How Chiropractic Adjustments Ease Back Pain

Chiropractic adjustments not only ease back pain but also help heal the root cause of the problems and improve overall well-being. The spine and the skull (cranium) provide structural support and protection for the central nervous system. Therefore, any misalignment in the vertebrae or cranium can cause pain and negatively impact your health.

Back pain is one of the most common side effects of misaligned vertebrae or unhealthy movements/injury to the disks (the cushioned layers between the vertebrae). Routine adjustments from a qualified chiropractor can be used to heal and relieve pain from:

• Herniated or bulging disks
• Pain in the upper, mid, or lower back.
• Sciatica.
• Trauma to muscles or tendons around the spine.
• Osteoarthritis.
• Scoliosis
• Osteoporosis.
• Neuropathy
• Sacroiliac (SI) pain (the sacroiliac joints connect the sacrum or tailbone and the pelvis bones to the spine. Issues in this area can cause pain in the lower back and hip/leg pain).

5 Reasons Why Routine Chiropractic Visits Relieve Back Pain

Here are five ways regular chiropractic adjustments provide relief from upper, middle, and lower back pain.

1. Our assessments identify misalignments or other imbalances

The first thing we do during our visits is listen to your story and learn all we can about your current medical history and any accidents, injuries, or trauma that contributed to your back pain. This includes a review of your lifestyle to see if your job, exercise routine, or hobbies may be contributing in some way.

This includes a multi-step physical assessment to check:

• Head/neck alignment.
• Spinal alignment.
• Posture.
• How you walk, stand, sit, bend, etc. (to the degree you’re comfortable).
• Imaging that gives us a literal inside view of your head, neck, and spine.
• Etc.  

Our physical exam and what we learn about your medical history and daily life provide critical insights into why you’re experiencing back pain. From those, we can create a customized treatment plan, including spinal adjustments, that actively begins to correct the problem. 

2. Realigning the spine can provide instant relief

Any misalignment of the spinal vertebrae is bound to contribute to some level of back, neck, or shoulder pain, tension, or discomfort. In most cases, there isn’t just one issue going on. The spinal vertebrae are like dominoes, so when one area is out of alignment, it begins to offset the rest of the spine, causing further position changes that affect the surrounding muscles and connective tissues.  

3. Restore circulation and better nerve function

As we mentioned, the central nervous system runs through the spine like electrical cables run through a conduit. Nerves branch out from the spine and to their area of function. When the vertebrae are out of place, this can crimp or pinch nerves, reducing their function or causing high-alert pain signals. Similarly, the vascular system and surrounding muscles/tissues can be crimped. 

This physical blocking of nerve signals and circulation, combined with the resulting inflammation, drastically impacts basic body functions. Patients who receive regular chiropractic treatment often report improvements in the following:

• Headache/migraine reduction.
• Digestion.
• Bowel function.
• Sleep patterns.
• Neck stiffness
• Chronic sinus/ear infections.
• Focus/concentration.
• Mobility.
• Tension.
• Stress.

All of these things can be caused by or contributed to by spinal issues without you even knowing it.

4. Treatments provide in-office access to additional treatments that reduce pain and inflammation

In addition to the hands-on and tool-supported massage, spinal adjustment, or stretches/exercises we perform in our office, your spinal adjustment sessions also provide access to innovative healing technologies that aren’t available to you at home.

Cold laser therapy

Many people who visit us for the first time are suffering from chronic pain that has finally built up to the point that it’s become debilitating or diminishes the quality of daily life and activities. While our office visits and adjustments (combined with other strength-building/flexibility exercises or other healing modalities) can begin to ease back pain, cold laser therapy can further reduce pain and inflammation.

The low-level laser light penetrates the cellular level, catalyzing healing and cell regeneration. This treatment is completely safe, cleared by the FDA, and has success in reducing multiple types of back pain (NIH).

Intersegmental traction

Someone experiencing intense or chronic back pain tenses up. Over time, this diminishes movement and flexibility in the muscles around the spine, further contributing to the problem. This also makes it difficult for patients to improve their posture or do the stretches in the beginning of their treatment program until our adjustments and other exercises begin to loosen things again.

Intersegmental traction is wonderful for this. It is an entirely passive treatment. You simply lay face-up on the table. The intersegmental traction machine (roller massage) moves gently up and down the spine, creating small but effective arching. In addition to stretching the muscles of the back, this process creates space between the vertebrae. Depending on your case and abilities, we may teach you how to create this same effect at home using a correctly-sized foam tube at home as part of your “homework” between sessions in our office.

Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS)

We discussed the stagnancy that occurs in nerves, veins, and muscles when vertebrae are out of place or due to chronic inflammation. Electrical muscle stimulation is an effective and proven way to reduce certain types of back pain and facilitate healing. However, it must be used correctly and in the right situation. 

Some people assume that EMS is the same as TENS therapy. While similar, EMS is more powerful and effective. In fact, the same NHS studies that cite the types of back conditions best relieved by EMS also discuss how ineffective TENS has been for people with more serious or chronic back injuries or pain.

5. You feel empowered to take control of your healing journey

Back pain takes a serious mental and emotional toll on our patients because they can’t do the things they love anymore, or the pain keeps them from enjoying life the way they used to. Once you experience relief from back pain, and see what a difference regular chiropractic appointments make, you’ll start to have hope again. 

This inspires and empowers you to reclaim control of your healing journey. Once we reduce your back pain and begin improving your range of motion/mobility again, you’ll feel inspired to follow the custom rehabilitative exercise plan we provide that will include things like:

• Walking breaks.
• Gentle stretches.
• Performing rolling massage for intersegmental traction.
• Some light weight lifting using things you have at home.
• Tension band therapy.
• Creating ergonomically supportive work, entertainment, and sleeping spaces.
• Etc.

The combination of routine and then preventative office visits and your commitment to continuing rehabilitative therapy at home provides exponential relief and improvement.

Schedule a Spinal Adjustment For Lower Back Pain at Zahn Chiropractic

Don’t let back pain become a way of life. Schedule an appointment at Zahn Chiropractic. In addition to spinal adjustments, our Frisco patients benefit from a holistic, big-picture approach to spinal care that includes at-home therapies, lifestyle recommendations for inflammation and pain relief, and a focus on preventative care.