Health

Chiropractors are among the most widely sought after practitioners of alternative medicine. This is particularly the case among people who are seeking relief from chronic pain and the related functional problems. If you are currently seeking chiropractic for neck pain, the following is everything that you can expect from these trusted services and procedure.

This care always starts with an in-depth assessment of your health, your needs, and your discomfort. Your provider will also want to know about recent injury events and past injuries and medical procedures. If you are currently receiving conventional treatment from your regular doctor for a functional injury, this should be discussed as well.

Once your examination is complete, your provider will have identified all areas across your spine that are misaligned as well as the related joints and muscle groups that are experiencing stress and discomfort as a result. He or she will have also gathered the information that is necessary for structuring an individualized and integrated plan of care. This will likely span over the course of several weeks or months.

During your treatment, you will likely receive a combination of hands-on therapies such as manual adjustments and massage. The goal of these efforts is to alleviate joint dysfunction, improve alignment and restore mobility. These efforts are especially important for those who are experiencing joint dysfunction in the neck area, given that problems like these can make it difficult to drive or engage in many other essential activities.

Misaligned portions of the spine are commonly referred to as subluxations by chiropractors. These are the most likely source of functional injuries at the neck and are usually caused by sudden and jarring impacts such as those that are experienced during car crashes, slip and fall accidents and other events. Chiropractors use their hands to manually push displaced vertebrae back into alignment. These adjustments occur during each visit and usually span across multiple visits given that they produce modest and gradually improvements in overall alignment.

Neck pain can be additionally alleviated with inversion table therapies. When you are placed on an inversion table, your body can be fully inverted so that the spine is subjected to absolutely no stress at all. This has a lengthening effect on the spine and can promote expedite healing in the targeted area. Inversion is frequently used to supplement various forms of postural correction, given the impressive amount of stress and pain relief that it supplies.

Improved mobility and considerable pain relief can be gained through the use of ultrasound equipment. Your provider can send targeted sound waves into your sore neck. Ultrasound waves are capable of quickly reducing both pain and inflammation, for improved mobility and well-being.

Your local chiropractor will also offer suggestions on how to improve your life quality and your overall health. For instance, it may be necessary to alter the way in which you’re using hand-held mobile devices or the amount of time that you spend hunched over your computer. With the right lifestyle changes, you can significantly enhance the effects of any in-office therapies that are being performed as part of your treatment plan.

When you get a headache, everything you need to accomplish in your day, whether at work or home, becomes harder. You may work slower, reducing your productivity, and adding to your overall stress. In extreme or chronic cases, you may not be able to work at all, and need to lie down for awhile. Either way, you need relief as quickly as possible to get back to your day. If you have tried unsuccessfully to find help with other doctors, you may have finally asked yourself, can chiropractors help headaches? The answer is yes.

The first step in this process is to find a nearby chiropractor that takes your insurance if you have it. Then make an appointment with them as soon as possible. They may be able to get you in the same day or next. Stress that your headaches are impeding on your lifestyle, and that you want to see if they can assist with the pain.

 

During this consultation, you will be asked a lot of questions, such as which type of a headache you get, and how frequently. The doctor needs to determine if you are suffering from tension, cluster or migraine headaches. You may also be asked about your job, family and home life to see if any sources of stress are adding to your aggravation.

Based on all this information and a medical exam, a chiropractor may be able to alleviate some or all of the headaches. A tension headache, for example, may have something to do with a misalignment in your spine, also known as a spinal subluxation. This means that the bones in the spinal column as not where they should be. Sometimes, this can be corrected by a simple adjustment or two that the physician can do right there in their office.

They may also take a very close look at your neck, as pains in that area can cause tension as well. These are often seen in people who have been in car accidents or otherwise had a case of whiplash. Some whiplash clears up on its own, but if it does not, it can cause throbbing aches in your head, which can be repeated and chronic. A few adjustments to that area may alleviate your pain in the same way that spinal adjustments do.

Another reason that you should seek out this type of treatment is that it does not involve drugs. Many doctors prescribe painkillers to treat chronic aches, which do provide relief. Unfortunately, it is only temporary, and you have to continue to take them, which increases the chance of addiction. With chiropractic care, this is simply not an issue at all.

In addition to chiropractic care, the doctor may also assign you some exercises or stretches to keep the aching at bay. There may also be lifestyle changes, like asking you to slouch less or pay attention to your posture more, which can also trigger a headache.

Do as instructed, and make sure you keep any standing appointments for repeat adjustments and care. Doing so will help you live a headache free life that you deserve.