Chiropractic Care: An Alternative Treatment Plan
Chiropractic care gives a holistic way to treat and prevent and treat common aches and pains. Those who see a chiropractor routinely may notice improvement in muscular performance, range of motion, endurance, flexibility, increased blood flow, and may prevent further injuries. Spinal adjustments will reduce the irritation of the nerve roots between the vertebrae, which means the healing time from minor injuries can be shortened and will essentially improve performance in the long run.
What is a chiropractor?
A chiropractor is a medical professional who is able to diagnose and treat a various amount of symptoms that you may experience due to musculoskeletal and nervous system issues and/or injuries. A chiropractor can treat many symptoms at any age. They are able to treat symptoms that sometimes are thought of as behavioral symptoms or even breathing issues. Your spine can affect everything within the body without giving the feeling of any pain or discomfort around the spine itself.
Recent Studies Reveal…
In recent studies from 2014 to 2017 there has been an improvement on researching rate of use, reasons and type of care the chiropractor provided their patients. Most of these statistics have been able to show long term results due to the update in communication and length of time chiropractors have been around. Currently, chiropractors practice in over 100 countries in which 90 of these have national chiropractic associations. It is most commonly used in the United States and Europe and provides a substantial portion of care for low back pain and neck pain patients. In a report discussing the results of a 7 year survey in the U.S. alone, 68% of surveyed adults said they have visited an alternative care physician within the previous year. In this same report 66.9% of patients sought treatment from a chiropractor. And a total of 70.5% of all patients were treated for spinal pain.
Here is a small list of issues a chiropractor can help manage:
- Low back pain
- Sciatica
- Leg strains
- Sore or achy muscles
- Neck pain
- Fibromyalgia
- TMJ (jaw pain)
- Headaches
- Arthritis
Who would experience the best results?
The spine is the most important organism within the human body. It contains many pain-sensitive tissues such as joints, muscles, nerves, discs and ligaments. The spine will communicate with the nervous system to the brain. Any abnormal position patterns in the spinal column can cause an irregular amount of stress and strain on the nerves, tissues and muscles in the body.
Anyone at any age can benefit from seeing a chiropractor. There are several issues that someone might have that lead to injury and choose to see a chiropractor instead of primary care physicians to seek better, more natural results. Even a completely healthy individual can still improve mobility and function from seeing a chiropractor regularly. An enormous reason of muscle or spinal damage to most patients is asymmetry in the body. It is common that any person can have a preferable position or a preferable side of strength. It could be a strength difference on the left or right side or issues with mobility and flexibility. Chiropractic adjustments have been known to be consistently better than other medical options in reducing the intensity of acute low back pain and repairing both short term and long term functions. A chiropractor can properly adjust the body to align and reduce tension throughout using soft tissue massages and risk of injury is reduced so there is not so much stress and tension on the muscles that lack strength or flexibility.
Accident Centers of Texas Is Here For You
If you are in need of chiropractor in Dallas, Accident Centers of Texas is here for you. Whether you’re suffering from an auto injury, slip and fall accident, or are just in need of a spinal adjustment, we can help! We offer a ride service for those without transportation, and we know your schedule is busy so we’re open late weekdays and open on Saturday. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation.
BY: CK
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Low Back Pain And How Chiropractic Care Helps
Manipulation for the Lumbar Spine
Lumbar Spine Pain Symptoms
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- Dull or achy pain contained in one area
- Stinging or burning pain that can move from the lower back to the thighs, sometimes all the way to the lower legs and feet
- Numbness and tingling or sciatica
- Muscle spasms
- Tightening in the low back, hips and pelvis
- Pain that worsens after prolonged sitting or standing
- Difficulty in standing straight, walking and movements from sit to stand positions
- Pain intensity
- Isometric strength
- Health-related quality of life
- Perceived disability
- Reduction in neck pain
- Endurance
Accident Centers of Texas Can Help Ease Your Lower Back Pain
BY: CK
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Chiropractic Care Can Relieve Muscle Knots
What are muscle knots and how are they caused?
Muscle knots, otherwise known as myofascial trigger points, are a painful condition in the musculoskeletal system. These knots or trigger points are comprised of contracted muscle fibers that can be located anywhere in the body. These trigger points can be described as painful, sensitive areas found throughout the body where myofascial tissue is located. They are usually sustained by muscle contractions during a trauma. Normally, in personal injury, they are sustained during a car accident or other form of repeated microtrauma, whiplash, or other strain related postural activity.
Other conditions can attribute to these painful points. A hyperirritable spot such as these knots can also be symptoms of other musculoskeletal system conditions including myofascial pain syndrome. Upon compression, these spots can be painful, cause motor dysfunction and sensations that cannot be controlled. Several factors can attribute to painful muscle knots. Some of these related elements can contribute to the pain and/or be the leading cause of the pain:
- Poor posture
- Lack of exercise or sedentary lifestyle
- Stress tension
- Prolong sitting, standing, or laying down
- Overuse or prolonged repetitive motions
- Muscle strains, muscle tears, a twist or strain
- Injury to the muscle from a broken bone
What are the symptoms of muscle knots?
Muscle knots, can usually be felt under the skin. However, this may not always be the case. In some cases, the location of pain is not equivalent to the location of the actual trigger point. There have been several studies done to show these trigger points by using an ultrasound, elastrography, or sonoelastography. There has been other theories and studies that surround these painful, irritable spots in the body. Elevated levels of inflammatory and neurotransmitter chemicals have been found. Typically, these knots can fall into one of two categories. An active trigger point will produce intense pain in the body. A hidden trigger point may not produce pain unless they are touched, creating a dull and achy sensation. Other conditions from these knots may occur. Some patients can experience back pain, neck pain, headaches and joint pain (such as carpal tunnel).
Muscle knots can develop anywhere within the body that muscle exists. Common areas are typically a participant from automobile accidents or personal injury. These areas include:
- Neck
- Shoulders, between and around
- Lower back
- Muscles through the hip and knees
- Calves
- Shins
How can I relieve a muscle knot?
There are different forms of therapy that have studied lasting and temporary results. A local chiropractor is able to help with most if not all symptoms and relief techniques. Some of these techniques include:
- Massage
- Stretching
- TENS or electrostimulation
- Pulsed ultrasound
- Vibration and heat
- Compression
- A cooling spray
Temporary pain reduction therapies also exist. Some of these therapies provided by other medical professionals include local anesthetics, corticosteroids, botulism toxin, laser therapy and dry-needling. Very few of these have shown lasting effects and contain high risks. Dry-needling has been questioned in some studies based off of the disruption of the motor end plates. Some of these forms of therapy have also been known to only cause a placebo effect.
When identification of trigger points can be difficult, it has been shown that a full chiropractic treatment can have temporary and lasting effects. Just because a pain may occur in a certain area does not mean that the pain is a direct indicator of the trigger point. Regularly stretching and breaks from repetitive motion are always the first steps to those who commonly experience muscle knots or for those susceptible to them.
Accident Centers of Texas Can Help Rid You Of Painful Muscle Knots
If you are suffering from painful muscle knots caused by an auto injury, whiplash, or any other reason, contact a Dallas-Fort Worth chiropractor you can trust today. Accident Centers of Texas has 8 convenient locations across the metroplex, and even has a driving service if you are in need of transportation.
BY: rosat
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Acute & Chronic Neck Pain Therapy
Manipulation and Mobilization
Spinal Manipulation and Exercise
- Pain intensity
- Isometric strength
- Health-related quality of life
- Perceived disability
- Reduction in neck pain
- Endurance
Recommendations for treatment
Accident Centers of Texas Can Help!
If you are suffering for chronic neck pain, potentially caused by a personal or auto injury, your local Dallas-Fort Worth Accident Centers of Texas can help. We have 8 locations across DFW including Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Garland, Frisco, and Irving. Contact Accident Centers of Texas today for more information!
BY: rosat
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Chiropractic Care Helps Post Traumatic Stress & Whiplash Injuries
Post traumatic stress can be vastly common with injuries related to pain or whiplash from automobile accidents. While bilateral, consistent care is suggested between the whiplash pain and the post traumatic stress many patients may not exactly see the relation or differences of symptoms they experience based on one ailment versus the other.
Whiplash is an injury in the neck and spine that can cause range and movement restrictions due to the whip-like motion of the spinal column.
Diagnosis of a Whiplash Injury and Trauma Caused Stress
In a recent study submitted to the 10th Congress of European Pain Federation, 17% of patients experienced depression and stress over a period of time due to the whiplash and 9.5% saw high symptoms immediately with decreased amounts of stress during a 6 month period. Pain may persist in the neck area but other areas of the spine may be affected as well.
During a chiropractic evaluation, a chiropractor in Dallas will usually request an MRI to show if there has been any intervertebral disc injury. They will also check for restricted motion of the joints, any ligament injuries as well as visible muscle spasms. In most traffic accident traumas only 50% of people who experience whiplash will recover. Due to this alarming amount, many patients experience either whiplash-associated disorder at 3 months or less and sometimes post traumatic stress disorder and whiplash associated disorder for 5 years or longer.
Diagnosis of PTSD, WAD and Other Related Psychological Symptoms
About 1% of the U.S. population is injured in automobile accidents, which means about 3 million people each year can be effected and can experience psychological symptoms. In recent studies, auto accident related traumas are the largest contributing factor of traumatic stress cases. PTSD, WAD, anxiety, depression, and other trauma related psychological symptoms effect almost 55 million adults and with increasing numbers, there have been roughly 9% of the population that have reported that they have developed PTSD from being involved in a motor accident.
Due to the amount of physical injury, the contemplation and presentation of fatality of one’s self or that of a loved one, the chances of developing traumatic stress related diseases can occur. The spine, neck, and and nervous system are the most effected parts of the human anatomy during a car accident. These organs are the messaging system of the body that can also cause relayed information to be misread once these messages have reached the brain. Due to the way the body communicates, anytime external affliction is caused your brain sends a wave of stress and tension. These signals can show more than physical symptoms but may start as tension headaches, stiff neck, back pain, and irritable bowel. Once these stress and tension waves this can also present themselves as psychological stress and tension causing other forms of cognitive ailments.
Given the prevalence of car related stress trauma, the diagnosis of PTSD and WAD can be identified in a two-step approach. The first step would be to take an assessment giving a score. Secondly, if a specific score or anything above that score is reported a more extensive examination is given. However, with motor vehicle accidents those whom suffer from PTSD or WAD or any other related emotional distress symptoms can be easily identified. In the right atmosphere, preferably a physicians office, a PTSD screening can be self-administered. There is a PTSD checklist and a patient is able to review the symptoms list and rate each item on a scale of 1 to 5.
Whiplash and Stress Treatment
Once a diagnostic treatment plan is discussed between you and the Dallas chiropractor you’ve chosen, there is a multitude amounts of therapy techniques that a chiropractor may use that are both noninvasive and homeopathic for both stress as well as the physical injury. Manual manipulation and stretching as well as therapeutic massages are used to relieve both the physical and mental stress a patient might be experiencing. The chiropractor may also suggest at-home self-therapy such as heat or ice, creams, sprays, spinal support or stretching. During the first several days of acute whiplash therapy, it is suggested to use ice to minimize the swelling or inflammation of the muscles as well as limited movement to ensure that proper healing takes place to lessen the chances of PTSD. Once pain has started to decrease and swelling has dissipated heat can be used to bring relief to the muscles and joints surrounding the spine and spinal maintenance will continue.
A condition of motor related stress trauma that differentiates from other forms of PTSD is the chance of being injured again or developing chronic pain after the accident. Whereas, about half the people who have been in a car related accident do not consider psychological treatment for up to a year can experience post trauma stress. Therefore, stress trauma symptoms can be identified and most if not all symptoms can be treated and maintained by a chiropractor. There are a number of treatment options that have been proven effective for both physical and emotional ailments of post traumatic stress therapy. Treatments include behavior therapy, cognitive therapy and medications. However, some do find the most beneficial and natural way to deal with both the physical and emotional stress is chiropractic care.
The chiropractic treatment options will depend on the severity and length of time of the sustained whiplash injury. The chiropractor will go over a list of both physical and psychological symptoms during your first visit. Once a prognosis is in place the physician will guide the patient through what a typical visit would be like and how regularly a patient should seek manual manipulation maintenance. During the clinical physician’s suggested time frame for aid, the most common version of treatment would be manual therapy or manipulation of the spine. Common manual therapy techniques used are:
• flexion-distraction technique: A slow pumping technique that is used to be gentle and non-thrusting.
• instrument-assisted manipulation: A gentle form of manual therapy that uses a handheld tool.
• specific spinal manipulation: Manipulation using a gentle back and forth motion while the chiropractor identifies joints that show abnormal motion or restricted movement. This type of manipulation will stretch soft tissue around the joints.
Other forms of therapy used during a visit with the chiropractor are:
• ultrasound
• trigger point therapy
• therapeutic massage
• instrument-assisted soft tissue therapy
• manual joint stretching and resistance training
• transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation
Chiropractic Care For Traumatic Stress and Whiplash
While about 25% of whiplash patients see a predominant amount of symptoms of PTSD, they are seeing little to no treatment for trauma or stress due to lack of knowledge on the associated issue. A Accident Centers of Texas a trained and compassionate chiropractor will examine the entire spine, performance of the body, ask diligent questions to each patient, as well as reexamine after each visit for therapy to review improvement and to ensure each patient receives the best outcome. They will examine each patient individually to give the best form of therapy, since not all traumas occur the same and cannot be treated identically.
Within 6 months time most patients will see improvement of at least 30% to 90% in function and daily activity. Most acute whiplash injuries as well as psychological symptoms can decrease within several months with manual manipulation and other forms of therapeutic therapy. So if you are in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and are experiencing symptoms from an auto injury, contact Accident Centers of Texas today! We have 8 convenient locations in Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Frisco, Garland, and Irving, and we’re ready to help you take your life back!
BY: rosat
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