Most of the time when we think about Chiropractic treatment, the first thing that rings in our mind is back pains. We are often surprised by how extensive chiropractic can be in treating other disorders. You may consider chiropractic to treat rotator cuff tears, carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, ankle, knee and hip conditions. A lot of research supports maintenance care treatment for low back pains as a component of chiropractic. Chiropractic manipulations outperform a majority of other forms of treatment for recurring back pains. Although chiropractic maintenance care is a broad category, we can break it down into specific treatment techniques that can be implemented by a chiropractor to help you resolve back pains.
Maintenance care options to consider for lower back pains
- Spinal Adjustment
Numerous techniques can be utilized with a particular skill level for manipulative adjustments. With high velocity and low amplitude, a chiropractor can implement these adjustments to help you relieve back pains. Your chiropractor should advise whether or not to it is appropriate to apply the adjustments. You may experience some common reactions to these adjustments, but you will be happy to know it is nothing to worry about. Aching or soreness is one of the common side effects of a chiropractic maintenance care treatment. This will likely occur during the first few hours after treatment. It should also encourage you to realize that these side effects do not last longer than 24 hours. After a spinal adjustment, you can apply an ice pack to reduce the symptoms.
This technique is also referred to as “high-velocity, low-amplitude” thrust.
- Spinal mobilization
When you suffer from low back pain recurrently, you could be suffering from osteoporosis. Other factors such as your body type and size will determine the treatment technique to be implemented. Maintenance care must be carried out in the most comfortable and safe way for you as a patient. If you prefer a gentle spinal treatment, your chiropractor should implement spinal mobilization. In some clinics, you may find the doctors using mild spinal mobilization as a gentler maintenance care treatment techniques. This type of maintenance care does not involve twisting or forceful thrust.
- Treating Vertebral Subluxation
Vertebral subluxation is a condition that is characterized by the misalignment of the spinal code. Vertebral subluxations can result in severe back pains if not properly treated. The treatment of vertebral subluxation will mainly depend on your choice of a chiropractor. The difference in treatment for subluxations results from the varied opinion of many chiropractors on vertebral subluxations.
However, before you rush out to seek subluxation treatments, you will need to take note of some specific symptoms.
- Pain around the neck
- Middle back pains
- Pain at your lower back
- Joint pains
- Headaches
The above symptoms characterize initial cases of subluxations. Maintenance care treatment for of vertebral subluxation can be as conservative as pain medication. However, because this condition tends to be chronic, minimally invasive treatments may be used. Advanced chiropractors should be able to induce this sort of treatment.
- Stretching as a back pain maintenance care treatment
A chiropractor can guide you on how to perform effective stretching exercises to relieve back pains. Most of us can benefit in many ways from stretching our soft tissues. Soft tissues include ligaments, muscles, and tendons in the legs, buttocks, spine, and legs. The design of the spinal column is such as to allow movement of contiguous muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Back pain will occur as a result of limitations of these movements.
If you suffer from recurring back pains, it might take you longer to recover fully. Sustained relief from back pain will be your reward. When planning to do chiropractic exercises, you need to wear very comfortable shoes that will not bind. Avoid forceful stretching and strive to achieve a pain-free exercise. You must also be careful not to bounce because this may tear your muscles. To achieve this, I would recommend you move into the stretching position gently. Your stretching surface should be clean and flat. You should also use a surface that is large enough to allow for free movement. If you want your muscles and joints to be loosened enough, I would suggest holding the stretch for 20-30 seconds. Exercises of about 5-10 times should be sufficient to support a healthy maintenance care treatment in the long run.
In many cases, as a stiff neck may occasionally accompany stiff back. To prevent neck and shoulder pains, you also need to perform stretches to relieve these pains. Flexion stretch is an exercise that allows you to gently bend your head forward while the chin is moved forward. As the chin is moved forwards towards the chest, a stretch should be felt in the back of your neck.
An ear to shoulder lateral flexion stretches your neck area below the ears and the top of your shoulder. You need to gently bend your neck to one side in motion as if you want to touch the ear. Do this until you feel a stretch in your neck side. Repeat the same procedure for the other side of your neck as well.
Back exercise stretches have also proven to be effective maintenance care treatment options. If you have back pains, I guess you have felt the discomfort of tension in your back. A chiropractor should be able to provide you with the best practical exercises. There are some back exercises which can help you attain some suppleness. You will also be able to achieve a comfortable degree of mobility.
- Choosing an appropriate diet to help you beat back pain
Back pains can be relieved by consuming anti-inflammatory and calcium-rich diets. Foods such as tuna, carrots, beets, salmon, spinach, avocados, and kale are invaluable as inflammatory dietary sources. Inflammation if unchecked can run rampant in your body. This may lead to many complications such as low back pains. If you regularly suffer from back pains, you might want to consider eating a lot of veggies. Plant-based diets which include flax seeds or chia seeds will effectively help you avoid inflammation. To achieve a perfect maintenance care, eat such foods in combination with omega-3 nutritional sources. Omega-3 can be supplied by salmon fish, mackerel, sardines, black cod, trout, tuna, and herring.
Your chiropractor should also point out to you that olive oil, brightly colored fruits, green tea, and veggies are proven anti-inflammatory foods. These foods will ensure that your body remains substantially repulsive of any back pain.
But perhaps it would also be great to consider what foods to avoid. They say prevention is better than cure. Processed foods should be first on the list of what to avoid. Saturated fats are the worst; bread may also not be a good preference. Avoid hydrogenated oils from your ingredients. These oils cover peanuts, soybean, safflower, grape seed and cotton seed. You should be informed now that sunflower and corn oils are not the very best for your diet.
- Initial intensive care
A lot has been said about what to do and what not to do as regarding maintenance care for back pains. What most of us may not know is that it may require a thorough and disciplined procedure to carry out these activities. Initial intensive care is a major milestone in the treatment of lower back pains. You might not be willing to dive into the whole thing of chiropractic spinal manipulations. All the same, undertaking an initial intensive care treatment, plays a part in coming up with a real and long lasting solution to your problem. Furthermore, during the initial intensive care treatment, your chiropractor will be able to assess the extent of the back pains. With this in mind, you will be able to have a say on the technique of treatment to be used.
- Handy information and education
Yes, I know what you are thinking, how is this going to help you achieve maintenance care treatment for back pains? It is simple; knowledge is power. Your chiropractor should provide you with all the necessary information you need. If you are well informed, you will be in a good position to decide the best way to go about treating your back pains.
Do not always sit back and wait for the pain to grow worse. Visit our clinic today and find out what maintenance care treatment options we have in store for you. I promise you will be relieved.
