Chiropractic Strategies to Fix Neck & Back Pain

Neck and back pain can seriously dampen a person’s life. These type of ailments are among the most difficult to deal with; at times, their severity can even prevent a person from completing his or her daily tasks. In response to this problems, chiropractors have developed a series of techniques which can ease neck and back pain. These techniques are derived from the theory that a person’s body will heal itself better when it is put in a position to do so. Using these strategies can help heal common problems like headaches, back pain or even sinus issues. Thus, they are widely used in physical rehabilitation programs across the world.

Below are five common chiropractic techniques designed to ease neck and back Pain:

Gonstead Technique

The Gonstead technique is a strategy your chiropractor might use to determine where your body needs to be adjusted. To execute this technique, s/he will often give you an x-ray to pinpoint problem areas on your spinal column. After examining this x-ray, your chiropractor will work with your body and make the appropriate adjustments. This is among the safest techniques in chiropractic medicine. It is often used on children, older people and pregnant women.

This method is so effective because corrects nerve cells that are being pinched are compressed. This process happens when a person’s vertebrate is misaligned and uneven pressure is being exerted on his or her disks. These misalignments can be easily identified and corrected with this strategy.

The misalignment of vertebrae is referred to as subluxation. This ailment can cause a variety of different issues and pains throughout the body. Thus, this strategy is a useful tool for easing a myriad of different problems a person might face.

Carrying out this technique involves balancing various issues along the spinal column. For instance, if the chiropractor notices a lower portion of the spinal column has become misaligned, this will often indicated that an upper portion has also become misaligned in order to help the body compensate. S/he can identify these errors through the Gonstead Technique and help return each portion of the vertebrae to its proper position.

Diversified Technique

The Diversified Technique is a unique method for adjusting lumbar disk herniations. The correction of these hernias can bring immediate relief to a person suffering leg or back pain. What’s more, the technique has recently advanced to a passive extension strategy, which can improve the wrist flexion in people who are experiencing carpal tunnel.

With around 96% of active chiropractors using this strategy, the Diversified Technique is likely the most popular method in chiropractic medicine. It is taught almost throughout most chiropractic schools universally and is the only strategy taught in Canadian schools. To conduct the technique, the chiropractor will use his or her hand along with resistance from a table or block to readjust a person’s spine. This readjustment helps return the spine to its proper alignment and usually results in a loud cracking sound.

The formation of this strategy is often credited to Joe Janse. It differs from other techniques in that its goal is to reestablish proper movement within a patient and return his or her spine and joints to their correct position.

Applied Kinesiology

Applied Kinesiology is a method of chiropractic medicine that is often used in sports therapy. This practice focuses heavily on the relationship between a person’s muscles and bones. It operates under the assumption that muscles are interrelated with various organs throughout the body. Thus, weaknesses within a muscle also indicate a problem elsewhere. Advocates of this technique argue that correcting these muscle weaknesses can help resolve issues in a person’s nerves, blood supply and organs.

This theory was formed by George Goodheart, Jr. in 1964.It isn’t just used by chiropractors; various other types of physicians are also trained to carry out the technique. This strategy is usually learned after a professional has obtained a full education in his or her field, i.e. most do not learn it until their postgraduate career. Thus, it usually serves as an addendum to a person’s physical rehabilitation, not a primary form of treatment.

This strategy often requires a background check of a person’s previous medical history. Problems are then discerned by monitoring how a person’s blood pressure changes when he or she stands or sits. These changes will reveal imbalances within the body, according to the theory.

Applied Kinesiology has been used to treat a wide variety of ailments, from headaches, to vertigo, to cancer, to Parkinson’s disease. However, scientific proof of this theory’s exact effectiveness is still outstanding.

Logan Basic Technique

The Logan Basic technique is primarily used to correct problems in a person’s lower spine, with special emphasis placed on the sacrum bone. Like most other Chiropractic Techniques, this method is intended to correct misalignments in a person’s spine. Evaluation of these maladies begins at the lower spine and continues upward, revealing where a person’s vertebrae might be misplaced.

To cure pain, the Logan Technique usually involves manipulations to a person’s sacrum. Like most other methods, this technique claims to be the superior way to treat subluxations. However, some criticize this claim due to the reported effectiveness of other methods. Regardless, this strategy can serve as another useful tool for treating neck and back pain. After all, one does not have to use any particular technique exclusively.

The Logan Basic Technique is one of the safer methods of spinal adjustment. It is frequently used on women, children and the elderly. .

Self Chiropractic

A final way to ease neck or back pain is to use Self Chiropractic techniques. Now, it should be noted that most experts do not suggest using advanced strategies without the presence of a professional. However, a few different techniques exist which are safe to use and are even suggested in other forms of physical rehabilitation.

One of these strategies is to heat or ice a region where one is experiencing pain. Doing this can help ease muscular tension through the manipulation of blood flow. This practice is often used in sports therapy after one has suffered an injury. Typically, ice should be used in the two to three days after a person begins experiencing pain. Following that, s/he should switch to heat.

Two other types of chiropractic techniques which can be done alone are stretching and yoga. These two practices help mitigate tightness and increase the flexibility of a person’s muscles. Regularly doing these two things can help improve the body’s overall functioning by easing tensions which naturally up.

Overall, a wide variety of strategies exist which can ease neck or back pain. Some are based on conflicting theories, but all prove to be effective forms of physical rehabilitation. Whether you are experiencing headaches, neck pain or muscle aches, engaging in these chiropractic techniques can help position your body in away which maximizes its ability to heal.

While you can do a few of these practices alone, seeking the help of a licensed professional proves to be the best method. Doing so will ensure that you are receiving the right form of treatment and prevent you from sustaining any unnecessary injuries.

If you want to ease you neck or back pain, begin seeking the help of a licensed chiropractor today.