Chiropractic Treatment Modalities for Back Pain

Chiropractic care focuses on diagnosing, treating, and preventing various injuries and conditions associated with the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Specializing in the spine and its surrounding structures, chiropractic treatment commonly utilizes spinal adjustments and manual manipulations to restore the proper body function; however, many chiropractors use other therapies to treat patients. The following are other common treatment modalities that chiropractors can additionally offer, along with a brief description of each.

Treatment Modalities

Rehabilitation Stretches

After an individual has experienced an injury or aggravated a previous condition, rehabilitation stretches can be essential to prevent scar tissue formation. Even after the damage has healed, a regular program of stretches recommended by a healthcare professional or chiropractor can help maintain and improve flexibility and mobility as well as help protect the tissues from further injury. Your chiropractor will instruct you on the best stretching techniques for you depending on your specific injury or condition, and they will supervise you throughout the process.

Rehabilitation Exercises

Together with the recommended set of stretches, a healthcare specialist or chiropractor can follow up by recommending specific exercises to strengthen the structures surrounding the spine of patients with neck and back complications. Strengthening exercises can help eliminate symptoms of pain and help prevent the degeneration of the muscles, promote joint health, and increase strength, stability, and range of motion to protect the body from further injuries or aggravating conditions.

Your chiropractor will demonstrate how to do the exercises and supervise you until you are comfortable doing them independently. It’s fundamental to keep up with your exercises as your healthcare provider recommends. Research studies have demonstrated that individuals who follow their specific exercise instructions carefully heal faster than those who do not.

Traction

Many chiropractors utilize traction devices to apply traction to different areas of the body in order to distract different regions of the spine. This treatment helps separate the vertebrae, decompressing the discs to reduce and eliminate nerve root pressure.

Soft-Tissue Manual Therapy

Many chiropractors will utilize a variety of hands-on soft tissue therapies to help improve the function of the soft tissues, including muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joint capsules. Soft-tissue manual therapies such as the pin and stretch, best known as the active release technique, or ART, and instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, best known as the Graston technique, are some of the most common soft-tissue manual therapies used.

Muscular Stimulation

Muscle stimulation is performed by transmitting light electrical pulses to specific body areas through electrodes placed against the skin. There’s a variety of electrical stimulation therapies available. Several types can be more beneficial towards eliminating pain, reducing inflammation, and treating muscle spasms, while others may cause muscles to contract to reduce muscle atrophy. Some forms of electrical muscular stimulation can have a combination of benefits and effects.

TENS

A transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation or TENS unit is a small, battery-powered, portable muscle stimulation machine used at home to help control pain. Variable intensities of electric current can be utilized by healthcare professionals to control the symptoms of pain. This treatment is recommended to help patients get through periods of severe or acute pain caused by their specific type of injury or condition. TENS units are generally not recommended for chronic pain, however. A 2009 report from the American Academy of Neurology determined that transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation units may not be effective for treating chronic low back pain.

Ultrasound

Therapeutic ultrasound is a form of deep heat therapy created by sound waves. When applied to soft tissues and joints, the sound waves function as a form of micro-massage, which helps decrease pain, reduce swelling, stiffness, and spasms and increase blood flow.

Ice and Heat Therapy

Ice and heat have been used for many years to treat many painful injuries and conditions. Ice therapy is often recommended to reduce swelling and help control pain immediately after an injury. Heat therapy is often recommended to relax the muscles, increase circulation, and can provide relief to patients with chronic pain. According to the patient’s condition, a combination of ice and heat can be used.

Nutritional Counseling

Research studies have concluded that following an improper diet and nutrition can provide imbalances in the body which may contribute to various serious illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and even cancer. Many chiropractors are specially trained in diet and nutritional counseling. Your chiropractor can design a nutritional program depending on your needs to help you maintain overall health and wellness and minimize the risk of developing these serious health conditions.

Lifestyle Modification Counseling

Good health is much more than the absence of pain or disease. The lifestyle choices you make on a daily basis can greatly affect your entire well-being. Over time, a lifestyle of unhealthy lifestyle choices can ultimately lead to a wide array of health complications. Examples of lifestyle choices and behaviors that can have negative effects on your health include:

• lack of regular exercise
• smoking
• poor diet
• excessive mental stress
• over-reliance on medication
• excessive consumption of alcohol
• poor posture
• improper lifting

A healthcare specialist or chiropractor will discuss a patient’s lifestyle choices and habits to help them identify which of them could be considered unhealthy. These can then be altered and modified using practical strategies.

Chiropractic care uses more than spinal adjustments and manual manipulations to ensure patients achieve their health goals. Doctors of chiropractic use a variety of treatment modalities to help the body naturally heal itself and return the patient to a healthier life.

Additional Topics: What is Chiropractic?

Chiropractic care is a well-known, alternative treatment option utilized to prevent, diagnose and treat various injuries and conditions associated with the spine, primarily subluxations or spinal misalignments. Chiropractic focuses on restoring and maintaining the overall health and wellness of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Whatever the treatment modalities, a chiropractor, or doctor of chiropractic, can carefully re-align the spine, improving a patient’s strength, mobility, and flexibility.