BACK TO GOOD HEALTH: SPINAL MANIPULATION

If you suffer from back pain or a spinal ailment, you might have been told to seek chiropractic treatment. Millions of Americans are currently being treated by a chiropractor for such pain-related causes as muscle strains, sports injuries, poor posture, accidents, and general misalignment in the body.

The theory behind chiropractics is that your overall health is closely related to the way that your body is structured. Consequently, this hands-on approach to spinal adjustment is said to help the body to heal and re-align itself without the use of surgery or medication. Spinal manipulation is used to increase the flexibility of your joints so that the injured tissue will not obstruct your mobility and range of motion. The ultimate goal of your chiropractor is to ease and prevent future pain, as well as to restore damaged joints, tissue, and ligaments.

When you first visit a chiropractor, he will take a thorough medical history and perform a physical examination so that he will be able to determine what kind of treatment will best suit your needs. A common treatment may include adjustments where the doctor will massage and manipulate your joints using applied pressure with his hands. Depending on your personal needs, the chiropractor might encourage some type of rehabilitation or even a nutritional program.

Chiropractics is widely considered to be a safe, alternative treatment to chronic lower back pain. Studies have shown that it is even effective in treating neck pain and headaches, which are often caused by various types of strains. However, you should still speak to your primary care physician before seeking chiropractic treatment.