Pain can be crippling and push you to try different methods to experience relief. It is even more controlling if it interferes with your daily chores and bodily functions. Besides the discomfort, the fact that you will not handle anything else because of the pain should push you to seek help. Unfortunately, pain medication can only do so much and for so long in such cases where conventional medicine fails to offer the desired relief.
Chiropractic practices are quite helpful with certain types of pains, especially back and spinal injury pains. However, it is essential to visit the right specialist and examine and determine what would work best in your case. Learn all you need to know about chronic pain management and treatment by chiropractic practice before trying it. This article explores some of the practices that work.
Understanding Chiropractic Rules
Chiropractic is a healing profession that encompasses and applies various practice philosophies and techniques to achieve desired results. Consequently, finding the right chiropractor that matches your needs is not always easy. Besides looking for compatibility, patients need to visit a chiropractic expert that can genuinely help them get the relief they need. It is essential to examine the chiropractic techniques and understand how they are likely to work. Moreover, since these are majorly hands-on practices and treatment options, the patient needs to have a good rapport with the chiropractor and choose a treatment style that works best for them. You must know which techniques to use and how to make them work for you. The common ones include the following.
Spinal Manipulation
You have probably heard about spinal manipulation as you researched more on chiropractic solutions. It is one of the most common techniques used in chiropractic care. The chiropractor attending to the patient uses their hands to execute/ perform the affected spinal joint’s quick, high-velocity, and low-amplitude adjustment. Enough force is applied to help release the joint out of a restricted motion. However, this has to be done within the joint’s anatomic limit.
The patient experiences immediate pain relief and an improved motion range. The pain may be, when done right, subsiding with time and may even go away completely. The quick manipulation technique is the high velocity, low amplitude thrust (HVLA) and is often accompanied by cavitation, a popping/cracking sound. Reactions differ from one person to the next.
Some find the sounds therapeutic, while the same sounds may disturb others or even cause them to panic. In most cases, this procedure is painless unless there is a painful inflammation not because of the procedure but because it exists. Some people may experience some discomfort if they have swelling.
Spinal Mobilization
This technique is different as it includes slow-steady movements of the spinal joints through a wide range of motion. It can be done by hand or using a special device. The goals are similar to spinal stimulation because it is gentler and does not involve cracking or popping sounds.
However, it is not the technique you go for if you want a quick response and recovery. Some people experience slower and longer recovery when using this method. You need an experienced professional to carry it out. However, if a chiropractor is unavailable, trained physical therapists and other experts like osteopathic physicians can easily achieve similar results.
Gonstead technique
This hands-on technique involves pelvis/ low back adjustments when the patient is lying flat on the floor. Most chiropractors use this technique to realign joints that are out of place, to reduce pain and stiffness, and in some cases, increase mobility. It is a universal adjusting technique in chiropractic education thus is often taught to students early enough.
Activator technique
This practice involves using a handheld adjusting instrument to deliver gentle impulses into the vertebral segments of one’s spine or other extremities. Chiropractors use some level of force that feels like a light thumping sensation.
The technique can treat everything, including low back pain and certain headaches/ migraines. Patients will feel very comfortable, so this technique is recommended for seniors who need all the comfort they can get.
Flexion-distraction
This practice is also commonly referred to as the Cox Technic or decompression manipulation. It is also another popular technique since it is used in over half of the practicing chiropractic clinics. This is probably because it is a versatile treatment technique/ practice, and it covers a variety of issues, including treating facet joint pain, disc herniations, and scoliosis, among others. It may not be the most comfortable technique since patients will likely feel a gentle stretching motion. What’s more, this technique only works on a specially designed adjusting table.
Diversified technique
This is one of the practices employed as an adjustment of the spine and is often used in extremities. It may resemble the Gonstead technique in terms of how patients will feel. What’s more, it is regarded by many as one of the most used techniques that involve exact hands-on thrusts. It aims to help restore proper spine alignment and motion.
Thompson/ drop table technique
This practice involves the use of a specially adapted table. The table comes with padded platforms and is designed to drop a fraction of an inch whenever the chiropractor applies a quick thrust to adjust. This subtle dropping motion may cause the patients to feel or experience a vibrating sensation, comforting for most. It is also a great technique to use in spine cases and extremities that are more severe.
Final Thoughts
It is possible to have your pain relieved with chiropractic procedures. However, you must know what options are available before exploring any. This means having a sitdown with the chiropractor and discussing all available options for your treatment. A good chiropractor will ensure you understand the depth of your issue and the possible ways out of it. Use this opportunity to gauge your compatibility. The best chiropractors will have a great connection with their patients since one must relax for these procedures to work better.
