Back pain may be caused by spinal misalignments, arthritic joints and other problems. A chiropractic treatment program can ease your pain, improve your posture and strength and help you avoid future problems.

A chiropractor may perform spinal manipulation, which involves a thrust within a joint’s natural range of motion. This can produce the popping sound that’s associated with chiropractic treatment.

Back pain

About 22 million Americans visit chiropractors each year to seek treatment for back pain. This is the most common complaint and the reason many people first see a chiropractor.

Chiropractic care can help relieve neck and back pain in a holistic manner. Chiropractors manipulate the body’s joints and spine to alter its nervous system response, reduce pressure on nerves and muscles, ease inflammation and stimulate the natural healing process.

Chiropractors also use manual therapies to treat the joints, muscles and ligaments surrounding the spine. These include spinal manipulation (also known as chiropractic adjustment), massage, trigger point therapy and myofascial release. Unlike surgery, these treatments are completely non-invasive.

A good chiropractor will take a thorough history of your symptoms and how long you have been experiencing them. During your exam, they will look at the mobility of your spine and record vital signs like blood pressure. They will also order imaging tests such as X-rays and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to get a better look at the cause of your pain.

To reduce pain in the spine, chiropractors will often start with a spinal manipulation. During this treatment, the chiropractor will apply quick thrusts over a joint that has become restricted. This restores the normal movement of the vertebrae and reduces nerve irritability. You may hear a popping sound during this procedure. It is caused by the release of gases, such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, from the joint as it moves back into place. This is similar to the sensation you may experience when cracking your knuckles.

Another way to address back pain is by using laser therapy. The radiated heat from the laser penetrates your skin and soft tissues, which helps to reduce inflammation and ease pain. The resulting circulation improvements can also speed up the healing process.

A chiropractor may also prescribe exercise, nutritional counseling and other lifestyle adjustments to prevent back pain from recurring. This is because poor posture, a sedentary lifestyle and obesity can all contribute to back pain. Chiropractors will often provide information about how to stand, sit and sleep properly to avoid putting excessive stress on the spine.

Neck pain

Neck pain is a common complaint and one of the top reasons people visit a chiropractor. It can be caused by a variety of issues including poor sleeping posture (such as stomach sleeping with the head twisted to one side for long periods), whiplash injuries, wear and tear from aging or accidents, and spinal bone degeneration like cervical spondylosis.

Most of the pain-sensing nerves in your neck are located in the pairs of joints on the back of each vertebra. These joints, called facet joints, allow you to move your head from side to side and up and down. When a joint becomes fixated, or locked, it can cause pain, stiffness and headaches.

To ease your neck pain, your chiropractor will use techniques including spinal manipulation and mobilization. These involve applying a controlled force to the spine’s joints in order to shift them back into their natural positions, which can reduce tension and discomfort.

The chiropractor will also apply gentle stretching movements to the neck, which can help with flexibility and movement. They might perform a cervical spine manipulation or a non-thrust technique, called cervical mobilization, which uses lower forces but applies a gradual increasing pressure to the neck’s vertebrae to increase range of motion.

If your neck pain is caused by a herniated or slipped disc, the chiropractor will likely recommend tests such as an x-ray or a computerized tomography scan (a CT or CAT scan) or magnetic resonance imaging test, which can show narrowed disc space, bone spurs and other abnormalities. If your underlying condition is serious, such as herniated or slipped discs that press against the spinal cord, surgery and a rehabilitation program may be needed.

In addition to treating the underlying cause of your pain, your chiropractor might suggest other treatment options, such as heat and cold therapy, massage therapy or kinesio taping. This can help ease spasms and tight muscles and increase blood flow to the area, allowing it to heal more quickly. Depending on the severity of your pain, your chiropractor may recommend additional treatments such as acupuncture, acupressure or ultrasound, and recommend exercise programs to improve your flexibility and strength.

Headaches

If you wake up certain mornings feeling like a rubber band is wrapped tightly around your head, it may be time to call the chiropractor. Chiropractors can help relieve headaches and migraines, and often without the side effects of medication, especially if done by the Fort Wayne chiropractors.

Spinal manipulation, or chiropractic adjustments, involve the use of a hand-held instrument to manually move and twist your spine. This will change the way your body moves, which will ease pain, promote healing and restore a healthy body. In some cases, a chiropractor might also recommend other treatments, including soft-tissue therapy and exercise, joint mobilization (passive movement of the joints) and kinesio taping to support your muscles and joints while they heal.

Migraines and headaches are typically caused by a mechanical issue in the neck, such as a misalignment or muscle strain. A chiropractic adjustment can help alleviate the discomfort by relieving the pressure on nerves and blood vessels that send painful signals to your brain.

Other causes of head and neck pain include poor head and neck posture, holding your head in one position for long periods of time, teeth clenching, dehydration, nutritional deficiencies and stress. A detailed examination from a chiropractor can help you identify the cause of your headaches, so you can make lifestyle changes to prevent them.

Chiropractors are also skilled at treating herniated or slipped discs. A herniated disc occurs when the rubbery disks between your spinal bones become damaged. The disks can put pressure on the spinal cord and other nerves, causing pain. Chiropractors can treat herniated discs with a combination of therapies, including spinal manipulation and soft-tissue therapy.

If you have a severe herniated disc, your chiropractor may suggest that you undergo a medical procedure under twilight sedation or full anesthesia to allow them to perform spinal manipulations while you are under supervision by trained medical professionals. In addition to adjusting your spine, your chiropractor might also employ trigger point therapy to ease the tension in your neck muscles and shoulders. These treatments might also be combined with other complementary therapies, such as massage therapy and acupuncture.

Joint pain

Whether you are dealing with painful joints in your hands, knees, feet or hips, chiropractic can help. Joint pain can be achy, stiff, or throbbing and can cause limiting restrictions in daily activities. This type of pain can be caused by injuries, repetitive motions and even the stress of everyday life.

When you visit a chiropractor for joint pain, they will start with a comprehensive examination. They will record your vital signs like your blood pressure and take X-rays or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to get a closer look at the problem areas in your body. They will also do neurological exams to check the function of your motor, sensory and cranial nerves.

A common cause of joint pain is arthritis, which is a condition that causes inflammation in the joints. Symptoms of arthritis can include joint stiffness, swelling and difficulty moving the joint. Chiropractors can offer treatment for joint pain by manually manipulating the affected area to reduce inflammation, relieve stiffness and increase range of motion.

They can also use mobilization techniques to help improve the flexibility of the affected area. Mobilization involves using low-velocity manipulation and movement to loosen the muscle and joint tissues, which in turn can ease pain and stiffness. Chiropractors may also use ice packs and massage to manage pain symptoms.

Another effective method for treating joint pain is spinal manipulation. This is a quick and non-invasive method that can relieve symptoms of back pain, neck pain, and headaches. Spinal manipulation can also alleviate tingling, numbness and other symptoms associated with pinched nerves in the spine and vertebral fractures.

Other treatments for joint pain that a chiropractor may incorporate into their treatment plan include nutritional therapy, exercise and lifestyle modification. They can also recommend certain exercises and stretches to help ease pain and promote recovery. Some studies have shown that spinal adjustments can also improve athletic performance by reducing muscle tightness and increasing joint mobility.