Have you ever considered seeing a chiropractor? If you have aches and pains that plague you on a daily basis, regular chiropractic treatment could provide you with relief. A chiropractor makes adjustments to the spine or other parts of the body that need realignment. Proper alignment of the spine and limbs can prevent pain and injury.
Chiropractors receive plenty of skepticism regarding the treatment they provide and whether or not it is worth the time and the cost. If you’re wondering what chiropractic services can do for you, here are 15 problems it has been shown to help with.
- Lower Back Pain
One of the most common types of pain people experience is lower back pain. A chiropractor can make adjustments to your spine that will help to relieve the source of the pain in your lower back, whether it is an alignment issue, a disc problem, or a muscular inflammation.
- Upper Back and Neck Pain
Many people experience upper back or neck pain these days, often from work related injuries such as poor posture and too much time spent looking down at a computer or phone. Chiropractic treatment can relieve the tension in the neck and upper back to ease your pain and improve your posture.
- Migraine Headaches
If you suffer from migraine headaches and nothing you’ve tried seems to help, you should try seeing a chiropractor. The exact cause of migraine headaches is not known, but if yours are triggered by stress, chiropractic treatment could prevent or reduce the frequency of your migraines. You may even find that you need medication for your migraines much less frequently or not at all.
- Tension Headaches
Tension headaches are often caused by strain in the neck, which chiropractic treatment helps to reduce. Your chiropractor will make adjustments during your appointments and probably suggest some stretches you can do at home to relieve the tension in your neck that is causing your headaches.
- Shoulder Pain
Is your pain concentrated in one shoulder or the other? It is likely on the side you sleep on or your dominant side of the body. Shoulder pain can result from sports injuries or from tension in the neck or back. Chiropractic treatment involves spinal alignment that can help to relieve the tension in your joints that may be causing your pain. Stretching exercises you can do at home may also help.
- Knee Pain
It may seem odd to think that chiropractic treatment can relieve knee pain, but it can. A chiropractor can make adjustments to any joint in your body, not just your back. Knee pain may be the result of moving your body in unhealthy ways, which back pain may be the cause of. If back pain causes you to hunch or walk unevenly, you could be damaging your knee in the process. A chiropractor can help you improve your body’s range of motion.
- Whiplash
One of the most common car accident injuries, whiplash can be relieved with chiropractic treatment. Whiplash is actually a sprain of the neck muscles and tendons from the impact of the accident that can cause intense pain. An adjustment of the spine and neck by a chiropractor can provide relief and help your neck to heal properly.
- Sacroiliac Pain
Your sacrum, otherwise known as your tailbone, is the bone at the end of your spine. Sacroiliac pain occurs in this region and may extend into the buttocks and backs of the legs. A spinal adjustment from a chiropractor can help to relieve sacroiliac pain, as well as stretching exercises.
- Myofascial Pain
Myofascial pain occurs at certain trigger points in your muscles that correspond to other parts of your body and cause pain. The nervous system is connected throughout the body, meaning pain in one area can cause pain in a totally different area without any particular problem in that area. Chiropractic treatment can relieve the pain at the source, which in turn relieves pain in the corresponding areas.
- Sciatica
The sciatic nerve runs along the inside of the thigh from the hip down to the knee. If this nerve becomes pinched or irritated, an ache or shocking pain can resonate through the hip and thigh and down the leg. A chiropractic adjustment to the back and hip can help to relieve the pressure on the nerve to stop the pain. Regular treatments can help this pain from returning.
- TMJ Problems
Even jaw pain can be relieved with the help of chiropractic treatment. TMJ stands for the temporomandibular joint, which is the place where your lower jaw connects to your skull. This hinge joint has a disc that can easily slip out of place or become inflamed, causing pain and tension in the jaw. Neck tension and poor posture can sometimes be the cause of TMJ problems. Headaches are another side effect of TMJ, usually concentrated in the temple area of the head. A chiropractor can make adjustments to your joints that will help relieve the tension and pain associated with TMJ.
- Scoliosis
Characterized by an unnatural curvature of the spine, scoliosis can cause back pain, poor posture, and have a negative effect on the way you move your body. Typical treatment for scoliosis is wearing a back brace, but chiropractic treatment can be an added strategy to relieve the pain and straighten the spine. Exercises can be done to help strengthen the structure of the spine and improve range of motion.
- Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a condition of the musculoskeletal system. People who suffer from fibromyalgia experience pain in various locations throughout the body. The pain can be intermittent or chronic depending on the patient. If you have fibromyalgia and would like to find relief through means other than continuous medication, try chiropractic treatment, which focuses on improving the nervous system, circulation, and spinal alignment, all of which can provide relief.
- Hip Bursitis
The hip is a ball and socket joint, which includes a fluid filled sac called the bursae. If this sac becomes inflamed, it can cause severe pain and swelling of the outside of the hip. Sometimes hip bursitis occurs due a misalignment of the spine that causes uneven walking stride. You could be unknowingly putting more pressure on one hip than the other when you move, causing inflammation. Chiropractic treatment can treat the misalignment of the spine that may be causing the hip bursitis, as well as help to align the pelvis and hip joints.
- Plantar Fasciitis
Do you suffer from pain in your heel or the arch of your foot? This can happen in one or both feet, and it’s called plantar fasciitis because it is an inflammation of the plantar fascia ligament that stretches across the bottom of the foot from the heel to the ball of the foot. This can happen from wearing unsupported shoes or walking barefoot a lot. Chiropractic treatment can help by properly aligning the spine as well as the legs and feet. Stretching exercises, wearing supportive shoes, or adding arch support insoles to your shoes can also help.
Benefits of Chiropractic Care
Still wondering if chiropractic treatment is a worthwhile consideration? Here are the biggest benefits to this type of healthcare:
- Lower your blood pressure. If you suffer from high blood pressure, chiropractic treatment has shown to lower blood pressure as effectively as some medications without the side effects.
- Increase blood flow to the brain. Increasing the flow of blood to the brain, as well as increasing the flow of cerebral spinal fluid, can help with neurological conditions.
- Improved athletic performance. Whether you’re a serious athlete or someone who plays sports as a hobby, chiropractic treatment can improve your athletic performance.
- Boost your immune system. Chiropractic care has shown to improve the immune system because it frees up the nervous system to fight off bacteria and viral infections.
- Improve your digestion. The muscles in the back affect the nervous system, which has a strong connection to your digestive system. A healthier nervous system as a result of chiropractic care can reduce digestive problems.
- Increase your energy. A properly functioning nervous system helps you feel more energized throughout your body.
- Improve your breathing. Correcting a misalignment of the spine can free up the rib cage to allow for better lung capacity.
Do You Suffer From Any of the Above? Kim Chiropractic and Rehab Can Help
At Kim Chiropractic and Rehab, we believe that no one should have to live in pain. We also believe that there are ways to treat pain at the root of the problem, providing healing rather than masking the pain with medication. We provide chiropractic treatment in many forms from spinal alignment to joint rehabilitation.
If you’re ready to experience the benefits of chiropractic treatment, contact us to schedule a consultation at one of our convenient locations in Columbia, Centreville, or Rockville.
