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“My back hurts!” is something my 5 year old says more than he actually means. Turns out when your dad is a chiropractor you become very in tune with your spine from a very young age. It could also be all of the trees he climbs in and out of, but who could say. 🙂

Back pain is a common ailment that affects millions of people worldwide. It can be caused by various factors such as poor posture, muscle strain, injury, or underlying medical conditions. While there are several treatment options available, chiropractic care has gained popularity as a non-invasive and holistic approach to alleviate back pain.

Holistic Approach to Back Pain

Chiropractic care takes a holistic approach to back pain by focusing on the spine’s alignment and the body’s musculoskeletal system as a whole. Misalignments in the spine, known as subluxations, can cause pain and affect the body’s overall health. By identifying and correcting these subluxations through spinal adjustments, we aim to restore proper function and alleviate back pain.

Spinal Adjustments and Alignment

Spinal adjustments are the cornerstone of chiropractic care for back pain. During a chiropractic session, Dr. Best uses controlled force to manipulate the spine’s vertebrae, bringing them back into proper alignment. By doing so, pressure on the surrounding nerves and tissues is relieved, promoting natural healing and reducing pain.

Muscle Relaxation and Rehabilitation

In addition to adjustments, Dr. Best does more than just crack backs. Active Release Technique breaks up the scar tissue and helps the muscles to stop pulling your bones out of alignment. That hand in hand with massage targets muscle tension and promoting blood flow to the affected area and can help relieve back pain and improve flexibility.

Personalized Treatment Plans

Chiropractic care recognizes that every individual is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to back pain treatment. Dr. Best performs a thorough examination to assess the underlying causes of back pain and develop personalized treatment plans. These plans may include a combination of spinal adjustments, exercises, lifestyle modifications, and ergonomic advice tailored to each patient’s specific needs. This individualized approach enhances the effectiveness of chiropractic care in addressing the root causes of back pain.

Non-Invasive and Drug-Free

One significant advantage of chiropractic care is that it offers a non-invasive and drug-free alternative to managing back pain. While medications and invasive procedures may be necessary in some cases, chiropractic care focuses on natural healing and encourages the body’s own restorative abilities. By avoiding pharmaceutical interventions, patients can reduce the risk of potential side effects and complications associated with medication usage.

Complementary Approach

Chiropractic care can be used as a complementary treatment alongside conventional medical interventions for back pain. Chiropractors often work in collaboration with other healthcare professionals, such as physical therapists or orthopedic specialists, to provide comprehensive care. This integrative approach ensures that patients receive a well-rounded treatment plan that addresses both the symptoms and underlying causes of their back pain.

Chiropractic care offers a holistic and personalized approach to managing and relieving back pain. Through spinal adjustments, muscle relaxation techniques, and personalized treatment plans, chiropractors aim to restore proper spinal alignment and alleviate pain without resorting to invasive procedures or medications. As with any healthcare decision, it is important to consult with a qualified chiropractor or healthcare professional to determine the most suitable treatment approach for individual needs. If you are experiencing back pain, chiropractic care may provide an effective and natural solution worth considering.

When we think of stretching, we associate it more with workouts and sports. The truth is stretching is important not just before any strenuous physical activity or playing a sport, but also in your daily routine even for people with non-athletic backgrounds. It is in fact a natural process for body. Without stretching our body parts will grow stiff and their movement will become difficult with time.

Stretching is at times also our natural instinct. While sleeping soundly we stretch our legs instinctively and while waking up in the morning, sometimes we feel like stretching our arms. But of course, for the rest of the body and particularly important muscles, we need some kind of stretching. We probably do not notice, but due to our sedentary lifestyle, our muscles over the time bear the brunt of our incorrect postures and become immobile.

For example if we are constantly sitting throughout the day, out hamstring muscles get stiff. If the hamstring muscles are stiff, we won’t be able to straighten our legs properly and even stand properly.

The adequate stretching of calf muscles is important for the movement in legs. Our joints, calves, hips, shoulders, neck all need movement and mobility. Stretching keeps the muscles strong and flexible and decreases injury risk in joints and muscles. Stretching also helps improve the posture and overall well being.

According to American College of Sports Medicine, stretching each of the major muscle groups at least two times a week for 60 seconds per exercise is important for muscle mobility

The most crucial areas that require stretching are:

• Calves
• Hamstrings
• Hip flexors in the pelvis
• Quadriceps in the front of the thigh

Kinds of stretching

Static Stretching

When you hold your stretches for 15-20 seconds without moving, they are called static stretches. They are done to loosen the muscles post exercise.  A review article published in January 2020 by the Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, said that pre-exercise static stretching reduced an individual’s overall muscular strength and maximal performance. That’s why a dynamic stretch is recommended before exercise in place of static stretching.

Dynamic stretching

Dynamic stretching means when you move a joint or muscles through its full range of motion. This helps in getting your cold muscles get ready for exercise. Dynamic stretching can be done before or after exercise and is a more recommended form of stretching.

When to stretch

Before exercise/physical activity:  Warm-ups are always advised before an exercise not without a reason. The cold muscles are prone to injury or underperformance if not warmed up with stretches. That’s why you will notice that football or cricket players do stretching exercises before any match or practice. To warm up muscles before any strenuous activity, it is advised to do stretching. It leads to better performance and prevents injury.

After exercise: Your muscles may become sore due to strenuous physical activity or sport.  Stretching is required also to relax the muscles and release tension. The soreness or any kind of tightness can be fixed with the right kind of stretching exercises.

After sitting: Sitting for prolonged hours can make your hamstring muscles stiff. When you sit all the time without moving any muscles, they get stiff and as a result the blood flow to the muscles is restricted. In order to overcome the harmful effects of sitting, it is important to do some hamstring stretches that improves mobility around the area. Stretching improves blood flow in the muscles and helps to straighten the leg and stand properly.

Before bed: While we are working or going about a regular work day, we hardly notice how stress takes a toll on our muscles and make them extremely tight. The stress is stored in the muscles and make it difficult for us to relax and enjoy a good night sleep. This is one of the reasons why insomnia is rising among highly stressed working professionals. Stretching aids in relaxing the tired muscles and helps one to sleep better.

After getting up: Yes, certain stretches are also important when you get up early in the morning. Especially for arthritis patients who find their muscles sore and inactive in the morning, they can do ankle circles, neck circles and other such stretches recommended to them by their physiotherapist. In general also, considering your muscles remain inactive during the process of sleeping, stretching them after waking up makes them active.

Benefits of stretching

1. Helps to correct body posture: The incorrect body posture leads to many kinds of chronic pains like back pain and neck pain. Over the times stress accumulates in the muscles and when we do not release it, it leads to chronic pains. Muscles get stiff if not worked upon and then a sudden physical activity can lead to soreness, pain or injury. Stretching helps to improve your body posture and makes your muscles flexible and active.
2. Decreases risk of injury: It happens sometimes, that after a certain age or due to a health condition, people may lose their balance and fall. If you are doing daily stretching, the risk of injury is less. Also, when you do a physical exercise or participate in a sports without proper stretching exercises, your risk of getting an injury or sprain is more. By doing daily stretching, the risk of getting joint and muscle injury comes down as your body becomes more flexible and muscles get strengthened.
3.  Makes your body flexible: Your muscles will not get flexible by doing stretches for a few days or weeks. It may makes months before your body acquired this flexibility. Stretching over a period of time makes your muscles strong and flexible. It helps your joints move through full range of motion.
4. Improves performance in physical activity: Your joints open up when you do dynamic stretching before any physical activity or sports. Not only it reduces the risk of injury, but your performance also improves as your muscles now have a full range of motion and can push you to literally put your best foot forward.

Don’ts to remember before you start with stretching

1. While you may feel overenthusiastic while starting to stretch, it is advisable to be mindful of your boundaries and respect them. Don’t overstretch beyond your comfort point and if you experience any kind of pain, just stop.
2. Do not stretch while you have cold muscles and straight from an inactive position. Take a light walk or do a little bit of jogging before you do any of the stretches. If you do stretching without a light warm-up, there are chances of getting injury.
3. Do not be tempted to stretch in the area which is vulnerable or has experienced an injury in the past. It is best to take your trainer’s advice if you feel certain kind of stretches will do more harm than benefit.
4. If you have any acute pain, it is best to seek advice instead of worsening your condition by stretching areas that are tricky.

Chiropractic care is a form of alternative medicine that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the musculoskeletal system, particularly the spine. It is based on the belief that proper alignment of the spine can help the body heal itself without the need for drugs or surgery. Chiropractic care has become increasingly popular in recent years, with millions of people seeking treatment from chiropractors worldwide.

History of Chiropractic Care

The origins of chiropractic care can be traced back to the late 19th century. The first chiropractic adjustment was performed by D.D. Palmer, a magnetic healer from Iowa, in 1895. Palmer believed that many illnesses and diseases could be cured by manipulating the spine to correct subluxations, or misalignments of the vertebrae. He named this new practice “chiropractic,” which means “done by hand” in Greek.

Palmer’s son, B.J. Palmer, later took over the chiropractic profession and helped to establish it as a legitimate form of healthcare. He founded the first chiropractic college in 1897, which later became the Palmer College of Chiropractic.

Philosophy of Chiropractic Care

The philosophy of chiropractic care is based on the principle that the body has an innate ability to heal itself, and that this healing process can be enhanced through proper alignment of the spine. Chiropractors believe that the nervous system is the key to good health, and that any interference with the nervous system can lead to a variety of health problems.

Chiropractors use a holistic approach to healthcare, which means that they focus on the whole person, rather than just the symptoms of a particular condition. They believe that by treating the underlying cause of a health problem, rather than just the symptoms, they can help their patients achieve optimal health and wellness.

Techniques Used in Chiropractic Care

Chiropractors use a variety of techniques to diagnose and treat musculoskeletal disorders. The most common technique is spinal manipulation, also known as an adjustment. During an adjustment, the chiropractor uses their hands to apply a controlled force to the spine, with the goal of restoring proper alignment and mobility to the affected vertebrae.

Other techniques used in chiropractic care include massage therapy, trigger point therapy, and therapeutic exercise. Chiropractors may also recommend dietary changes, stress reduction techniques, and other lifestyle modifications to help their patients achieve optimal health.

Chiropractic care has been used for over a century to treat a variety of musculoskeletal disorders. It is based on the belief that proper alignment of the spine can help the body heal itself, without the need for drugs or surgery. Chiropractors use a holistic approach to healthcare, focusing on the whole person, rather than just the symptoms of a particular condition. By using a variety of techniques, including spinal manipulation, massage therapy, and therapeutic exercise, chiropractors help their patients achieve optimal health and wellness.