Chiropractic care can heal some of our most common ailments in ways you might not realize. Check out these surprise chiropractic benefits for more.
Chiropractors are well known for their ability to treat a sore back or neck. Many are devoted chiropractic patients to help with the pains they have in their spine.
The common understanding of chiropractic care is that chiropractors treat the neck, back, and spine. But chiropractors are actually treating a whole host of ailments and injuries. These might be the kinds of conditions where you previously sought care from your family doctor.
You might be surprised to learn that chiropractors are treating a long list of medical conditions and injuries you once went to other doctors for. They are using the chiropractic philosophy to treat many surprise chiropractic needs.
Read on to learn the surprise chiropractic treatments that are being used for many medical conditions.
1. Tension Headaches and Migraines
The statistics are staggering. Up to 15% of all adults suffer from severe headaches or migraines. These are the kinds of headaches that can be debilitating and life-altering.
The chronic state of the repeated pain can put a real damper on carrying out a regular life routine.
There are several things a chiropractor can do related to headaches.
- Chiropractors can do spinal manipulation. This can relieve pressure in the neck area where many chronic headaches start. The relief of stress on the nerves in the neck and back can be a game-changer for headaches sufferers.
- Chiropractors can also offer advice related to diet. There are many foods that can trigger headaches and migraines.
- Many people are in professions where they remain in the same position for long periods of time, think sitting at a desk for example. Chiropractors can offer options for position changes to relieve pressure in the back and neck.
Many migraine sufferers reported a big difference in their condition after seeing a chiropractor for care consistently.
2. Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is another common condition that can be quite debilitating to those who suffer from it. It causes widespread pain in the body and joints.
Patients who suffer from fibromyalgia experience sensitivity in many spots on their bodies. They often feel fatigued and struggle with sleep because of the condition.
Because fibromyalgia is so closely related to the entire musculoskeletal system, chiropractors like the doctors at https://www.metrohealthnyc.com are a natural choice for care.
Some medical doctors like to treat psychological components to this disease. Yet chiropractors are having good luck treating fibromyalgia using their own methods.
Chiropractors are using both realignment of the spine and the manipulation of soft tissue to help many fibromyalgia sufferers. The treatment of soft tissue is called ischemic compression.
3. Stress and Anxiety
In today’s hectic non-stop world, it’s hard to avoid feeling stress. Stress can come from a variety of factors, many of them environmental. Environmental stressors might include family life, job-related stress, even worries about finances.
Stress can also come from a medical condition or an emotional state. Anxiety paralyzes many with fear and worry.
Chiropractors have been successful in treating stress and anxiety using a variety of methods. These include:
- Relief of muscle tension that builds up in the body because of stress.
- Spinal readjustments help blood circulation and irritation in the nerves. This helps the patient’s brain to calm instead of fighting the constant anxious sensations.
- Chiropractors can help patients find ways to self relax and build a repertoire of relaxation techniques for the muscles and body.
Also included in chiropractic care will be to look at diet to make sure the body is getting all the nutrients it needs to handle the stress. Often chiropractors will suggest B complex vitamins to help stress management.
4. Struggling Immune Systems
You don’t have to know much about the anatomy of the human body to understand that the body systems are intricately interconnected. The nervous system, endocrine system, and immune system are so connected, to boost one, you need to consider all.
There are some new and interesting studies that show that when the spine is in misalignment, the immune system is impacted. Messenger molecules that are part of the immune system, called IL-2, are also found in the nervous system. So, if you have a neural problem because of a spinal misalignment, your immune system can also be impacted.
Compression on the nerve pathways can affect body organs. The term subluxation refers to the misalignment that happens when the nerves are irritated or compressed.
When these nerves are impacted in subluxation, patients can also see the impact in their connected immune function.
Chiropractors can work to address the subluxation and spinal misalignment relieving the nerve pressure so the immune system is no longer impacted.
5. Body Flexibility
If you have ever experienced an injury that has limited your ability to move, you know how debilitating it can be. When your body can’t move properly because of swelling, pain or stiffness, your flexibility and range of motion decrease.
Muscles that don’t get used stiffen and lose flexibility quickly. So, how can a chiropractor address this issue when it is muscle related?
Chiropractors will use spinal manipulation and realignment to help those body parts that are struggling. If there is swelling in a joint, the chiropractor will work to address the swelling which will help the patient get moving again.
Your chiropractor can also give a regiment of stretches and exercises for the home that can work to improve range of motion, flexibility, balance, and coordination.
6. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel is a condition affecting more and more people, especially those who find themselves connected to a computer keyboard for work for hours on end.
This condition is caused when there is repeated pressure placed on the median nerve in the wrist. This nerve reacts to that continuous pressure often causing loss of feeling, immobility, numbness or tingling in the hand, wrist or arm.
Patients who leave carpal tunnel untreated for a period of time often face serious pain. Their only treatment option becomes surgery.
Chiropractors can help to avoid such an invasive treatment plan. They work on the deep tissues in the area which helps to alleviate pain and give some relief to the flared nerves in the wrist area.
7. Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis
Both Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis are conditions affecting the joints in the body.
In Osteoarthritis the joints wear down from a normal life of wear and tear. As the joints wear down, the arthritis pain increases. In Rheumatoid arthritis, the joints experience chronic swelling when also causes pain and discomfort for those who have it.
There are several ways a chiropractor can address these arthritic issues. First, they will want to make sure the spine is in alignment and not causing the joints uneven pressure.
The chiropractor will also work on the soft tissue area surrounding the joints. By relieving pressure in the soft tissue they can stop any muscles from spasming and relieve some tenderness in the area.
Traction and/or an exercise program might also be used to stretch the impacted joints. This can help to increase the flexibility and range of motion of the joint which is likely to decrease the pain and swelling.
8. Sciatica
While it is pretty common knowledge that chiropractors work on back pain, they also work on the nerves in the back area too. The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body. It starts at the base of the spine and runs down the legs into the toes. In the back of the knee, sciatica, which is also the largest nerve in the body, divides into two, the tibial and common peroneal nerves.
Sciatica is a condition where there is irritation in this nerve causing problems in the body’s lower extremities. Sciatica symptoms include:
- Pain concentrated on one side of the lower body
- Sharp shooting pain down the leg
- Numbness in your legs
- Dull aches
- Pain when standing
- Difficulty breathing
A chiropractor will work on spinal realignment to take the pressure off of the sciatic nerve to relieve the symptoms associated with sciatica. They can also prescribe a stretching program to help to keep the nerve from getting irritated.
9. Whiplash
Whiplash is an injury in the neck. It most commonly happens when a person is rear-ended while in their car. It can also come from a sports-related injury or even a fall.
When a person has whiplash, their neck jerks back and forth quickly and with force.
Whiplash and related neck injuries can be very painful. Traditional medicine might treat this injury with pain medication that can be very addictive. While medication can help with pain, it does not really address the problem causing the pain.
A chiropractor will look at the injury specifically. They will work to get the spine and neck back in alignment. They will work to relieve pressure on the nerves in the area and will care for the tissues surrounding the spine.
Like other injuries, the chiropractor will also prescribe at-home stretches to relieve the pressure in the spine and neck.
Surprise Chiropractic Services for Ailments
A chiropractor will look at the issues facing a patient then create a specialized treatment plan to address the ailment. Chiropractors are more holistic in approach to give the body the opportunity to heal itself.
If you suffer from one of these surprise chiropractic ailments, consider a visit, or several, to your chiropractor. By realigning your spine and working on deep tissues in your sore spots, chiropractors can address health issues in unexpected ways.
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