What Types of Pain Do Chiropractors Treat?
Some people think that the benefits of chiropractic treatment are limited entirely to pain of the back and neck, while some chiropractors claim to be able to treat all sorts of serious illnesses, like cancer. As is often the case, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
Neuromuscular Conditions
Chiropractic treatment is well suited to treat conditions of the musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems. In other words, it can be very effective at treating many conditions that affect the bones, muscles, and nerves.
Chiropractic treatment involves mobilizing joints, particularly the joints of the spine, to bring them into better alignment. Therefore, it is often very effective at treating pain directly related to the spine, such as low back or neck pain.
Your spine also serves to protect and support a significant portion of your central nervous system. When there is pressure on your spinal cord, the symptoms can be referred via the peripheral nerves to other areas of your body. Chiropractic treatment can relieve the pressure, which can help improve the symptoms. Thus, chiropractic treatment is helpful for treating neurogenic disorders like sciatica or migraine headaches.
The joints of your spine are not the only ones that can become misaligned. Your hips, for example, can tilt out of position and cause one leg to be shorter than the other. Chiropractic adjustment can be performed on hips and other joints of the body to bring bones back into proper alignment.
Various Treatments
Much of the emphasis in chiropractic care is on spinal adjustment, but it involves other forms of treatment as well:
- Ergonomic training
- Postural education
- Manipulative or manual therapies
The purpose of these treatments is not only to relieve pain but also to prevent injuries from occurring in the first place.
Limited Capabilities
Chiropractic treatment can accomplish more than what many people are aware of, but that doesn\’t mean that it is a cure-all for every condition. For example, while cancer patients may benefit from symptom relief afforded by chiropractic care, it does nothing to treat the disease itself. Similarly, there has so far been no reliable scientific evidence to suggest that chiropractic treatment is effective at treating allergies, hypertension, or asthma. People with broken bones should not seek chiropractic treatment because not only will manipulation probably not help to heal the fracture, it may cause further damage. The only possible exception is certain degenerative spinal fractures, and then you should seek the recommendation of your doctor. Use common sense to evaluate any claims that a chiropractor makes to you; if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Chiropractors are like any other professionals: Some are highly skilled and qualified, while others are not to be trusted. You deserve a chiropractor in Riverdale, MD in whom you have confidence. Contact an office for more information.
Thanks to AmeriWell Clinics for their insight into chiropractic care for pain.