Although best known for treating neck and back pain and stiffness, chiropractic care can do much more. As part of a holistic well-being regime, chiropractic care can help keep your whole body and mind in sync and running smoothly.
People of all ages and life stages can benefit from quality chiropractic care. Whether you’re a teenager with a sports injury, a soon-to-be mom, or a dad who suffers from anxiety, finding a good family chiropractor can help everyone.
This article will discuss some reasons you may need a family chiropractor and some of the techniques they may use.
Standard Chiropractic Techniques
- Spinal manipulation: The starting point for most chiropractic care. This technique maneuvers the vertebrae into proper alignment. This has been shown to promote balance in the body and mind and stimulate the release of beneficial chemicals in the brain such as oxytocin, neurotensin, and cortisol. For pregnant women, this can relieve the stress put on the spine by rapid weight gain and changes in posture.
- Traction: In this treatment, the chiropractor will apply pressure to the neck, back, or limbs to stretch and realign the vertebrae and muscles of the neck and back. Traction relieves pressure on herniated discs and aligns the spine. This can help straighten a spine bent by rapid weight gain, posture changes, and softening of the ligaments. It can also relieve pain and restore healthy blood flow in the legs.
- Massage: The doctor may use manual or electric stimulation to relax the muscles and promote blood flow. Both deep muscle and soft tissue massages can help loosen and relax the muscles of the back, neck, and shoulders which may be sore or tight because of rapid bodily changes and stress.
- Dry Needling: Some chiropractors, like Dr. Reinhardt, offer a full range of services from his holistic team, including the growing popular treatment of dry needling. Focused on strategically placing steel needles into trigger points within muscles, the stimulation helps alleviate knotted or hard muscle(s) that have caused pain, stiffness, loss in the range of motion, or other discomforting symptoms.
- Physical Therapy: Dr. Reinhardt is able to pull on his years of rehabilitation experience to help provide treatment and therapies in a variety of areas to accelerate healing and proper bodily motion.
- Fascial Stretch Therapy: An active form of massage incorporates the patient to perform a variety of combined movements on the table with the help of the therapist. Fascial stretch therapy uses a lot of traction, creating more space within joint capsules, and creating an increase in range of motion that can at times be immediate.
Car Accident Injuries
A car accident can happen anytime, whether on your way to drop the kids off at school, returning from a family vacation, or just making a quick run to the grocery store. Anyone in a vehicle during an accident may suffer injuries from the impact, even if they use a seat belt correctly.
Children and teens are less likely to suffer from conditions like whiplash because they are more flexible and sit lower in the seats, but they can still suffer injuries to their neck and back that leave them stiff, sore, and out of alignment.
For adults, the injuries are often more severe but still treatable. Even if you think you and your family escaped the accident unscathed, it’s wise to set up an appointment with your family chiropractor to ensure no misalignments or injuries may cause pain later.
Suppose you or a loved one suffered an injury in a car wreck. There are several techniques a chiropractor may use or recommend to alleviate pain and stiffness, take pressure off a pinched nerve, and, if necessary, realign your vertebrae. These include:
- Spinal manipulation
- Traction
- Spinal decompression
- Soft tissue massage and stimulation
- Dry needling
- Fascial stretch therapy
- Physical therapy
Mental Conditions
Did you know that you can use chiropractic care to alleviate some common mental issues? If you or a loved one suffers from anxiety, depression, or other mental conditions, a skilled chiropractor may be able to help.
Chiropractic care promotes your general well-being. Spine adjustments and other chiropractic methods have been shown to release certain chemicals in the brain that can enhance one’s outlook and improve certain mental conditions. Best of all, it can do this without the side effects often associated with medications prescribed for mental issues.
Some techniques that the chiropractor may employ to enhance the harmony between mind and body include:
- Spinal adjustment
- Massage
Prenatal Care
A woman’s body goes through many drastic changes during pregnancy. With changing hormone levels, weight distribution, and relaxation of specific ligaments, it is no surprise that many women feel out of sync during this period.
Even if you have never been to a chiropractor before, pregnancy may be the best time to introduce yourself to the benefits of a quality family chiropractor. In addition to helping with the discomfort of advancing pregnancy, prenatal chiropractic care may help to alleviate nausea and anxiety.
Chiropractic care during pregnancy has advantages for the baby as well. Keeping the pelvis and spine aligned properly allows for maximum space for the fetus to grow and move and has been shown to reduce complications during labor and delivery.
Techniques used in prenatal chiropractic care include:
- Spinal manipulation
- Prenatal massage
Sports Injury Treatment
Participation in team sports is an integral part of many children’s school years. Playing sports offers them many physical and mental benefits. Unfortunately, even with precautions and preparation, sports injuries do sometimes occur. If your child is a blooming soccer star or a wizard in wrestling, a sports injury can have them sitting on the sidelines instead of enjoying the camaraderie and exercise.
Professional and Olympic athletes frequently use chiropractic care to keep them relaxed and limber before workouts or games. This may help to avoid sports injuries in the first place. If an injury occurs, your family chiropractor can help alleviate pain and speed the healing process so your child can get back in the game.
Techniques used to prevent and heal from sports injuries include:
- Spinal manipulation
- Spinal decompression
- Traction
- Soft tissue massage and stimulation
- Dry needling
- Fascial stretch therapy
- Physical therapy
Healing for the Whole Family
Much like a single pinched nerve in your back can affect the functioning of your entire body, the pain of one family member can throw the whole family out of sync. If you or someone you love is suffering from physical or mental pain, you want to do everything to help.
A skilled family chiropractor can help keep every family member feeling their best. Whether you schedule a visit for a specific ailment or promote mind-body balance, chiropractic care can help you, and your loved ones better deal with whatever life brings you.
To find out more about the benefits of regular visits to a family chiropractor or schedule an appointment, contact us at Reinhardt Chiropractic.
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