Chiropractors are highly trained specialists who correct spinal misalignments that can affect both musculoskeletal and neurological health. They can treat acute injuries and chronic conditions and provide preventative care.
Here are six reasons to visit your chiropractor:
1. Chronic Back or Neck Pain
Back pain might be part of “adulting,” but that doesn’t mean you have to live with it. Chronic back or neck pain could be a sign of posture problems, vertebral misalignments, or other treatable conditions. We often see patients dealing with severe pain, but we encourage people to seek treatment before the pain becomes severe. Chiropractic care can help you manage daily wear and tear, so it doesn’t add up to serious injury.
A chiropractor can realign subluxated vertebrae and help you correct your posture and make back-healthy lifestyle choices. Chiropractors also use innovative technologies like spinal decompression therapy to treat disc-related injuries, spinal stenosis, and facet joint syndrome.
Regular visits can help you avoid chronic conditions down the road.
2. Headaches and Migraines
Everyone gets the occasional headache or migraine, but if they are interrupting your life, it’s time to get help. Tension headaches are one of the most common types of headaches. They are caused by tight muscles in the neck, shoulders, and upper back. People who spend a lot of time sitting often hunch forward, straining these muscles and damaging the spine’s natural curvature in the upper back and neck. Chiropractic adjustment and posture correction can treat these problems and prevent tension headaches.
The neck is home to many nerves that connect your brain to the rest of your nervous system and play a role in ear and eye function. Since the spine houses the spinal cord, issues with one can affect the other. Subluxations in the neck can impair nerves and cause migraines, blurred vision, balance problems, and tinnitus. Patients suffering from frequent migraines often find relief through chiropractic care.
3. Pregnancy-Related Concerns
Pregnancy can be a wonderful time, but it also comes with uncomfortable symptoms like nausea and low back pain. Chiropractors are trained to work on pregnant patients, and the American Pregnancy Association recommends chiropractic care as a safe, first-line treatment for common pregnancy complaints.
As the baby grows, a pregnant woman’s body makes adjustments to compensate for the increased weight. The curve in the lower back becomes deeper, and this can sometimes cause low back and hip pain. A hormone called relaxin loosens joints during pregnancy to prepare the body for childbirth. Looser joints are less stable and more prone to pain. Nausea is another frequent symptom, especially during the first trimester. Chiropractic care can help the musculoskeletal system adjust during and after pregnancy, reducing pain. Adjustments can also mitigate nausea by improving nervous system function.
Studies show that women who receive chiropractic care during pregnancy are less likely to have a preterm birth or to need a C-section. Sometimes breech positioning is caused by a misaligned pelvis that limits the baby’s ability to move. Chiropractors use a special technique called the Webster Method to realign the mother’s pelvis so the baby can turn. This method is over 80% effective in correcting breech positioning during the eighth month of pregnancy.
4. Numbness or Tingling
Chronic numbness, tingling, or sharp pain that radiates down your back, glutes, legs, or arms could signify a pinched or irritated nerve. Several conditions can cause these symptoms. Back injuries, degenerative disc disease, herniated discs, or subluxations may be to blame.
A chiropractor can evaluate your spine using x rays and a physical exam to pinpoint the cause of your symptoms. They can then start you on a treatment plan to heal the problem. A mixture of treatments such as spinal adjustment, spinal decompression therapy, and injections may be needed to fully address your symptoms.
5. Car Accident Injuries
Car accidents are one of the most common causes of musculoskeletal trauma. Herniated discs, whiplash, and soft tissue injuries are common in car accident victims. Sometimes the symptoms of injuries like whiplash don’t appear until several days or weeks after the accident. Symptoms of a car accident injury include headaches, radiating pain down the back or into a limb, low back pain, shoulder pain, and neck pain.
Chiropractors can address these injuries with treatments like spinal adjustments and spinal decompression therapy. They may work with other health care professionals who can provide injections, massage, and physical therapy.
6. Sports Injuries
There’s nothing more frustrating than being benched due to an injury. Every injured athlete wants to heal as quickly and completely as possible. Chiropractic care can both treat and prevent common sports injuries.
Chiropractors can adjust the spine and other joints like knees, elbows, and shoulders and guide you on how to care for your injury at home. Chiropractic treatment may include therapeutic exercises as well as adjustments. Your chiropractor may provide sports rehab treatments and exercises himself or recommend you to a physical therapist specializing in sports medicine.
Getting adjusted can have benefits for athletes beyond treating an injury. Professional sports teams keep chiropractors on contract because they know that chiropractic care leads to faster recovery, improved coordination and range of motion, and better performance. Athletes who get adjusted regularly are less likely to become injured than athletes who don’t. Keeping your spine and nervous system in optimal condition will help your body be at its best as you push it to new levels.
Chiropractic Care in Houston
At Vanguard Spine & Sport, we provide chiropractic care, sports rehab, injections, and other specialties all in one building. Our chiropractors have experience handling everything from minor aches and pains to debilitating chronic conditions. Schedule a consultation today to find out how chiropractic care can change your life.