What Conditions Can Chiropractors Help With?

You might have heard of a chiropractor, but what can chiropractors treat? They address musculoskeletal conditions, including back pain, herniated discs, migraines and more. A chiropractor can help a pinched nerve by using pressure to relieve pain. 

These licensed physicians use natural methods over medication. If you suffer from sciatica, muscle tension or a back injury, a chiropractor can help. 

What Is a Chiropractor?

A chiropractor is a health care professional focusing on the nervous and musculoskeletal systems. Through spinal adjustments, chiropractors use the body’s healing capabilities to manage pain. Areas that a chiropractor treats include:

• Muscles
• Joints
• Nerves
• Spine
• Ligaments

Chiropractor Education

Chiropractors first complete an undergraduate degree or 90 hours of undergraduate coursework. They then undergo a four-years of chiropractic education before obtaining a Doctorate of Chiropractic degree.

In total, chiropractors study for between six and eight years before they can practice. They study many of the same subjects as medical doctors, including anatomy, neurology and orthopedics. The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners licenses all United States chiropractors. 

What Does a Chiropractor Treat?

A chiropractor can help relieve and manage various musculoskeletal conditions:

1. Arthritis: This condition causes pain and stiffness from swollen joints. Chiropractors manipulate joints to reduce muscle pain and increase mobility. 
2. Back and neck pain: Medical conditions, car accidents or posture can cause back and neck pain. Chiropractic adjustments help restore movement and alleviate discomfort. 
3. Herniated or bulging discs: Aging, injury or spinal degeneration may cause herniated discs. When part of a disc pushes through a weak spot in the spine, it puts pressure on the nerves. A chiropractor can help a herniated disc using stretching, spinal manipulation or other techniques to relieve disc pressure.
4. Facet joint injuries: These joints connect your spinal vertebrae. Auto accidents, sports injuries and age can cause facet joint pain. Adjusting the joint to relieve pressure and increase blood flow can reduce pain.
5. Fractured bones: Treatment helps strengthen the muscles around the fracture. This results in improved mobility, pain relief and quicker recovery. 
6. Migraines and headaches: Tension in the neck or misaligned vertebrae can cause headaches. Chiropractors help reduce symptoms through manipulation and massage. Types of headaches include tension, cluster, migraine and cervicogenic headaches. 
7. Muscle and ligament tension: Soft-tissue therapy releases tension in the tissue surrounding muscles. Manual manipulation relieves spasms and lessens soreness. 
8. Nerve pain: A pinched or compressed nerve puts pressure on the spine. Nerve compression can cause radiating pain in other body areas. Chiropractors locate the affected nerve and use spinal manipulation to relieve pressure. This treatment also improves blood flow to the area. 
9. Neurological conditions: Focusing on the nerves helps relieve symptoms of neurological disorders. Conditions that benefit include cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease and peripheral neuropathy. 
10. Sciatica: The sciatic nerve extends from the buttocks down both legs. Pain or tingling radiates from the lower back into the leg if the nerve becomes irritated. Chiropractors may use other methods like ice therapy, ultrasound and nerve stimulation.
11. Scoliosis and posture issues: Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine. Manipulation can help strengthen and correct the spine. Poor posture can cause pain and stiffness. Neuroskeletal adjustments help relieve discomfort and realign the spine. 
12. Whiplash: Neck strain occurs when your neck jerks with violent force in a car accident. Chiropractors treat whiplash inflammation with techniques like manual adjustment or flexion distraction. 

What Does a Chiropractor Do?

Now that you know what chiropractors can help with, how do they treat these conditions? Chiropractors see the musculoskeletal system as the key to overall health. They work on the relationship between the spine and the nervous system.

Targeting misalignments in the spine can alleviate symptoms and improve mobility. Treatment often works in conjunction with traditional medicine. Here are some of the techniques chiropractors use:

Spinal Manipulation or Mobilization

The most common technique used by chiropractors is spinal manipulation or mobilization. These two methods differ in the velocity or force of the adjustment:

• Manipulation: The chiropractor applies more force during high-velocity low-amplitude (HVLA) thrust. Patients may hear a pop called a cavitation caused by gas escaping the synovial membrane. 
• Mobilization: Low-velocity low-amplitude (LVLA) thrust involves gentle, slow adjustments in a localized area. It works within a patient’s range of motion and suits those with sensitive joints. 

Both techniques increase mobility, relieve pain and improve function. 

The Activator Method

A chiropractor uses an activator adjusting instrument (AAI) for low-force taps. This method employs controlled, gentle force in quick movements to treat joint pain. The AAI allows chiropractors to pinpoint specific areas, preventing the body from tensing. 

The Gonstead Technique

Named after its developer, Dr. Clarence S. Gonstead, this technique involves manual manipulation for precise adjustments. The practitioner first analyzes the spine and nervous system to identify problem areas. Tools include X-rays or motion analysis to target the misalignments for correct treatment. 

Flexion Distraction

The patient lies on a table while the chiropractor applies gradual pressure to the spine. Flexion distraction is ideal for back and neck pain. It relieves nerve pressure and disc compression. This method helps treat herniated discs or sciatica. 

The Thompson Drop Technique

This method uses a segmented table that drops in increments. The chiropractor applies pressure in a thrusting motion while the table moves, allowing the practitioner to deliver precise spinal alignment adjustments.

Other Chiropractic Treatments

Chiropractors may offer other treatments alongside those mentioned, such as:

• Electrodiagnostic treatments: Chiropractors may use electromyography (EMG) to diagnose muscle and nerve health. 
• Physiotherapy: This noninvasive treatment method uses exercise, massage and heat therapy. 
• Injection therapy: Chiropractic clinics may offer injection therapy to alleviate pain. Epidural steroid injections reduce inflammation by flushing out the body’s inflammatory fluids. Large joint steroid injections combine local anesthetic and steroids to treat inflammation. Trigger point injections target muscle knots, using Lidocaine to break them down. 

Who Can Go to a Chiropractor?

Chiropractic treatment is suitable for people of all ages suffering from musculoskeletal complaints. You may need to see a chiropractor if you experience any of the following conditions:

• Ongoing muscle or joint pain
• A persistent ache in the lower back
• Stiffness affecting your range of motion
• Frequent migraines or headaches
• Poor posture or spinal curvature
• Sciatica or other nerve pain
• Joint or arthritic pain
• Tingling and numbness in the arms or legs

The benefits of chiropractic procedures include pain relief, reduced inflammation and increased mobility. 

Trust Complete Care for Patient-First Chiropractic Treatment

You don’t have to live with joint or back pain. At Complete Care, our team of chiropractors treats a range of conditions to get you back to doing what you enjoy. We employ techniques that reduce pain and promote faster healing from injuries. Our holistic approach provides comprehensive care, from diagnosis to treatment to aftercare. 

Discover the benefits of chiropractic treatment for yourself. Learn more about our chiropractic services or contact us to request an appointment. With 28 Complete Care clinics across Florida, you’re sure to find a location near you!