Chiropractic and Pain Management

Chiropractic and Pain Management

Pain is the body’s way of saying “Something is wrong”. When your body is in pain, your first and strongest response is to get out of it. So what should you do if you either can’t find the root of your discomfort or if conventional symptom treatments don’t provide lasting relief? If you have a chronic pain condition, you are probably familiar with this dilemma. For most people, they turn to pain management medications that add significant care costs, don’t work or work for long enough, create dependency, and/or introduce a number of side effects that in and of themselves become issues. Chronic pain can become so bad for some individuals that they consider surgery despite the risk, the expense of the procedure and recovery, and the lack of assurance that their discomfort will be ultimately resolved.

Pain management can be a treacherous road to travel in today’s world of conventional, pharmaceutical focused medical care. Thankfully, there is a safe, reliable and effective route than serves as an alternative. Chiropractic based pain management and relief allows many individuals with chronic pain conditions to not only retain their quality of life, it allows them to manage the effects of their condition, reduce and even eliminate their need for medication and resolve the root of their pain. Chiropractic diagnostic techniques and treatments are multifaceted and personalized to help you gain a better understanding of your pain, and subsequently determine the most effective means of treatment or treatment combinations.

If you’ve been seeking a medication-free, non-surgical approach to pain management, chiropractic is a good place to start--and an even better place to finish your search. One of the most effective and satisfying aspects of chiropractic based pain management, is your role in your treatment. Unlike the conventional medical approach, you retain your sense of control and actively contribute to your own relief. You don’t have to feel helpless in the face of your condition, and you can take peace of mind in knowing what to do when you experience discomfort.

Besides chiropractic basics like adjustments and manipulation techniques, decompression, massage, and others, you can learn how to manage your pain through self-care and home therapies, such as the following:

• Therapeutic Exercise: Specific exercises will help strengthen weak muscles, restore range of motion, improve balance, and increase circulation. Giving your muscles and joints the exercise they need are essential in managing pain and relieving tension in areas that could be causing your discomfort.

• Stretching: Improving flexibility and muscle circulation through daily stretching helps relieve stiffness, reduces the likelihood of injury and addresses areas that become tense and contribute to our pain.       Stretching is wonderfully simple and can be done almost anywhere, while providing substantial benefits when done on a regular basis.

• Temperature Based Care: Hot and cold treatments can help you achieve quick, targeted relief of an affected area. These treatments are easy to administer and control, and provide a non-invasive, simple means of addressing acute discomfort.

• Ergonomics: Everything from the way we sit, stand, move, work and play can affect the body. Ergonomics is simply a way of doing these things sensibly to avoid irritating or contributing to a condition.       Poor ergonomics can add up to chronic pain and proper ergonomics can prevent and address the very same condition.

Sources:

http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/chiropractic/chiropractic-treatments-back-pain

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/chiropractic-adjustment/MY01107/DSECTION=what-you-can-expect

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/chiropractic-adjustment/MY01107/DSECTION=why-its-done