How Does Chiropractic Help Relieve Pain?

“Ahhh…I needed that.”

That’s a pretty common reaction from a patient who was feeling tight and sore and then was adjusted. 

The impetus for many people to seek chiropractic help is acute or chronic pain, most commonly in the lower back or neck and shoulders.  Although patients want the chiropractor to help with the underlying problem, lessening their pain is a very important part of allowing them to get on with life in some degree of comfort.  That is, first and foremost, my job.  I want to get you some relief!

Chiropractic treatment for pain rests on the principle that healing will occur as a natural function of the body once it is in correct alignment and has the correct amount of movement in each joint.  Conversely, misalignment and “stuck joints” will lead to excess strain and wear on the body, resulting in pain.  Misalignment can occur over time as the result of bad posture, repetitive activities (such as performing certain sports or occupations), and degenerative disease.  It may also happen suddenly due to trauma from a road accident, a fall, or a particular sports injury.

In addition to pain relief, chiropractic treatment aims to restore natural function and range of motion to the problem area.  In practice, the two go hand-in-hand.  Pain occurs in the shoulder, for example, because of a lack of movement from an injury or strain, and once this is treated, the shoulder will be both pain-free and able to move normally.   Your body is self-healing and self-regulating, and by keeping it moving and aligned properly, it will function more efficiently and with less pain!

Chiropractic adjustments can correct any underlying postural problems.  The adjustment helps the spine and joints to resume their natural position and normal range of motion, and eases the muscle strain associated with being out of balance, thus relieving pain.  Irritated nerves, which can obviously cause considerable pain (as in the case of sciatica), are often released through the adjustment as well.

Every injury and every person heals at a different rate.  For example, shoulder rotator cuff injuries and torn intervertebral discs tend to take longer to heal than a lumbar facet syndrome.  Your body is always trying to heal itself, and the adjustment and muscle work can play a big part in that healing process.  Both are important in order to give the injury the best possible conditions for repair to take place.  Patients will often involuntarily tense their muscles around an area of pain, which can both prolong the healing time and increase their discomfort.  In these cases, chiropractic treatment is important both to relieve the pain felt by the patient and to promote natural healing in the affected area.  Some studies have shown that most “Low Back Pain” (which could be MANY different things!) will go away, no matter what steps are taken to treat it.  However, chiropractic treatment for low back pain shows a much lower rate of recurrence than other approaches, such as bed rest or medication.  By helping your body heal itself as thoroughly as possible through proper alignment of your spine, you greatly reduce the risk of having the pain come back!

Finally, although adjustments and soft tissue massage are very helpful in the treatment of both acute and chronic pain, sometimes additional measures may be needed for short-term pain control. In these cases, pain medicine and anti-inflammatory medications may be considered to provide pain relief for the patient until sufficient healing has taken place.  Whereas the ultimate aim of chiropractic care is to restore function to the body, relieving pain is an important part of treatment, and if other health care providers are needed to accomplish this, I’ll be the first to tell you!