Chiropractic Treatment for Back Pain

 

Chiropractic treatment is a complementary and alternative medicine in which chiropractors use their hands to address problems in the muscles, joints, and bones. Chiropractic can help relieve pain in muscles and joints, particularly back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, and elbow pain. The treatment is also often used to address pain caused by osteoarthritis.

Chiropractic treatment is widespread in the United States, with roughly 22 million patients seeking this treatment each year. The most common problem people are trying to treat is back pain. The condition may be caused by different circumstances, from accidents to sports injuries and muscle strains. Roughly 35 percent of people getting chiropractic treatment do it for back pain.

Chiropractic treatment is based on the theory that the body can heal without surgery or medication by manipulating its musculoskeletal structure back to its proper alignment. Nevertheless, chiropractic treatment can also be combined with conventional medical treatment.

The first step of chiropractic treatment for back pain consists of a physical examination, often combined with diagnostic imaging, to determine whether this treatment is appropriate for the patient's condition. The chiropractor may also ask questions regarding past injuries, other health problems, medication the patient may be taking, sleeping and eating habits, exercise routine, and mental stress.

Once the condition is clear, the chiropractor performs chiropractic adjustments. This procedure uses controlled and sudden force on the joints to manipulate them and improve their range of motion. Chiropractic adjustments may cause temporary stiffness and aching as the body adjusts to the new alignment. However, the adjustment should not cause any pain.

Chiropractic treatment also aims to restore the body's full function and prevent further injury. The treatment is safe and has proven effective in treating acute back pain. This pain is usually sudden and can result from minor trauma or lifting heavy weights. Acute back pain usually lasts no longer than six weeks.

Chiropractic treatment usually lasts several weeks, but the sessions are usually short, between 10 and 20 minutes each. The treatment may require more frequent sessions in the beginning, even multiple times per week. With the first signs of improvement, the sessions may become less frequent until the goal of the treatment is reached.

Certain conditions are unsuitable for chiropractic treatment, including severe osteoporosis and arthritis, bone fractures, bone tumors, and bone or joint infections. At the first appointment with a chiropractor, it is important to disclose any other health conditions so the practitioner can determine whether this treatment is suitable.

In addition to chiropractic adjustments, practitioners may use other forms of therapy, such as heat and ice therapy, soft tissue massage to improve circulation and reduce inflammation, electrical muscle stimulation through the use of electrodes placed on the skin, or cold laser therapy to help reduce swelling and improve circulation.

Furthermore, chiropractors may suggest an exercise program for the patient to follow alongside the chiropractic treatment. Exercises usually focus around stretching and strengthening the back muscles. Lastly, chiropractors may give dietary suggestions or recommend supplements and advise lifestyle and environment changes such as modifying the workstation.

Patients considering chiropractic treatment for back pain should always search for certified chiropractors. To earn a license, chiropractors must pass the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) exam.

The Differences between Renovation, Restoration, and Remodeling

People embark on giving their homes a new look for several reasons. However, a simple facelift project may turn into a complete makeover, taking much longer and more resources that anticipated. This can easily happen if you fail to distinguish between renovation, restoration, and remodeling before embarking on the project.

There are architectural differences between renovation, restoration, and remodeling. Renovation involves refreshing, upgrading, or renewing a building in one or areas or throughout. Renovation does not alter the function of whatever it is you’re renovating. If you’re renovating your bedroom, it will remain a bedroom once you’re done. Some of the most popular renovation projects include painting, replacing doors and cabinet hardware, installing new floors and lighting, and repairing damaged structures.

Restoration, on the other hand, involves returning a building to its original state. If your home has a wooden floor and you’d like to replace the floor with exactly the same type of wood as the original floor, you’d call this project a restoration. Restoration is almost the opposite of renovation, where change and improvements are the norm. Instead of upgrading or modernizing part or all of a building, you’re returning it to the state it was in when it was built. Restoration may involve replacing or repairing woodwork, floors, doors, windows, hardware, and cabinetry.

Remodeling is perhaps the most time and resource-consuming of the three project types. It’s somewhat similar to renovation, except it changes the structural or architectural layout of your building. Therefore, in remodeling, both the design and function change. If you decide to tear down a wall to expand your living room, raise your roof, or add a new bathroom, you’re essentially remodeling your home.

There are several factors to consider before you embark on any of these projects. One, you should consider the extent of the changes you’re willing and can afford to make. Some project types, like remodeling, may demand you move out of your home throughout the duration of the work. Renovation, on the other hand, can usually be done on a budget.

Restoration is the least labor and capital-intensive of the three types of projects. It’s worth noting that you can perform all these project types simultaneously. For instance, you could tear down a wall to expand your kitchen (remodeling), replace the Formica kitchen countertops with marble (renovation), and replace the original oak strip floor with one just like it (restoration).

Reasons for remodeling, restoring, or renovating your home may differ. You may decide to embark on various projects to boost your building’s value or as one of your passions, like do-it-yourself (DIY) renovations. If you want to upgrade or update your building to increase its value, you should know that some updates and upgrades do not guarantee that they will return more in value than you’ve invested. If this is your goal, it helps to focus on projects that prospective buyers deem valuable, like living room space and a modern kitchen layout and appliances.

Each project comes with unique benefits. If you’re looking to improve your home’s sentimental value, you may choose to remodel it. If it’s a case of personalizing your space and getting more out of your rooms, you may want to do some renovating. To improve the function of your home, consider remodeling. If you still can’t decide whether to renovate, restore, or remodel your home, speak to an expert. A professional will be able to take into account your preferences, needs, and budget in light of your home’s state and what is possible and practical.

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The Use of ART in Relieving Musculoskeletal Problems

Chiropractors, physical therapists, and massage therapists use the active release technique (ART) to relieve tension in patients’ tissues and muscles. It is considered the gold standard in treating a variety of musculoskeletal issues.

Used for more than 30 years, ART involves identifying, targeting, and isolating scarred tissue to encourage the faster healing of injuries and pain removal. Repetitive use or trauma can cause adhesions that culminate in scarring, which causes pain and stiffness. Furthermore, this pain and stiffness lead to tingling and burning sensations, aching, weakness, and numbness.

ART breaks up scar tissues (adhesions) that bind up nerves. By manipulating the tissue, practitioners work to help the patient’s muscles and joints move freely.

Practitioners target scar tissue by looking for neck, elbow, hands, knees, and back stiffness. Limited range of motion and heightened pain while exercising also show scarred tissues. Other symptoms include decreased strength, inflamed joints, and sharp pain at the heel.

ART practitioners focus on the fascia, main muscle groups, and tendons and ligaments. They use ART with fascia, the fibrous connective tissue that protects organs and supports muscles in the body, to reduce the inflammation that causes extreme stiffness and pain. In addressing overused and strained muscles, ART therapy relieves pain in the back, neck, shoulders, and hamstring muscles. Finally, ART therapy increases the patient’s range of motion, or flexibility, in tendons and ligaments, which connect muscles to bone)

The technique treats various musculoskeletal conditions, namely chronic neck and lower back pain, tension headaches, shin splints, tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis (heel pain), and tendonitis. Practitioners also use ART to treat patients with sciatica.

A body of evidence shows that ART has positive outcomes for patients suffering from musculoskeletal conditions. For instance, ART therapies were found effective in six studies that focused on treating pain, six studies that reported its effectiveness in improving range of motion, and two studies that reported disability improvements.

A 2019 study found that ART also reduces low back and leg pain. The study reviewed 115 cases of low leg and back pain and found incorporating ART therapy correlated with patients reporting pain. In some cases, the pain reduction happened only one month after treatment began.

According to a 2021 National Institutes of Health study, ART therapy is also effective for patients with the scapulocostal syndrome (shoulder pain) and masticatory myofascial pain (pain around the neck and jaw). The study reviewed pain levels after four weeks of therapy involving three hour-long sessions of modified ART. Patients who participated in the study reported decreased pain intensity after this period.

ART has benefits for athletes as well. The technique helps athletes recover more quickly from injuries than other therapies. Furthermore, outside of treating injuries, the therapy can improve athletic performance because it facilitates the restoration of muscle and connective tissue function to peak condition, which allows the person to compete in optimal condition.

While there is evidence of ART’s therapeutic effects, researchers have not studied the technique enough to say definitively that it provides patients with long-term benefits. It restores motion to inflexible areas when applied correctly. It is a non-invasive procedure, and a session typically takes between five and 15 minutes.

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