Chiropractors Aren’t Just For Back Pain
Head, shoulders, knees and toes…
Your chiropractor can help with more than just back pain.
What’s the first word that comes to your mind when you hear the word “chiropractor”? If you’re like most people, you instantly think of the spine.
Chiropractors and spines seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly. Many chiropractic practices even have a logo that features a spine in some way, shape, or form. But back issues are just a small portion of the ailments chiropractors can treat.
From head to toe, your chiropractor can provide you with symptom-free relief from pain and discomfort.
Chiropractors Aren’t Just For Back Pain
Contrary to popular belief, chiropractors aren’t just “spine doctors,” but specialize in the entire musculoskeletal system.
The main focus of chiropractic care are your body’s joints, areas where two or more bones meet and allow movement. There are roughly 350 joints in the human body—from your jaw to your toes—and all of them can benefit from chiropractic care.
In fact, one of the most unique features of chiropractic care is that it is holistic in nature.
This means that chiropractors view the body as a whole organism that works together. The nervous, skeletal, and muscular systems don’t just occupy the same areas of your body, but they actually affect each other on a daily basis.
If you’re experiencing pain in any part of your body, there’s a good chance your chiropractor can help treat it.
Think Outside the Spine
When you’re feeling pain, we encourage you to think outside the box…er, spine.
The next time you’re feeling pain or discomfort in one of these areas, make an appointment with your chiropractor for relief.
Head
The temporomandibular joint is the only moving joint in the skull, but it is frequently plagued by inflamed and/or dislocated discs. If you suffer from the pain, clicking, and limited movement of TMJ, a chiropractor can provide quick relief.
Regular chiropractic adjustments can also reduce many types of headaches. Headaches caused by a pinched nerve or tense muscles will surely benefit from chiropractic care or a medical massage.
Shoulders
The shoulder has an incredibly wide range of motion—that is, if it’s working correctly.
Chiropractors have thousands of hours of education in human anatomy (and charge much less than medical doctors), so they’re the perfect choice for conditions such as dislocated shoulders.
Recent studies have shown that chiropractic care can work wonders on adhesive capsulitis as well (also known as “frozen shoulder”). For a condition that takes between 1-3 years to resolve on its own, having a quick and easy treatment option is invaluable.
Wrist
The pain of carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by pressure on the median nerve in your wrist, but the true source of this painful condition is a misalignment of the carpal bones.
As you well know, misaligned bones are a chiropractor’s bread and butter. Make an appointment at the first twinge of pain to get ahead of the situation.
Knees
The knees contribute a lot to the task of holding your body upright; it’s no wonder they start to ache as we get older! And if you have flat feet, arthritis, or participate in a lot of high-impact activities, this pain can begin even sooner than usual.
By correcting misalignments in the knee, chiropractors can relieve pain and improve posture, making the rest of your life that much more comfortable.
Ankles & Feet
We’re all familiar with the sensation of sore feet after a long day at Disney World. But sharp pain, tingling, and decreased range of motion could indicate a misalignment.
Why the Spine?
So where do people get the idea that chiropractors only deal with the spine?
For one, back pain is extremely common, so it stands to reason that chiropractors would come to be known as “back pain specialists.” But a lot of this has to do with the nature of the spine itself.
The spine is a curving tower of 24 small bones called vertebrae. Your spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that runs through each of these vertebrae and branches off to other areas of the body.
Under normal conditions, these nerves should be able to exit the spine without obstruction. But misaligned vertebrae, herniated discs, and inflammation can pinch these nerves, sending pain along the entire nerve.
This explains why, even though you might have tingling in your hand, your chiropractor is spending so much time adjusting your back.
Conclusion
Whether you’re feeling symptoms in your head, shoulders, knees, toes or back, a chiropractor can provide you with long-lasting, drug-free relief.
And for those residing in the Central Florida area, Oviedo Chiropractic is everything you’re looking for in a chiropractor.
Using a combination of x-rays, adjustments, e-stim treatments, and massage therapy, we are qualified to diagnose and treat a variety of conditions without resorting to prescription drugs or expensive surgery.
Make an appointment today to get on the right path.
