My Neck, My Back: Should I Go to a Chiropractor? 5 Surprising Things They Can Treat
Should I Go to a Chiropractor? 5 Surprising Things They Can Treat
Are you suffering from neck and back pain?
Are you wondering, "Should I go to a chiropractor for this ache?"
We explain what a chiropractor can treat for you!
From the moment you wake up, your back is killing you.
In fact, you can't remember the last time you had a good night's sleep since your backaches started. You might have given up hope that you'll ever feel like you did when you were younger.
If this sounds familiar, you're probably wondering: Should I go to a chiropractor?
Chiropractors can offer relief from several different types of aches and pains. More often than you might think, the answer to that question is a yes!
Should I Go to a Chiropractor?
Believe it or not, there are more health issues a chiropractor can deal with than you might think. That's because the main goal of chiropractic treatment is to improve your body's overall ability to function properly. As a result of this goal, chiropractors can relieve many different types of pain.
To help ease your pain, we've put together a list of problems a chiropractor can treat.
TMD
TMD stands for temporomandibular disorder. TMD affects the connection between your jaw and the rest of your skull.
It usually causes people pain and limited movement in their jaw, making it difficult to eat and speak. TMD can cause a clicking or popping noise when you open and close your jaw. Some people with TMD even experience lockjaw, meaning it's nearly impossible for them to open their mouth at all.
A chiropractor can relieve some of the pain and tension in the jaw by moving it and applying pressure on muscles near the jaw. They may also manipulate the neck bones.
Flexibility
"My body... It doesn't move like it used to."
Have you ever thought that to yourself? It's because as we age, our flexibility and range of motion get worse and worse.
Many common health conditions cause inflammation, pain, or difficulty moving. Sometimes, we avoid certain movements on purpose to avoid triggering those sensations. In other cases, we subconsciously avoid these movements without meaning to.
As a result, you might lose some of your flexibility or range of motion. That's because when it comes to your body's ability to move, you either use it or you lose it.
Eventually, the pain can make even simple tasks like tying your shoes or standing up from your seat extremely difficult or nearly impossible.
By making adjustments to your spine and other parts of your body, a chiropractor can help reduce the pain that limited your range of motion in the first place. They can also suggest exercises for you to do regularly at home. Doing these exercises consistently makes their adjustments more effective.
In these ways, a chiropractor can help you improve your flexibility and enjoy a more active lifestyle.
Tension Headaches
The most common type of headache is a tension headache. This type of headache is generally a result of issues in the neck and upper back joints and muscles. They can have many causes, including stress and poor posture.
To relieve the tension in your upper back and neck, a chiropractor can perform adjustments to these areas of your body. This often brings immediate relief.
More importantly, a chiropractor can help reduce the frequency and severity of your future headaches. They can do this by teaching you proper posture for when you spend hours at a time sitting down. They can also recommend relaxation techniques to ease tension in your neck.
Animals
Humans aren't the only ones who could benefit from a chiropractic adjustment or two. Animal chiropractors are specialized in treating animals, including domestic, farm, and zoo animals.
Just like people, animals can have a variety of chiropractic needs. Some reasons for a visit to an animal chiropractor include:
evaluations to make sure young animals are developing properly
curving in their spine
limping or difficulty moving around
athletic check-ups for competitive animals
issues affecting older animals, like arthritis, weakness, and poor balance
Animal chiropractors use several different techniques depending on their patients' needs. Before making adjustments, they might review the animal's medical history, x-ray images, and test results. They may also watch closely while the animal is both still and moving to determine any imbalances.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder with no known cause or cure. It causes pain and abnormal sensitivity all throughout your muscles and bones.
In order for pain to be considered fibromyalgia, it has to be widespread and long-term. Widespread, long-term pain means pain that occurs on both the left, right, top, and bottom of the body, for at least three months.
People with fibromyalgia may deal with fatigue or low energy. They may also have issues with their memory and ability to focus on mentally challenging tasks.
So how can a chiropractor help you deal with this chronic pain?
Chiropractors have a specialized understanding of the way your bones, muscles, and nervous system interact. They can zero in on pain in specific areas of your body through their knowledge of pressure points.
Chiropractic adjustments can have a positive impact on your nervous system, which is likely to reduce the pain you're experiencing because of fibromyalgia.
Ease Your Pain
No matter your lifestyle, you've probably experienced some kind of pain that left you wondering, "Should I go to a chiropractor?" at least once or twice.
From extremely competitive athletes to regular people who work at sedentary desk jobs, most people can benefit from chiropractic treatment. The answer is probably "Yes!"
For more information on chiropractic care, visit our website.
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