Chiropractic Health Center

Chiropractic Health Centers: Is this treatment for me?

If you’ve ever been curious to utilize chiropractic care for ailments like back and neck pain, but may be afraid to give it a try, let’s analyze the facts so you can determine if it’s the right treatment for you. Before you call a chiropractic health center for an appointment, here’s information on what to expect from your visit.

What does a chiropractor do?

Simply put, chiropractors treat people by aligning their spine with a variety of manipulations. You may be familiar with hearing people use terms like, “I’m going in for an adjustment,” or “I’m going to get my back cracked.” All true statements, but there is a science to the treatments.

Chiropractors use their hands or a small instrument to apply a controlled, sudden force to a spinal joint. The goal is pain relief. Although chiropractors are not medical doctors, they do have extensive training involving disorders of the bones, muscles, and ligaments. They graduate with more than seven years of education as doctors of chiropractic. Licensing is dependent on continuing education classes.

Visiting a chiropractic health center

Millions of people every year visit a chiropractic health center for treatment of aches and pains. When you arrive for an appointment, the chiropractor will give you a physical exam and go over your medical history. The provider may find additional tests like x-rays or MRI important to determine if there are any acute issues that may prohibit treatment.

If everything checks out, the adjustment will begin. You may be sitting or lying down for treatment, and the chiropractor will position you in different ways depending on what condition is being treated.

The chiropractor will apply a controlled, sudden force to a joint, pushing it beyond its usual range of motion. You may hear popping or cracking sounds as your chiropractor moves your joints during the treatment session. That’s where the term “getting your back cracked” comes from.

Patients often say the strange positions they are placed in during an adjustment feel odd but not painful. You may experience minor side effects for a few days after an adjustment, including headaches, fatigue, and perhaps 24–48 hours of soreness in the treated area.

Chiropractic is often termed alternative medicine, or holistic or even integrative because the focus is on body healing through manipulation and not prescription drugs or surgical options. Chiropractors provide preventive wellness health to keep the body balanced and performing at its best. Chiropractic care is based on the idea that when your body is in proper alignment, you have a better chance of healing yourself. Perhaps chiropractors are best known for treating musculoskeletal issues like tension headaches, whiplash, or tension headaches.

Contact National Spine & Pain Centers to schedule an appointment with an affiliated pain specialist today.

When should I see a chiropractor vs. a pain management specialist?

When deciding between seeing a chiropractor versus a pain management specialist, we believe it’s always best to seek the advice of a medical pain specialist who can provide necessary tests and examinations and look at your medical history to determine the cause of your pain.

Serious conditions like advanced joint disease can become worse when certain treatment is not provided in a timely manner. For example, often chronic back pain may signal degenerative disc disease.

At National Spine & Pain Centers, our board-certified physicians can provide relief to pain when properly diagnosed, and recommend chiropractic care when appropriate.

Certainly, our goal is to keep you pain-free without drugs or surgery, but those are options depending on the severity of your pain and condition. If you are experiencing any spine or joint pain, book an appointment with a member of our pain management team.