Treatment Options for Painful, Recurring Headaches

Posted on: 20 April 2017

While chiropractors are often synonymous with adjusting your spine, you shouldn't expect that a typical appointment will simply consist of an adjustment. While an adjustment will certainly be a key element of your visit to the chiropractic clinic, many practitioners also rely on other approaches to treat their patients. When you first visit a chiropractor to seek relief for your back pain, it's useful to ask what types of therapy he or she plans to use to address the problem. Generally, your chiropractor will be able to outline the various techniques that he or she will use to alleviate your discomfort. Here are some examples.

Assisted Stretching

Stretching is a valuable tool to use in the fight against back pain or other conditions that chiropractors often treat. To this end, you can expect that your chiropractor will help you do some stretching. Assisted stretching involves the chiropractor using hands-on techniques to move your body into the required position, and then holding it there for a short duration. Your chiropractor may stretch your body during each appointment, and may also outline a stretching regimen that you'll need to follow between sessions.

Hands-On Manipulation

While a chiropractic appointment probably won't remind you of having a massage, you'll often find chiropractors who will use hands-on manipulation to work on your joints. This is different than a standard adjustment, as this type of care won't necessarily involve the cracking feeling that you may commonly experience during an adjustment. Instead, the chiropractor may loosen up tight muscles by hand, as well as work to reduce restrictions in your body's fascia and tissues, so that an adjustment has greater efficacy. In many cases, you'll find that this hands-on manipulation of your muscles and tissues takes place in advance of the adjustment, although each chiropractor may take a slightly different approach.

Overall Health Advice

You can also expect that your chiropractor will spend a portion of your appointment providing you with overall health advice that complements the care you receive during your sessions. Chiropractors want their patients to take ownership over their own lives, so you'll often hear suggestions as to how you can decrease pain on your own. For example, your chiropractor might ask you to sit at a desk, and then provide feedback on how you can do so to reduce the risk of back pain. You can then use this lesson in your everyday life.

For more information, contact companies like North Pole Chiropractic.