Chiropractors are doctors who are trained to diagnose and treat musculoskeletal conditions, such as back or neck pain, sciatica, herniated disc, headaches, whiplash and many other painful problems. Their primary focus is on the proper function, alignment and mobility of the vertebral joints of the spinal column. According to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), chiropractors practice a drug-free, hands-on approach to health care that has been demonstrated to be safe and effective. SpineUniverse.com reports that chiropractic care is the third largest sector of medicine, just behind dentistry. According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 20 million people received chiropractic care in 2007.
Spinal Manipulation
Spinal manipulation, also known as an adjustment, has been used as a form of treatment since the beginning of recorded time, according to the ACA. Hippocrates wrote of using manipulation to treat back pain, as did early Chinese and Greek physicians. Spinal manipulation involves the mobilization of the joints of the spine by applying a controlled impulse into the joint. Doctors of chiropractic typically use their hands to accomplish this, but many different adjusting instruments are commonly in practice that offer a more gentle approach. The joints and muscles of the body are designed to move. Through a variety of injury processes, they can become restricted or hypomobile, leading to pain and inflammation. A chiropractic adjustment restores motion and function to these joints and tissues, thereby reducing symptoms.
Passive Therapy
Chiropractors employ a wide range of passive therapies to help relieve pain and inflammation in affected areas of the body. Passive therapy is a modality that does not require any action by the patient, such as the application of heat to improve blood flow and relax muscles, ice to reduce inflammation and pain, electrical muscle stimulation that helps break spasms and reduce pain and ultrasound to stimulate healing and break up tissue adhesion. Soft tissue mobilization and massage can help ease muscle tension and restore blood flow.
Active Therapy
Active therapy involves muscle strengthening and stretching, which the patient actively does. After pain has receded, most chiropractors will use specific stretches and exercises to stabilize and strengthen the spinal musculature. One cause of chronic back pain is poor posture and muscle stabilization, which puts extra stress and strain on the joints of the spine. Active therapy is designed to restore proper function to the muscles surrounding the spine and reduce the stress. According to SpineUniverse.com, studies have shown that patients who perform the prescribed exercises heal faster than those who do not.
Lifestyle Advice
Most chiropractors believe in a natural approach to health and will counsel their patients on proper sleep patterns, nutrition and diet and assist in weight loss and exercise techniques. Beyond reducing pain, chiropractors are concerned with proper function and overall health and seek to prevent problems before they occur.
