3 min read
Chiropractic care has been gaining popularity over the years as an effective way to treat and manage pain of all kinds – from head to toe and everywhere in between! While pain management is not the only reason you might see a chiropractor, it’s one of the most common reasons patients book their appointment.
Standard approaches to pain management often focus more on treating symptoms rather than overall healing. They may also use more drug therapies than what a chiropractor is likely to recommend. This is appealing to many people who would like to avoid using pain medications – whether over-the-counter or prescription.
Chiropractors Get to the Source of the Pain
A chiropractor will help you find the source of the pain and treatment, hopefully allowing many patients to delay or avoid surgeries to fix the problem. And the pain does not need to be just back pain. Many times our pain is caused by problems in other areas of the body. A chiropractor can help you wherever the pain is located.
Studies show the effects of chiropractic care and have determined that it is a safe and effective treatment method. One study states:
“The most common conditions treated by chiropractors are back pain, neck pain, and headaches. The best available evidence supports manipulative therapy as a reasonable option for many of these complaints.”
What Conditions Can Chiropractic Care Help?
Chiropractors can help treat many types of pain, caused by conditions such as:
- Osteoarthritis - this can cause pain in many areas of the body some of the most common including the back, knee, hip and shoulder.
- Degenerative disc disease affecting the spine
- A bulging or herniated disc that causes extensive pain in the back and can trigger sciatica.
- Migraine headaches
- Pinched nerves that cause pain in the neck or tingling in the arms.
There are many different types of treatment that can be used without medications including:
- Spinal adjustments to realign the muscles and bones in the body. This can relieve back pain, neck pain, headaches, hip pain and more.
- Spinal decompression that releases pressure on discs and the vertebrae that may be rubbing together due to arthritis.
- Knee traction that allows space in the knee when cartilage has been worn away causing extreme pain when walking.
Other types of treatments for pain are aimed at reducing inflammation. These include cold laser therapy and cryotherapy.
Does Chiropractic Care Really Relieve Pain?
The short answer is yes! However, this is a different approach than conventional medical appointments. Chiropractic care requires regular appointments for a gentle and medication-free approach to relieving the pain. The various treatment approaches used by chiropractors deliver results, but usually over a period of time such as a few weeks.
Your chiropractor will create a treatment plan that is specifically designed to relieve your pain. The key is sticking to the plan. If you stop going as soon as you start to feel better, there’s a good chance that the pain will return. Your chiropractor is not just setting appointments for the sake of making more money. There is evidence behind the plan the chiropractor creates for you to feel your best. The results will last much longer if you stick to the entire plan. For many patients, insurance will cover all or some of these appointments.
Chiropractic vs. Conventional Approaches to Pain Management
It’s rather common for patients with back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain, and knee pain to turn to their primary care physicians or orthopedic doctors to treat their pain. These are considered standard medical approaches for pain management, such as using prescription pills, steroid shots, or even surgery. While surgery may not be avoidable for everyone, it can sometimes be delayed – such as a knee replacement.
In terms of chronic pain (that doesn’t go away after an injury or illness) doctors often prescribe opioids, which are highly addicting. Many patients would prefer to find a way to reduce and manage pain without prescription pain medications. Chiropractic care is one of the best ways to do this.
Choose Village Chiropractic for a Holistic Approach to Pain Management
At Village Chiropractic in The Woodlands, we help our patients relieve pain through our treatment plans that get to the source of the problem. Our skilled chiropractors work hard to educate patients on the cause of the pain and how to prevent it from returning.
We offer a wide variety of chiropractic treatment methods in addition to spinal adjustments. We will work closely with you to develop a treatment plan that best suits your unique needs and expectations. Schedule your consultation today.
