While the results of a chiropractic alignment can feel good for a while, it is not a cure to your back pain for good. No matter how many visits you pay to your chiropractor, you will be going back again and again for adjustments to relieve your pain. If there are other options out there, don’t you want to know about them?
Chiropractors primarily use a technique called Spinal Manipulation Therapy. This form of therapy involves the laying on of hands, which means that a chiropractor will use his hands to manipulate the spine back into the most favorable position to relieve back pain. The human touch involved in chiropractic care is calming and can lead to a placebo effect, and can lead to the spinal manipulation therapy becoming addictive.
There are alternatives to chiropractic care, and other methods that can aid the chiropractor in his work. The theory of chiropractic care is that the vertebrae that make up your spine are not aligned properly. There are many things that could be underlying causes of this problem, and many other things that could make this problem worse.
So what other therapies can you try? Massage is a comforting, relaxing experience. It helps to loosen the muscles in your entire body, including your back, neck, and shoulders. Relaxing these muscles can be an incredible help in keeping your back aligned properly since tight muscles can pull your vertebrae out of their proper places. Massage can work wonders for back pain all by itself, and can be used in conjunction with chiropractic care to ensure that your adjustment lasts longer and can even be a smoother adjustment since the muscles are not resisting.
Another tool that is underused to reduce back pain is stretching. Finding stretches online, talking to a doctor or physical therapist, or taking a class are all great options to help you reduce your back pain and even improve your quality of life. Who doesn’t want that? Along the same lines is taking a yoga class. Yoga is relaxing, but it also involves increasing balance, flexibility, awareness of your self, strength, and even aerobics if you take a class with that kind of focus. Yoga focuses on the spiritual in addition to the physical without being pushy. It is something that can increase your quality of life all by itself.
Osteopathic medicine is also an option to relieve back pain through manual manipulation, and is recommended as a gentler approach to back care than chiropractic care. Their approach is similar in that it is primarily manual manipulation of the body to increase the flow of blood, energies, and “nerve flow”.
There are many other remedies that have been recommended to relieve back pain as well, from acupressure to acupuncture and beyond. In the end, the real judge is you, and what you are comfortable with as the person receiving the treatment. Homeopathic remedies like acupuncture have been known to work virtual miracles, but if you are not comfortable, then it is probably not the remedy for you.
There is also the matter of physician recommendations. If your doctor diagnoses a condition and recommends you to a chiropractor, then it is a good idea to give his recommendation a try at the very least. If you have been injured in any way, then going to the doctor is your first step. From there you can talk to your doctor about remedies that you would like to try, including all those mentioned here. Your doctor will help to guide you along the path to wellness. Is a chiropractor for you? The best answer is the one that you will give.
