Chiropractic Techniques For Pain Management
These are the most common chiropractic techniques specialists use on their patients to treat specific injuries and speed up recovery.
Chiropractic can relieve your suffering from a sprained ankle, neck pain, or a herniated disc. In addition to manual therapy, many chiropractors recommend lifestyle and nutritional changes as a treatment plan.
The main goal of chiropractic manipulation is to realign the spine and improve joint function. It reduces pressure on the central nervous system and can improve function throughout the body.
Now let’s take a look over the most common techniques a chiropractor might choose to fix your spine.
4 Main Chiropractic Techniques
Here are the main techniques a chiropractor will use to manage your back pain:
1. Spinal Manipulation
Spinal manipulation is a skilled manual therapy technique to decrease pain and improve motion, circulation, and nerve conduction to and from the spine. It is performed within the body’s normal ranges of motion in safe positions.
It involves applying a quick, small-range thrust to a painful or stiff joint in the spine. The thrust causes air bubbles inside the joint and changes the pressure, allowing it to move more efficiently.
Typically, spinal manipulation is done as part of their treatment plan for pain management with a chiropractor.
Also, other healthcare providers may offer this manipulative therapy, including osteopathic physicians and physical therapists.
2. Active Release Technology
Active-release technology (ART) is a powerful hands-on therapy that works deep within your body to reduce pain. It also helps prevent future pain and discomfort, improves movement and strength, and helps patients understand their injuries.
ART (soft tissue system/movement-based manual therapy) effectively treats muscle, fascia, tendons, and ligament problems caused by overuse and repetitive strain injuries.
It has been proven to help relieve pain and stiffness and limit mobility in conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, Achilles tendonitis, golfer’s elbow, and more.
These conditions can all be caused by a build-up of tough, dense scar tissue in the affected area. It can cause muscles to shorten, the tension on tendons to cause tendonitis, and nerves to become trapped or compressed.
The symptoms are:
- The loss of range of motion;
- Weakness;
- Pain;
- Tingling;
- Numbness in the affected area.
ART breaks up this scar tissue and restores normal mobility.
3. Trigger Point Therapy
Trigger point therapy is a treatment that helps to relieve pain by unlocking the contraction mechanism of a muscle. It can also be used to treat chronic pain and improve mobility.
Muscles comprise bundles of muscle fibers encased in a web of collagen called fascia. This fascia holds the muscles together and acts as a glue, keeping them firmly in place.
When overworked or injured, trigger points can form in these areas. These knots restrict blood flow to the area, causing pain and stiffness in the muscle.
Trigger point therapy uses pressure to release the trigger points and relieve pain, restoring normal movement and function in the muscle. It can be effective and safe, especially if a trained therapist completes it.
4. Soft Tissue Therapy
Soft tissue therapy is a term that describes manual therapy techniques that involve the manipulation of soft tissues (muscles, connective tissue/fascia, tendons, ligaments, and nerves) that help reduce discomfort brought on by factors such as:
- Regular stress;
- Work-related stress;
- Muscle overuse;
- And a variety of chronic pain disorders.
Using a wide range of techniques, therapists can release muscle tension and tightness, improve mobility and relieve joint pain. In addition, relaxation can help reduce inflammation and improve blood flow.
A physiotherapist often performs these procedures to remove fascia limitations and scar tissue that have grown after an accident.
The physiotherapist can also use heat to increase blood flow to the injured area and promote healing.
The Takeaway
A physiotherapist, podiatrist, osteopath, or chiropractor may use these chiropractic techniques on their patients to treat specific injuries and aid recovery.
These methods are often combined with other relaxation techniques, such as massage and hot and cold therapy, to enhance the benefits of the treatment further.
