More Complementary & Integrative Healthcare Articles
Chiropractic The Drugless Solution
Over-the-counter and prescription painkillers attempt to mask or diminish symptoms by way of the bloodstream, or circulatory system. But, chiropractic digs deeper, to the possible cause of symptoms. According to Grays Anatomy (the medical manual, not the popular television show), the nervous system controls and coordinates all other systems, including, respiratory, immune and even circulatory.
If you are suffering from frequent headaches, bring this concern to your chiropractors attention. It is your doctors responsibility to locate and correct areas in the spine where one or more of the vertebrae may have experienced a loss of function, creating pressure on, or otherwise irritating, spinal nerves. This irritation can interfere with the signals, or communication, traveling over those nerves, which can compromise the health of every system in the body.
By positively affecting the nervous system and aiding nerve transmission, chiropractic care, in the form of specific spinal adjustments, or manipulations, can improve the bodys own ability to heal itself. Adjustments can help to restore normal joint function in your spine, thus helping to alleviate nerve pressure and loss of nerve flow.
Chiropractic, From Your Head to Your Feet
Some people mistakenly believe that while chiropractors do an excellent job of treating back pain, they may not always be the best choice for relieving pain affecting other parts of the body. Yes, back pain is the leading reason people visit a chiropractor, but its certainly not the only reason. A new study has shown that for people experiencing a certain type of foot pain, chiropractic is not only effective, but also can relieve the pain where other methods may have failed.
In the study, researchers treated 15 patients who had developed foot pain after undergoing a surgical procedure called plantar fasciotomy.
Other therapies, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), shoe padding and rest, had been ineffective in relieving the pain. All of the patients were treated with manual therapy (consisting of joint mobilization and/or chiropractic manipulation to the joints in the foot and ankle) and home-based exercises, and then were asked to describe whether the pain had improved or remained the same.
Eleven patients in the group reported experiencing “significant improvement” in their foot pain as a result of chiropractic care; another three patients experienced “moderate” improvement. The treatment was not only effective, but quite safe, with no long-lasting complications associated with any of the procedures. The lesson here? If you suffer from pain and youre looking for a safe, natural alternative to medicine and surgery, schedule an appointment with your local doctor of chiropractic.
