Chiropractic Care: Back Pain Relief Without The Use Of Medication
Back pain plagues most people at one time or another. Chiropractic care treats back pain without the use of medication. It doesn't matter whether the pain is from chronic stress or a recent car accident, pain relief is on the way once you visit a chiropractor. A chiropractor will use a number of treatments to relieve your back pain. Treatment options include:
- Spinal manipulation to restore functionality
- Therapy using hot or cold packs
- Using an ultrasound machine to break up scar tissue
- Tens machine (or electronic muscle stimulation) therapy
- Hands-on massaging
- Applying traction by hand or with the use of a specialized therapy table
Spinal Manipulation
Spinal manipulation is the movement of vertebra using hands-on techniques. This is the mainstay of chiropractic treatment, as manipulation restores the body to a state of balance. Well trained in techniques to restore the spine to alignment, the chiropractor will use a combination of hands-on treatment, treatment tables and small, manual devices. Once the spine is aligned, true pain relief and healing can begin.
Therapy Using Hot or Cold Packs
Back pain can respond to either hot or cold therapy. At the start of an injury, many patients prefer ice. Once an injury has been going on for several days, heat therapy is most often applied. Ice reduces inflammation and will reduce pain, while hot therapy will relax muscles. Hot therapy before a spinal manipulation will allow the treatment be more effective.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound techniques send sound waves into the muscle, breaking up scar tissue and speeding up the healing process. Ultrasound will allow blood to flow more freely to the area, which is crucial to muscle repair. Ultrasound is painless, and although it will help you heal, you won't feel anything during treatment.
Electronic Muscle Stimulation
A tens machine is an electronic muscle stimulation machine that sends a small electric current to muscles. It feels like a massage, and the level of muscle stimulation will be set based on the comfort level of the patient.
Massage
Massage is always therapeutic after an injury, and some chiropractors will use hands-on massage to help heal muscles that have been hurt. Massaging muscles that have been injured will speed up the healing process because it allows blood to flow to the area.
Traction
Traction helps relieve pressure caused by compression. Traction can be done using manual therapy, or by using a special traction table. Traction is a form of stretching that offers pain relief because it reduces pain that is caused from an area that is tight or inflamed. Gentle traction techniques help elongate the spine and allow the misaligned vertebra to go back in line naturally.
For more information about the many benefits and uses of chiropractic care, contact a clinic such as First Chiropractic.