Chiropractors are often thought of as the “back cracking people.” However, true chiropractic care focuses on relieving back and neck pains through the manipulation of the spine and back tissues. The cracking sensation is often just a side effect of the actual treatment that is happening. Today we’ll discuss the general goals of chiropractic care and give basic examples of some common treatments.
Yoon Family Chiropractic is proud to serve the Irvine community! We promote wellness through proactively working with each client to reduce pain and illness before any diseases occur. Stop by our cozy neighborhood clinic to find out just how we can help you achieve a more comfortable lifestyle.
Benefits
The primary use of chiropractic care is as a pain relief alternative for sore muscles, joints, bones, and connective tissues like cartilage, ligaments, or tendons. Sometimes used in conjunction with conventional medicine, chiropractic care seeks to relieve daily pain and increase overall body wellness and comfort.
Chiropractic methods are generally considered safe and effective methods to treat lower back pain. In many cases, insurance plans will even cover some or all of your visit to a chiropractor.
During your treatment, your chiropractor will work with your specific needs to relieve both chronic and acute pain. Whether you are suffering from headaches, moving furniture, getting tackled, arthritis, tendinitis, or more, your chiropractor’s goal is to find a treatment program that will assure you are as pain-free as possible.
Common Treatments
- Direct thrust technique: This is the main technique that chiropractors use, and what often leads to patients having their backs crack. The chiropractor uses a high velocity force to align specific parts of the spine.
- Articulatory technique: The chiropractor repetitively moves joints through their range of motion to increase the amount of movement. This could include circling wrists, ankles, or shoulders. This is a gentle, low-velocity technique.
- Muscle energy technique: Patients participate in resisting force and stretching with the chiropractor in order to increase the range of motion in muscle areas.
- Myofascial release: This technique identifies stiff or anchored areas of the body. These are not always direct pain or uncomfortable points. However, they are thought to be “trigger points” which have an effect on various other painful parts of the body.
- Drop table adjustments: Chiropractors have developed special tables that have sections that can be raised or lowered several inches and allow gravity to assist in adjustments. Pieces release at the same time as the chiropractor applies thrusts to the spine, thus creating a dropping sensation.
- Massage: Some chiropractic adjustments can be aided by traditional massage techniques. By combining therapeutic massage with spinal manipulation, the chiropractor is able to relieve further stress and pain.
- Physical therapy: After spinal adjustment, some clients like to partake in physical therapy to continue strengthening core, back, and stomach muscles.
We hope this brief overview has helped you to learn more about what to expect when visiting a chiropractor. Yoon Family Chiropractic looks forward to continuing our excellent service to our Irvine, CA community. Give us a call today to set up your next adjustment!