What Does Chiropractic Care Treat? A Lot More Than Neck Pain!

By Donna Stark

If you are experiencing pain or stiffness in your body, you may be wondering one of two things. Should you toss some pain relievers in your mouth or should you simply ignore the discomfort and hope it goes away on its own? It’s a decision that can easily change the trajectory of your day, maybe even your week. Neither of these ideas is a good solution. The best-case scenario is that you may find a few hours of relief, but the worst case is that you end up with a bigger problem down the road (opioid addiction, anyone?) and be forced to deal with chronic pain and significant medical treatments.

If you’re experiencing pain or stiffness in your body, a solution that makes sense right now is to visit a chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic. What if you have never been to a chiropractor, how can you be assured the doctor will know exactly what to do? Keep reading to learn more!

Requirements to Become a Licensed Chiropractor

A chiropractor must have a license before he or she can consult with patients, perform a physical exam, or provide any care on patients, including spinal manipulations. Though licensure requirements do vary from state to state, each chiropractor must fulfill certain requirements. They must undergo undergraduate education, obtain a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from an accredited school, and pass the National Board of Chiropractors test. To keep their license current, chiropractors must also keep current with their medical education regularly. Yes, chiropractors are doctors.

How Chiropractors Treat Patients

Now that you know chiropractors are experts in their field, it’s time for a visit. Your initial visit at The Joint Chiropractic will begin with a discussion of your medical concerns, health history, and future goals. While reviewing your history, your chiropractor may ask if you have had any diagnostic imaging taken before coming in. If you have, those reports may be helpful to bring, but if you haven’t, don’t worry! Images are not required for your visit, but if your chiropractor feels it’s in your best interest to have some taken, you’ll be told immediately so you can seek the appropriate help be and given a referral. If imaging isn’t needed, your chiropractor will go on to the next phase of your visit.

Your chiropractor will next seek to identify the root cause of your issue by conducting a physical examination, which could mean checking the length of your legs (comparing one to the other) or testing your range of motion or any other process. More than likely, he or she will also perform gentle, yet very precise, manipulations on different parts of your body. Chiropractic adjustments aren’t only limited to the spine!

The adjustments your chiropractor provides can help relieve pain, improve range of motion, and correct subluxations throughout your entire body, so be prepared for that! From the top of your head to the tip of your toes, your chiropractor treats a whole gamut of health issues by placing your body in proper alignment, restoring motion, and targeting those awful subluxations, no matter where they may be.

Problems Caused by Subluxations

In the simplest of explanations, subluxation is a term used to describe a joint that doesn’t want to work the way it’s supposed to work, whether that means it’s fallen out of alignment or isn’t moving the way it should. Although some may only cause minor back or neck pain, subluxations should be addressed immediately because they could lead to a variety of health conditions for people of all ages. Here are some of the most common issues caused by subluxations.

• Headaches and migraines
• Colic, ear infections, and growing pains
• Arthritis and bursitis
• Knee, foot and ankle pain
• Tennis and golfer’s elbow
• Frozen shoulder
• Sciatica and scoliosis
• Fibromyalgia and carpal tunnel syndrome
• Nerve damage
• Herniated discs

It may be upsetting to hear there are so many problems caused by subluxations, but the good news is that subluxations can often be easily resolved with chiropractic treatment. A chiropractic adjustment is the healthiest way to entice that misbehaving joint back into good behavior because it avoids the use of prescription medications, uncomfortable injections, and invasive procedures, which means you avoid the undesirable and often risky side effects associated with those types of treatments. Chiropractic care is one of your smartest options if you are suffering from pain that stems from subluxations.

Chiropractic Tools and Healing

There are a variety of tools that chiropractors may use on their patients, but none are as important as the chiropractic table. The table is where most, if not all, of the chiropractic spinal manipulations occur. It’s also where the healing begins! So, even if it’s a bit intimidating at first, take heart! It won’t be long before you start loving the time you spend on that apparatus. It’s a good idea to wear loose-fitting clothing for your visit; this allows doctors to work best as they position you for a variety of adjustments.

If you’re a first-time visitor, it’s important to understand that it took years for your body to reach its condition, so don’t be surprised if the doctor recommends follow-up visits as a part of the treatment to help you achieve optimal health. Although these visits are important to commit to, they are rarely set in stone. That’s because your treatment plan is completely dependent on how responsive your body is to the adjustments. On one hand, you may heal a lot quicker than you thought, and on the other, your body may need some extra time to sort itself out. Your best bet is to be flexible with this because things can change quickly!

That brings us to another important point. Be sure to follow the advice of your chiropractor. The recommendations they suggest for at-home care between visits are critical for a successful healing and recovery process.

Making the Right Choice

At the end of your “official” treatment plan, your chiropractor will outline any ongoing care for you that is intended to keep your body functioning at its best. Most people choose to continue because they’ve come to experience the many benefits associated with routine chiropractic care. They no longer ask the question, “what does chiropractic treat?” because they know it can treat a lot! Their pain has decreased, their mobility has increased, and their overall well-being has improved with routine chiropractic care. They are ecstatic about the results they achieved, and the same can be said for you.

So, come on in and experience the wonders of chiropractic care today! You may be surprised by the number of ways it can impact your life and all of the amazing benefits care can provide.

The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this page are for informational purposes only. The purpose of this post is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics, including but not limited to the benefits of chiropractic care, exercise and nutrition. It is not intended to provide or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your chiropractor, physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this page.