Chiropractors specialize in the musculo-skeletal system, which means anything involving muscles, bones and
joints. Chiropractors use an assortment of techniques to diagnose and treat a variety of conditions. Conditions include anything relating to the spine, from headaches and neck pain to low back pain, but also conditions unrelated to the spine such as carpal tunnel and knee pain.
An important tool that chiropractors use is the adjustment. The goal of an adjustment is to increase the range of
motion of a joint that is not moving optimally. For an example, when turning the head left and right, a person may be able to turn further to the left than the right. A limitation in motion doesn’t always come with pain, but an adjustment can allow for more rotation on the limited side. If the limitation is painful, an adjustment can alleviate the pain by allowing the joint to move freely.
In addition to the adjustment, chiropractors use a variety of techniques to treat soft tissue injuries. At Westbrook Family Chiropractic we use Graston Technique and Myofascial Release Therapy to help treat tight and injured muscles. It is important to treat both the joints and the soft tissue, since both are connected!
An important component of chiropractic care is prevention. If you are seeing your chiropractor for an injury and after a series of treatments the injury has healed completely, it is important to schedule your next visit before you are in pain again. The goal of the future treatments when you are healthy is to prevent the same injury from reoccurring. Using low back pain as an example, a large majority of low back pain injuries will recur within 12 months of the original incident. A regular monthly visit for chiropractic treatment can help reduce the possibility of recurrence of injury. It is important to visit your chiropractor regularly to optimize your health!