In the United States, Americans pride themselves on being healthy. They exercise, they eat well, and they attempt to get plenty of sleep at night. However, because Americans are human beings, they are not resistant to pain. This includes chronic pain which can affect the muscles and joints throughout the body; especially the back. In fact, arthritis is the most common form of joint pain for adults who are older in age. If you are suffering from pain and chronic pain, specifically in your back and lower back, here’s what can help.
Chiropractors
By definition, chiropractors specialize in disorders that affect the musculoskeletal system and the spine. These professionals can treat many different spinal disorders. In addition, chiropractors treat back pain, pain in the legs, and pain in the neck if that is where you are experiencing pain. Chiropractors will assist you if you suffer from chronic migraines and can’t seem to find any relief. If you are a sport player chiropractors can treat aches and pains from injuries. If you’re diagnosed with arthritis, you can get help from chiropractors. Needless to say, chiropractors can help you with a lot. Through their work, chiropractors can decrease your pain and help you live a healthy, pain-free life.
Spinal Manipulation: The first form of spinal disorder treatment chiropractors can do to help you is spinal manipulation. Spinal manipulation is a type of therapy. The professional will use his or her hands to apply pressure, as well as movement and massage to the area that causes you pain. Sometimes you will feel noises, such as a popping sound, but this isn’t a negative sign. Essentially, spinal manipulation will decrease your pain, joint and muscle inflammation, and increase movement and flexibility. This is just the first option.
Spinal Mobilization: Spinal mobilization is different from spinal manipulation. From this form of spinal treatment, sometimes the hands are used, but most times a tool is used. There are small tools chiropractors use that are applied to the spine in order to help pain. In addition, less pressure is applied during this treatment compared to spinal manipulation.
Posture and Relaxation: Chiropractors do not just perform treatments. They can write down tips and advice that can help you while you are at home, work, or virtually anywhere. Much of the advice from chiropractors focus on posture and relaxation. Both of these elements will assist you in developing healthy, strong, pain-free joints.
It is also important to note that chiropractors can assist you in reducing the stress you experience day-to-day. The body processes stress in all different ways. For some, this stress arises in the form of pain. Chiropractors can help you better deal with your stress, so you have less of it, and in turn, less pain.
Yoga
Many individuals believe that yoga only assists people in becoming physically fit. However, yoga actually helps with pain and chronic pain in the joints, back, and lower back. If you’ve gotten treatment from chiropractors, but want to add additional treatments, yoga can certainly help.
Positions: In yoga, you are asked to hold different yoga positions for a certain amount of time. You must concentrate, breathe deeply, and wait until you move to the next position. However, this is more tun just holding a pose and transitioning to the following one. When you participate in yoga, and hold a pose, you are essentially strengthening your muscles and joints. As you build up your strength in your back, your back pain will begin to decrease.
Stretching: You don’t just hold positions in yoga, but you stretch a lot. Stretching does a lot to your body. First, stretching helps with increasing flexibility, particularly in your lower back. In addition, you aren’t just increasing flexibility, but you’re decreasing the stress you may experience on these muscles and joints. Lastly, stretching helps with the flow of blood throughout the body. More specifically, it increases this flow of blood to your muscles and joints. All of these elements combined, can certainly decrease the pain you feel in your lower back or any joints.
If you desire a pain-free, healthy life, consider seeing chiropractors as well as participating in yoga classes.