Using Chiropractic Preventative Care for Chronic Pain
If you’ve ever suffered from chronic pain, you know just how debilitating it can be.
It can restrict your general movement, leaving you few options other than remaining bedridden. It can stop you from participating in and enjoying activities that you once loved. It can also make it difficult and even impossible to maintain a steady job.
Beyond these physical effects, chronic pain also has a significant connection to emotional disorders as well. Studies show that 25% to over half of the population that report pain to their doctors are also depressed. On the flip side of that, 65% of depressed people also report experiencing some sort of physical pain.
Given the drastic effects that chronic pain can have on daily life, it’s especially concerning that as many as one in four Americans will, at some point, be the victim of chronic pain.
If you want to avoid the debilitating effects of chronic pain it’ll take a combination of healthy living, mindfulness, and preventative care. And one of the best places to find preventative care for chronic pain is at a chiropractor clinic.
What Causes Chronic Pain?
If you have been feeling the effects of back pain for a period of 12 weeks or longer, then you are experiencing chronic pain. This type of pain can be brought on gradually by a sedentary lifestyle, bad posture, obesity, occupational hazards, or genetics.
Chronic pain can also develop as a result of acute back pain such as that caused by immediate physical injury. In fact, 20% of patients that have been affected by acute low back pain were reported to develop chronic lower back pain within a year.
In general, most back pain is a result of improper disc positioning in the back. You see, our spines are made up of a collection of nerves called the spinal cord, a series of 33 bones called vertebrae meant to protect and stabilize the cord, and discs of connective tissue that keep our vertebrae cushioned and flexible.
If these vertebrae or discs are out of place (a condition known as a subluxation), then the nerve they are protecting can become pinched which can result in pain and discomfort.
How Does Chiropractic Care Help?
A chiropractor’s specialty is locating misalignments in the spine that contribute to pain and other problems in patients.
By administering a variety of treatments like high velocity low amplitude (HVLA) thrusts, lumbar rolls, and release work, among others, a chiropractor can reposition your vertebrae to take pressure off of the nerve.
What’s more, a chiropractor can also identify early signs of back problems so that you can avoid chronic pain down the line.
By regularly checking in with your chiropractor and keeping him informed of any problems you might be feeling (like stiffness, numbness, or tingling), you may be able to identify issues before they turn into chronic pain.
For more information on how chiropractic care can help prevent and reduce your chronic pain, have a look at the services offered by Back & Neck Center. You can also email us or call today at (907) 376-2600 to schedule a consultation.
Posted In:
Chiropractic
Wellness
Health
Preventative Care
Pain Management
Back Pain
Spine
