Spinal manipulation is the most prevailing therapy used by chiropractors for treating various pain conditions. They use some other therapies, too, depending on the patient’s condition and diagnosis. Typically, spinal adjustment addresses a wide range of pain conditions, especially neck and back pain. There are many other pain conditions revealed through a physical and neurological evaluation of the patient that can require other therapies within the scope of chiropractic care. To know more about t log on to https://columbuschiropractors.com/dry-needling-care-ohio/. Here you will find chiropractors using dry needling techniques to cure pain.
Therapeutic exercise and stretching, manual soft tissue therapy, spinal traction, ultrasound, transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS), lifestyle modification, and diet and nutritional counseling are treatments that chiropractors commonly recommend.
Therapeutic stretches
When recovering from injury, therapeutic stretches help to prevent the formation of scar tissues. After recovering from any spinal injury, a regular stretching program helps maintain the flexibility of tissues, increases mobility, and protects from new injuries. The chiropractor will instruct you about the right ways to do stretching and supervise your program until you are confident to do it all by yourself in the desired way.
Therapeutic exercise
For patients with back, neck, and extremity problems, chiropractors recommend specific strengthening exercises. The exercises help to improve the pain condition and provide relief by reducing pain, preventing deterioration of muscles, improve joint health, increase range of motion as well as strength and stability and protect against recurring and new injuries.
Soft tissue manual therapy
Chiropractors use their hands to apply controlled pressure on the pain-affected parts as part of soft tissue therapies for improving the functions of soft tissues like muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joint capsules. This includes the Active Release Technique (ART) or pin and stretch, and the Graston technique is an instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization technique.
Spinal traction
Spinal traction is another standard therapy used by chiropractors that consists of applying traction devices to distract areas of the spine. Chiropractors usually recommend this treatment for those suffering from disc compression. The traction weight helps to gently separate the vertebrae to create more space that results in decompression that reduces nerve root pressure and reduces pain.
Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
This is a leading therapy among the physical therapies recommended by chiropractors. A TENS unit is a small portable battery-powered machine for muscle stimulation suitable for home use for pain management. To control pain, the chiropractor uses pulses of electricity of variable intensities to help patients get through periods of severe pain. However, the therapy does not apply to chronic pain, and it will not work for low back pain, which is generally persistent.
Muscle stimulation
The therapy consists of using light electrical pulses transmitted to the specific areas of the body with the help of electrodes placed under the skin. Among different types of therapies by using electrical pulses, some are good for reducing muscle spasm, some reduce muscle atrophy by contracting muscles, and some are beneficial for pain relief.