ease pain and improve mobility. Spinal manipulation is used to enhance the function of the joints of the spinal column. Mobilization of the spine uses a thrusting motion in combination with a stretching one to achieve its goal. This Technique is gentle and uses less force than similar methods.
Schedule Your Appointment Today
If you’re tired of feeling sore and stiff, now is the time to help yourself. Get in touch with the professional team at Chiro Approach to schedule your appointment and learn how to help you feel better! We accept most health insurance plans, including workers’ compensation and no-fault. With over 40-years of clinical experience, we can help reduce pain and get you on the road to recovery. Call now; same-day appointments may be available.
