Do you know misalignments in the spine can affect the body’s natural healing abilities?
Daniel David Palmer discovered that Harvey Lillard, a partially deaf janitor, had improved significantly in his hearing following a spinal adjustment in 1895.
Dr Palmer went on to develop a treatment plan that included manually fixing the spine’s alignment using various pressure techniques. Thus, came the concept of chiropractic care.
Today, chiropractic care is practiced globally to treat back issues, fix spinal misalignment and improve posture and mobility. Although the practices and treatment plans have evolved over the years, the basics of chiropractic remain the same: manual spinal adjustments.
So, is manual therapy still efficient after all these years? Keep reading to find out:
- What is Chiropractic Care?
- How Chiropractic Care Help for Lower Back Pain?
- Spinal Adjustment
- Soft Tissue Therapy
- Exercise Therapy
- Lifestyle Counseling
- Safer Approach
- Is Chiropractic Care Right for You?
- SUPMOGO RecoveryFlex System
What is Chiropractic Care?
In simple terms, chiropractic care refers to a manual therapy that adjusts the spine and joint misalignments and manipulations to relieve pain, stiffness, and discomfort.
Chiropractic care helps with headaches, back pain, joint stiffness, neck and shoulder pain, and other conditions. It’s a form of therapy that promotes overall health, wellness, and mobility.
Back pain can happen for various reasons like medical conditions, injuries, muscle strains, etc. Hence, chiropractic care targets each individual and their specific needs. The American Chiropractic Association reports that chiropractors treat over 27 million people annually.
How Chiropractic Care Help for Lower Back Pain?
A chiropractor is trained to deal with neuromuscular disorders, especially the spine and nervous system.
Although chiropractic care has been booming recently, there’s insufficient evidence to support the claim. [1]
Experts are still debating whether this occupational therapy is best for lumbar pain. However, from the available data, chiropractic care may be the best pain relief for certain people.
Here are the top five ways chiropractic may help with lower back pain.
1. Spinal Adjustment
A chiropractor uses spinal manipulation techniques to realign vertebrae in the spine and reduce the pressure on the nerves. [2 ]
There are various techniques to perform spinal adjustments, including:
- Mobilization
- Manual manipulation
- Instrument-assisted adjustment
The techniques usually depend upon the patient's condition and needs. During spinal adjustment, your chiropractor will apply controlled force on the affected area. It is done to correct misalignments or dysfunctions in the spine.
Spinal manipulation aims to alleviate pain, increase mobility, improve spinal function, and promote the body’s natural healing.
Also, it’s generally regarded as a safe process for pain relief in the spine, neck, shoulders, headaches, etc., but it’s imperative to talk with your chiropractor before moving forward.
2. Soft Tissue Therapy
Soft tissue therapy, like massages or trigger point therapy, is another form of chiropractic care that aims to reduce lumbar pain. It is mainly performed by chiropractors, massage therapists, physical therapists, etc.
Soft tissue therapy involves manipulating the body’s soft tissues like tendons, muscles, and fascia to alleviate pain, release tension and improve blood circulation. There are various techniques to perform manual therapy, like:
- Active release
- Myofascial release
- Trigger point therapy
- Deep tissue massage
A survey by American Physical Therapy Association in 2020 concluded that soft tissue therapy was the most common form of manual therapy for patients with musculoskeletal conditions like lumbar pain. So, opting for it can prove fruitful for your persistent backaches.
3. Exercise Therapy
Chiropractic care is not limited to massages and spinal adjustments. It also involves exercise therapy.
Exercise therapy is usually recommended to enhance endurance and flexibility. Your chiropractor may recommend tailored exercises to manage back pain, improve mobility, and increase spinal function.
There are many types of exercise therapy, some of which are:
- Aerobic exercises like walking, swimming, etc
- Stretches
- Strengthening exercises like core stabilization, squats, etc
Research on the benefits of exercise therapy demonstrated positive results. [3] Thus, it is an effective treatment for chronic low back pain that improves pain, disability, and quality of life.
4. Lifestyle Counseling
A chiropractor is trained to provide lifestyle counselling to manage lumbar pain and its side effects. They may advise you on lifestyle changes to effectively manage pain symptoms and improve mobility.
Some of the areas of focus are:
- Nutrition counselling
- Sleep Counselling
- Exercise counselling
- Stress management counselling etc
5. Safer Approach
Lastly, although chiropractic care is not the perfect solution for everyone, it’s completely safe and mainly risk-free. It provides a drug-free approach to surgeries and other invasive treatments.
Chiropractic care takes a natural, holistic approach to healing the body. It focuses on restoring proper function to the musculoskeletal system to promote overall health and wellness. Hence, you don’t have to worry about its side effects and long-term consequences.
Is Chiropractic Care Right for You?
Let’s be honest; chiropractic care, like most therapies, is not for everyone.
Whether you should try it or not depends on your health situation, needs, and preferences. Generally, some defining factors can help you in this regard. A few of them are:
- The severity and persistence of back pain
- How long do you stay on your feet daily
- The type of work you do
- How is your posture
Before going forward with chiropractic care, you must discuss your queries, goals, and what you want to achieve with your chiropractor.
Another vital thing to remember is to look for a licensed, experienced chiropractor who knows their job well. You can also inquire about the chiropractor’s experience, philosophy, and treatment options to gauge who will be the best person for the job.
Recommended For You: Five Ways to Alleviate Lower Back Pain | A Comprehensive Guide
SUPMOGO RecoveryFlex System
The old ways of using pressure, massage, or various instruments to fix spinal alignment are outdated and less efficient. In the modern world, you need quick yet effective solutions, right?
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Our team worked tirelessly to make a belt that helps with pain and promotes healing. The SUPMOGO RecoveryFlex System has a ton of benefits, including:
- Promotes healing
- Improving circulation
- Helps increase mobility
- Provides core strengthening
- Reducing pain and inflammation
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Conclusion
Chiropractic care is not limited to just humans. Many chiropractors also treat animals like horses, cats, dogs, and wild animals. The therapy has a centuries-old history and is considered one of the top pain relief methods for back aches.
Manual therapy is backed by science and is practical and helpful. It’s a natural and drug-free process with minimal side effects. [4]
Besides, add SUPMOGO RecoverFlex System in the mix, and you’ll be on your way to bidding farewell to chronic back pain!
Endnotes
- Rubinstein, S. M., De Zoete, A., Van Middelkoop, M., Assendelft, W. J., De Boer, M. R., & Van Tulder, M. W. (2019). Benefits and harms of spinal manipulative therapy for the treatment of chronic low back pain: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. bmj, 364.
- Rubinstein, S. M., De Zoete, A., Van Middelkoop, M., Assendelft, W. J., De Boer, M. R., & Van Tulder, M. W. (2019). Benefits and harms of spinal manipulative therapy for the treatment of chronic low back pain: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. bmj, 364.
- Searle, A., Spink, M., Ho, A., & Chuter, V. (2015). Exercise interventions for the treatment of chronic low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Clinical rehabilitation, 29(12), 1155-1167.
- Goertz, C. M., Long, C. R., Vining, R. D., Pohlman, K. A., Walter, J., & Coulter, I. (2018). Effect of usual medical care plus chiropractic care vs usual medical care alone on pain and disability among US service members with low back pain: a comparative effectiveness clinical trial. JAMA network open, 1(1), e180105-e180105.