Chiropractic

Image credit: Denver Chiropractic

Chiropractic – Focus on Disorders of Musculoskeletal/Nervous System

Chiropractic, a health care profession focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system together with the nervous systems. It is used often for the treatment of neuro-musculoskeletal complaints, which include though not limited to back pain, pain in the joins of the arms or legs, neck pain and headaches.

Chiropractic doctors are referred as chiropractors or chiropractic physicians, who tend to practice drug free, hands on approach to health care which includes patient examination, diagnosis and treatment. They tend to have broad diagnostic skills and are trained in recommending therapeutic as well as rehabilitative exercises together with nutritional, dietary and lifestyle counselling.

The most known therapeutic technique conducted by chiropractic doctors is called `spinal manipulation’ which is also called `chiropractic adjustment’. The need of the manipulation is for the purpose of restoring joint mobility through manual application of controlled force in joints to make them hypo-mobile or restricted in their movement which could be the cause of tissue injury.

Injury to tissue could be due to single traumatic event like improper lifting of heavy items, or it could be through repetitive stress like sitting in wrong position with poor spinal posture for a long period of time. In either of these cases, the injured tissue undergoes chemical and physical changes causing inflammation, pain together with reduced function to the victim.

Clinical Examination/Laboratory Testing/Diagnostic Imaging/Invention

Adjustment or manipulation of the joint and tissues that are affected reinstates mobility thus reducing pain and muscle tightness enabling the healing of the tissues.

Chiropractic adjustment or manipulation seldom causes discomfort though patients tend to experience at times, mild soreness or ache after treatment which eases out within 12 to 48 hours. In most of the cases as in lower back pain, chiropractic care could be the primary process of treatment. With the existence of other medical conditions, chiropractic care could complement or support medical treatment by relieving musculoskeletal parts connected with the condition. Practitioners of chiropractic tend to use their hands while treating the disorder of the bones, muscles and joints.

 The practitioners of chiropractic assess patients with the help of clinical examination, laboratory testing, diagnostic imaging together with other diagnostic intervention to identify the suitable chiropractic treatment for the patient.Chiropractors tend to use a variety of techniques with focus on manipulation of the spine.

Rehabilitation Programmes - Exercises 

Besides different techniques, they also offer other rehabilitation programmes which may involve exercises that can be done according to the patient’s convenience. Some also tend to offer other alternative treatments like acupuncture.

Chiropractic is considered to be a part of complementary and alternative medicine – CAM which means that it is a different type of treatment which is part of conventional western medicine. Most of the chiropractors only tend to treat condition which are related to the spine like the neck or lower back while some claim to treat a wider range of condition which includes asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, infant colic etc.

There is good evidence that manual therapy which includes spinal manipulation is considered to be an effective treatment for persistent pain in the lower back region.