A chiropractor is a healthcare professional whose focus is providing nonsurgical treatment for disorders that affect the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system. Chiropractors are primarily focused on spinal manipulation and the treatment of the structures that surround the spinal cord.
There is ample research and antidotal evidence proving that the manual therapies used by chiropractors are effective in treating lower back pain, herniated discs, neck pain, and other conditions that affect the back. When a person is treated by a chiropractor for unspecified lower back pain, their chances of long-term pain relief are multiplied if they obtain follow-up spinal manipulations after the initial therapy.
Chiropractors create goals for their patient’s treatment based on the pain and disability issue the patient has. Their goal is to make it so their patient can engage in everyday activities with little or no pain. The best outcomes are seen when back pain is treated early before chronic conditions develop. Chiropractors, as holistic medical practitioners, encourage their patients to take control of their health. This includes exercising, modifying their activities, performing ergonomic modifications, and engaging in other activities that can help minimize back pain.
How Do Chiropractors Approach Back Pain?
Chiropractors approach resolving back pain by focusing on the relationship between the spine and the nervous system. A key principle in chiropractic care is that structural and biochemical misalignment of the spine impacts the nervous system. Chiropractors see chiropractic treatment as a tool for restoring the spine’s structural integrity, minimizing pressure on delicate neurological tissue and improving the overall health of the individual.
The goal is to return the spine to normal spinal mobility. This eliminates irritation to the spine and nerves. To achieve this goal, chiropractors will use different non-surgical treatments to help patients who have the following conditions.
• Lower back pain
• Sciatica
• Sport injuries
• Car accident injuries
• Headaches
• Arthritic pain
Chiropractors focus on repairing the musculoskeletal system to eliminate back pain. However, this is not their sole area of practice. Experienced chiropractors know when a person’s back pain is something that they can treat and when they need to refer a patient to a spine specialist or a multidisciplinary clinic.
How Do Chiropractors Check Patients for Back Pain?
Chiropractic examinations mimic the examinations administered by most healthcare providers. What is different is the focus. Chiropractors focus on the function and structure of the spine to identify chiropractic treatments to alleviate back pain.
Your initial chiropractic exam for back pain will begin with a consultation. A chiropractor is going to want to know about your back pain. They will ask questions about its frequency, your symptoms, and areas where you have pain.
They will be keenly interested in your case history. They want to know about your family history, your diet, and any past chiropractic or osteopathic treatments you have had. With the goal of providing long-term care, your chiropractor will be interested in learning about your work history, psychosocial history, and other aspects of your life that could be contributing to your back pain.
Next, your chiropractor will do a physical examination. They will use different methods to identify spinal segments that may require chiropractic care. They will use static and motion palpitation techniques to find spinal segments that may be hypermobile or fixated. Based on these results, your chiropractor may use tests, like x-rays, and devices to measure the temperature of your skin to identify areas that have a drastic temperature variance, indicating the need for manipulation. Most chiropractors focus on holistic treatments designed to address the bipedal structure from head to toe.
Most chiropractors will use a variety of methods to assess back pain, including physical evaluation. Chiropractors have been trained to examine muscles, joints, bones, and tendons from the head to the spine to the extremities. They will note misalignments, asymmetry, tenderness, and defects.
They will use neurological and physical examination procedures, such as nerve root compression, coordination, pathological reflexes, and other tests, as part of an orthopedic examination.
After examining you, they will classify your lower back injury as potentially serious, a nerve problem, or a nonspecific issue. Potentially serious issues include a major neurological problem, an infection, a tumor, or a fracture. Nerve problems include sciatica and spinal stenosis. Nonspecific issues include mechanical back pain for which there is no identifiable cause.
Are you dealing with chronic back pain? Would it be nice to live a life that was pain free? We may be able to help. Call us today at 205-637-1363.
