Do you know when it's time to schedule a chiropractic adjustment? If you have any of these issues, it's a good idea to visit your chiropractor.

1. Pain Anywhere in Your Body

Poor posture, stress, strain, and injuries can lead to a misalignment of the vertebrae that make up your spine. Even minor misalignments of your spine can cause problems that affect the joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves in your back, neck, and other areas of the body.

A chiropractic adjustment, also called spinal manipulation, realigns your spine with a quick, hands-on thrusting motion. Adjustments not only improve joint function but also reduce muscle tension responsible for pain and stiffness.

2. Range of Motion Problems

A range of motion problem makes it difficult to fully extend or move your arm, leg, shoulder, hip, back, knee, or other joints. Inflammation, joint injuries, stiffness, and scar tissue may cause mobility problems. Pain may also be a factor. If it hurts too much to move your joint, you may limit its movement to avoid triggering the painful sensations.

Chiropractic therapies treat the source of your pain and improve range of motion issues by improving joint alignment, decreasing inflammation, and increasing blood flow to the restricted joint.

3. A Recent Accident

A chiropractic adjustment can help you recover more quickly from a car accident, fall, or another injury. In adjusting to realigning your vertebrae, chiropractic treatments improve blood flow to the injured area, speeding healing. Treatments also relieve muscle spasms and stiffness and break apart scar tissue before it can restrict your range of motion.

4. Sciatica

Chiropractic care offers a natural way to treat sciatica, an annoying condition that sends pain shooting from your back to one or both of your legs. Sciatica happens when nerves in your back become inflamed and irritated. The problem may occur if a herniated disc or an out-of-alignment vertebra presses on the nerve. Fortunately, your chiropractor can treat sciatica with adjustments, cold therapy, massage, spinal decompression, ultrasound, and electrical nerve stimulation.

5. Headaches

If you've been struggling with tension headaches or migraines, your chiropractor offers drug-free relief for your painful symptoms. Adjustments and other treatments increase blood flow to your head and relax tight muscles.

Chiropractic treatment can improve migraines and headaches that originate from the neck, according to evidence-informed practice recommendations offered by The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics.

6. Numbness and Tingling

Reduced blood flow or nerve issues may be to blame if you experience numbness and tingling in your hands, feet, legs, arms, or other parts of the body. Adjustments decrease pressure on the nerves and blood vessels, reducing pain and improving blood flow.

7. Gastrointestinal Issues

Your chiropractor doesn't just treat head and neck pain but can also help you manage gastrointestinal complaints, like cramps, heartburn, diarrhea, and gas. Relieving pressure on your nerves with chiropractic adjustments helps your stomach and intestines function normally. Chiropractic care also targets tense abdominal muscles that can make stomach problems worse.

8. Insomnia

It's difficult to sleep if you're in constant pain or are dealing with the unpleasant side effects of pain medications. Chiropractic treatment relieves pain naturally, helping you sleep better. Treatments also prompt your body to release endorphins, hormones that act as natural painkillers.

9. Spondylosis (Arthritis of the Spine)

Stiffness and inflammation in your back or neck may be a problem if you have arthritis, a condition that can be caused by age-related wear and tear. Adjustments improve range of motion and reduce pain, while flexion-distraction therapy decompresses and stretches the vertebrae. Your chiropractor may also recommend massage, traction, spinal manipulation, ultrasound, and other therapies.

10. High Blood Pressure

Chiropractic adjustments may even help you lower your blood pressure. A UChicago Medicine Study discovered that after receiving adjustments, blood pressure declined significantly in people who had misaligned vertebrae in their necks.

Chiropractic adjustments offer a simple way to ease your pain and protect your health. Contact us if you're ready to schedule your next appointment.

Sources:

The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics: Evidence-Based Guidelines for the Chiropractic Treatment of Adults with Headache, 6/11

UChicago Medicine: Special Chiropractic Adjustment Lowers Blood Pressure Among Hypertensive Patients with Misaligned C-1 Vertebrae, 3/14/07

American Chiropractic Association: Whiplash: More than Standard Neck Pain, 3/15

The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association: What Effect Does Chiropractic Treatment Have on Gastrointestinal GI Disorders: A Narrative Review of the Literature, 6/15

U.S. News & World Report: Surprise: Chiropractors Can Treat These 5 Conditions,11/30/15

 

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