What Do Chiropractors Do For Back And Neck Pain?

Do you suffer from back or neck pain? Maybe you've been in a car accident, have a sports injury, or have sprained your back from carrying heavy loads. Any kind of back pain is uncomfortable and stressful and will hinder you from living your life to the fullest.

The good news is that you don't have to live with that back pain anymore. A chiropractor is able to help you.

Health History

Before a chiropractor does anything, they'll want to know your health history. What is the reason for your visit? What injuries have you had before? What treatments have you or are you receiving?

Are you on any medication? They will also want information about your lifestyle and stress levels. Do you smoke or drink? Do you eat and sleep well?

You need to be as accurate and as detailed as possible since some conditions are not compatible with spinal manipulation. Such conditions include osteoporosis, inflammatory arthritis, spinal compression, and cancer.

Also, if you take any type of blood-thinning drug, spinal manipulation is not for you.

Physical Exam

Next, the chiropractor will conduct a physical exam on you. They will particularly inspect your spine as you move to see what's causing neck pain. They may also do an x-ray or conduct more tests.

Treatment

Treatment may take many forms but the commonest among them is spinal manipulation. Here, the chiropractor will use their hands to stretch your spinal bones and then release them in a thrust.

The chiropractor may follow this up with a soft-tissue massage session.The aim is to realign your spine into position. Spinal manipulation is painless. You may feel a little tired or stiff after the procedure but this should go away after a few days.

Some chiropractors may use methods such as prolotherapy and sclerotherapy. These involve injecting the spine with sugar water, to strengthen ligaments on the back. However, these methods are still on trial and their efficacy is not proven.

Your treatment plan may also include nutritional advice and rehabilitation exercise regime.

Treatment may continue for several weeks. Initially, you may need to undergo one or two sessions per week. As you improve, this may be reduced to once a week.

Seeing a chiropractor may be what you need to get rid of that nagging back pain. But before you do so, make sure you discuss this option with your physician.

Secondly, make sure you give your complete medical history to your chiropractor. Follow through with treatment and honor your appointments. With these steps, you should be on your way to getting your life back. Reach out to businesses like Physical Therapy at ACAC to learn more.