Chiropractors are doctors of chiropractic medicine and have extensive training in anatomy and physiology like medical doctors do. They spend as much time in advanced education as their medical counterparts. They perform carefully orchestrated manipulations of the spine to restore vertebrae into proper alignment. These subluxations of the spine often cause back and neck pain and can impinge or pinch nerves along the spine causing pain in other parts of the body.
Chiropractors do specialize in treating back pain that is localized and back pain that may radiate down the arms or legs. They can perform and order x rays, MRIs and CT scans. They do not prescribe drugs, preferring to keep treatments natural, when possible. They will, if necessary, refer patients to see orthopedists or surgeons if they feel they cannot help the spine health of a patient.
If you have experienced back pain that has not improved with rest or application of heat or ice in two days, see a chiropractor. They can do scans and a physical examination of the vertebrae and back musculature. They can apply heat or electrical stimulation in addition to spinal manipulations to realign the vertebrae. In a few visits per week for a few weeks, most patients feel significant relief.
Many chiropractors are used by sports amateurs and professionals to keep spinal health at optimum levels. Ideally, regular chiropractic manipulations maintain back and spine health. See your chiropractor regularly or if an injury of the back is causing significant pain. If you experience shooting pain down a leg or arm, your chiropractor can adjust the vertebrae of the neck, thoracic and lumbar areas of the spine that all of the nerves emanate from. Most sports injuries can be successfully treated with chiropractic adjustments, quickly and safely.
Whether the pain is from a sports injury, fall or strain, chiropractors are trained to treat and diagnose many spine and back problems. As with any injury, don’t wait until the pain is unbearable. Let your chiropractor examine you and perform scans, if deemed necessary, to determine how severe the injury is and how best to treat it.
