Chiropractic FAQ Sheet: Chronic Pain Management

Reviewed by: Dr. Steven Knauf, D.C.

By: Martha Michael

Suffering from chronic pain can feel like an endless battle, especially when relief seems out of reach. Whether it’s managing chronic pain or simply not realizing that a life with little or no pain can be possible, many struggle to find effective treatment.

But here’s the good news: every patient is unique, and there are countless ways to reduce or even eliminate pain. Let’s dive into how chiropractic care can play a crucial role in pain management and getting you back to the active, vibrant life you deserve.

How do you define chronic pain?

Feelings of pain are the result of sensations moving throughout your nervous system, says an article on WebMD. In the presence of a catalyst such as an injury, pain sensors are activated and electrical signals course through your body connected by nerves that results in feelings of pain. As your body heals, the pain signals recede; however, when they are not eliminated through the healing process it’s considered a case of chronic pain. Chiropractic care is one means of coping with chronic pain.

Types of chronic pain

Pain is a word we use to describe a range of sensations, from the burn of a skinned knee to tenderness from a broken bone. Symptoms of a chronic pain condition range in type and intensity depending on the cause.

The type of chronic pain you’re experiencing provides a clue that can lead to successful forms of treatment by your chiropractor. Chronic pain can present in various ways, including:

• Throbbing
• Shooting
• Burning
• Dull aching
• Soreness
• Squeezing
• Stiffness
• Stinging

The way you describe the sensations you’re experiencing can help your healthcare professional determine the cause of symptoms and create a treatment plan that can relieve pain.

Causes of chronic pain

Whether you’ve suffered an accidental injury or you’ve been diagnosed with a health condition, the cause of your chronic pain may have one significant origin or be the result of multiple factors.

Past Injuries - Car accidents, slip-and-falls, and other incidents often result in painful symptoms. It’s important to seek treatment immediately to prevent long-term damage. Letting time pass to see if it clears up on its own is counterproductive to the healing process. Getting it checked out as soon as possible gives you the best chance of not developing chronic pain.

Chronic back or neck pain - Movements in everyday living can place extreme pressure on muscles, joints, and tendons throughout your body. Instead of a single catalyst for your pain, you may start to notice a nagging ache in your back or neck, which is sometimes due to age-related conditions such as arthritis. If you ignore it, you can end up with chronic physical problems. A chiropractor has training in the treatment of common types of chronic pain located in the lower back, neck, feet, and shoulders, so they can determine the source of your symptoms and offer a treatment plan.

Headaches - A headache is a descriptive word for a lot of different forms of pain, according to WebMD. There are 150 types of headaches with a variety of sensations affecting different places on the head, face, and sinus areas. Tension headaches and migraines are the most common. Migraine headaches can include such symptoms as:

• Sensitivity to noise, light, or smells
• Reduced appetite
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Stomachache

From pressure to sharp pain, headaches can be complicated and there are numerous causes. It’s important to address chronic headaches and related symptoms.

Infections

An acute illness may be painful in itself, but the immune response from an infection can cause residual problems such as chronic neuropathic pain, according to an article in the British Medical Journal. Physical and psychological triggers can turn temporary pain into a long-term problem. In addition to other causes, post-infectious pain may explain the discomfort experienced by patients with such mysterious illnesses as fibromyalgia.

How can chiropractic affect chronic pain?

Chiropractic treatment is a conservative approach to reducing chronic pain symptoms with little to no side effects associated with invasive measures such as drugs or surgery. Chiropractors provide preventive care and restorative treatment options. Spinal manipulation is a common treatment used to reduce pain and improve function, according to Harvard Health. Chiropractors address structural issues using a variety of techniques.

• Manual Therapies - Applying quick, strong bursts of pressure to your spine can provide therapeutic movement to your spinal column, resulting in pain relief.
• Postural Advisement - A chiropractor can advise you in making changes to the biomechanics impacting your posture.
• Exercise Education - A fitness practice that’s designed for your specific body type and physical ability streamlines your workout for optimum results.
• Ergonomic Training - From the way you sit, stand, and walk to your body’s position when you sleep at night, your positions affect your overall health.

Sometimes chiropractors serve as members of a team of medical practitioners to optimize a patient’s health, but the advantage of chiropractic care is that it’s minimally invasive and treats patients naturally, without the use of pharmaceuticals.

Are there additional options to reduce chronic pain?

Every patient is unique and diagnoses vary, so treatment options need to be customized to treat an individual’s experience with chronic pain. Pain relief medications or surgery are sometimes the best solution for acute pain, but there are a number of non-invasive treatments Healthline describes some of the most effective treatment options for someone with chronic pain.

Exercise

The use of exercise is an integral practice in the rehabilitation of patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain, according to an article in the Journal of Physiology. Moving your body can reduce pain perception, lower stress, and boost your mood. It promotes analgesia in patients suffering from:

• Myofascial pain
• Osteoarthritis
• Low back pain
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Fibromyalgia

The challenge for people with conditions that suppress energy is that they can become increasingly fatigued when they exercise, which minimizes their interest in fitness. Unfortunately, it can lead to a sedentary lifestyle, making it harder to successfully reduce symptoms of pain.

Relaxation

There are many popular practices that promote relaxation, which is an effective avenue for pain reduction. In most parts of the country, you can find a class or a Meetup group to guide you and, in some cases, find an online community to explore stress-reducing activities.

Opportunities to promote relaxation include:

• Meditation
• Yoga
• Spa treatments
• Aromatherapy
• Massage therapy
• Botanical/nature experiences

Practices such as yoga provide additional benefits, building muscles and improving flexibility that make it easier for patients to become more engaged and develop healthier social connections.

Psychotherapy

Suffering from symptoms of chronic pain often leads to mental distress. Your emotional health carries the burden of circumstances, such as missing out on activities with loved ones and burning out from battling symptoms. People with chronic pain can become depressed and have sleep disturbance, resulting in debilitating battles with fatigue. Seeing a mental health professional can offer an outlet for sorting out those feelings.

Psychotherapists have several modalities to address your pain symptoms, including:

• Hypnosis
• Behavioral therapies
• Cognitive therapies
• Expressive arts therapies
• Biofeedback

The multi-modality model of treatment gives patients a greater chance of reducing or eliminating pain.

“Pain and its treatment are complex, and what works best for one may not work for another,” says Micke Brown, BSN, RN, director of communications for the American Pain Foundation. “The secret to creating an effective pain treatment plan is adding the right ingredients to find the recipe that works for the individual.”

Chiropractic is often among the right ingredients. Struggling with chronic pain symptoms can make you feel like you’re in a single combat sport, but you don’t have to fight alone. Opening yourself up to new forms of treating chronic pain can give you greater options, but finding providers who can target the cause of your symptoms narrows the focus. More information and clarity is helpful in finding safe, non-invasive forms of treatment that are most effective. Seeing a chiropractor is a conservative, and often excellent, first step in the pursuit of handling chronic pain.

The information, including but not limited to text, graphics, images, and other material contained on this page, is 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.