Chiropractic: Realigning the Spine for Better Health

Chiropractors are neuromusculoskeletal system specialists who rehabilitate injuries, retrain healthy body posture, massage and relax the muscles to detoxify and rejuvenate tissue health, and realign the spine to restore the nervous system to optimal function. It is a form of complementary medicine that focuses on the relationship between the body’s neuromusculoskeletal structures, addressing injuries, conditions, and ailments that cause the systems to malfunction and restoring them into harmony.

Chiropractic Therapeutic Neuromusculoskeletal Treatment

Chiropractors are licensed healthcare professionals who use various forms – hands, special instruments, or combination – of pressure to manipulate the body to relieve pain and discomfort symptoms from various injuries and conditions and improve overall health. Chiropractic is often used in conjunction with traditional medical care to treat health conditions that affect nerves, muscles, and bones. Chiropractic clinics often have a team of specialists that work and counsel patients on:

• Developing healthy movement habits.
• Diet and nutrition adjustments like an anti-inflammatory diet to reduce inflammation flare-ups.
• Exercise and stretches to maintain chiropractic adjustments, retrain, and strengthen the body.
• Modifications to home, school, and work behaviors to prevent worsening injuries or causing new injuries.

Conditions Treated

Chiropractic therapeutic medicine treats any kind of muscle, bone, or joint pain or dysfunction and conditions affecting the nervous and musculoskeletal systems. The most common reasons for seeing a chiropractor include:

• Musculoskeletal pain anywhere in the body – the head and jaws, shoulders, elbows and wrists, hips, pelvis, and the knees and ankles.
• Trigger points.
• Compressed, injured, and/or damaged nerves.
• Neck pain.
• Headaches.
• Lower back pain.
• Herniated discs.
• Sciatica.
• Joint pain and dysfunction.
• Arthritis.
• Rehabilitation after vehicle, work, and sports accidents and collisions.

Effective Treatment

Chiropractic therapeutic adjustments are the most common alternative treatment option in the United States and are considered an effective treatment option for all ages, including both children and adults.

• It’s important to inform a primary care physician about any pain being experienced, whether recent or chronic that lasts more than three months.
• Individuals should receive a screening before chiropractic treatment to ensure that their injury or condition will benefit from chiropractic adjustments.
• If chiropractic care is not appropriate for the injury or condition, the chiropractor will refer the individual to another healthcare specialist.
• Many individuals feel almost immediate relief from symptoms after a treatment session as well as soreness for 24 hours.
• The goal of chiropractic is to restore health over the long term, rather than to relieve symptoms short term.

Benefits

• Increased Blood and Nerve Circulation.
• Improved Blood Pressure.
• Range of Motion Improved.
• Improved Balance.
• Increased Sleep.
• Reduced Headaches.
• Increased Energy.
• Improved Digestion.
• Improved Immune Function.
• Enhanced Physical/Athletic Performance.
• Allergy Symptoms Reduced.
• Improved Asthma Management.
• Healthier Pregnancy.

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References

Hadler, N M. “Chiropractic.” Rheumatic diseases clinics of North America vol. 26,1 (2000): 97-102, ix. doi:10.1016/s0889-857x(05)70123-x

Lefebvre R, Peterson D, Haas M. Evidence-Based Practice and Chiropractic Care. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3716373/) J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med. 2012;18(1):75-79. Accessed 4/25/2022.

Margach, Russell W. “Chiropractic Functional Neurology: An Introduction.” Integrative medicine (Encinitas, Calif.) vol. 16,2 (2017): 44-45.

Moore, Craig, et al. “The management of common recurrent headaches by chiropractors: a descriptive analysis of a nationally representative survey.” BMC neurology vol. 18,1 171. 17 Oct. 2018, doi:10.1186/s12883-018-1173-6

Nahin, Richard L et al. “Insurance Coverage for Complementary Health Approaches Among Adult Users: United States, 2002 and 2012.” NCHS data brief ,235 (2016): 1-8.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Chiropractic: In Depth. (https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/chiropractic-in-depth) Accessed 4/25/2022.