Chiropractic Treatment Offers Effective, Drug-Free Pain Relief
Written by Stephen Daniels   
Monday, 18 January 2010 09:44
Sufferers from chronic pain may think they must resort to prescription medications to make life bearable. While drugs do offer pain relief, they serve only to counteract the symptom while ignoring the real problem. Fortunately, chiropractic treatment offers drug-free relief for many conditions while treating the underlying issues that are causing the pain.
by StephenDaniels


Sufferers from chronic pain may think they must resort to prescription medications to make life bearable. While drugs do offer pain relief, they serve only to counteract the symptom while ignoring the real problem. Fortunately, chiropractic treatment offers drug-free relief for many conditions while treating the underlying issues that are causing the pain.

The undesirable side effects and possible addiction resulting from drug-based pain treatment makes many people search for alternatives. If taken too frequently or in too high a dose, even over-the-counter pills can cause damage to the liver or kidneys. Using medication to block out the ache of an injury or other problem may actually cause you to injure yourself further because you cannot feel the strain you are causing. In addition, a continued course of medication can lose its efficacy over time. This leaves the patient with few options for relief. For many people, choosing chiropractic care instead of drugs can be a highly effective, safer option to relieve pain on a short and long term basis.

Chiropractic manipulation has been used for centuries to treat a wide variety of conditions. It is the practice of using manual adjustment to properly align spinal vertebrae. Its earliest documented use dates back to ancient Greece and Egypt. Today, chiropractors must be licensed by the state, and have extensive schooling. Many chiropractors use advanced technology such as x-rays to facilitate diagnosis of vertebral alignment and other problems. Medicare and private insurance often cover many of these procedures.

Chiropractors believe that the body is very good at regulating and healing itself. However, when a disruption in the flow of nerve impulses occurs, it can have a negative effect on the body's ability to detect and address problems. Such disruptions may result from spinal misalignment, muscle tightness, or slipped or herniated discs. Chiropractic manipulation aims to correct or improve the alignment, or subluxation, of vertebral joints. This can restore the flow of nerve signals. This sort of adjustment often results in immediate, drug free pain relief. It may also serve to reduce stress and muscle tension while helping to increase range of motion and strength.

Spinal manipulation is safer, more effective and more comfortable than ever before, thanks to continuing innovations in chiropractic care. Practitioners may employ manual manipulation of the vertebral column as well as adjustment to hip and shoulder joints, depending on the patient's diagnosis. Manipulations done with the aid of tables, weights, and other instruments may be incorporated into treatments. Active Release Techniques utilize a type of massage therapy treating problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. Hundreds of methods are used by today's practitioners.

Often, modern chiropractic care involves much more than just spinal manipulation. An increasing number of practitioners provide an array of holistic, drug-free treatments that work together to promote good health and not only relieve pain, but prevent it in the future. Massage therapy, acupuncture, foot orthotics, and flexion-distraction techniques to treat problems with discs between vertebrae are some of the more popular treatments chiropractors may offer.

Even more importantly, chiropractors can often help you to identify the sources of your chronic pain. They frequently recommend corrective exercises that can be performed at home to counteract these problems and prevent pain going forward. Many offer lifestyle and nutritional advice to help enhance your body's ability to heal itself.

Before you refill that pain medicine prescription, you might want to consider the benefits of chiropractic treatment. Chiropractors can work with you to discover the source of your pain. They offer relief in the short term as well as solutions in the long term to prevent pain, improving your quality of life as well as your overall health.

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