What Is Chiropractic Care?
Chiropractic care is a form of alternative medicine aimed at diagnosing, treating, and preventing disorders of the neuro-musculoskeletal system. Consulting a chiropractor can therefore help relieve and prevent pain related to joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and nerves.
Chiropractic treatment usually involves three phases: the relief phase, the corrective care phase, and the maintenance phase. During the relief phase, the care provided aims to quickly ease pain or inflammation and improve mobility. Then, during the corrective care phase, the chiropractor seeks to correct the problem causing the pain. Finally, during the maintenance phase, the care focuses on prevention to avoid the recurrence of pain.
Contraindications and Side Effects
Chiropractic care is safe and natural, and rarely causes unwanted side effects. However, it is possible to experience a slight increase in pain and a sensation of fatigue within 24 hours after a treatment. This phenomenon is actually related to how the body adapts to the treatment it has received. Immediate benefits can also be noticed after a chiropractic session, such as rapid pain relief, improved joint mobility, and increased muscle strength.
What Conditions Can Chiropractic Care Treat?
Chiropractic care can treat problems of a neuro-musculoskeletal nature. A chiropractor is therefore capable of treating pain originating from nerves, muscles, or joints. Their goal is to help you regain and maintain optimal overall health without resorting to medication or surgery.
You can consult a chiropractic doctor if you experience lower back pain (lumbar pain), neck pain (cervical pain), or other chronic pains. To help manage your discomfort, the chiropractor can perform joint adjustments or other treatment modalities to quickly and effectively relieve pain.
Chiropractic care is also beneficial for relieving frequent migraines and headaches. Indeed, chiropractic adjustment can help reduce tension caused by improper positioning and dysfunction of the neck vertebrae, which are often the source of headaches.
Chiropractic care can treat many other conditions, such as bursitis (inflammation of a bursa), epicondylitis (elbow pain), or plantar fasciitis (pain in the tendon that supports the arch of the foot).
Finally, it is also possible to consult a chiropractor preventively, even if you do not suffer from a specific neuro-musculoskeletal condition. This is a way to prevent injuries, optimize nervous system function, increase your energy levels, and even improve athletic performance. In fact, some issues such as vertebral subluxations or MID (minor intervertebral derangement) can go unnoticed and be asymptomatic. Consulting a chiropractor helps resolve many problems before they even manifest.
Who Can Receive Chiropractic Care?
Chiropractic care is provided to people of all ages. Children, adolescents, adults, and seniors can benefit from a visit to the chiropractic clinic to relieve and prevent muscle, joint, and nerve pain. Among chiropractors, some have specific skills acquired through advanced training. Thus, some professionals offer services targeted to athletes, others for neurological disorders, pediatrics, or radiology. This allows them to provide treatments adapted to particular groups, including pregnant women, young children, and athletes.
There are many reasons one might seek a chiropractor’s services. For example, you might want to regain mobility after an accident. Chiropractic treatment is also useful for a child or adolescent complaining of leg pain, which may be related to growth. For seniors, regular visits to a chiropractor can help relieve symptoms of osteoarthritis and improve quality of life.
Know that you do not need to feel pain or symptoms to consult a chiropractor. Indeed, chiropractic treatments can be carried out preventively. For example, you might receive care and advice from a chiropractor to optimize your performance and prevent sports injuries during your favorite physical activity.
Finally, if chiropractic intervention is not suitable or recommended to treat your problem or pain, the chiropractor will refer you to another healthcare professional.
What Happens During a Chiropractic Treatment Session?
During your first visit, the chiropractor will perform a health assessment. To do this, they will ask questions about your medical history, lifestyle habits, and other important factors. They will also conduct a physical examination that may include observing your posture, palpating your spine and muscles, orthopedic tests, and neurological tests. If needed, they will also take X-rays of your spine or joints to make an accurate diagnosis. Finally, based on their observations, they will prepare a treatment plan tailored to your needs.
The main intervention technique used is the chiropractic adjustment, a joint manipulation usually performed by hand. The chiropractor may also use various adjustment techniques. For example, they might perform a specific, low-amplitude, very quick movement or use instruments such as the Activator or the Impulse. They might also have you do stretches or perform trigger point therapy. Occasionally, they may use physical therapy devices to provide treatments such as electrotherapy, ultrasound, or shockwave therapy.
At the end of the session, the chiropractor might recommend some exercises to do between appointments to improve your health. They may also provide ergonomic and posture advice or suggest lifestyle changes. Since chiropractic is a natural health approach, your chiropractor will not prescribe medication.
Find a Chiropractor Near Me
Do not hesitate to contact a chiropractic clinic that is a member of ChiroRéseau in your region to discuss your health issue or to make an appointment. Chiropractic centers offer care for everyone, but some professionals may also provide care tailored to a specific clientele. Thus, if your situation requires it, you can also find a chiropractor who offers treatments dedicated to issues specifically experienced by athletes, others for seniors, or even for pregnant women.