Chiropractors are sometimes thought of as experts at spinal manipulation, but chiropractic care actually covers much more than just the spine. Trained to work on the body as a whole rather than as a sum of separate parts, chiropractors are prepared to treat a wide variety of ailments. Below is a look at some of the conditions handled by chiropractors.
Joint problems resulting from overuse or traumatic impact often benefit from chiropractic treatment. Instead of attacking the pain directly, chiropractors enhance the body’s ability to heal itself. Over a course of treatments, this can leave patients with little or no joint pain.
Many patients rely on chiropractors for preventative joint care. Chiropractors keep the spine aligned and ensure that joints are moving as they’re supposed to, enhancing circulation and supporting tissue relaxation. Athletes are the most common recipients of this type of treatment, but anybody who works in physical occupations or has a history of joint pain might want to invest in preventative chiropractic care.
Although blood pressure is commonly thought to require drugs, it can also be treated by chiropractors. Some chiropractors adjust key vertebrae in the neck area to lower blood pressure as much as blood pressure medications. The reason this works is simple: It improves the health of important nerves involved in blood pressure regulation. A primary manipulation used for this is known as the “atlas adjustment”. It eliminates nerve obstruction, a known contributor to hypertension, and it has no side effects.
Chiropractors also handle pulled muscles, reducing pain and healing time. Many people strain muscles while engaged in sports, physical work or other activities and expect the muscles to recover on their own with time, but strained spinal muscles can cause serious pain and debilitation. As the pulled muscle contracts on its own, it becomes shorter and forces the vertebrae to the side. Ultimately, this can cause spinal compression and damage the delicate nerves inside. Chiropractors can usually eliminate this issue in just a few short sessions.
Chiropractors can also adjust nerves in the spine that control functions of the stomach, lungs and other organs. With certain types of spinal irritation, nerve impulses are interrupted and cause stomach malfunction and excessive acid production that contribute to acid reflux and indigestion. Asthma can be similarly triggered if the vertebrae become misaligned. When the nerves aren’t functioning as they should, the lungs can’t work properly. Some people find that chiropractic treatment reduces the frequency of their asthma attacks or even resolves their symptoms altogether. When the spine is inflamed, it worsens the functioning of other parts of the body as well, resulting in lower energy levels and stamina. With regular visits to a chiropractor, many patients enjoy a higher quality of life with greater vitality.
These are some of the most common ailments treated by chiropractic care, but they are far from the only ones. Immune functioning, range of motion and pain management can all be improved through the massive variety of chiropractic treatment available.