It is no secret that the vibrant city of Virginia Beach is a haven to local tourists, foodies, and art enthusiasts. Countless historic museums and parks attract people to visit the charming city. Aside from its thriving scenery, Virginia Beach is also home to the best chiropractors in the state.
Chiropractic is a form of complementary medicine that uses a holistic approach in preventing, diagnosing, and treating musculoskeletal disorders (read more). Such disorders can create a disturbance or imbalance in the overall health of an individual.
The chiropractic approach regards the spine, musculoskeletal system, and the nervous system as interrelated and coordinated. Thus, a disorder in one of them can deteriorate the normal functions of the rest.
Chiropractic care and practices include manipulative therapies, postural exercises, ergonomic and rehabilitative training. It can be done alongside conventional medical treatments and drugs.
How is chiropractic done?
The initial consultation involves a general health assessment and a brief medical history. You need to elaborate on past injuries and ailments as well as your current health conditions. A chiropractor will do a physical examination that involves an x-ray, blood pressure check, and a spinal mobility test. It can also involve other routine tests that give specific attention to the area of complaint.
You will most likely begin your chiropractic treatment on the second day. A typical procedure entails spinal manipulation or adjustment. It all depends on the condition you have.
- The practitioner will let you lie down on a chiropractic table.
- Chiropractic is a hands-on treatment technique. It involves a wide variety of manual techniques like applying pressure points to the muscles, stretching the joints to different positions, and short, light thrusts to the spine.
- Aside from the spine, chiropractors can also adjust other joints like the knees, ankles, wrists, shoulders, elbows, and neck.
A chiropractic session lasts for at least 20 minutes. The number of sessions depends on the severity of your condition and your body’s response to the treatment.
Some conditions like lower back pain are treated by spinal manipulation alongside heat massages and acupuncture.
Who can perform chiropractic?
The United States already legalized chiropractic therapy for more than a hundred years. Currently, 20 universities are offering a chiropractic degree across the US. Doctors of chiropractic have undergone a series of educational competency exams like the national boards, state licensure, and a four-year doctoral program in a graduate school.
This is why the state considers chiropractors as physician-level health care providers. However, patients are advised to only deal with licensed practitioners to ensure safety. Look for a Virginia Beach chiropractor online and check their legitimacy at their website. Otherwise, you might risk your health coordinating with pseudo-practitioners.
Skilled chiropractors can do the following chiropractic treatments:
- Soft tissue therapy – to alleviate muscle pains and relieve muscle tension and spasm.
- Kinesio taping – it was developed by a Japanese chiropractor to support and heal muscle and joint sprains without limiting a person’s movement.
- Adjustment or manipulation – the process of realigning the joints and vertebras to allow mobility and normal mechanical function.
- Rehabilitative exercises – restore normal mobility, flexibility, and range of motion
What are the common problems chiropractic can treat?
1. Headache and migraine
Plenty of individuals suffer from intense, persistent migraines from time to time. Most people cope by popping in an Ibuprofen and hope that the pain goes away. Throbbing pain at the top or side of the head characterizes migraines.
But, the cause of most headaches and migraines come from the tension in your neck and jaw. Chiropractors can relieve this jaw and neck muscle tension as well as in the upper back and scalp.
2. General shoulder and back pain
According to research, back pains have become a leading health problem worldwide (See here: https://theconversation.com/back-pain-a-physiotherapist-may-offer-the-most-effective-treatment-if-you-can-afford-it-109645). Since the medical coverage of back pain is limited, most people opt to self-medicate. This causes them to suffer from the adverse effects of long-term opioid use.
Chiropractic care involves adjustments to treat your shoulder and back pain. It decreases inflammation while increasing your muscle strength and flexibility.
3. Fibromyalgia
The long-term disorder is characterized by chronic pain in the musculoskeletal system. Fatigue, mental distress, and sleep problems accompany the onset of fibromyalgia.
A doctor of chiropractor specializes in dealing with conditions that involve the neuromusculoskeletal system. They treat fibromyalgia through spinal and vertebrae manipulations. This removes any spinal restrictions and reduces the patient’s overall pain.