Chiropractic care is related to the non-surgical procedures of treating many disorders of the musculoskeletal system and nervous system. Generally, chiropractic doctors maintain a unique goal on spinal treatment and manipulation of different spine structures.
Several studies have shown that therapies done manually by chiropractors are effective in treating lower back pain and other disorder like lumbar herniated disc, and neck pain.
What Chiropractors Exactly Do
Chiropractors use different treatments created to manage the joints, tissues, and spine to ease discomfort and pain and to improve the function of all body parts. In general, it is regarded as SMT or spinal manipulation therapy, which also includes several other chiropractic techniques.
Chiropractors create a kind of treatment plan based on what exactly the patients need. They start utilizing traditional methods with less-invasive and more natural therapies before performing more aggressive procedures.
The Examination Process
A chiropractor will conduct a thorough examination of the patient before sorting a treatment plan or diagnosis. The evaluation can include several factors, including:
Asking Patient’s History on their Health
The goal is to know where exactly the pain came from and understanding the components of the disorder. Chiropractors keep an eye for the ‘red flags’ that could suggest further examination, which must be done to exclude severe medical issues associated with lower back pain and neck pain like fractures, tumors, infections, and neurological disorders.
There are several reasons why lower back pain exists. Chiropractic doctors will figure it out to assess the most suited treatment for their patients, including:
- Physical tests, including neurological and orthopedic tests.
- Test the sensory nerves, reflexes, muscles, joints, and other body parts.
Advanced Diagnostic Examination and Testing
Laboratory testing and imaging are not suggested for lower back pain that is not specified clearly. But it’s necessary if the symptoms or signs have severe underlying conditions.
Signs It's Time to Seek Advice from a Chiropractor for Lower Back Pain
The pain and discomfort come from the hard tissues rather than muscular or soft tissues
Medically, pain can be classified according to the focal points of the body being affected and the impact on the tissues involved. Pain that is formed by injury to other soft tissues such as muscles is given effective treatment through massage therapy. But the pain that comes from hard tissues requires manual spine manipulation or other lower back pain chiropractic treatment performed by a skilled chiropractor.
Two examples of the hard tissue are the joints and spine that may lead to lower back discomfort. Sharp pain and tightness caused by spine misalignment are not easily relieved through a single machine, so seeking help from a chiropractor is very important. Other ailments may involve nonspecific tissue, and some patients find lower back pain chiropractic treatment from a chiropractor is the most consistent and fastest route for pain relief.
The signs are consistent with a severely pinched nerve
The structure of the spine gives a tight quarter for the spinal discs, nerves, cartilage, and other structural components. If the discs become out of place or one structure becomes a hindrance to space where the nerves are located, it starts to get pinched. A pinched nerve is one of the causes of having lower back pain. It doesn’t send or receive messages effectively to sustain the communication from the brain to other areas of the body.
Nerve pain is usually a sharp pain that becomes worse because of several types of movement. A lot of patients complain about numbness and some suffer from the needle prickling sensation on their skin. Since the nerves may run from the lower spinal structure into the legs, you may also feel numbness, discomfort, and pain in the feet.
Most of the time, the nerve gets pinched from hard tissues and bones. If this happens, a chiropractic treatment becomes helpful and effective. Chiropractic doctors will find the cause of nerve pinching and work on repositioning the interfering bones. It will ease the tension from the tight muscles, or manipulation will be performed so that the nerves have more space to function well.
Heat therapy, massage therapy, and other treatment options don’t give sufficient pain relief.
A lot of patients visit a chiropractor after trying several types of treatment but with no success. They experience pain relief resulting from other treatments but not enough to eliminate the pain that has impacted their lives.
It doesn’t mean that when they seek advice from a chiropractor, they are giving up all other forms of treatment. Dry needling, massage therapy, and other medical treatments can combine well with chiropractic care, as long as it is a well-rounded pain management practice that delivers satisfying results. Anyone who struggles with the lower back will have the great advantage of seeking advice from a chiropractor. The first consultation is mostly to know whether a form of chiropractic treatment is helpful in the patient’s condition.
How Chiropractic Care and Treatment Works
A chiropractor will formulate a treatment plan based on the information you have given. Pain management and other chiropractic techniques require several visits and might take a long period to give you the best pain treatment and therapy.
At every visit, your chiropractor may perform pressure on the back and other affected areas in the body for spine realignment and pain management. The pressure may be low in force or abrupt, provided by hands or with special help from a specified instrument. Massage and therapy may be associated with the treatment plan, but to ensure safe and effective sessions, you must talk with your chiropractor in Victor, New York for other chiropractic methods needed in your condition.
For lower back pain chiropractic treatment, you may also be given:
- Nutritional supplements
- A change in diet
- Recommendations for physical activity
- Hot and cold packs
- Electrical stimulation
References:
- https://www.everydayhealth.com/back-pain/chiropractor-for-treatment.aspx
- https://www.spineuniverse.com/treatments/chiropractic/chiropractic-care-low-back-pain
- https://www.spine-health.com/treatment/chiropractic/chiropractic-treatments-lower-back-pain
- https://www.juliescottchiro.com/time-to-see-a-chiropractor-for-your-lower-back-pain/
