About 35 percent of these visitors visit in their quest to seek remedy for back pains, these pains result from causes such as, muscle strains, injury during sporting activities, and accidents. However, complaints such as neck pain, headache, pain in the legs and arms are also reasons why some persons visit chiropractors.
What is chiropractic care all about?
Chiropractic is a health care discipline which emphasizes the inherent recuperative power of the body to heal itself without the use of drugs or surgery. The practice of chiropractic focuses on the relationship between the structure (primarily the spine) and function (as coordinated by the nervous system) and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health. In addition, a Doctor of Chiropractic recognize the value and responsibility of working with other health care practitioners when in the best interest of the patient.
The Chiropractic Paradigm:
The purpose of chiropractic is to optimize health. The principle of chiropractic is the body’s innate recuperative power is affected and integrated through the nervous system. Chiropractic is concerned with the preservation and restoration of health and focuses attention on the subluxation. A subluxation is a spinal misalignment that disrupts the connection between the nervous system and the body structure. These spinal misalignments or subluxations may cause pain in certain areas of the body. A chiropractor will then focus on restoring the normal position of the misalignment (subluxation) then allowing the body to heal itself.
Chiropractors make use of hands-on manipulation of the spine and other related remedies in treatment. The ideology behind its operation is that the human body has the ability to heal and repair itself without medication and surgical operations if its musculoskeletal framework is aligned properly, especially the spines. Joints suffering from immobility due to repeated stress inducing postures like sitting for long periods without proper back support, or those caused by falling are manipulated to ease mobility.
The major application of chiropractic treatment is its usage as an alternative method of relieving pain felt in joints, connective tissues, muscles and bones. It is at certain times administered alongside modern medical care. A chiropractor who has an undergraduate certification from a higher learning institution with an additional four-year course in chiropractic study is given the license to add the initials ‘DC’ to his name.
How is chiropractic treatment for back pain administered?
The first thing a chiropractor does is to cross-examine previous medical reports of a patient. He/She also carries out an examination on the patient’s body. He may carry out diagnostic scans and laboratory tests to ascertain what treatment to apply for the back pain.
In treating back pain, the chiropractor manipulates adjust the spine the joints using one or multiple manual adjustments. He/She would apply sudden but controlled energy to improve flexibility and quality of joint movements. Nutritional therapy and exercise are often times included in the treatment regime. Chiropractic care aims at restoring the functionality of the patient’s back and preventing further injury while administering pain relief to the back.
Advantages and Risks in Chiropractic Treatment
The use of chiropractic care and spinal manipulation in the treatment of back pains are widely accepted as safe and healthy. They are effectively used in the treatment of acute pains in the lower back section. This type of back pain is frequently complained of by patients than chronic back pain though it doesn’t persist beyond six weeks and most times it wanes off by itself.
It is scientifically proven that chiropractic treatment is effective in treating headaches and pains in the neck region. Other musculoskeletal health problems such as fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis can be treated when gentle pressure is applied by chiropractors and deep tissue massage experts.
It is not scientifically proven that sclerotherapy or prolotherapy is effective in the treatment of back pain. Some chiropractors, medical practitioners and osteopaths, however, use this means to treat chronic or prolonged back pains. It uses anesthetics or sugar water injections in the hope to strengthen the back ligaments.
It is advised that patients suffering from spinal cord clamping, osteoporosis, inflammatory arthritis, or those who receive blood-thinning therapy do not allow spinal manipulation as a treatment. Patients who may have had spells of cancerous growth in the past are advised to get clearance from their doctors before allowing spinal manipulation.
Every treatment depends on accurate and precise diagnosis of the back pain. The chiropractor should be informed about the patient’s previous medical history, current medical situation, and also lifestyle choices.
Though quite uncommon, some cases become worse after undergoing chiropractic care e.g. an attempt to manipulate a neck may cause an injury to the spinal cord. It’s always safe to consult your doctor if chiropractic care would benefit your situation or other relief methods.
A Doctor of Chiropractic is a physician whose purpose is to help meet the health needs of the public as a member of the healing arts. He or she gives attention to the relationship of the structural and neurological aspects of the body and is educated in the basic and clinical sciences as well as in other related health subjects. Chiropractic science concerns itself with the relationship between the structure in function of the human body as that relationship may affect the restoration and preservation of health. The purpose of his or her professional education is prepare the doctor of chiropractic as a Primary Health care provider. As a portal of entry to the health delivery system, the Doctor of Chiropractic must be well educated to diagnose for chiropractic care, to provide chiropractic care, in to consult with, or refer to, other health care providers as indicated.
Kinetic Rehab & Spine of Bergen County has 3 locations (Ramsey, Paramus and Park Ridge) that administer professional chiropractic care by expert doctors. For more information on how these expert doctors can help you click here: Kinetic Rehab and Spine
