Back pain will affect 80% of Americans at some point in their lives – and these numbers are only rising. As people continue to suffer from back pain at increasingly high rates, it’s important to find affordable and effective care for back pain. This is especially true considering that the majority of back pain is non-serious in origin.
Fortunately, chiropractic care is a first-rate option for those suffering from back pain. It’s been shown to be medically effective, as well as cost-effective. Chiropractic care is also ideal because of the range of health benefits that it provides for your back.
Today we’ll look at the top health benefits of chiropractic for back pain relief, so that your back can stay pain-free.
1. Relieves back pain
The best part of chiropractic for back pain is that it relieves pain. Back pain, especially recurring pain, can really affect your energy levels and comfort as you suffer it during the day. However, seeing a chiropractor regularly has been found to relax your pain just as well as muscle relaxants in one study. It’s also been revealed as more effective than hospital outpatient management for lower back pain.
There’s no doubt that chiropractic care is effective in relieving pain and making you feel better. In fact, recent studies show that chiropractic lowers blood pressure, which makes you feel relaxed during a session. In general, pain management for back pain is made easier by chiropractic.
2. Removes the need for painkillers
At the same time, chiropractic care is an all-natural pain solution. This is ideal for many patients who are already taking medications or undergoing other treatments. Since chiropractic is just as good or better than painkillers, it reduces pain in the long run without worrying about pill dependency or the treatment interfering with other medication. For those with chronic back pain, it’s a best choice solution to get long-term health benefits without the cost of painkillers.
Chiropractic clinics will often include other services as well, such as massage therapy. By presenting several options for pain management, patients can even use a combination of them for maximum effect.
3. Boosts spinal alignment
The main treatment during chiropractic involves adjustments. Spinal adjustments sound scary, but they’re really just a method for keeping your body in alignment so that your body spends energy and moves in the most optimal way. When you get an adjustment, your back pain will be relieved for several reasons. Besides pain relief, you may find that the adjustment actually helps reposition your back so that your entire lumbar region better supports your body.
Moreover, adjustments release key hormones – including neurotensin, oxytocin and cortisol – which make you feel great and help restore imbalances. These compounds are involved in the anti-inflammatory response, which makes them ideal for ensuring that tension and swelling stay down as you recover.
4. Gets rid of muscle tension
After a whole day sitting at your desk with back pain, you can bet that you’ll want to reduce muscle tension. This benefit goes hand in hand with pain relief, as your muscles become supple and relaxed. As a chiropractor relaxes your muscles and adjusts your spine, you’ll also see how warm your muscles are and how they can be moved and used to maximize the adjustment and avoid stiffness. By keeping your muscular groups nice and relaxed, you’ll feel much better and see improved results in the adjustments.
5. Reduces stress and anxiety
Stress is another main back pain trigger. When you go to chiropractic treatments, you’ll also find it’s a good stress-buster. New studies even support these feelings of relaxation during chiropractic care. For example, one study looked at blood pressure during chiropractic and found that treatment lowered blood pressure. Since high blood pressure is a sign of stress, this study showed how chiropractic relaxes patients. At the same time, the therapeutic power of touch reduces stress and anxiety in your muscles. Studies measuring electrical activity saw that during chiropractic sessions, activity was reduced by 25%. This is good news for patients who are overwhelmed by stress and tension in their bodies and lives.
6. Enhances posture
Chiropractic is also known for improving your posture. This happens because alignments improve the position of your musculoskeletal system, making it easier to sit up straight and maximize muscular function. Chiropractic also boosts range of motion, which helps enhance posture, as you build up form.
Having good posture is essential for avoiding back pain triggers. For example, many of those with back pain sit at a desk all day and suffer from bad posture when they use the computer or phone at work. The comfort of your desk and sitting position are essential so that your back stays aligned and isn’t burdened by extra pressure or strain. It is important to set up your home/office environment in a way that is conducive to good posture in order to prevent back pain.
7. Creates a holistic care plan
Your back pain may be caused by a wide range of problems, and chiropractic is dedicated to finding them all. As a holistic practice, chiropractic is great for creating care plans that look at all areas of health in order to resolve your back pain in the long term. By evaluating your lifestyle and health, a professional chiropractor – such as the best Anchorage chiropractors in Alaska – makes sure that you’re optimizing every aspect of your well-being so that your back pain doesn’t bother you again.
In this way, a professional chiropractic care is concerned for your health now and in the future. It doesn’t just look for a band-aid solution, but rather gets to the heart of the matter to find natural ways to relieve your pain and strengthen your health.
