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What Causes Back Pain?
The back is a complicated structure of bones, joints, ligaments and
muscles. You can sprain ligaments, strain muscles, rupture disks, and
irritate joints, all of which can lead to back pain. While sports
injuries or accidents can cause back pain, sometimes the simplest of
movements—for example, picking up a pencil from the floor— can have
painful results. In addition, arthritis, poor posture, obesity, and
psychological stress can cause or complicate back pain. Back pain can
also directly result from disease of the internal organs, such as kidney
stones, kidney infections, blood clots, or bone loss.
What conditions do chiropractors treat?
Chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses on disorders of
the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the effects of
these disorders on general health. Chiropractic care is used most often
to treat neuromusculoskeletal complaints, including but not limited to
back pain, neck pain, pain in the joints of the arms or legs, and
headaches
How
is a chiropractic adjustment performed?
Chiropractic adjustment or
manipulation is a manual procedure that utilizes the highly refined
skills developed during the intensive years of chiropractic education.
The chiropractor typically uses his/her hands to manipulate the joints
of the body, particularly the spine, in order to reduce pain, and
restore or enhance joint function. Chiropractic manipulation is a
highly controlled procedure that rarely causes discomfort. The
chiropractor adapts the procedure to meet the specific needs of each
patient. Patients often note positive changes in their symptoms
immediately following treatment.
Is
chiropractic treatment ongoing?
The hands-on nature of the
chiropractic treatment is essentially what requires patients to visit
the chiropractor a number of times. To be treated by a chiropractor, a
patient needs to be in his or her office. In contrast, a course of
treatment from medical doctors often involves a pre-established plan
that is conducted at home (i.e. taking a course of antibiotics once a
day for a couple of weeks). A chiropractor may provide acute, chronic,
and/or preventive care thus making a certain number of visits sometimes
necessary. Your doctor of chiropractic should tell you the extent of
treatment recommended and how long you can expect it to last.
Why is there a popping sound when a joint is
adjusted?
Adjustment of a joint may
result in release of a gas bubble between the joints that makes a
popping sound – it’s exactly the same as when you “crack” your knuckles.
The noise is caused by the change of pressure within the joint that
results in gas bubbles being released. There is no pain involved.
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