Table of Contents
Back pain can limit you from everyday tasks like working, exercising, and even spending time doing activities with those you love. Chiropractic care can help you regain normalcy and improve the quality of your life. A chiropractor can help ease your back pain and support you in long-term, sustainable recovery.
How Does Chiropractic Care Work?
Dislocated joints can affect both your muscles and your bones. Even partial dislocations of the joints can cause pain and limit your range of motion. Spinal subluxations can result from accidents, bad posture, and activities that put too much strain on the spine. In short, your joints and spine can become misaligned over time, resulting in pain and discomfort.
Chiropractic care is a non-invasive treatment focusing on the nervous and musculoskeletal systems. Chiropractors relieve the subluxations through various spinal adjustments. Here are some of the treatments your chiropractor may recommend:
Spinal Manipulation
Spinal manipulation is the go-to technique for treating spinal misalignment and subluxations. Before the treatment begins, chiropractors determine ideal positions for patients to lay. Then, they apply short quick thrusts over the problem areas to relieve pressure.
You’ll likely hear a cracking sound with each thrust. The sound results from the air pockets surrounding your joints. Each adjustment “pops” the small pockets, allowing synovial fluid to lubricate your joints. This can result in instant relief for patients with minor issues.
You may need to schedule more adjustments if your pain results from a serious injury. Rest assured, you’ll feel better after the recommended number of visits.
Spinal Mobilization
Spinal mobilization is a less-intense alternative to spinal manipulation. It involves less thrusting and more stretching to relieve back pain. This treatment can be suitable if you’re afraid of the cracking sound resulting from manipulation. It can also be ideal for the following groups of people:
- Patients with bone deformities, inflammatory arthritis, and osteoporosis
- People with sensitive nervous systems that are susceptible to muscle spasms
- Obese patients since it may be challenging to get them in the right positions
- Patients with severe back pain
Chiropractors use various spinal mobilization techniques to relieve back pain. Here are the most common ones:
The Activator Method
This technique uses a specialized instrument known as an activator. The device allows professionals to provide fast, low-force pressure at pain points. Its high speed doesn’t give muscles the time to resist pressure, hence the quick relief. The low force allows chiropractors to apply localized pressure.
Read Also: 8 Ways To Become a Better Leader At Work
Flexion Distraction Therapy
This technique involves a segmented table that chiropractors can raise and drop. Your chiropractor will apply pressure to your back as sections of the table drop. Gravity, combined with the pressure applied, can naturally relieve back pain. This technique can realign the spine and improve your range of motion.
Can You Pop Your Own Back?
You’ve likely heard a cracking sound when bending or stretching your body. It’s normal to question the need for a professional if you can crack your back.
The cracking sound doesn’t always mean you’ve relieved the pressure on your spine. You may hear the sound when you move the joints surrounding the spinal subluxations. This isn’t as effective as reliving the subluxations themselves.
It takes specialized training to locate subluxations, hence the need for a chiropractor. They know how much and what kind of pressure to apply to different areas to relieve discomfort and back pain.
What Are the Benefits of Chiropractic Care?
Chiropractic services can be better alternatives to over-the-counter medication and surgery as they’re safer and more natural. You don’t have to worry about the side effects of drugs or the risks of undergoing surgery.
Treatment from a chiropractor can have instantaneous results. Many patients report pain relief and reduced stiffness after the first session. This is because manipulating disjointed areas lubricates them and relieves the pressure.
Patients and doctors have also reported that chiropractic services help prevent back pain by improving posture. If you spend most days sitting down, any back pain your experience will likely be related to poor posture.
Visit a Chiropractor
Chiropractic care relieves back pain by releasing the air pressure between misaligned joints. It’s a natural way to eliminate stiffness and promote long-term results. Your chiropractor may recommend spinal manipulation or mobilization, depending on your condition. Mobilization can be more suitable for people with severe pain. Don’t live with back pain when you can get instant relief from chiropractic care.