Spinal manipulation is one of the many physical therapies a licensed chiropractor can perform.
It’s common for people who suffer from chronic body pain to seek help from medical professionals. Unlike other health experts, however, chiropractors will not prescribe pain-relieving medications or surgery to treat the problem — because they don’t need to.
Medications and surgeries aren’t always effective because, at times, they only target the symptoms, not the source. If you need a drug-free and non-invasive treatment option, spinal manipulative therapy ticks all your boxes. Here’s everything you need to know.
What Is Spinal Manipulation?
Also known as manual or spinal manipulative therapy, various types have existed worldwide for thousands of years now, including Russia, Norway, and some parts of Asia. Hippocrates, an ancient Greek physician, described manipulative techniques in his works to relieve back pain.
In the mid-1800s, physicians had a mixed reaction. People who practiced manipulative techniques were viewed as folk healers and called bonesetters. Non-believers assumed that luck was the main cause for success. Following the advent of modern manipulative methods, Dr. Andrew Taylor Still theorized that displaced muscles and bones limit the body’s circulatory system’s functions, leading to certain diseases.
He turned to spinal manipulative therapy as a method of restoring the body and repairing the imbalances without the use of medication and surgery. Dr. Andrew Taylor Still became the father of modern osteopathy.
Dr. Daniel David Palmer, a Canadian-American chiropractor, further proved Still’s point, theorizing that subluxation or spinal misalignment can cause diseases by inhibiting the body’s ability to heal itself via the nervous system. His theories have since become the foundation for modern chiropractic medicine.
Does Spinal Manipulation Work?
Measuring the effectivity of spinal manipulative therapy isn’t simple because it doesn’t conform to traditional knowledge; however, studies show spinal manipulative therapy is moderately effective in treating lower back pain, both chronic and acute. Mobilization treatments for at least six weeks also helped treat neck pain for 70% of the participants in a related study.
How Does Spinal Manipulation Work?
Spinal manipulative therapy is a technique where chiropractors use a device or their own hands to apply controlled pressure to a joint on your spine. This allows your joints to move more than usually possible; however, spinal mobilization shouldn’t be confused with spinal manipulation. Unlike spinal manipulative therapy, spinal mobilization doesn’t use a thrust and only moves the joint to the limit of its natural range of motion.
What Are Some Conditions Spinal Therapy Can Treat?
- Headaches: People suffering from severe headaches or migraines can try spinal manipulative therapy in conjunction with other methods such as massage therapy.
- Sciatica: Someone suffering from sciatica can suffer when their sciatic nerve starts acting up. Through manipulation, discomfort can be treated.
- Lower Back Pain: Manipulation is one of the top non-invasive, non-drug treatment options among patients; however, despite the numerous studies, spinal manipulative therapy still garners mixed reactions due to some limitations.
Is Spinal Manipulative Therapy Safe?
It is when performed by an experienced, licensed professional, such as chiropractors, physical therapists, and osteopathic physicians; however, albeit rare, treatment can still encounter some problems.
Here are some intermittent complications:
- Compressed nerves
- Herniated disks
- Post-neck manipulation stroke
Is spinal manipulative therapy for everyone? Yes and no. Adults and children can seek chiropractic treatment, but people with health conditions, such as spinal cancer, severe osteoporosis, spinal instability, and high stroke risk, should refrain from treatment. People who experience tingling, numbness, or loss of strength in certain parts of the body should also avoid chiropractic treatments.
What Are the Benefits of Spinal Manipulative Therapy?
Pain Relief
This is one of the primary benefits of spinal manipulative therapy. Some people reported pain relief after only one appointment to the chiropractor.
Surgical Prevention
If you’ve explored all the treatment options and the pain is still present, chiropractors suggest seeking chiropractic treatment before opting for surgery. More often than not, therapy can minimize or treat the pain without needing surgery.
Drug Dependence Reduction
While pain relievers do work, they are not effective in the long term. They can also negatively affect your mood, mental clarity, and organs with regular usage.
Improve Flexibility Improvement
Over the years, your habits will affect your flexibility and range of motion. Spinal manipulative therapy will undo the damage done and improve your mobility and flexibility. Your chiropractor may also recommend exercises that you can do at home. This will strengthen your back, neck, shoulders, and core muscles.
It’s only natural to seek a trustworthy professional to perform such a practice. If you want to consult the best-licensed chiropractor in your area, Advanced Chiropractors Group is affiliated with the most certified professionals in the field. Call us today, and we’ll connect you to them in no time!
