Tell someone you have low back pain or sciatica and chances are they will suggest you go see a chiropractor. Eight out of ten Canadians will have back pain at some point in their life, and a least one third of people in Ontario will have back pain at any given time. Chiropractors are well educated and receive focused training to assess, diagnose, treat and prevent conditions or disorder of the spine, joints, muscle and nervous system. Read on to discover what low back pain relief and treatment or sciatica treatment may look like from a chiropractor.
What are the Types of Chiropractic Treatments
Chiropractors use a combination of treatments based on the individual needs of the patient. After taking a complete history and diagnosing a patient, a chiropractor can develop and carry out a treatment plan, recommend therapeutic exercise and other non-invasive therapies. Therapies may include manual therapy such as spinal manipulation or a chiropractic adjustment, acupuncture, exercise rehabilitation, soft tissue techniques or laser therapy.
What is Spinal Manipulation (A Chiropractic Adjustment)
Spinal Manipulation or a chiropractic adjustment is highly skilled and precise movement usually applied by hand to a joint of the body. Adjustments mobilize the joint to restore proper movement and optimize function.
Chiropractic adjustment techniques have been researched extensively. Complications are rare and side-effects, such as temporary soreness, are usually minor. Your chiropractor will determine if your problem will respond to chiropractic care or if you require referral to another health care provider.
Are Chiropractic Adjustments Safe
Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest, drug-free, non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of headache, and neck and back pain. It has an excellent safety record. However, no health treatment is completely free of potential adverse effects. Even common over-the-counter medicines carry a risk.
Most patients experience immediate relief following a chiropractic adjustment, however, some may experience temporary pain, stiffness or slight swelling. This is often minor and short lived and you chiropractor will provide home care strategies if these do occur
What do Chiropractors Treat
Chiropractors are more widely known for low back pain treatment but they are actually able to treat a number of other conditions that frequently occur. Some of these are:
- Low Back Pain/Sciatica
- Headaches & Neck pain
- Work Related Repetitive Strain Injuries
- Knee Injuries, including ligament and meniscal tears
- Ankle Sprains
- Plantar Fascia and foot pain
- Shoulder Injuries, including Rotator Cuff tears and impingements
- Osteoarthritis
- Numbness and Tingling related conditions
- Wrist and Elbow Conditions, including ‘Tennis’ Elbow
Acupuncture, originating in China more than 2500 years ago, is a powerful treatment that we are seeing be consistently “proven” through rigorous research. Contrary to popular Western belief, it does not just involve inserting small, thin needles into a specific body location to alleviate pain. It is a used to help correct imbalances of energy in the body and treat many diseases as well as improve general health, along with alleviate aches and pains. If needles make you anxious take comfort in knowing that acupuncture needles are significantly thinner than syringes and the treatment is relatively painless. Many patients describe a calming effect post treatment.
Traditional acupuncture points follow the various nerve pathways in our body. By tapping into these spots, we can help calm and rewire the nervous system to relieve pain, ease anxiety, and regulate various processes.
Acupuncture can treat many conditions. At the Health Centre of Milton we have a variety of practitioners who use this tool as a part of their treatment plans. Our chiropractor and physiotherapist (physical therapist) use medical acupuncture to aid in treating conditions related to the musculoskeletal system:
Back Pain Relief + Arthritis
Acupuncture is an excellent natural pain reliever. It also provides longer term results than simply popping an Advil because it helps decrease inflammation and promote healing at the site of pain. It is also a great tool to help speed up recover from muscular and bone injuries.
If you are looking for a more holistic approach a naturopath or naturopathic doctor will use acupuncture to treat more systemic conditions:
Maximizing Fertility + Reducing Labor Time
This is one of the amazing ways we can use acupuncture AND the research is continuing to support it! Research has shown that using acupuncture around fertility treatments significantly increasing the chances of conception. We can also use it to regulate periods and increase natural conception as well. Once you are pregnant, keep acupuncture in your mind. Weekly treatments starting at week 37 have been shown to reduce the time spent in labor. This reduces the chances of complications and of course speeds up your introduction to your beautiful baby.
Anxiety + Insomnia
Regular acupuncture helps shift your body out of the sympathetic system (a.k.a fight or flight stress mode) into the parasympathetic system which is our calming rest and digest state.
Shifting into our parasympathetic state helps reduce anxiety, promote sleep, and support healthy digestion.
Not sure if acupuncture is for you?
Call for a complementary consultation. There are so many conditions that we can help with – find out if it is a good fit for you!