Pain management and Chiropractic care: Why you should be considering chiropractic as a pain management option.
Pain management is a large and critical component of the healthcare system. There are many different aspects of pain management and resources for individuals experiencing pain. With all the different options out there, it can be difficult to know where to start in order to begin experiencing relief. From surgeons, to pain management physicians who perform injections and other procedures, psychiatrists and psychologists to physical therapists and chiropractors, all can play an integral role in reducing pain.
Pain management is complex and can be addressed in a variety of ways depending on the needs of each patient.
When pain management is brought up, often the first thoughts that come to mind include the use of prescription drugs: historically the use of opioids, cortisone injections, and surgery to name a few. However with the continued concern of the opioid crisis, many healthcare practitioners are limiting the use of opioids for pain management and are turning to physical therapy and chiropractic care to help provide relief.
Why consider chiropractic care as an alternative to pain medication?
Chiropractic care can be effective with patients looking to manage pain, especially when it involves the musculoskeletal system, without the use of drugs or surgery, . Pain can be caused by a variety of issues including joint dysfunction, muscle imbalances, and soft tissue changes, but just because you are experiencing pain doesn’t mean it has to become your norm.
Many patients who are in pain are afraid to move, but with education, guided exercise, and therapeutic approaches to reduce pain sensitivity, patients can be successful in getting back to their lives without pain. This is where the chiropractic care team at F.I.T. Muscle & Joint Clinic comes into play. Our team of chiropractors in Kansas City work offer a variety of soft tissue therapies accompanied by individualized exercises to help address the underlying issue causing your pain.
A significant portion of our population is affected by pain of various types. There have been estimates that up to 85% of the population will deal with low back pain at some point in their lives, 60% neck pain, and then there’s obviously other areas of the body that can pose significant problems for patients (such as shoulders, knees, hips, etc).
Pain affects everyone at some point, so how do you effectively manage it, especially before it becomes chronic?
The best thing you can do if you are experiencing pain, is see a professional. A chiropractor, general physician, orthopedic, physical therapist or physical medicine physician could be great options. In Kansas and Missouri, a chiropractor can be your first stop for care and in our clinics, our chiropractors have the resources to refer to other physicians should you need more extensive care. Often seeking out imaging first will not provide answers and can be costly, especially if there was no traumatic injury and the pain came on slowly. It is often more beneficial and cost effective to connect with a professional trained to examine the soft tissue structures and musculoskeletal system, with whom you could start treatment that first day. In order to be effective at helping patients, medical professionals must be able to understand more about the onset, the mechanism of pain or injury, the duration of pain, the goals of the patient and his or her expectations for the best possible outcome, which is why that first appointment is so important. Working to understand someone’s pain is the first step in helping them find relief. Finding a practitioner who listens to you and works one on one with you through the process is your best bet for moving towards a life free of pain.
As we talk about pain, we have to acknowledge pain is a very broad term.
Not only do people experience pain differently, but there are a plethora of ways the onset of pain can occur. The healthcare community is constantly trying to better understand pain, but it’s not always easily explained. In general, people associate pain with tissue injury, or limited movement accompanied by discomfort. There could have been a specific injury that is easy to associate the pain with, it could be degenerative changes such as arthritis or disc bulges, or it could be something that takes a little more effort to find the underlying issue. Each of these will present differently and will require different care. Some will experience relief more quickly and others will take time. Consistency with care is key to healing regardless of the source of pain. Your F.I.T. chiropractor will work on the soft tissue structures causing or reinforcing your pain and will guide you through exercises to help retrain that tissue leading to long term relief. Conversations with your chiropractor about incorporating appropriate physical activity, nutritional and sleep habits could all be a part of your healing process as well.
Regardless of your experience with pain, there is help, there are options and chiropractic care at F.I.T. Muscle & Joint Clinic could be the answer you’ve been looking for.
