If you’re dealing with chronic pain or an injury, you may wonder if there are other options outside traditional medical treatments. Chiropractic care is a non-invasive approach to healing that focuses on the musculoskeletal system and nervous system. This guide will cover what a chiropractor does and how they can help relieve pain and improve your overall well-being.
How Did Dr. Craig Become a Chiropractor?
I often get asked how I became a chiropractor. The story began when I injured my back when I was 18 while water skiing. After a week of agonizing low back and leg pain, I went to a doctor who referred me to an orthopedist and later to a neurologist. After an MRI, I was diagnosed with two herniated discs in my low back. The pain in my back began to migrate to my right lower leg. The pain immediately impacted every aspect of my life.
I could no longer play sports or be active with my friends. The pain was excruciating. My leg hurt when I was active and even more so when I was sitting. Sitting through my college classes was almost unbearable, and the painkillers and muscle relaxers made concentrating on my studies nearly impossible.
After months of prescription drugs that did more to disrupt my life further than ease the pain and two epidural steroid injections, I was willing to try anything. My doctor quickly scheduled me for back surgery. While the surgery was beneficial in relieving the pain, I lost a semester of college to the procedure and rehabilitation. That’s when I became interested in becoming a chiropractor and treating people without drugs or surgery.
I attended Clemson University and graduated with a degree in Health Sciences. I earned my Doctor of Chiropractic from Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa.
Many people have not heard how chiropractic works or how chiropractic treatment can resolve their physical pains and problems. For this reason, I am passionate about educating people about the importance of a healthy spine and how to achieve this with chiropractic services.
Understanding What Chiropractic Care Can Do
When the spine or joints are misaligned, the body cannot function correctly. The more prolonged such conditions persist, the more degenerative disease sets in that you know of as chronic inflammation and pain.
On the other hand, the body has a fantastic ability to heal itself, significantly when we can aid its healing process. Consider a broken bone as an example. When a bone is broken, a doctor puts a cast around it to protect the bone while it heals. The cast does not cure the bone – the body heals itself. But the cast aids the body so it can heal correctly. You can think of chiropractic in the same way. Chiropractic care helps the body to heal itself. How does it do this?
One of the main techniques chiropractors use is spinal manipulation or adjustment. This procedure involves gently manipulating your spine or joints to improve function. The goal is to reduce pain, inflammation, and other symptoms caused by misalignment of the spine or other joints. Soft tissue massage, stretching, and mobilization techniques may accompany manipulative therapy. Your chiropractor will recommend a course of treatment based on your individual needs and preferences.
The Special Function of Joints
Chiropractors know how important it is that joints slide and glide when you move; when they do, there is an exchange of fluid and nutrition in the joints. This exchange keeps the joints healthy and elastic.
For optimum health, the joints must function correctly. So, when the optimum motion is lost, we use a corrective program and put fixated joints back into motion. With the function restored, the joints begin to improve and heal. If the joint is arthritic, chiropractic adjustments will slow the arthritic progression, and function will return. In the picture above, you can see a healthy and degenerative disc. One might ask, “Can one receive a joint manipulation even if the disc is degenerative?” The answer is “yes.” The tissues are alive and somewhat supple, and with the correct forces, we can get the vertebra moving again.
How Carolina Rehab Chiropractic Care Can Help You
Chiropractic care at our office includes an initial assessment, a treatment plan, follow-up appointments, and in some cases, maintenance appointments.
Initial Assessment
For some, treatment is a matter of a few appointments over several weeks, while others might choose to receive adjustments regularly to maintain maximum mobility and health for life.
Treatment Plan and Care
Chiropractic care for our patients revolves around an individualized treatment plan based on the following considerations:
- Injuries and pain complaints
- Your general health
- Mobility and range of motion challenges
- The condition of your spine
For some, treatment is a matter of a few appointments over a period of several weeks, while others might choose to receive adjustments on a regular basis to maintain maximum mobility and health for life.
Conclusion
A healthy spine and tissues, muscles, and joints will help keep you flexible, mobile, and pain-free. Call us today for a complimentary consultation, and let’s get you back to feeling great again.
Sincerely,
Dr. Craig Strickland