A chiropractor is a doctor who examines and manipulates a patient’s back, neck, muscles, and joints. They also provide exercise routines, nutritional guidance, and techniques to help relieve stress.

Frisco Chiropractor study a lot of the same things medical students do, including physiology, anatomy, microbiology, radiology, and more. A recent 2020 study found that chiropractic care may reduce the need for opioid pain relievers.

Relieves Pain

While most people think of chiropractors as specialists in treating back and neck pain, they are actually capable of handling a wide range of musculoskeletal issues. They use manual manipulations, including spinal adjustments and joint mobilization, to realign the body’s spine and restore proper function to the nervous system.

Your chiropractor will begin each treatment session with a detailed medical history and physical examination. They may also recommend diagnostic tests, such as X-rays and MRI scans, to get a better understanding of your condition. Once they have a clear picture of your health and history, your chiropractor will perform spinal manipulation, known as manual manipulation in the chiropractic world, to help correct the misalignments. They might also do soft tissue massage, joint mobilization and injury rehabilitative activities to promote healing.

If your underlying issue is a herniated or slipped disc, you might benefit from a spinal decompression technique, which uses motorized traction to take pressure off of bulging discs and other parts of the spine. Your chiropractor will likely recommend stretching and strengthening exercises to help you maintain a healthy posture in the future, as well.

Other symptoms of a herniated or slipped disk include numbness and tingling in your legs, which could indicate that a nerve is pinched in the spine. A large 2020 study found that cervical spine manipulation decreased neck pain in the short-term by changing levels of neuropeptides, proteins made in your nervous system that act as neurotransmitters or hormones.

When you see your chiropractor for spinal misalignments, they might ask you to lie face down on a padded table while they manipulate your spine or other joints. If you have a sedentary lifestyle, unexplained neck and shoulder stiffness or uneven shoe wear, these are all indicators that your body needs a spinal adjustment. You might also hear cracking or popping sounds, which are normal and not painful.

For more severe spinal conditions, your chiropractor might recommend twilight sedation or full anesthesia, which is not a first-line therapy for chiropractic patients. However, this procedure allows them to treat your injuries under complete control so that you can heal faster.

Helps to Maintain Optimal Musculoskeletal Alignment

Posture and alignment are critical to the overall health of the musculoskeletal system. They ensure that the bones and muscles work together like a well-oiled machine, instead of being at odds with each other. When these elements are not in proper alignment, they can lead to muscle pain and discomfort throughout the entire body. A chiropractor can help to keep the musculoskeletal system aligned properly through spinal manipulation and other forms of manual therapy.

Depending on your particular needs, the chiropractor may also recommend stretches and exercises to promote good posture when standing, sitting, sleeping, or driving. This will not only reduce muscle and neck pain, but it can also improve your respiratory function, a key to good health.

Poor posture can lead to muscle fatigue, which decreases oxygen delivery to the muscles and joints, causing inflammation. This inflammation can damage tissues and cause bones and joints to become misaligned. This is why it’s important to visit a chiropractor for regular adjustments. They can ensure that the spine maintains its natural curvature, and can provide treatments such as spinal alignment traction and neuro-muscular reeducation.

Chiropractors are highly trained to locate any serious underlying conditions that could preclude spinal manipulation and other manual therapy. They are able to identify patients that are at risk of developing blood vessel blockages, stroke, or heart attacks from manipulation, and they will not perform this procedure on these patients.

The main method of treatment a chiropractor uses is called spinal manipulation, which involves manually applying a controlled force to the joints in order to restore their movement. This can be done by hand or with a special tool. It is a safe and effective technique for relieving pain in joints, as it can increase blood flow to the affected area and facilitate nerve conductivity.

A chiropractor can also use other therapeutic techniques, such as soft tissue massages, which involve gently pulling or pushing on the muscles and ligaments to relieve tension. They can also perform trigger point therapy, which is used to treat tight muscles that develop as a result of injury or overuse.

Helps to Relieve Stress

Stress is one of the leading causes of many physical problems. When a person is stressed, their body releases a hormone called cortisol that can increase blood pressure and heart rate, and lead to feelings of anxiety and depression. Stress also decreases the immune system, which leaves the body vulnerable to disease. Fortunately, a chiropractor can help to relieve stress by performing spinal adjustments that improve the function of the nervous and musculoskeletal systems.

Chiropractors can also use a variety of other techniques to promote relaxation and reduce the effects of stress on the body. These include soft tissue therapy, kinesio taping, joint bracing, and nutritional guidance. In addition, they can provide a number of exercise routines that help to alleviate stress, as well as advice on how to improve sleep and diet.

A common sign of stress is stiffness in the back. A chiropractic adjustment can loosen the muscles, which allows you to walk and sit more comfortably. This can make a big difference to your quality of life, especially if you are under constant stress.

Another sign of stress is a tightened chest or abdominal area. This can lead to breathing difficulties and increased levels of tension. During a chiropractic treatment, the chiropractor will gently manipulate your neck and abdomen to ease the tension.

Several studies have shown that chronic stress can wreak havoc on the nervous system. This can lead to back pain, muscle tightness, fatigue, and poor health in general. Regular visits to a chiropractor can help to soothe the nervous system, which can reduce the “fight or flight” response that people have when they are under stress. This can lower the level of stress hormones in the body, and thereby improve the overall functioning of the body. This is why it is important to visit a chiropractor regularly, even if you do not have a neuromusculoskeletal condition.

Provides Information

A chiropractor focuses on the relationship between your nervous and musculoskeletal systems and how these two areas affect each other. This knowledge helps them treat your symptoms and conditions by assessing the root cause of the problem. In addition to hands-on spinal adjustments, chiropractors can also provide other treatment options such as soft tissue therapy, hot and cold therapy, acupuncture, bracing, and exercises. They may also recommend imaging scans such as X-rays and MRI to get a more thorough understanding of your condition.

Chiropractors often have advanced training in functional neurology and can help improve your nervous system function. This will not only reduce your pain, but it can help improve your overall health and immune system by ensuring that your nerves communicate properly with all of your body’s cells. Your immune system is your best defense against disease, and the proper communication between your nervous and musculoskeletal system will ensure that your immune function is at peak performance.

Chiropractic treatments are also based on the idea that when your body is in optimal alignment, it is more capable of healing itself. This is why chiropractors can treat a variety of conditions, including constipation, infant colic, acid reflux, and even help women who are nearing delivery date by using the Webster technique to realign the pelvis to encourage a head-down position.

Unlike over-the-counter pain relievers, chiropractic care addresses the root cause of your pain and provides a long-term solution. In fact, regular chiropractic visits can help you eliminate the need for pain medications altogether.

Chiropractors are known for their hands-on spinal manipulations, which can help with common bone and joint conditions such as neck or back pain. However, many people don’t realize that chiropractors are highly trained healthcare professionals who can also provide a wide range of other services to promote optimal health and wellness. As such, it is important to choose a chiropractor who offers comprehensive treatments that can address all aspects of your health and well-being. Your chiropractor can also offer information on how to live a healthier life, such as exercise routines, nutritional guidance, and stress-reduction techniques.