Chiropractors are known for helping with back pain through the use of spinal adjustments. However, you might not know chiropractic treatments can help with other types of pain as well. Here's a look at some conditions other than back pain that chiropractic services might help.
1. Migraine Headaches
If your migraines are not easily controlled, you might want to include chiropractic services in your care plan. Chiropractic treatments are generally safe, so you may want to try them to see if they help. Your chiropractor might try spinal adjustments to relieve pressure on nerves going up to your head and to increase blood flow to the region.
Besides chiropractic adjustments, your doctor might try different types of massage as massage might help with blood flow, muscle relaxation, and healing. They might also try a holistic approach to helping your migraines by teaching you how to cope with stress and how to monitor your diet to look for triggers.
2. Neck Pain
You might have chronic neck pain after a car accident, or you may develop neck pain due to texting and sitting slouched over most of the day. No matter the cause, a chiropractor might help with your neck pain. They might give you spinal adjustments, and they may also give you neck adjustments.
A neck adjustment focuses on the joints in your neck. By aligning the joints and taking pressure off of nerves and other tissues, you might experience a greater range of motion in your neck, less pain, and less stiffness.
Other chiropractic services such as massage therapy or ultrasound treatments might also help your neck depending on if the problem is in your muscles or joints. Your chiropractor might also coach you on proper posture when you're using your phone so your body supports your head without putting strain on your neck.
3. Shoulder Pain
If you have a pinched nerve in your spine, you might have pain in your shoulder or arm rather than in your back. You might also have numbness or tingling. This type of shoulder pain might be helped with a spinal adjustment that relieves nerve compression.
When the nerve is decompressed, blood and oxygen flow resume and that helps with healing. The chiropractor might position you on a table that moves to open up your spine and decompress the nerve, or they may do a series of spinal adjustments by hand. In addition, they may teach you exercises to do that stretch and strengthen your shoulder muscles.
If you have chronic pain anywhere in your body, or you have an injury that causes you pain, consider seeing a chiropractor to see if they can help. A chiropractor can help your knees, hips, and feet too—and pain relief in any form will probably be welcomed, especially if you hate to rely on pain-killing medication for relief.
